the departure of mift. Annir ftruck his boffy fhield. He called his dark-haired fon. I came, ftreaked with wandering blood thrice rofe the fhout of the king, like the bursting forth of a fquall of wind from a cloud, by night. We rejoiced, three days, above the dead, and called the hawks of heaven. They came, from all their winds, to feaft on Annir's foes. Swaran! Fingal is alone *, on his hill of night. Let thy fpear pierce the king in fecret; like Annir, my foul fhall rejoice. "Son of Annir," faid Swaran, "I fhall not flay in fhades. I move forth in light: the hawks rush from all their winds. They are wont to trace my course: it is not harmlefs thro' war." Burning rofe the rage of the king. He thrice raifed his gleaming fpear. But, ftarting, he spared his fon; and rushed into the night. By Turthor's ftream a cave is dark, the dwelling of Conban-carglas. There he laid the helmet of kings, and called the maid of Lulan; but he was distant far, in Loda's refounding hall. *Fingal, according the cuftom of the Caledonian kings, had retired to a hill alone, as he himself was to refume the command of the army the next day. Starno might have fome intelligence of the king's retiring, which occafions his requeft to Swaran, to ftab him; as he forefaw, by his art of divination, that he could not overcome him in open battle. Swelling Swelling in his rage, he ftrode, to where Fingal lay alone. The king was laid on his fhield, on his own fecret hill. Stern hunter of fhaggy boars! no feeble maid is laid before thee. No boy, on his ferny bed, by Turthor's murmuring stream. Here is spread the couch of the mighty, from which they rife to deeds of death! Hunter of fhaggy boars, awaken not the terrible! Starno came murmuring on. Fingal arofe in arms. "Who art thou, fon of night?" Silent he threw the fpear. They mixed their gloomy ftrife. The fhield of Starno fell, cleft in twain. He is bound to an oak. The early beam arose. It was then Fingal beheld the king. He rolled awhile his filent eyes. He thought of other days, when white-bofomed Agandecca moved like the mufic of fongs. loofed the thong from his hands. Son of Annir, he faid, retire. Retire to Gormal of fhells; a beam that was fet returns. I remember thy white bofomed daughter; dreadful king away! Go to thy troubled dwelling, cloudy foe of the lovely! Let the ftranger fhun thee, thou gloomy in the hall! A tale of the times of old! He ARGUMENT. This poem is valuable on account of the light it throws on the antiquity of Offian's compofitions. The Caracul mentioned here is the fame with Caracalla the fon of Severus, who in the year 211 commanded an expedition against the Caledonians. The variety of the measure fhews that the poem was originally fet to mufic, and perhaps presented before the chiefs upon folemn occafions. Tradition has handed down the ftory more complete than it is in the poem. "Comala, the daughter of Sarno king of Iniftore or Orkney islands, fell in love with Fingal the fon of Comhal at a feast, to which her father had invited him, [Fingal, B. III.] upon his return from Lochlin, after the death of Agandecca. Her paffion was fo violent, that he followed him, difguised like a youth, who wanted to be employed in his wars. She was foon discovered by Hidallan the fon of Lamor, one of Fingal's heroes, whofe love fhe had flighted fome time before. Her romantic paffion and beauty recommended her fo much to the king, that he had refolved to make her his wife; when news was brought him of Caracul's expedition. He marched to ftop the progrefs of the enemy, and Comala attended him. He left her on a hill, within fight of Caracul's army, when he himself went to battle, having previously promised, if he furvived, to return that night." The fequel of the ftory may be gathered from the poem itself. |