On his ifle, He turned CORCUL-SURAN fell in blood. raged the ftrength of his father. Colgorm, from I-thorno, to wander on all the winds. In Crathmo-craulo's rocky field, he dwelt by a foreign ftream. Nor darkened the king alone, that beam of light was near, the daughter of echoing Tormoth, white-armed Strina-dona †. The continuation of this epifode is juft now in my hands; but the language is fo different from, and the ideas fo unworthy of, Offian, that I have rejected it, as an interpolation by a modern bard. CATH ARGUMENT. OSSIAN, after fome general reflections, defcribes the fituation of Fingal, and the pofition of the army of Lochlin.—The conversation of Starno and Swaran.-The episode of Corman-trunar and Foinar-bragal.-Starno, from his own example, recommends to Swaran, to furprize Fingal, who had retired alone to a neighbouring hill. Upon Swaran's refufal, Starno undertakes the enterprize himself, is overcome, and taken prifoner, by Fingal.-He is difmiffed, after a fevere reprimand for his cruelty, CAT H-L O D A: DUAN THIRD. W HENCE is the ftream of years? Whither do they roll along? Where have they hid, in mist, their many-coloured fides? I look into the times of old, but they seem dim to Offian's eyes, like reflected moon-beams, on a diftant lake. Here rife the red beams of war! There, filent, dwells a feeble race! They mark no years with their deeds, as flow they pafs along. Dweller between the fhields! thou that awakeft the failing foul! descend from thy wall, harp of Cona, with thy voices three! Come with that which kindles the paft rear the forms of old, on their own dark-brown years! *UTHORNO, hill of ftorms, I behold my race on thy fide. Fingal is bending, in night, over Duth The bards, who were always ready to fupply what they thought deficient in the poems of Offian, have inferted a great many incidents between the second and third duün of Cathloda. Their interpolations are so easily distinguished from the genuine |