ftrong! My renown grows on the fall of the haughty. The light of my fteel pours on the proud in arms. The battle comes! and the tombs of the valiant rife; the tombs of my people rife, O my fathers! I at laft muft remain alone! But I will remain renowned; the departure of my foul fhall be a ftream of light. Lathmon! retire to thy place! Turn thy battles to other lands! The race of Morven are renowned; their foes are the fons of the unhappy!" It may not be improper here, to give the ftory which is the foundation of this poem, as it is handed down by tradition. Ufnoth lord of Etha, which is probably that part of Argylefhire which is near Loch Eta, an arm of the fea in Lorn, had three fons, Nathos, Althos, and Ardan, by Sliffáma, the daughter of Semo, and fifter to the celebrated Cuthullin. The three brothers, when very young, were fent over to Ireland, by their father, to learn the use of arms, under their uncle, Cuthullin, who made a great figure in that kingdom. They were juft landed in Ulfter when the news of Cuthullin's death arrived. Nathos, though very young, took the command of Cuthullin's army, made head against Cairbar the ufurper, and defeated him in feveral battles. Cairbar at laft having found means to murder Cormac the lawful king, the army of Nathos fhifted fides, and he himself was obliged to return into Ulfter, in order to pafs over into Scotland. Dar-thula, the daughter of Colla, with whom Cairbar was in love, refided, at that time, in Selâma, a caftle in Ulfter: fhe faw, fell in love, and fled with Nathos; but a ftorm rifing at fea, they were unfortunately driven back on that part of the coaft of Ulfter, where Cairbar was encamped with his army. The three brothers, after having defended themfelves, for fome time, with great bravery, were overpowered and flain, and the unfortunate Darthula killed herfelf upon the body of her beloved Nathos. The poem opens, on the night preceding the death of the fons of Ufnoth, and brings in, by way of epifode, what paffed before. It relates the death of Dar-thula differently from the common tradition; this account is the most probable, as fuicide feems to have been unknown in thofe early times : for no traces of it are found in the old poetry. DAR-THULA: A D POE E M. AUGHTER of heaven, fair art thou! the filence of thy face is pleasant! Thou comeft forth in loveliness. The ftars attend thy blue courfe in the east. The clouds rejoice in thy presence, O moon! They brighten their dark-brown fides. Who is like thee in heaven, light of the filent night? The ftars are ashamed in thy prefence. They turn away their sparkling eyes. Whither doft thou retire from thy course, when the darkness of thy countenance grows? Haft thou thy hall, like Offian? Dwelleft thou in the fhadow of grief? Have thy fifters fallen from heaven? Are they who rejoiced with thee, at night, no more? Yes! they have fallen, fair light! and thou doft often retire to mourn. thou thyself shalt fail, one night; and leave thy blue path in heaven. The stars will VOL. I. A a But then |