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with the found of eagle wings. They turned battle, in fields, before the kings of men.

"But, Trenmor, they turned not from battle. He drew forward that troubled war; in its dark fkirt was Trathal, like a rifing light. It was dark; and Loda's fon poured forth his figns, on night. The feeble were not before thee, fon of other lands* ! Then rofe the ftrife of kings, about the hill of night; but it was foft as two fummer gales, fhaking their light wings, on a lake. Trenmor yielded to his fon; for the fame of the king had been heard. Trathal came forth before his father, and the foes failed, in echoing Caracha. The years that are paft, my fon, are marked with mighty deeds +."

In clouds rofe the eastern light. The foe came forth in arms. The ftrife is mixed on Rathcol, like the roar of ftreams. Behold the contending of kings! They meet befide the oak. In gleams of steel the dark forms are loft: fuch is the meeting of meteors, in a vale by night: red light is fcattered round, and men foresee the ftorm! Duth-carmor is low in blood! The fon of Offian overcame! Not harmless in battle was he, Malvina hand of harps!

Nor, in the field, were the fteps of Cathlin. The ftranger ftood by a secret stream, where the foam of Rath-col fkirted the moffy ftones. Above, bends the branchy birch, and strews its leaves, on wind. The inverted fpear of Cathlin touched,

* Trenmor and Trathal. Offian introduced this episode, as an example to his fon, from ancient times.

†Those who deliver down this poem in tradition, lament that there is a great part of it loft. In particular they regret the lofs of an epifode, which was here introduced, with the fequel of the ftory of Carmal and his Druids. Their attachment to it was founded on the descriptions of magical inchantments which it contained.

touched, at times, the ftream.. Ofcar brought Duth-carmor's mail: his helmet with its eagle wing. He placed them before the ftranger, and his words were heard. "The foes of thy father have failed. They are laid in the field of ghofts. Renown returns to Morven, like a rifing wind. Why art thou dark, chief of Clutha? Is there caufe for grief ?"

"Son of Offian of harps, my foul is darkly fad. I behold the arms of Cathmol, which he raised in war. Take the mail of Cathlin, place it highin Selma's hall; that thou mayeft remember the hapless in thy diftant land." From white breafts: defcended the mail. It was the race of kings; the foft-handed daughter of Cathmol, at the ftreams of Clutha Duth-carmor faw her bright in the hall, he had come, by night, to Clutha.. Cathmol met him, in battle, but the hero fell. Three days dwelt the foe, with the maid. On the fourth fhe fled in arms. She remembered the race of kings, and felt her burfting foul!

Why, maid of Tofcar of Lutha, fhould I tell how Cathlin failed? Her tomb is at rufhy Lumon, in a distant land. Near it were the fteps of Sul-malla, in the days of grief. She raised the fong, for the daughter of ftrangers, and touched the mournful harp.

Come, from the watching of night, Malvina, lonely beam!

SUL MALL A

LUM ON:

POEM.

ARGUMENT.

This poem, which, properly speaking, is a continuation of the laft, opens with an addrefs to Sul-malla, the daughter of the king of Inis-huna, whom Offian met, at the chace, as he returned from the battle of Rath-col. Sul-malla invites Offian and Ofcar to a feast, at the refidence of her father, who was then absent in the wars. Upon hearing their name and family, fhe relates an expedition of Fingal into Inis-huna. She cafually mentioning Cathmor, chief of Atha (who then affifted her father against his enemies), Offian introduces the episode of Culgorm and Suran-dronlo, two Scandinavian kings, in whofe wars Offian himself and Cathmor were engaged on oppofite fides. The ftory is imperfect, a part of the original being loft.

Offian, warned in

a dream, by the ghost of Trenmor, sets fail from Inis-huna.

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"WHO moves fo stately, on Lumon, at the

roar of the foamy waters? Her hair falls upon her heaving breaft. White is her arm behind, as flow fhe bends the bow. Why doft thou wander in defarts, 'like a light thro' a cloudy field? The young roes are panting, by their fecret rocks. Return, thou daughter of kings! the cloudy night is near! It was the young branch of green. Inis-huna, Sul-malla of blue eyes. She fent the bard

The expedition of Offian to Inis-huna happened a short time before Fingal paffed over into Ireland, to dethrone Cairbar the fon of Borbar-duthul. Cathmor, the brother of Cairbar, was aiding Conmor, king of Inis-huna, in his wars, at the time that Offian defeated Duth-carmor, in the valley of Rathcol. The poem is more interesting, that it contains so many particulars concerning those personages, who make so great a figure in Temora.

The exact correfpondence in the manners and customs of Inis-huna, as here described, to those of Caledonia, leaves no room to doubt, that the inhabitants of both were originally the fame people. Some may allege, that Offian might transfer, in his poetical defcriptions, the manners of his own nation to foreigners. This objection is eafily anfwered. Why has he not done this with regard to the inhabitants of Scandinavia? We find the latter very different in their customs and fuperftitions from the nations of Britain and Ireland. The Scandinavian manners are remarkably barbarous and fierce, and feem to mark out a nation much less advanced in a state of civilization, than the inhabitants of Britain were in the times of Offian.

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