ing to the stars like waves, in a rocky bay, before the nightly wind. Beneath an oak, lay the chief of Atha. His shield, a dusky round, hung high. Near him, against a rock, leaned the fair stranger of Inis-huna: that beam of light, with wandering locks", from Lumon of the roes. At distance rose the voice of Fonar, with the deeds of the days of old. The song fails, at times, in Lubar's growing roar !

"Crothar," begun the bard, "first dwelt at Atha's mossy streams! A thousand oaks, from the mountains, formed his echoing hall. The gathering of the people was there, around the feast of the blue-eyed king. But who, among his chiefs, was like the stately Crothar? Warriors kindled in his presence. The young sigh

18

The winged army roams the field around,

The rivers and the rocks remurmur to the sound.

She

By the stranger of Inis-huna, is meant Sulmalla, the daughter of Conmor king of Inis-huna, the ancient name of that part of South Britain, which is next to the Irish coast. had followed Cathmor in disguise. Her story is related at large in the fourth book. MACPHERSON.

"The fair stranger of Inis-huna, that beam of light with wandering locks," is,

And,

The fair Aurelia by the hero's side.

A ray to light a father's eve she shone.

of the virgins rose. In Alnecma was the warrior honoured the first of the race of Bolga.

"He pursued the chace in Ullin: on the mosscovered top of Drumardo. From the wood looked the daughter of Cathmin, the blue-rolling eye of Con-lama. Her sigh rose in secret. She bent her head amidst her wandering locks. The moon looked in, at night, and saw the whitetossing of her arms"; for she thought of the mighty Crothar, in the season of dreams.

"Three days feasted Crothar with Cathmin. On the fourth they awaked the hinds. Conlama moved to the chace, with all her lovely steps. She met Crothar in the narrow path. The bow fell, at once, from her hand. She turned her face away, and half-hid it with her locks. The love of Crothar rose. He brought

the white-bosomed maid to Atha.

Bards raised

the song in her presence. Joy dwelt round the daughter of Cathmin.

"The pride of Turloch rose, a youth who loved the white-handed Con-láma. He came, with battle, to Alnecma; to Atha of the roes.

19 The moon looked in-and saw the white-tossing of her arms.] From the song, A Cold Frosty Morning.

The moon look'd in and envied my love's charms.

Cormul went forth to the strife, the brother of car-borne Crothal. He went forth, but he fell. The sigh of the people rose. Silent and tall, across the stream, came the darkening strength of Crothar: he rolled the foe from Alnecma. He returned midst the joy of Con-láma.

"Battle on battle comes. Blood is poured on blood. The tombs of the valiant rise. Erin's clouds are hung round with ghosts 20. The chiefs of the south gathered round the echoing shield of Crothar. He came, with death, to the paths of the foe. The virgins wept by the streams of Ullin. They looked to the mist of the hill: No hunter descended from its folds. Silence darkened in the land. Blasts sighed lonely on grassy tombs.

Descending like the eagle of heaven, with all his rustling wings, when he forsakes the blast with joy, the son of Trenmor came; Conar, arm of death, from Morven of the groves. He pour

20 Erin's clouds are hung round with ghosts.] And in the next paragraph, "Death dimly strode behind his sword." These are instances of that sublime simplicity, in which Blair met with " no affected ornaments; no false refinement; no marks, either in style or thought, of a studied endeavour to shine or sparkle."

ed his might along green Erin. Death dimly strode behind his sword. The sons of Bolga fled, from his course, as from a stream, that bursting from the stormy desert, rolls the fields together, with all their echoing woods". Crothar met him in battle: but Alnecma's warriors fled. The king of Atha slowly retired, in the grief of his soul. He afterwards shone in the south; but dim as the sun of autumn; when he visits, in his robes of mist, Lara of dark streams 22. The wi

21 As from a stream, that bursting from the stormy desert, rolls the fields together, with all their echoing woods.] Præcipitesque trahit silvas. Eneid, ii. 307. POPE's Iliad, v. 116.

Thus from high hills, the torrents, swift and strong,
Deluge the fields, and sweep the trees along ;

Through ruined moles the rushing wave resounds,
O'erwhelms the bridge, and bursts the lofty bounds.

See Fingal, ii. 28.

22 He shone in the south; but dim as the sun of autumn, when he visits, in his robes of mist, Lara of dark streams.] THOMSON'S Autumn.

The dim-seen river seems,

Sullen and slow, to roll the misty wave :

Even in the height of noon oppressed, the sun
Sheds, weak and blunt, his wide refracted ray.

The sun oppressed in the height of noon, is converted into his shining dim in the south; and the dim-seen river's misty wave, into the sun's robes of mist, when, in autumn, he visits Lara of dark streams.

thered grass is covered with dew: the field, though bright, is sad!"

Why wakes the bard before me," said Cath

mor, "the memory of those who fled? Has some ghost, from his dusky cloud, bent forward to thine ear; to frighten Cathmor from the field, with the tales of old? Dwellers of the skirts of night, your voice is but a blast to me; which takes the grey thistle's head, and strews its beard on streams. Within my bosom is a voice. Others hear it not 23. His soul forbids the king of Erin to shrink back from war."

Abashed the bard sinks back in night: retired he bends above a stream. His thoughts are on the days of Atha, when Cathmor heard his song with joy. His tears came rolling down. The winds are in his beard. Erin sleeps around. No sleep comes down on Cathmor's eyes. Dark, in his soul, he saw the spirit of low-laid Cairbar. He saw him, without his song, rolled in a blast of night. He rose. His steps were round the

23 Within my bosom is a voice. Others hear it not.] POPE'S I. Epist. Hor. lib. i.

A voice there is that whispers in my ear,

'Tis reason's voice which sometimes one can hear,