THE DEATH of CUCHULLIN: A POEM. 93

It is the white wave of the rock, and not Cuchullin's fails. Often do the mifts deceive

me

who refided, at the time, with Connal, the fon of Caithbat, in Ulfter.

Cuchullin was but three and twenty years old, 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 Belge, who were in posfeffion 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 exfitting 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 Cuchul lin's hand; but as he himself preffed too eagerly on the flying enemy, he was mortally wounded by an arrow, and died the fecond day after.

The good fortune of Cormac fell with Cuchullin: many set up for themselves, and anarchy and confufion reigned. At laft Cormac was taken off; and Cairbar, lord of Atha, one of the competi

torg

me for the fhip of my love! when they rife round fome ghoft, and fpread their gray fkirts

on

tors for the throne, having defeated all his rivals,
became fole monarch of Ireland.
The family

of Fingal, who were in the intereft of Corinac'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 asfaf-
finated by Cairbar. The threats of Qfcar
reached Cairbar's ears: he invited him in a friend-
ly manner to a feaft, which he had prepared at
the royal palace of Temora, refolving to pick a
quarrel, and have fome pretext for killing him.

The quarrel happened; the followers of both
fought, and Cairbar and Ofcar fell by mutual
wounds in the mean time Fingal arrived from
Scotland with an army, defeated the friends of
Cairbar, and re-established the family of Corinac
in the posfeffion of the kingdom.
The pre-

fent
poem concerns the death of Cuchullin. It is,
in the original, called Duan loch Leigo, i. e. The
Poem of Lego's Lake, and is an episode introdu-
ced in a great poem, which celebrated the last
expedition of Fingal into Ireland. The greateft
part of the poen is loft, and nothing remains but
fome episodes, which a few old people in the

north

on the wind. Why doft thou delay thy coming, fon of the generous Semo? Four times

has autumn returned with its winds, and raised the feas of Togorma *), fince thou haft been in

the

Cuch

north of Scotland retain on memory.
ullin is the most famous chainpion in the Irish
traditions and poems; in them he is always called
the redoubtable Cuchullin; and the fables concern
ing his ftrength and valour are innumerable.
Offian thought his expedition against the Fir - bolg
or Belge of Britain, a subject fit for an epic
poem; which was exftant till of late, and was
called Fora-na-tana, or a Dispute about Posfef-
fions, as the war, which was the foundation of
it, was commenced by the British Belge, who
inhabited Ireland, in order to extend their terri-
tories. The fragments, that remain of this poem,
are animated with the genuine fpirit of Offian;'
fo that there can be no doubt, that it was of his
compofition.

*) Togorma, i, e. The Island of blue waves, one of
the Hebrides, was fubject to Connal, the fon of
Caithbat, Cuchullin's friend. He is fometi-
mes called the son of Colgar, from one of that
name, who was the founder of the family.
Connal, a few days before the news of Torlath's

the roar of battles, and Bragéla diftant 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 fhall rife with the morning's light, and feed on the moffy ftreain. But my tears return with the fun, my fighs come on with the night. When wilt thou come in thine arms, o chief of mosfy Tura?

1

Pleafant is thy voice in Offian's ear, daugh ter of car-borne Sorglan! But retire to the hall of fhells, to the beam of the burning oak. Attend to the beam of the fea: it rolls at Dunscaich's walls: let fleep defcend on thy blue eyes, and the hero come to thy dreams.

revolt came to Temora, had failed to Togorma, his native ifle; where he was detained by con

trary winds, during the war in which Cuchullin was killed.

Cuchullin fits at Lego's lake, at the dark rolling of waters. Night is around the hero; and his thousands fpread on the heath: a hun. dred oaks burn in the midft, the feast of fhells is fmoaking wide. Carril ftrikes the harp, beneath a tree; his gray locks glitter in the beam; the rustling blaft of night is near, and lifts his aged hair. His fong is of the blue Togorma, and of its chief, Cuchullin's friend.

Why art thou abfent, Connal, in the day of the gloomy ftorm? The chiefs of the fouth have convened against the car - borne Cormac : the winds detain thy fails, and thy blue waters roll around thee. But Cormac is not alone: the fon of Semo fights his battles. Seino's fon his battles fights! the terror of the ftranger! he that is like the vapour of death *), flowly borne

*) Ο"τη δ' ἐκ νεφέων ἐρεβηννὴ φαίνεται ἀὴρ Καύματος ἐξ ἀνέμοιο δυσαέος όρνυμένοιο. HOM. II. 5.

As vapours blown by Auster's fultry breath', Pregnant with plagues, and fhedding feeds of death,

.

Beneath the rage of burning Sirius rife,

Choke the parch'd earth, and blacken all the