Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

An epic poem. 113
the ftring : each to the chief he loved. — Before a burning oak
Sol-in^ila touched, at times, the harp. She touciicd the harp, and
heard, between, the breezes in her hair. — In darknefs near, lay
the king of Atha, beneath an aged tree. The beam of the oak
was turned from him ; he favv the maid, but was not feen. His
foul poured forth, in fecret, when he beheld her fearful eye. — But
battle is before thee, fon of Borbar-duthul.
Amidst the harp, at intervals, flie liflened whether the warrior
flept. Her foul was up ; flie longed, in fecret, to pour her own
fad fong. The field is filent. On their wings, the blafls of night
retire. The bards had ceafed ; and meteors came, red-winding
with their ghofts. — The fky grew dark: the forms of the dead
were blended with the clouds. But hcedlefs bends the daughter of
Conmor, ovei the decaying flame. Thou wert alone in her foul,
car-borne chief of Atha. She raifed the voice of the fong, and
touched the harp between.
very numerous and infolent. It would ap- of the indelicate difputes of thefe worthy
pear, tiiat, after the introduJUon of Chrif- poetical combatants are handed down, by
tianity, Tome ferved in the double capacity tradition, and fhew how much the bards,
of bards and clergymen. It was, from this at laft, abufed the privileges, which the
circumfiance, th.t they had the name of admiration of their countrymen had con-
ChUre, which is, probably, derived from ferred on the order. — It was this infolent
the latin CK'ricus. The Chiere, be their behaviour that induced the chiefs to re-
name derived from what it will, became, trench their number, and to take away
at lafi, a public nuifance ; for, taking ad- thofe privileges which they were rw longer
vantage of their facred charafler.^ they worthy to enjoy. Their indolence, and
went about, in great bodies, and lived, at difpofition to lampoon, extinguiihed all
difcrUii^n, in the houCes of the chiefs; till the poetical fervour, which diftinguiflied
Slither pa^y, of the fame order, drove their predsceflbrs, and makes us the lefs re-
ti If: a-,vay by meie dint of fatire. Some gretthe extindion of the order.
Q_ Clun-