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OSCUR ftood forth to meet him;

fon would meet the foe. But Fingal came in his ftrength, and fmiled at the vaunter's boaft. They threw their arms round each other; they struggled on the plain. The earth is ploughed with their heels. Their bones crack as the boat on the ocean, when it leaps from wave to wave. Long did they toil; with night, they fell on the founding plain; as two oaks, with their branches mingled, fall crashing from the hill. The tall fon of Morny is bound; the aged over

came.

n

FAIR with her locks of gold, her fmooth neck, and her breasts of snow; fair, as the fpirits of the hill when at filent noon they glide along the heath; fair, as the rain-bow of heaven; came Minvane the maid. Fingal! fhe foftly faith, loose me my brother Gaul. Loose me the hope of my race, the ter

ror

ror of all but Fingal. Can I, replies the King, can I deny the lovely daughter of the hill? take thy brother, O Minvane, thou fairer than the fnow of the north!

SUCH, Fingal! were thy words; but thy words I hear no more.

Sightlefs I fit by thy tomb. I hear the wind in the wood; but no more I hear my friends. The cry of the hunter is over. The voice of war is ceased.

TH

IX.

Hou afkeft, fair daughter of the ifles! whofe memory is preferved in these tombs? The memory of Ronnan the bold, and Connan the chief of men; and of her, the faireft of maids, Rivine the lovely and the good. The wing of time is laden with care. Every moment hath woes of its own. Why feek we our grief from afar? or give our tears to thofe of other times? But thou commandeft, and I obey, O fair daughter of the ifles!

CONAR was mighty in war. Caul was the friend of ftrangers. His gates were open to all; midnight darkened not on his barred door. Both lived

upon

the fons of the mountains. Their bow was the fupport of the poor. F

CONNAN

CONNAN was the image of Conar's

foul.

Caul was renewed in Ronnan his fon. Rivine the daughter of Conar was the love of Ronnan; her brother Connan was his friend. She was fair as the harvest-moon setting in the feas of Molochafquir. Her foul was fettled on Ronnan; the youth was the dream of her nights.

RIVINE, my love! fays Ronnan, I go to my king in Norway *. a day fhall bring me back. be true to Ronnan?

*

A year and
Wilt thou

RONNAN! a year and a day I will fpend in forrow. Ronnan, behave like a man, and my foul fhall exult in thy valour. Connan my friend, fays Ronnan, wilt thou preferve Rivine thy fifter? Durftan is in love with the maid;

Supposed to be Fergus II. This fragment is reckoned not altogether fo ancient as most of the reft.

and

and foon fhall the fea bring the ftranger to our coast.

RONNAN, I will defend: Do thou

fecurely go. He went.

He return

ed on his day. But Durftan returned. before him.

GIVE me thy daughter, Conar, fays Durstan; or fear and feel my power.

He who dares attempt my fifter, fays Connan, must meet this edge of steel. Unerring in battle is my arm: my fword, as the lightning of heaven.

RONNAN the warriour came; and much he threatened Durftan.

BUT, faith Euran the fervant of gold, Ronnan! by the gate of the north fhall Durftan this night carry thy fair

one away.

Accurfed, anfwers Ron

F 2

nan,

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