Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

9 o OINA.MORUL:
My courfe was towards the ifle of Fuarfed,
woody dweller of feas ! Fingal had fent me to
the aid of Mal-orchol, king of Fuarfed wild :
for war was around him, and our fathers had
met, at the feaft.
In Col-coiled, I bound my fails ; I fent my
fword to Mal-orchol of fheils. He knew the
fignal of Albion, and his joy arofe. He came
from his own high hall, and feized my hand
in grief. " Why comes the race of heroes to
a falling king ? Ton-thormod of many (pears
is the chief of wavy Sar-dronlo. He faw,
and loved my daughter, white-bofomed Oina-
morul. He fought ; I denied the maid ; for
our fathers had been foes. He came, with
battle, to Fuarfed ; my people are rolled away,
"Why comes the race of heroes to a falling
king ?"
I come not, I faid, to look, like a boy, on
the ftrife. Fingal remembers Mal-orchol, and
his hall for ltrangers. From his waves, the
tinguifh the pole-flar by that name. A fong, which Is
ftill in repute, among the fea-faring part of the High-
landers, alludes to this paflage of Oifian. The author
commends the knowledge of Gilian in fea affairs, a merit,,
which, perhaps, iew of us moderns will allow him, or
any in the age in which he lived. One thing is certain,
that the Caledonians often made their way through the
dangerous and tempeftuous feas of Scandinavia ; which
is more, perhaps, than the more poliihed nations, fubfift:-.
ing in thofe times, dared to venture. In eftimating the
degree of knowledge of arts among the ancients, we
ought not to bring it into comparifon with the improve-
ments of modern times. Our advantages over them
proceed more from accident, than any merit of ours.
warrior