Raife the fong of joy, ye bards of Morven!

that our foul may forget the past.

mac.

Ob

The red stars look on us from the clouds, and filently defcend. Soon fhall the grey beam of the morning rife, and fhew us the foes of CorFillan take the fpear of the king;. go to Mora's dark brown fide. Let thine eyes travel over the heath, like flames of fire, ferve the foes of Fingal, and the courfe of ge nerous Cathmor. I hear a diftant found, like the falling of rocks in the defart. -- But ftrike thou thy fhield, at times, that they may not come through night, and the fame of Mor、 1 ven ceafe. I begin to be alone, my son,

and I dread the fall of my renown.

The voice of the bards arofe. The king

leaned on the fhield of Trenmor.

Sleep

defcended
on his eyes; his future battles rofe
in his dreams. The hoft are fleeping around.
Dark haired Fillan obferved the foe. His fteps
are on a diftant hill: we hear, at times, his
clanging fhield.

TEMO

This book opens, we may fuppofe, about midnight, with a foliloquy of Offian, who had retired, from the reft of the army, to mourn for his fon Oscar. Upon hearing the noife of Cathmor's army approaching, he went to find out his brother Fillan, who kept the watch, on the hill of Mora, in the front of Fingal's 'army. In the converfation of the brothers, the episode of Conar, the fon of Tremor, who was the first king of Ireland, is introduced; which lays open the origin of the contefts between the Caël and Firbolg, the two nations who first posfeffed themfelves of that Ifland. Offian kindles a fire

on Mora; upon which Cathmor defifted from the defign he had formed of furprifing the army of the

Caledonians. He calls a council of his chiefs; reprimands Foldath for advising a night - attack, as the Irish army were fo much fuperior in number to the enemy. The bard Fonar introduces the ftory of Crothar, the ancestor of the king, which throws further light on the hiftory of Ireland, and the original pretentions of the family of Atha, to the throne of that kingdom. The Irifh chiefs lie down to reft, and Cathmor himself undertakes the watch. In his circuit, round the army, he is met by Offi

an.

The interview of the two heroes is defcribed Cathmor obtains a promife from Offian, to order a funeral elegy to be fung over the grave of Cairbar; it being the opinion of the times, that the fouls of the dead could not be happy, till their elegies were fung by a bard. Morning comes. Cathmor and Offian part; and the latter, cafually meeting with Carril the fon of Kinfena, fends that bard, with a funeral fong, to the tomb of Cairbar.

TEMO.