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THE

DEATH

OF

CUCHULLIN:

S

A POE M. (1)

Is the wind on Fingal's shield? Or is the voice of paft times in my hall? Sing

(1) Tradition throws confiderable light on the hiftory of Ireland, during the long reign of Fingal, the fon of Comhal, in Morven. Arth, the fon of Cairbre, fupreme king of Ireland, dying, was fucceeded by his fon Cormac, a minor.. The petty kings and chiefs of the tribes met at Temora, the royal palace, in order to chufe, out of their own number a guardian to the young king. Difputes, concerning the choice of a proper perfon, run high, and it was refolved to end all differences by giving the tuition of the young king to Cuchullin the fon of Semo, who had rendered himself famous by his great actions and who refided, at the time, with Connal, the fon of Caithbat, in Ulfter.

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Cuchullin was but three and twenty years old

on, fweet voice, for thou art pleasant, and carrieft away my night with joy. Sing on,

when he affumed the management of affairs in Ireland: and the invasion of Swaran happened, two years after. In the twenty-feventh year of Cuchullin's age, and the third of his administration, Torlath, the fon of Cantéla, one of the chiefs of that colony of Belga, vho were in poffeffion of the fouth of Ireland, fet up for himself in Connaught, and advanced towards Temora in order to dethrone Cormac, who, excepting. Feradath, afterwards king of Ireland, was the only one of the Scotch race of kings exifting in that country. Cuchullin marched against him came up with him at the lake of Lego, and totally defeated his forces. Torlath fell in the battle by Cuchullin's hand; but as he himfelf preffed too eagerly on the flying enemy, he was mortally wounded by an arrow, and died the fecond day after.

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The good fortune of Cormac fell with Cuchulfin many fet up for themselves, and anarchy and confufion reigned. At laft Cormac was taken off; and Cairbar, lord of Atha, one of the competitors for the throne, having defeated all his rivals became fole monarch of Ireland. -The family of Fingal, who were in the intereft of Cormac's family were refolved to deprive Cairbar of the throne he had ufurped; in particular, Ofcar the fon of Offian had determined to revenge the death of Cathol, his friend, who had been affaffinated by Cairbar. -The threats of Ofcar reached Cairbar's ears he invited him in a friendly manner to a feaft which he had prepared at the royal paJace of Temora, refolving to pick a quarrel, and have fome pretext for killing him.

The quarrel happened; the followers of both

O Bragéla, daughter of car-borne Songlan!

It is the white wave of the rock, and not Cuchullin's fails. Often do mifts deceive me for the ship of my love! when they rife round fome ghoft, and fpread their gray skirts on the wind. Why doft thou delay thy coming, fon of the generous Semo?

fought, and Caitbar and Ofcar fell by mutual wounds in the mean time Fingal arrived from Scotland with an army, defeated the friends of Cairbar, and re-cftablished the family of Cormac in the poffeffion of the kingdom.The prefent poem concerns the death of Cuchullin. It is, in the original, called, Duan loch Leigo, i. c. The Poem of Lego's Lake, and is an epifode introduced in a great poem, which celebrated the laft expedition of Fingal into Ireland, The greatest pare of the poem is loft, and nothing remains but fome epifode, which a few old people in the north of Scotland retain on memory.- -Cuchullin is the most famous champion in the Trish traditions and poems; in them he is always called the redoubtable Cuchullin; and the fables concerning his ftrength and valour are innumerable. Offian thought his expedition against the Fir-bolg, or Belge of Britain, a fubject fit for an epic poem; which was extant till of late, and was called Tora-na-tana, or a Difpute about Poffeffions, as the war which was the foundation of it, was commenced by the British Belge, who inhabited Ireland in order to extend their territories.-The fragments that remain of this poem are animated with the ge nuine fpirit of Offian; fo that there can be no doubt that it was of his, compofition.

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-Four times has autumn returned with its winds, and raised the feas of Togorma (1), fince thou haft been in the roar of battles, and Bragéla distant far.-Hills of the ifle of mift! when will ye answer to his hounds? -But ye are dark in your clouds, and fad Bragéla calls in vain. Night comes rolling down the face of ocean fails. The heathcock's head is beneath his wing: the hind fleeps with the hart of the defart. They shall rife with the morning's light, and feed on the moffy ftream. But my tears return with the fun, my fighs come on with the night. When wilt thou come in thine arms, O chief of moffy Tura?

Pleasant is thy voice in Offian's ear; daughter of car-borne Sorglan! But retire to the hall of shells; to the beam of the burning oak. Attend to the murmur of

the fea it rolls at Dunfcaich's walls: let fleep defcend on thy blue eyes, and the hero come to thy dreams.

(1) Togorma, i. e. The ifland of blue waves, one of the Hebrides, was fubject to Connal, the fon of Caithbat, Cuchullin's friend. He is fometimes called the fon of Colgar, from one of that name who was the founder of the family.Connal, a few days before the news of Torlath's revolt came to Temora, had failed to Togorma his native ifle where he was detained by contrary winds during the war in wich Cuchullin was killed.

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