Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

FINGAL 6l
to accompany him, and orders Carril to carry off the few
that remained of the Irish. Morning comes, Calmar dies
of his wounds ; and, the ships of the Caledonians appearing,
Swaran gives over the pursuit of the Irish, and returns to
oppose Fingal's landing. Cuthullin ashamed, after his
defeat, to appear before Fingal, retires to the cave of Tura
(Carrickfergus). Fingal engages the enemy, puts them to
Hight ; but the coming on of night makes the victory not
decisive. The king, who had observed the gallant behaviour
of his grandson Oscar, gives him advices concerning his
conduct in peace and war. He recommends to him to
place the example of his fathers before his eyes as the best
model for his conduct ; which introduces the episode con-
cerning Fainasollis, the daughter of the king of Craca, whom
Fingal had taken under his protection, in his youth. Fillan
and Oscar are dispatched to observe the motions of the
enemy by night ; Gaul, the son of Morni, desires the
command of the army, in the next battle ; which Fingal
promises to give him. Some general reflections of the poet
close the third day.
I LEAS ANT are the words of the song,"
said Cuthullin! "lovely the tales of other
times ! They are like the calm dew of
the morning on the hill of roes ; when
the sun is faint on its sides, and the lake
is settled and blue in the vale. O Carril, raise again thy
voice 1 let me hear the song of Selma : which was sung
in my halls of joy, when Fingal king of shields was
there, and glowed at the deeds of his fathers."
••Fingal! thou dweller of battle," said Carril, ••early
were thy deeds in arms. Lochlin was consumed in thy
wrath, when thy youth strove with the beauty of maids.
They smiled at the fair-blooming face of the hero ; but
death was in his hands. He was strong as the waters
of Lora.* His followers were the roar of a thousand
streams. They took the king of Lochlin in war ; they
* It is probable that the Don Lora, in the northern part of
Antrim County, opposite Morven, is here alluded to. C.