ARGUMENT. Fingal, returning from an expedition which he had made into the Roman province, refolved to vifit Cathulla king of Iniftore, and brother to Comála, whofe ftory is related, at large, in the preceding dramatic poem. Upon his coming in fight of Carric-thura, the palace of Cathulla, he observed a flame on its top, which, in those days, was a fignal of diftrefs. The wind drove him into a bay, at fome diftance from Carric-thura, and he was obliged to pass the night on the fhore. Next day he attacked the army of Frothal king of Sora, who had besieged Cathulla in his 'palace of Carric-thura, and took Frothal himself prisoner, after he had engaged him in a fingle combat. The deliverance of Carric-thura is the fubject of the poem, but feveral other episodes are interwoven with it. It appears from tradition, that this poem was addreffed to a Culdee, or one of the firft Chriftian miffionaries, and that the ftory of the Spirit of Loda, fuppofed to be the ancient Odin of Scandinavia, was introduced by Offian in oppofition to the Culdee's doctrine. Be this as it will, it lets us into Offian's notions of a superior being; and fhews that he was not addicted to the fuperftition which prevailed all the world over, before the introduction of Christianity. CARRIC-THURA: H PO A E M. AST thou left thy blue courfe in hea ven, golden-haired son of the sky! The weft has opened its gates; the bed of thy repofe is there. The waves come to behold thy beauty. They lift their trembling heads. They fee thee lovely in thy fleep; they fhrink away with fear. Reft, in thy fhadowy cave, O fun! let thy return be in joy. But let a thousand lights arise to the found of the harps of Selma: let the beam spread in the hall, the king of fhells is returned! The ftrife of Carun is paft *, like sounds that are no more. Raife the fong, O bards, the king is returned, with his fame! + The fong of Ullin, with which the poem opens, is in a lyric measure. It was ufual with Fingal, when he returned from his expeditions, to fend his bards finging before him. This fpecies of triumph is called, by Offian, the fong of victory. * Offian has celebrated the frife of Crona, in a particular poem. This poem is connected with it, but it was impoffible for the translator to procure that part which relates to Crona, with any degree of purity. SUCH were the words of Ullin, when Fingal returned from war: when he returned in the fair blushing of youth, with all his heavy locks. His blue arms were on the hero; like a light cloud on the fun, when he moves in his robes of mift, and fhews but half his beams. His heroes follow the king: the feast of shells is fpread. Fingal turns to his bards, and bids the fong to rife. VOICES of ecchoing Cona! he faid, O bards of other times! Ye, on whose fouls the blue hofts of our fathers rife! ftrike the harp in my hall; and let me hear the fong. Pleafant is the joy of grief! it is like the fhower of spring, when it foftens the branch of the oak, and the young leaf rears its green head. Sing on, O bards, to-morrow we lift the fail. My blue course is through the ocean, to Carric-thura's walls; the moffy walls of Sarno, where Comála dwelt. There the noble Cathulla, fpreads the feaft of fhells. The boars of his woods are many; the found of the chace shall arife! CRONNAN, fon of the fong! faid Ullin, Minona, graceful at the harp! raise the tale of Shilric, • One fhould think that the parts of Shilric and Vinvela were reprefented by Cronnan and Minona, whofe very names denote that they were fingers, who performed in public. Cronnan fignifies a mournful found, Minona, or Mín-'ónn, fcft 8 air. |