Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

TEMORA 303
BOOK VII
ARGUMENT
This book begins about the middle of the third night from
the opening of the poem. The poet describes a kind
of mist which rose by night from the lake of Lego and was
the usual residence of the souls of the dead during the
interval between their decease and the funeral song.* The
appearance of the ghost of Fillan above the cave where his
body lay. His voice comes to Fingal on the rock of
Cormul. The king strikes the shield of Trenmor, which
was an infallible sign of his appearing m arms himself. The
extraordinary effect of the sound of the shield. Sul-malla,
starting from sleep, awakes Cathmor. Their affecting
discourse. She insists with him to sue for peace ; he
resolves to continue the war. He directs her to retire to
the neighbouring valley of Lona, which was the residence of
an old Druid, until the battle of the next day should be
over. He awakes his army with the sound of his shield.
The shield described. Fonar the bard, at the desire
of Cathmor, relates the first settlement of the Firbolg
in Ireland under their leader Larthon. Morning comes.
Sul-malla retires to the valley of Lona. A lyric song
concludes the book.
I ROM the wood-skirted waters of Leno,
ascend, at times, grey-bosomed mists ;
when the gates of the west are closed, on
the sun's eagle eye. Wide, over Lara's
stream, is poured the vapour dark and
deep : the moon, like a dim shield, is swimming through
its folds. With this, clothe the spirits of old, their
sudden gestures on the wind, when they stride, from
blast to blast, along the dusky night. Often, blended
* Here it is evident that Macpherson confounds the pure air
of the Ulster vale with the pestilential vapours, which he before
described, of the Lake ol Lano — not Lego — in Scandinavia. C.