Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

50 OSSIAN
BOOK II
ARGUMENT
The ghost of Crugal, one of the Irish heroes who was killed in
battle, appearing to Connal, foretells the defeat of Cuthullin
in the next battle, and earnestly advises him to make peace
with Swaran. Connal communicates the vision ; but Cuth-
ullin is inflexible ; from a principle of honour he would not
be the first to sue for peace, and he resolved to continue the
war. Morning comes ; Swaran proposes dishonourable
terms to Cuthullin, which are rejected. The battle begins,
and is obstinately fought for some time, until, upon the
flight of Grumal, the whole Irish army gave way. Cuthul-
lin and Connal cover their retreat ; Carril leads them to a
neighbouring hill, whither they are soon followed by Cuthul-
lin himself, who descries the fleet of Fingal making towards
the coast ; but, night coming on, he loses sight of it again.
Cuthullin, dejected after his defeat, attributes his ill-success
to the death of Freda his friend, whom he had killed some
time before. Carril, to shew that ill-success did not always
attend those who innocently killed their friends, introduces
the episode of Comal and Galvina.
jONNAL lay by the sound of the mountain
stream, beneath the aged tree. A stone,
with its moss, supported his head. Shrill
through the heath of Lena, he heard the
voice of night. At distance from the
heroes he lay ; the son of the sword feared no foe I
The hero beheld, in his rest, a dark red stream of fire
rushing down from the hill. Crugal sat upon the beam,
a chief who fell in fight. He fell by the hand of
Swaran, striving in the battle of heroes. His face is
like the beam of the setting moon. His robes are of
the clouds of the hill. His eyes are two decaying
flames. Dark is the wound of his breast I ** Crugal,"
said the mighty Connal, son of Dedgal, famed on the
hill of hinds! "Why so pale and sad, thou breaker of
the shields ? Thou hast never been pale for fear 1