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OSCUR my fon came down; the mighty in battle defcended. His armour rattled as thunder; and the lightning of his eyes was terrible. There, was the clafhing of fwords; there, was the voice of steel. They ftruck and they thrust; they digged for death with their swords. But death was diftant far, and delayed to come. The fun began to decline; and the cow-herd thought of home. Then Ofcur's keen steel found the heart of Ullin. He fell like a mountain-oak covered over with gliftering froft: He fhone like a rock on the plain.Here the daughter of beauty lieth; and here the braveft of men. Here one day ended the fair and the valiant. Here reft the purfuer and the purfued.

SON of Alpin! the woes of the aged are many their tears are for the past. This raised my forrow, warriour; me

mory

mory awaked my grief.

Ofcur my

fon was brave; but Ofcur is now no

more. Thou haft heard my grief, O

fon of Alpin; forgive the tears of the aged.

VII.

WHY openest thou afresh the spring of my grief, son of Alpin, inquiring

how Ofcur fell? My eyes are blind.with tears; but memory beams on my heart.. How can I relate the mournful death of the head of the people! Prince of thewarriours,, Ofcur my fon,, fhall I fee thee: no more!

He fell as the moon in a ftorm; as the fun from the midst of his course, when clouds rife from the wafte of the waves, when the blacknefs of the storm inwraps the rocks of Ardannider.. I, like an ancient oak on Morven, I moulder: alone in my place. The blast hath lopped my branches away; and I tremble at the wings of the north. Prince of the warriors, Ofcur my fon! fhall I fee thee no more!!

DERMID

i

DERMID and Ofcur were one: They reaped the battle together. Their friendship was ftrong as their steel; and death walked between them to the field. They came on the foe like two rocks falling from the brows of Ardven. Their fwords were ftained with the blood of the valiant: warriours fainted at their names. Who was a match for Ofcur,: but Dermid? and who for Dermid, but Ofcur?

THEY killed mighty Dargo in the field; Dargo before invincible. His daughter was fair as the morn; mild as the beam of night. Her eyes, like two ftars in a fhower: her breath, the gale of fpring her breafts, as the newfallen fnow floating on the moving heath. The warriours faw her, and loved; their fouls were fixed on the maid. Each loved her, as his fame; each muft poffefs her or die. But her foul was fixed

on

on Ofcur; my fon was the youth of her love. She forgot the blood of her father; and loved the hand that flew him.

SON of Ofcian, faid Dermid, I love; O Ofcur, I love this maid. But her foul cleaveth unto thee; and nothing can heal Dermid. Here, pierce this bofom, Ofcur; relieve me, my friend, with thy fword.

My fword, fon of Morny, fhall never be ftained with the blood of Dermid.

WHO then is worthy to flay me, O Ofcur fon of Ofcian? Let not my life pass away unknown. Let none but Of cur flay me. Send me with honour to

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