ARGUMENT. FINGAL returning, with day, devolves the command on Duthmaruno, who engages the enemy, and drives them over the ftream of Turthor. Having recalled his people, he congratulates Duth-maruno on his fuccefs, but discovers, that that hero had been mortally wounded in the action. -Duthmaruno dies. Ulin, the bard, in honour of the dead, introduces the episode of Colgorm and Strina-dona, which con cludes this duän. CATH-L O D A: W DUAN SECOND. HERE art thou, fon of the king," faid dark-haired Duth-maruno?" Where haft thou failed, young beam of Selma? He returns not, from the bofom of night! Morning is fpread on U-thorno. In his mift is the fun, on his hill. Warriors, lift the fhields, in my prefence. He muft not fall, like a fire from heaven, whofe place is not marked on the ground. He comes, like an eagle, from the kirt of his fqually wind! In his hand are the fpoils of foes. King of Selma, our fouls were fad!" "NEAR us are the foes, Duth-maruno. They come forward, like waves in mift, when their foamy tops are feen, at times, above the lowfailing vapour. The traveller fhrinks on his journey; he knows not whither to fly. No trembling travellers are we! Sons of heroes call forth the fteel. Shall the fword of Fingal arise, or fhall a warrior lead ?" VOL. I. C THE THE deeds of old, faid Duth-maruno, are like paths to our eyes, O Fingal. Broad-fhielded Trenmor, is ftill feen, amidft his own dim years. Nor feeble was the foul of the king. There, no dark deed wandered in fecret. From their hundred ftreams came the tribes, to graffy Colglancrona. Their chiefs were before them. Each ftrove to lead the war. Their fwords were often half-unfheathed. Red rolled their eyes of rage. *In this fhort episode we have a very probable account given us, of the origin of monarchy in Caledonia. The Caël or Gauls, who poffeffed the countries to the north of the Firth of Edinburgh, were, originally, a number of diftinct tribes, or clans, each fubject to its own chief, who was free and independent of any other power. When the Romans invaded them, the common danger might, perhaps, have induced thofe reguli to join together, but, as they were unwilling to yield to the command of one of their own number, their battles were ill-conducted, and, confequently, unfuccefsful. Tren mor was the first who reprefented to the chiefs, the bad confequences of carrying on their wars in this irregular manner, and advised, that they themselves fhould alternately lead in battle. They did fo, but they were unfuccefsful. When it came to Trenmor's turn, he totally defeated the enemy, by his fuperior valour and conduct, which gained him fuch an intereft among the tribes, that he, and his family after him, were regarded as kings; or to use the poet's expreffion, the words of power rushed forth from Selma of kings. The regal authority, however, except in time of war, was but inconfiderable; for every chief, within his own diftrict, was abfolute and independent. From the fcene of the battle in this epifode, (which was in the valley of Crona, a little to the north of Agricola's wall) I fhould fuppofe, that the enemies of the Caledonians were the Romans, or provincial Britons. I Separate Separate they ftood, and hummed their furly fongs. Why should they yield to each other? 66 their fathers were equal in war." Trenmor was there, with his people, ftately in youthful locks. He saw the advancing foe. The grief of his foul arofe. He bade the chiefs to lead, by turns: they led, but they were rolled away. From his own moffy hill, blue-fhielded Trenmor came down. He led wide-fkirted battle, and the ftrangers failed. Around him the dark-browed warriors came: they ftruck the fhield of joy. Like a pleasant gale, the words of power ruthed forth from Selma of kings. But the chiefs lcd, by turns, in war, till mighty danger rofe: then was the hour of the king to conquer in the field. * Nor unknown, faid Cromma-glafs of fhields, In tradition, this Cromma-glas makes a great figure in that battle which Comhal loft, together with his life, to the tribe of Morni. I have juft now, in my hands, an Irish compofition, of a very modern date, as appears from the language, in which all the traditions, concerning that decifive engagement, are jumbled together. In juftice to the merit of the poem, I should have here presented to the reader a tranflation of it, did not the bard mention fome circumstances very ridiculous, and others altogether indecent. Morna, the wife of Comhal, had a principal hand in all the tranfactions previous to the defeat and death of her husband; fhe, to use the words of the bard, who was the guiding star of the women of Erin. The bard, it is to be hoped, mifreprefented the ladies of his country, C 2 |