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Conlath and Cuthóna: A PoemDisplay note.

Did not Ossian hear a voice? or is it the sound of days that are no more? Often does the memory of former times come, like the evening sun, on my soul. The noise of the [ 172 ] View Page Image× chace is renewed; and, in thought, I lift the spear.——But Ossian did hear a voice: Who art thou, son of the night? The sons of little men are asleep, and the midnight wind is in my hall. Perhaps it is the shield of Fingal that echoes to the blast, it hangs in Ossian's hall, and he feels it sometimes with his hands.——Yes!—I hear thee, my friend; long has thy voice been absent from mine ear! What brings thee, on thy cloud, to Ossian, son of the generous Morni? Are the friends of the aged near thee? Where is Oscar, son of fame?—He was often near thee, O Conlath, when the din of battle rose.

Ghost of Conlath.

Sleeps the sweet voice of Cona, in the midst of his rustling hall? Sleeps Ossian in his hall, and his friends without their fame? The sea rolls round the dark I-thonaDisplay note, and our tombs are not seen by the stranger. How long shall our fame be unheard, son of the echoing Morven?

Ossian.

O that mine eyes could behold thee, as thou sittest, dim, on thy cloud! Art thou like the mist of Lano; or an half extinguished meteor? [ 173 ] View Page Image× Of what are the skirts of thy robe? Of what is thine airy bow?——But he is gone on his blast like the shadow of mist.—Come from thy wall, my harp, and let me hear thy sound. Let the light of memory rise on I-thona; that I may behold my friends. And Ossian does behold his friends, on the dark-blue isle.—The cave of Thona appears, with its mossy rocks and bending trees. A stream roars at its mouth, and Toscar bends over its course. Fercuth is sad by his side: and the maidDisplay note of his love sits at a distance, and weeps. Does the wind of the waves deceive me? Or do I hear them speak?

Toscar.

The night was stormy. From their hills the groaning oaks came down. The sea darkly-tumbled beneath the blast, and the roaring; waves were climbing against our rocks.—The lightning came often and shewed the blasted fern.—Fercuth! I saw the ghost of nightDisplay note. Silent he stood, on that bank, his robe of mist [ 174 ] View Page Image× flew on the wind.——I could behold his tears: an aged man he seemed, and full of thought.

Fercuth.

It was thy father, O Toscar; and he foresees some death among his race. Such was his appearance on Cromla, before the great Ma-ronnanDisplay note fell.——UllinDisplay note! with thy hills of grass, how pleasant are thy vales! Silence is near thy blue streams. and the sun is on thy fields. Soft is the sound of the harp in SelámaDisplay note, and pleasant the cry of the hunter on Crómla. But we are in the dark I-thona, surrounded by the storm. The billows lift their white heads above our rocks: and we tremble amidst the night.

Toscar.

Whither is the soul of battle fled, Fercuth with the locks of age? I have seen thee undaunted in danger, and thine eyes burning with joy in the fight. Whither is the soul of battle fled? Our fathers never feared.—Go: view the [ 175 ] View Page Image× settling sea: the stormy wind is laid. The billows still trembleDisplay note on the deep, and seem to fear the blast. But view the settling sea: morning is gray on our rocks. The sun will look soon from his east; in all his pride of light.

I lifted up my sails, with joy, before the halls of generous Conlath. My course was by the isle of waves, where his love pursued the deer. I saw her, like that beam of the sun that issues from the cloud. Her hair was on her heaving breast; she, bending forward, drew the bow: her white arm seemed, behind her, like the snow of Cromla:——Come to my soul, I said, thou huntress of the isle of waves! But she spends her time in tears, and thinks of the generous Conlath. Where can I find thy peace, Cuthona, lovely maid!

Cu-thonaDisplay note.

A distant steep bends over the sea, with aged trees and mossy rocks: the billows roll at its feet: on its side is the dwelling of roes. The [ 176 ] View Page Image× people call it Ardven. There the towers of Mora rise. There Conlath looks over the sea for his only love. The daughters of the chace returned, and he beheld their downcast eyes. Where is the daughter of Rumar? But they answered not.—My peace dwells on Ardven, son of the distant land!

Toscar.

And Cuthona shall return to her peace; to the halls of generous Conlath. He is the friend of Toscar: I have feasted in his halls.—Rise, ye gentle breezes of Ullin, and stretch my sails towards Ardven's shores. Cuthona shall rest on Ardven: but the days of Toscar will be sad.—I shall sit in my cave in the field of the sun. The blast will rustle in my trees, and I shall think it is Cuthona's voice. But she is distant far, in the halls of the mighty Conlath.

Cuthona.

Oh! what cloud is that? It carries the ghosts of my fathers. I see the skirts of their robes, like gray and watry mist. When shall I fall, O Rumar?—Sad Cuthona sees her death. Will not Conlath behold me, before I enter the narrow houseDisplay note?

[ 177 ] View Page Image× Ossian.

And he will behold thee, O maid: he comes along the rolling sea. The death of Toscar is dark on his spear; and a wound is in his side. He is pale at the cave of Thona, and shews his ghastly woundDisplay note. Where art thou with thy tears, Cuthona? the chief of Mora dies.——The vision grows dim on my mind:—I behold the chiefs no more. But, O ye bards of future times, remember the fall of Conlath with tears: he fell before his dayDisplay note; and sadness darkened in his hall. His mother looked to his shield on the wall, and it was bloodyDisplay note. She knew that her hero died, and her sorrow was heard on Mora.

Art thou pale on thy rock, Cuthona, beside the fallen chiefs? The night comes, and the [ 178 ] View Page Image× day returns, but none appears to raise their tomb. Thou frightnest the screaming fowls Display note away, and thy tears for ever flow. Thou art pale as a watry cloud, that rises from a lake.

The sons of the desart came, and they found her dead. They raise a tomb over the heroes; and she rests at the side of Conlath.—Come not to my dreams, O Conlath; for thou hast received thy fame. Be thy voice far distant from my hall; that sleep may descend at night. O that I could forget my friends: till my footsteps cease to be seen! till I come among them with joy! and lay my aged limbs in the narrow house!