Page images
PDF
EPUB

shake their dusky heads in the breeze: and gray torrents pour their noisy streams.-Two

ing of the poem.

This work appears, from

the ftory of it, which is ftill preferv'd, to have been one of the greateft of Offian's compofitions. The variety of the caracters makes it interefting; and the war, as it is carried on by Fingal and Cathmor, affords inftances of the greatest bravery, mixed with incomparably generous actions and fentiments. One is at a lofs for which fide to declare himself and often wishes, when both commanders march to battle that both may return victorious. At length the good fortune of Fingal preponderates, and the family of Cormac are reeftablished on the Irish throne.

:

The Irish traditions relate the affair in another light, and exclaim against Fingal for appointing thirty judges, or rather tyrants, at Temora, for regulating the affairs of Ireland. They pretend to enumerate many acts of oppreffion committed by thofe judges; and affirm, that both they and a part of Fingal's army, which was left in Ireland to enforce their laws, were at laft expelled from the kingdom. Thus the Irish traditions , fay the hiftorians of that nation It is faid, however that thofe gentlemen fometimes create facts in order afterwards to make remarks upon them; at leaft, that they adopt for real facts the tradi tions of their bards, when they throw luftre on the ancient ftate of their country.

[ocr errors]

The prefent poem opens in the morning. Cairbar is reprefented as retired from the reft of the Irish chiefs, and tormented with remorfe for the murder of Cormac, when news was brought him of Fingal's landing. What paffed, preceding that

green hills, with their aged oaks, furround a narrow plain. The blue courfe of the mountain-ftream is there; Cairbar ftands on its banks. His fpear fupports the king: the red eyes of his fear are fad. Cormac rifes in his foul, with all his ghastly wounds. The gray form of the youth appears in the midst of darkness, and the blood pours from his airy fides.-Cairbar thrice threw his fpear on earth; and thrice he ftroked his beard. His fteps are short; he often stopt and toffed his finewy arms. He is like a cloud in the defart, that varies its form to every blaft: the valleys are fad around, and fear, by turns, the shower.

:

The king, at length, refumed his foul, and took his pointed fpear. He turned his eyes towards Lena (1). The fcouts of the ocean appeared. They appeared with steps. of fear, and often looked behind. Cairbar knew that the mighty were near, and called his gloomy chiefs. The founding steps of his heroes came. They drew, at once, their

day, and is neceffary to be known for carrying on the poem, is afterwards introduced by way of epifode.

(1) The fcene defcribed here is nearly that of the epic poem, Fingal. In this neighbourhood alfo the fons of Ufnoth were killed.

fwords. There Morlath (1) ftood with darkened face. Hidalla's bushy hair fighs in the wind. Red-haired Cormac bends on his fpear, and rolls his fide-long-looking eyes. Wild is the look of Malthos from beneath two shaggy brows.-Foldath ftands like an oozy rock, that covers its dark fides with foam; his fpear is like Slimora's fir, that meets the wind of heaven. His shield is marked with the ftrokes of battle; and his red eye defpifes danger. Thefe and a thoufand other chiefs furrounded car-borne Cairbar, when the scout of ocean ċame, Morannal (2), from itreamy Lena His eyes hang forward from his face, his lips are trembling, pale.

Do the chiefs of Erin ftand, he faid; filent as the grove of evening? Stand they, like a filent wood, and Fingal on the coaft? Fingal, who is terrible in battle, the king of ftreamy Morven.

And haft thou feen the varrior, faid Cairbar with a figh? Are his heroes many on

(1) Mór-lath, great in the day of battle. Hidalla, widly looking hero. Cor-mar expert at fea. Málth-os, flow to freak. Fol-dath, generous.

(2) Mór-annail, Strong breath; a very proper name for a scout.

the coaft Lifts he the spear of battle? Or comes the king in peace ?

:

He comes not in peace, O Cairbar: for I have seen his forward fpear (1). It is a meteor of death the blood of thousands is on its steel. He came firft to the shore, strong in the gray hair of age. Full rofe his finewy limbs as he ftrode in his might. That fword is by his fide which gives no fecond (2) wound. His shield is terrible, like the bloody moon, when it rifes in a storm. -Then came Offian king of fongs; and Morni's fon, the firft of men. Connal leaps forward on his fpear: Dermid fpreads his dark-brown locks.-Fillan bends his bow: Fergus ftrides in the pride of youth. Who

(1) Mor-annal here alludes to the particular appearance of Fingal's fpear. If a man, upon his firft landing in a ftrange country, kept the point of his fpear forward, it denoted in those days that he came in a hoftile manner, and accordingly he was treated as an enemy; if he kept the point behind him it was a token of friendship and he was immediately invited to the feaft according to the hofpitality of the times.

[ocr errors]

(2) This was the famous fword of Fingal, made by Luno, a fmith of Lochlin and after him poetically called the fon of Luno: it is faid of this fword, that it killed a man at every ftroke; and that Fingal never used it but in times of the greatest danger.

[ocr errors]

is that with aged locks? A dark shield is on his fide. His fpear trembles at every step; and age is on his limbs. He bends his dark face to the ground; the king of spears is fad! It is Ufnoth, O Cairbar, coming to revenge his fons. He fees green Ullin with tears, and he remembers the tombs of his children. But far before the reft, the fon. of Offian comes bright in the smiles of youth, fair as the firft beams of the fun.. His long hair falls on his back.-His dark brows are half hid beneath his helmet of fteel. His fword hangs loofe on the hero's fide. His fpear glitters as he moves. I fled from his terrible eyes, king of high Temora!

Then fly, thou feeble man, faid the gloo. my wrath of Foldath: fly to the grey ftreams of thy land, fon of the little foul! Have not I feen that Ofcar? I beheld the chief. in battle. He is of the mighty in danger: but there are others who lift the fpear.Erin has many fons as brave: yes-more brave, O car-borne Cairbar ! — Let Foldath meet him in the ftrength of his course, and ftop this mighty ftream.-My fpear is covered with the blood of the valiant ; my shield is like Tura's wall.

Shall Foldath alone meet the foe, replied the dark-browed Malthos? Are not they numerous on our coaft, like the waters of a

« PreviousContinue »