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

An epic poem. 149
Joy rofe, like a fla-ne, on my foul : I bleil the echoing rock. Here
be my dwelling, in d-aknefs; in my grafly vale. From this I lliall
mount the breeze, that purilies my thiftle's beard ; or look down,
on blue-winding Atha, from its wandering mifl.
Why fpeaks the king of the tomb ? — OiTian ! the warrior has
failed ! — Joy meet thy foul, like a flream, Cathmor, friend of
Grangers ! — My fon,. I hear the call of years ; tliey take my fpear as
they pafs along. Why does not Fingal, they feem to fay, reft
A^ithin his hall ? Doll: thou always delight in blood ? In the
tears of the fad ? — No : ye darkly-rolling years, Fingal delights r>ot
in blood. Tears are wintry ftreams that wafte away my ibul.
But, when I lie down to reft, then comes the mighty voice of
war. It awakes me, in my hall, and calls forth all my fteel. — It
fliall call it forth no more ; Offian, take thou thy father's Ipear.
Lift it, in battle, when the proud arife.
' My fathers, Qfiian, trace my fteps ; my deeds are pleafant to
their eyes. Wherever I come forth to battle, on my field, are
their columns of mift. — But mine arm refcued the feeble ; the.
haughty found my rage was fire. Never over the fallen, did mine
eye rejoice. For this *, my fathers ftiall meet me, at the gates of
their
His hofpitality was not paffcd unnoticed by happened in that ifland, and utterly cutofF
fucceeding bards ; for,with them, it became all the real traditions concerning fo ancient
a proverb, when they defcribed the hofpi- a period. All that wc iiai'e related of the
table difpofiiion of a hero, that he was like ftate of Ireland before the fifth century is of
Cathmor cf Atha, the friend of Jhangin. late invention, and the work of ill inform-
It will feem flrange, that, in all the Irifh ed fenachies and injudicious bards,
traditions, there is no mention made of * We fee, from this paflage, that, even-
Cathmor. This muft be attributed to the in the times of Offian, and, coiifequcntly,
revolutions and domeftic confulions which before the introduQjon of chriflianity, they
had