THE DEATH O F CUCHULLIN: A POE M. (1) Is the wind on Fingal's shield? Or is the voice of paft times in my hall? Sing (1) Tradition throws confiderable light on the hiftory of Ireland, during the long reign of Fingal the fon of Comhal, in Morven. Arth, the fon of Cairbre, fupreme king of Ireland, dying, was fucceeded by his fon Cormac, a minor.The petty kings and chiefs of the tribes met at Temora, the royal palace, in order to chufe, out of their own number a guardian to the young king. Difputes, concerning the choice of a proper perfon, run high, and it was refolved to end all differences by giving the tuition of the young king to Cuchullin the fon of Semo, who had rendered himself famous by his great actions and who refided, at the time, with Connal, the fon of Caithbat, in Ulfter. Cuchullin was but three and twenty years old; on, sweet voice, for thou art pleasant, carrieft away my night with joy. Sing on, and 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 Belga, vho were in poffeffion 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 exifting 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 Cuchullin's hand; but as he himfelf 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 Cuchulfin inany fet up for themselves, and anarchy and confufion reigned. At laft Cormac was taken off; and Cairbar, lord of Atha, one of the competitors for the throne, having defeated all his rivals, became fole monarch of Ireland. The family of Fingal, who were in the intereft of Cormac'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 affaffinated by Cairbar. -The threats of Ofcar reached Cairbar's ears he invited him in a friendly manner to a feaft which he had prepared at the royal pa Jace of Temora, refolving to pick a quarrel, and have fome pretext for killing him. The quarrel happened; the followers of both O Bragéla, daughter of car-borne Songlan! It is the white wave of the rock, and not Cuchullin's fails. Often do mifts deceive me for the ship of my love! when they rife round fome ghoft and fpread their gray skirts on the wind. Why doft thou delay thy coming, fon of the generous Semo? , fought, and Cairbar and Oscar fell by mutual wounds; in the mean time Fingal arrived from Scotland with an army,. defeated the friends of Cairbar, and re-eftablished the family of Cormac in the poffeffion of the kingdom. The prefent 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 epifode introduced in a great poem, which celebrated the laft expedition of Fingal into Ireland, The greateft part of the poem is loft, and nothing remains but fome epifode, which a few old people in the north of Scotland retain on memory.- -Cuchullin is the most famous champion in the Irish traditions and poems; in them he is always called the redoubtable Cuchullin; and the fables concerning his firength and valour are innumerable. Offian thought his expedition against the Fir-bolg, or Belgæ of Britain, a fubject fit for an epic poem ; which was extant till of late, and was called Tora-na-tana, or a Difpute about Poffeffions, as the war which was the foundation of it, was commenced by the British Belgæ who inhabited Ireland in order to extend their territories.The fragments that remain of this poem are animated with the ge nuine fpirit of Offian; fo that there can be no doubt that it was of his compofition. |