Page images
PDF
EPUB

ward to Lochlin of lakes, to the dark billowy bay of U-thorno, where Fingal descends from ocean, from the roar of winds. Few are the heroes of Morven, in a land unknown!

Starno sent a dweller of Loda, to bid Fingal to the feast; but the king remembered the past, and all his rage arose. "Nor Gormal's mossy towers, nor Starno shall Fingal behold. Deaths wander, like shadows, over his fiery soul! Do I forget that beam of light, the white-handed daughter of kings? Go, son of Loda; his words are wind to Fingal: wind, that, to and fro, drives the thistle, in autumn's dusky vale. Duth-maruno, arm of death! Crommaglas, of iron shields! Struthmor, dweller of battle's wing! Cormar, whose ships bound on seas, careless as the course of a meteor, on dark-rolling clouds ! Arise, around me, children of heroes, in a land

2 Wind, that, to and fro, drives the thistle in autumn's dusky vale.] In the first editions more literally; "His words are but blasts to Fingal; blasts, that, to and fro, roll the thistle, in autumnal vales." From POPE's Odyssey, v. 417.

As when a heap of gather'd thorns is cast, Now to, now fro, before th' autumnal blast, Together clung, it rolls around the field. See Sul-malla, 4. and Six Bards, 9.

unknown! Let each look on his shield, like Trenmor, the ruler of wars. "Come down," thus Trenmor said, "thou dweller between the harps. Thou shalt roll this stream away, or waste with me in earth."

Around the king they rise in wrath. No words come forth: they seize their spears. Each soul is rolled into itself. At length the sudden clang is waked, on all their echoing shields. Each takes his hill, by night; at intervals, they darkly stand. Unequal bursts the hum of songs, between the roaring wind 3!

Broad over them rose the moon!

In his arms came tall Duth-maruno; he from Croma of rocks, stern hunter of the boar! In his dark boat he rose on waves, when Crumthormo awaked its woods. In the chace he shone, among foes: No fear was thine, Duth-maruno!

"Son of daring Comhal, shall my steps be forward through night! From this shield shall I view them, over their gleaming tribes? Starno,

3 Unequal bursts the hum of songs, between the roaring wind.] MACPHERSON's Hunter.

'Twixt ev'ry blast is heard the pleasing sound,
Then in the howling hurricane is drowned.

king of lakes, is before me, and Swaran, the foe of strangers. Their words are not in vain, by Loda's stone of power.-Should Duth-maruno not return, his spouse is lonely, at home, where meet two roaring streams, on Crathmo-craulo's plain. Around are hills, with echoing woods; the ocean is rolling near. My son looks on screaming sea-fowl, a young wanderer on the field. Give the head of a boar to Can-dona, tell him of his father's joy, when the bristly strength of I-thorno rolled on his lifted spear. Tell him deeds in war! Tell where his father fell!” "Not forgetful of my fathers," said Fingal, "I have bounded over the seas. Theirs were the times of danger, in the days of old. Nor settles darkness on me, before foes, though youthful in my locks. Chief of Crathmo-craulo, the field of night is mine."

of my

Fingal rushed, in all his arms, wide-bounding over Turthor's stream, that sent its sullen roar, by night, through Gormal's misty vale. A moonbeam glittered on a rock; in the midst stood a stately form; a form with floating locks, like Lochlin's white-bosomed maids. Unequal are her steps, and short. She throws a broken song on

wind. At times she tosses her white arms; for grief is dwelling in her soul.

"Torcul-torno, of aged locks!" she said, "where now are thy steps, by Lulan! Thou hast failed, at thine own dark streams, father of Conban-cârglas! But I behold thee, chief of Lulan, sporting by Loda's hall, when the darkskirted night is rolled along the sky.-Thou, sometimes, hidest the moon with thy shield. I have seen her dim in heaven. Thou kindlest thy hair into meteors, and sailest along the night. Why am I forgot, in my cave, king of shaggy boars? Look, from the hall of Loda, on thy lonely daughter."

"Who art thou," said Fingal, "voice of night ?"

She, trembling, turned away.

"Who art thou, in thy darkness?"

4 Torcul-torno, according to tradition, was king of Crathlun, a district in Sweden. The river Lulan ran near the residence of Torcul-torno. There is a river in Sweden still called Lula, which is probably the same with Lulan. MACPHERSON.

Torcul-Torno, chief of Lulan: The Torneo and Lulea in Swedish Lapland; known, as it seems, by these names to the Scottish Highlanders of the third century. See Dissertation on the supposed authenticity of Ossian's Poems.

She shrunk into the cave.

The king loosed the thong from her hands. He asked about her fathers.

My

from off the rush

"Torcul-torno," she said, "once dwelt at Lulan's foamy stream: he dwelt-but now, in Loda's hall, he shakes the sounding shell. He met Starno of Lochlin in war; long fought the darkeyed kings. My father fell, in his blood, blueshielded Torcul-torno! By a rock, at Lulan's stream, I had pierced the bounding roe. white hand gathered my hair, ing winds. I heard a noise. Mine eyes were up. My soft breast rose on high. My step was forward, at Lulan, to meet thee, Torcul-torno! It was Starno, dreadful king! His red eyes rolled on me in love. Dark waved his shaggy brow, above his gathered smile. Where is Where is my father, I said, he that was mighty in war? Thou art left alone among foes, O daughter of Torcultorno! He took my hand. hand. He raised the sail. In this cave he placed me dark. At times, he comes, a gathered mist. He lifts, before me, my father's shield. But often passes a beam of youth, far-distant from my cave. The son of Starno

« PreviousContinue »