Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

248 OSSIAN
formed his echoing hall. The gathering of the people
was there, around the feast of the blue-eyed king. But
who, among his chiefs, was like the stately Crothar?
Warriors kindled in his presence. The young sigh of
the virgins rose. In Alnecma* was the warrior hon-
oured : the first of the race of Bolga.
*' He pursued the chase in Ullin : on the moss-
covered top of Drumardo. From the wood looked the
daughter of Cathmin, the blue-rolling eye of Conlama.
Her sigh rose in secret. She bent her head, midst her
wandering locks. The moon looked in, at night, and
saw the white tossing of her arms ; for she thought of
the mighty Crothar, in the season of dreams.
"Three days feasted Crothar with Cathmin. On the
fourth, they awaked the hinds. Con-lama moved to the
chase, with all her lovely steps. She met Crothar
in the narrow path. The bow fell at once from her
hand. She turned her face away, and half-hid it with
her locks. The love of Crothar rose. He brought the
buildings. In Caledonia they began very early to build with
stone. None of the houses of Fingal, excepting Ti-foirmal,
were of wood. Ti-foirmal was the great hall where the
bards met to repeat their compositions annually, before they
submitted them to the judgment of the king in Selma. By
some accident or other, this wooden house happened to be
burnt, and an ancient bard, in the character of Ossian, has
left us a curious catalogue of the furniture which it contained.
The poem is not just now in my hands, otherwise I would
lay here a translation of it before the reader. It has little
poetical merit, and evidently bears the marks of a later
period.
* Alnecma, or Alnecmacht, was the ancient name of
Connaught. Ullin is still the Irish name of the province of
Ulster. To avoid the multiplying of notes, I shall here give
the signification of the names in this episode. Drumardo,
high ridge. Cathmin, calm itt battle. Con-lamha, soft hand.
Turloch, vian of the quiver. Cormul, bhie eye. M. — There
is a hill in the immediate neighbourhood of Connor, which
still goes by the name of Dnn>iardora. C.