Trenmor was their fathers were equal in war." there, with his people, stately in youthful locks. He saw the advancing foe. The grief of his soul arose. He bade the chiefs to lead, by turns: they led; but they were rolled away. From his own mossy hill blue-shielded Trenmor came down. He led wide-skirted battle, and the strangers failed. Around him the dark-browed warriors came: they struck the shield of joy. Like a pleasant gale, the words of power rushed forth from Selma of kings. But the chiefs led, by turns, in war, till mighty danger rose: then was the hour of the king to conquer in the field. "Not unknown," said Cromma-glass of shields, "are the deeds of our fathers. But who shall now lead the war, before the race of kings? Mist settles on these four dark hills: within it let each warrior strike his shield. Spirits may descend in darkness, and mark us for the war." They went, each to his hill of mist. Bards marked the sounds of the shields. Loudest rung thy boss, Duth-maruno. Thou must lead in war! Like the murmur of waters, the race of U thorno came down. Starno led the battle, and Swaran of stormy isles. They looked forward from iron shields, like Cruth-loda fiery-eyed, when he looks from behind the darkened moon, and strews his signs on night. The foes met by Turthor's stream. They heaved like ridgy waves. Their echoing strokes are mixed. Shadowy death flies over the hosts. They were clouds of hail, with squally winds in their skirts. Their showers are roaring together. Below them swells the dark-rolling deep. Strife of gloomy U-thorno, why should I mark thy wounds! Thou art with the Thou art with the years that are gone thou fadest on my soul ! 2 Like the murmur of waters, the race of Uthorno came down.] Par. Lost, v. 672. And as the sound of waters deep, Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause 3 Like Cruth-loda fiery-eyed, when he looks from behind the darkened moon, and strews his signs on night.] Par. Lost, i. 594. As when the sun, new risen, Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon, In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd so, yet shone, &c. Thou art with the years that are gone.] Night Thoughts. Starno brought forward his skirt of war, and Swaran his own dark wing. Nor a harmless fire is Duth-maruno's sword. Lochlin is rolled over her streams. The wrathful kings are lost in thought. They roll their silent eyes, over the flight of their land. The horn of Fingal was heard; the sons of woody Albion returned. But many lay, by Turthor's stream, silent in their blood. "Chief of Crathmo," said the king, "Duth-maruno, hunter of boars! not harmless returns my' eagle, from the field of foes! For this whitebosomed Lanul shall brighten, at her streams; Candona shall rejoice, as he wanders in Crathmo's fields." Colgorm," replied the chief, "was the first of my race in Albion; Colgorm, the rider of ocean, through its watry vales. He slew his brother in I-thorno: he left the land of his fathers. He chose his place, in silence, by rocky Crathmo-craulo. His race came forth, in their years; they came forth to war, but they always fell. The wound of my fathers is mine, king of echoing isles !" He drew an arrow from his side! He fell pale, in a land unknown. fathers, to their stormy isle. There they pursued boars of mist, along the skirts of wind. The chiefs stood silent around, as the stones of Loda on their hill. The traveller sees them, through the twilight, from his lonely path. He thinks them the ghosts of the aged 5, forming future His soul came forth to his wars. Night came down on U-thorno. Still stood the chiefs in their grief. The blast whistled by turns, through every warrior's hair. Fingal, at length, broke forth from the thoughts of his soul. He called Ullin of harps, and bade the song to rise. "No falling fire, that is only seen, and then retires in night; no departing meteor was he that is laid so low. He was like the 5 As the stones of Loda-The traveller sees them, through the twilight---He thinks them the ghosts of the aged.] The Hunter, ii. 161. Thus oft the trembling, easy-frighten'd hind Hears shrill dogs yelping in each blast of wind; Makes dogs of stones, and men of distant trees. 6 No falling fire, that is only seen, and then retires in night.] POPE'S Iliad, xi. 83. Like the red star, that shews his sanguine fires Through the dark clouds, and now in night retires. strong-beaming sun, long rejoicing on his hill. Call the names of his fathers, from their dwellings old!" I-thorno, said the bard, that risest midst ridgy seas! why is thy head so gloomy, in the ocean's mist? From thy vales came forth a race, fearless as thy strong-winged eagles; the race of Colgorm of iron shields, dwellers of Loda's hall. In Tormoth's resounding isle, arose Lurthan, streamy hill. It bent its woody head over a silent vale. There, at foamy Cruruth's source, dwelt Rurmar, hunter of boars! His daughter was fair as a sun-beam, white-bosomed Strina-, dona! Many a king of heroes, and hero of iron shields; many a youth of heavy locks came to Rurmar's echoing hall. They came to woo the maid, the stately huntress of Tormoth wild. But thou lookest careless from thy steps, high-bosomed Strina-dona! If on the heath she moved, her breast was whiter than the down of Cana7; if on the sea 7 The Cana is a certain kind of grass, which grows plentiful in the heathy morasses of the north. Its stalk is of the reedy kind, and it carries a tuft of down, very much resembling cot |