the chace, before the heroes left the hill. A hundred youths collect the heath; ten heroes blow the fire; three hundred chufe the polish'd tones. The feaft is fmoaking wide.

Cuchullin, chief of Erin's war, refumed his mighty foul. He ftood upon his beamy fpear, and spoke to the fon of fongs; to Carril of other times, the gray - haired fon of Kinfena [3]. Is this feaft fpread for me alone and the king of Lochlin on Ullin's fhore, far from the deer of his hills, and founding halls of his feafts? Rife, Carril of other times, and carry my words to Swaran; tell him that came from the roaring of waters, that Cuchullin gives his feast. Here let him liften to the found of my groves amidft the clouds of night. For cold and bleak the bluftering winds rufh over the foam of his feas.

Here

let him praise the trembling harp, and hear the fongs of heroes.

Rife

Old Carril went, with fofteft voice, and called the king of dark-brown-fhields. from the fkins of thy chace, rife, Swaran Cuchullin gives the joy of fhells; partake the feaft of Erin's blueeyed chief.

king of groves.

[3] Cean-feana, i, e. the head of the people.

Не

" He anfwered like the fullen found of Cromla before a ftorm. Though all thy daugh ters, Innisfail! fhould extend their arms of fnow; raife high the heavings of their breafts, and foftly roll their eyes of love: yet, fixed as Lochlin's thoufand rocks, here Swaran fhall remain; till morn, with the young beams of my eaft, fhall light me to the death of Cuchullin. Pleasant to my car is Lochlin's wind, It rushes over my feas. It speaks aloft in all my fhrowds, and brings my green forests to my mind the green forefts of Gormal, that often ecchoed to my winds, when my fpear was red in the chace of the boar. dark Cuchullin yield to me + the ancient throne of Cormac, or Erin's torrents fhall fhew from their hills the red foam of the blood of his pride.

Let

Sad is the found of Swaran's voice, faid

Carril of other times:

Sad to himself, alone, faid the blue-eyed fon of Semo. But; Carril, raife thy voice on high, and tell the deeds of other times. Send thou the night away in fong; and, give the joy of grief. For many heroes and maids of love have moved on Innis - fail. And lovely are the fongs of woe, that are heard on Albion's rocks; when the noife of the chace is over,

1

In other days [5], Carril repliès, camé the fons of Ocean to Erin. A thousand. veffels bounded over the waves to Ullin's lovely plains. The fons of Innisfail arofe to meet the race of dark brown Thields. Cairbar, firft of men, was there, and Grudar, ftately youth. Long had they ftrove for the fpotted bull, that lowed on Golbun's [6] ecchoing heath. Each claim

ed

[4] Offian, the son of Fingal and author of the poem, One cannot but admire the addrefs of the poet, in putting his own praise so naturally into the mouth of Cuchullin. The Cona here mentioned is perhaps that small river, that runs, through Glenco in Argylefhire. One of the hills, which environ that romantic valley, is ftill called Scornafena, or the hill of Fingal's people.

2

[5] This episode is introduced with propriety. Calmal and Connal, two, of the Irish heroes, had disputed warmly before the battle about engaging the enemy. Carril endeavours to reconcile them with the ftory of Cairbar and Grudar; who, tho' eneinies before, fought fide by fide in the war. The poet obtained his aim, for we find Calmar and Connal perfectly reconciled in the third book. [6] Golb - bhean, as well as Cromleach, fignifies a-krooked bill. It is here the name of a mountain in the county of Sligo.

ed him as his own; and death was often at the point of their steel.

Side by fide the heroes fought, and the ftrangers of Ocean fled. Whofe name was fairer on the hill, than the name of Cairbar and Grudar! But ah! why ever lowed the 'bull on Golbun's ecchoing heath? They faw him leaping like the fnow. The wrath of the chiefs returned.

On Lubar's [7] graffy banks they fought and Grudar, like a fun-beam, fell. Fierce Cairbar came to the vale of the ecchoing Tura, where Braffolis [8], fairest of his fifters, all alone, raised the fong of grief. She fung of the actions of Grudar, the youth of her fecret foul. She mourned him in the field of blood; but ftill fhe hoped for his return. Her white bofom is feen from her robe, as the moon from the clouds of night. Her voice was fofter than the harp, to raife the fong of grief. Her foul was fixed on

fecret look of her eye was his rudar, the

When

fhalt thou come in thine arms, thou mighty

in the war?

[7] Lubar

Take

a river in Ulfter, Labbar, loud, noify.

[8] Braffolis fignifies a woman with a white breast.

Take, Braffolis, Cairbar came and faid, take, Braffolis, this fhield of blood. Fix it on high within my hall, the armour of my foe. Her foft heart beat against her fide. Distracted, pale, fhe flew. She found her youth in all his blood; fhe died on Cromla's heath. Here refts their duft, Cuchullin; and thefe two lanely, yews, fprung from their tombs, with to meet on high. Fair was Braffolis on the plain, and Grudar on the hill. The bard fhall preferve their names, and repeat them to future

times,

Pleasant is thy voice, O Carril, said the blue-eyed chief of Erin; and lovely are the words of other times. They are like the calm fhower [9] of fpring, when the fun looks on the field, and the light cloud flies over the hills. O ftrike the harp in praife of my love, the lonely fun beam of Dunfcaich. Strike the harp in the praise of Bragéla [10], of her that

I

[91 Homer compares foft piercing words to the fall of fnow.

– επεα νιφάδεσσιν ἐοικότα χειμερίησιν. But when he speaks, what elocution flows! Like the foft fleeces of defcending flows. POPE. [10] Bragéla was the daughter of Sorglan, and the

wife of Cuchullin.

Cachullın, upon the

death