Whofe fame is in that dark green tomb, begun the king of generous fhells? four ftones with their heads of mofs ftand there; and mark the narrow houfe of death. Near it let my Ryno reft, and be the neighbour of the valiant. Perhaps fome chief of fame is here to fly with my fon on clouds. O Ullin, raife the fongs of other times. Bring to memory the dark dwellers of the tomb. If in the field of the valiant they never fled from danger, my fon fhall reft with them, far from his friends, on the heath of Lena.

Here, faid the mouth of the fong, here reft the first of heroes. Silent is Lamderg [4] in his tomb, and Ullin king of fwords. And who, foft fmiling from her cloud, fhews me her face of love? Why, daughter, why fo pale art thou, first of the maids of Cromla? Doft thou fleep with the foes in battle, Gelchoffa, white - bofomed daughter of Tuathal? Thou

haft been the love of thousands, but Lamderg was thy love. He came to Selma's moffy towers, and, ftriking his dark buckler, fpoke:

white-legged. Tuathal, furly. Ulfadda, long

beard. Ferchios, the conqueror of men..

Her

Where is Gelchoffa, my love, the daugh ter of the noble Tuathal? I left her in the hall of Selma, when I fought with the gloomy Ulfadda. Return foon, o Lamderg, fhe faid, for here I am in the midft of forrow. white breaft rofe with fighs. Her cheek was wet with tears. But I fee her not coming to meet me; and to footh my foul after battle. Silent is the hall of my joy; I hear not the voice of the bard. Bran [5] does not

fhake his chains at the gate, glad at the

coming of Lamderg. Where is Gelchoffa, my the mild daughter of the generous

love,

Tuathal?

Lamderg! fays Ferchios the fon of Aidon, Gelchoffa may be on Cromla ; she and the maids of the bow pursuing the flying deer.

Ferchios! replied the chief of Cromla, no noife meets the ear of Lamderg. No found is in the woods of Lena. No deer fly in my fight. No panting dog purfues. I fee not

Gel

[5] Bran is a common name of gray-hounds to this

day. It is a custom in the north of Scotland, to give the names of the heroes mentioned in this poem, to their dogs; a proof that they are familiar to the ear, and their fame generally

known.

Gelchoffa my love, fair as the full moon fet ting on the hills of Cromla. Go, Ferchios, go to Allad [6] the gray-haired fon of the rock. His dwelling is in' the circle of ftones. He may know of Gelchoffa.

ear of age. Allad

The fon of Aidon went; and spoke to the thou that dwelleft in the rock, thou that trembleft alone, what faw thi ne eyes of age?

né

I faw, anfwered Allad the old, Ullin the fon of Cairbar. He came like a cloud from Cromla; and he humined a furly fong, like a blaft in a leaflefs wood. He entered the hall of Selma. Lamderg, he faid, most dreadfui of men, fight or yield to Ullin. Lamderg, replied Gelchoffa, the fon of battle, is not here. He fights Ulfadda mighty chief. He is not here, thou firft of men. But Lamderg never yielded. He will fight the fon of Cairbar. Lovely

[6] Allad is plainly a druid: he is called the fon of the rock, from his dwelling in a cave; and the circle of ftones here mentioned is the pale of the druidical temple. He is here confulted as one who had a fupernatural knowledge of things; from the druids, no doubt, came the ridiculous notion of the fecond fight, which prevailed in the highlands and ifles.

1

Lovely art thou, faid terrible Ullin, daugh ter of the generous Tuathal. I carry thee to Cairbar's halls. Three days I remain on Crom la, to wait that fon of battle, Lamderg. On the fourth Gelchoffa is mine, if the mighty Lamderg flies.

I

Allad! faid the chief of Cromla, peace to thy dreams in the cave. Ferchios, found the horn of Lamderg, that Uilin may hear.on Cromla. Lamderg [7], like a roaring ftorm, afcended the hill from Selma. He hummed a furly fong, as he went, like the noife of a falling ftream. He ftood like a cloud on the hill, that varies its form to the wind. He rolled ftone, the fign of war. Ullin heard in Cairbar's hall. The hero heard, with joy, his foe, and took his father's fpear. A fmile. brightens his dark-brown cheek, as he places his fword by his fide. The dagger glittered in

his hand. He whistled as he went.

1

Gelchoffa faw the filent chief, as a wreath

of mift afcending the hill.

H 3

She ftruck

her

[7] The reader will find this paffage altered from what it was in the fragments of ancient poetry. It is delivered down very differently by tradition, and the translator has chofen that reading, which favours leait of bombaft.

her white and heaving breast; and filent, tear

ful, feared for Lamderg.

Cairbar, hoary chief of fhells, faid the maid of the tender hand; I must bend the bow on Cromla; for I fee the

dark-brown hinds.

She hated up the hill.

gloomy heroes fought.

fight!

In vain the

Why fhould I

tell the king of Morven, how wrathful heroes Fierce Ullin fell. Young Lamderg came all pale to the daughter of generous Tuathal.

What blood, my love, the foft-haired woman faid, what blood runs down my warrior's fide? - It is Ullin's blood, the chief replied, thou fairer than the fnow of Cromla! Gelchoffa, let me reft here a little while. The mighty Lamderg died.

And fleepest thou fo foon on earth, o chief of fhady Cromla? three days fhe mourned befide her love. The hunters found her dead. They raised this tomb above the three. Thy fon, o king of Morven, may rest here with heroes.

And here my fon fhall reft, faid Fingal, the noife of their fame has reached my ears. Fillan and Fergus! bring hither Orla, the pale

: youth