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The fon of Offian overcame. Not harmless in battle was he, Malvina hand of harps!

Nor, in the field, are the fteps of Cathlin. The ftranger flood by a fecret ftream, where the foam of Rath-col fkirted the moffy ftones. Above, bends the branchy birch, and ftrews its leaves, on winds. The inverted fpear of Cathlin touched, at times, the ftream. Ofcar brought Duth - carmor's mail: his helmet with its eagle-wing. He placed them before the ftranger, and his words were heard.

The foes of thy father have failed. They are laid in the field of ghofts. Renown returns to Morven, like a rifing wind. Why art thou dark, chief of Clutha? Is there caufe for grief?"

Son of Offian of harps, my foul is darklyfad. I behold the arms of Cathmol, which he raifed in war. Take the mail of Cathlin, place it high in Selma's hall; that thou mayft remember the hapless in thy diftant land.

From white breaft defcended the mail, It was the race of kings; the foft-handed daughter of Cathmol, at the ftreams of Clutha. Duth-carmor faw her bright in the hall, he ca. G 3

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me, by night, to Clutha. Cathmol met him, in battle, but the warrior fell. Three days dwelt the foe, with the maid. On the fourth fhe fled in arms. She remembered the race of kings, and felt her burfting foul.

Why, maid of Tofcar of Lutha, fhould I tell how Cathlin failed? Her tomb is at rushy Lumon, in a diftant land. Near it were the fteps of Sul-malla, in the days of grief. She raifed the fong, for the daughter of ftrangers, and touched the mournful harp.

Come, from the watching of night, Malvina, lonely beam!

SUL

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This poem, which, properly speaking, is a continuation of the laft, opens with an addrefs to Sul-malla, the daughter of the king of Inis huna; whom Offian met, at the chace, as he returned from the battle of Rath-col. Sul - malla invites Offian and Oscar to a feaft, at the refidence of her father, who was then abfent in the wars. Upon hearing their

name and family, fhe relates an expedition of Fin-
gal into Inis - huna. She cafually mentioning Cath-
mor, chief of Atha, (who then asfifted her father
against his enemies) Offian introduces the epifode
of Cutgorm and Suran-drónlo, two Scandinavian kings,
in whose wars Offian himself and Cathmor were
engaged on oppofite fides.
The ftory is
imperfect, a part of the original being loft.

Offian, warned, in a dream, by the ghost of
Trennor, fets fail from Inis - huna

SUL-MALLA

OF

LUMON:

A POEM.

W

ho moves fo ftately, on Lumon, at the roar of the foamy waters? Her hair falls upon her heaving breast. White is her arm behind, as flow the bends the bow.

Why

*) The expedition of Offian to Inis - huna happened a fhort time before Fingal paffed over into Ireland, to dethrone Cairbar the fon of Borbarduthul. Cathmor, the brother of Cairbar, was aiding Conmor, king of Inis - huna, in his wars, at the time that Offian defeated Duth - carmor, in the valley of Rath-col. The poem is more interefting, that it contains fo many particulars concerning thofe perfonages, who make fo great a figure in Temora.

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