to feaft even an enemy before a battle. Cuchullin, after the firft day's engagement with Swaran, King of Lochlin or Scandinavia, fays to Carril, one of his bards, "Is this feaft fpread for me alone, and the King "of Lochlin on Ullin's fhore; far from the deer "of his hills, and founding halls of his feafts? Rife, "Carril of other times, and carry my words to "Swaran; tell him from the roaring of waters, "that Cuchullin gives his feaft. Here let him liften "to the found of my groves amid the clouds of "night for cold and bleak the bluftering winds "rufh over the foam of his feas. Here let him "praife the trembling harp, and hear the fongs of ❝ heroes (a)." The Scandinavian King, lefs polifhed, refused the invitation. Cairbar speaks: "Spread the feaft on Lena, and let my hundred bards attend. And thou, red-hair'd Olla, take "the harp of the King. Go to Ofcar, King of "fwords, and bid him to our feaft. To-day we "feaft and hear the fong; to-morrow break the "fpears (b)." "Olla came with his fongs. Ofcar "went to Cairbar's feaft. Three hundred heroes "attend the chief, and the clang of their arms is "terrible. The gray dogs bound on the heath, "and their howling is frequent. Fingal faw the (a) Fingal, book 1. (b) Temora. "departure "departure of the hero: the foul of the King was "fad. He dreads the gloomy Cairbar: but who of "the race of Trenmor fears the foe (a) ?” Cruelty is every where condemned as an infamous vice. Speaking of the bards, "Cairbar feared to stretch his fword to the bards, "tho' his foul was dark; but he clofed us in the "midft of darkness. Three days we pined alone : "on the fourth the noble Cathmor came. He "heard our voice from the cave, and turned the << eye of his wrath on Cairbar. Chief of Atha, he "faid, how long wilt thou pain my foul? Thy "heart is like the rock of the defert, and thy "thoughts are dark. But thou art the brother of "Cathmor, and he will fight thy battles. Cath"mor's foul is not like thine, thou feeble hand of The light of my bofom is ftained with thy "deeds. The bards will not fing of my renown: "they may fay, Cathmor was brave, but he fought "for gloomy Cairbar: they will pafs over my tomb "in filence, and my fame shall not be heard. Cair"bar, loofe the bards; they are the fons of other "times their voice fhall be heard in other ages "when the Kings of Temora have failed (b)." Ullin "raifed his white fails: the wind of the fouth came "forth. He bounded on the waves toward Sel"ma's walls. The feaft is fpread on Lena: an "hundred heroes reared the tomb of Cairbar; but war. no fong is raised over the chief, for his foul had been dark and bloody. We remembered the (a) Temora. (b) Temora. "fall "fall of Cormac; and what could we fay in Cair "bar's praise (a) ?” Genuine manners never were reprefented more to the life by a Tacitus nor a Shakespeare. Such painting is above the reach of pure invention: it must be the work of knowledge and feeling. may One discover the manners of a nation from the figure their women make. Among favages, women are treated like flaves; and they acquire not the dignity that belongs to the fex, till manners be confiderably refined (b). According to the manners above defcribed, defcribed, women ought to have made a confiderable figure among the ancient Caledonians. Let us examine Offian upon that fubject, in order to judge whether he carries on the fame tone of manners through every particular, That women were highly regarded, appears from the following paffages. "Daughter of the hand of fnow! I was not fo "mournful and blind, I was not fo dark and for"lorn, when Everallin loved me, Everallin with "the dark-brown hair, the white-bofomed love of (a) Temora. (b) See the Sketch immediately following. "Cormac. " Cormac. A thousand heroes fought the maid, "the denied her love to a thousand: the fons of "the fword were defpifed; for graceful in her eyes * was Offian. I went in fuit of the maid to Lego's fable furge; twelve of my people were there, sons " of the streamy Morven. We came to Branno "friend of strangers, Branno of the founding mail. -From whence, he faid, are the arms of steel? "Not eafy to win is the maid that has denied the "blue-eyed fons of Erin. But bleft be thou, O fon " of Fingal, happy is the maid that waits thee. "Though twelve daughters of beauty were mine, "thine were the choice, thou fon of fame! Then " he opened the hall of the maid, the dark-haired "Everallin. Joy kindled in our breasts of steel, and "bleft the maid of Branno (a)." "Now Connal, "on Cromla's windy fide, fpoke to the chief of the "noble car. Why that gloom, fon of Semo? Our friends are the mighty in battle. And renowned art thou, O warrior! many were the deaths of thy fteel. Often has Bragela met thee with blue"rolling eyes of joy; often has she met her hero returning in the midst of the valiant, when his fword was red with flaughter, and his foes filent in the field of the tomb. Pleafant to her ears "were thy bards, when thine actions rofe in the fong (b)." But, King of Morven, if I fhall fall, as one time the warrior muft fall, raise my "tomb in the midft, and let it be the greatest on Lena. And fend over the dark-blue wave the "fword of Orla, to the fpoufe of his love; that fhe may fhow it to her fon, with tears, to kindle (a) Fingal, book 4. (b) Fingal, book 5. <<< his foul to war (a)." "I lifted my eyes to Crom la, and I faw the fon of generous Semo.-Sad and "flow he retired from his hill toward the lonely "cave of Tura. He faw Fingal victorious, and "mixed his joy with grief. The fun is bright on "his armour, and Connal flowly followed. They "funk behind the hill, like two pillars of the fire " of night, when winds pursue them over the "mountain, and the flaming heath refounds. Be"fide a stream of roaring foam, his cave is in a "rock. One tree bends above it; and the rufhing "winds echo against its fides. There refts the chief of Dunfcaich, the fon of generous Semo. "His thoughts are on the battles he loft; and the "tear is on his cheek. He mourned the departure of his fame, that fled like the mift of Cona. O "Bragela, thou art too far remote to cheer the foul of the hero. But let him fee thy bright form in "his foul; that his thoughts may return to the lonely fun-beam of Dunscaich (b).” « Offian King "of fwords, replied the bard, thou best raisest the fong. Long haft thou been known to Carril, thou "ruler of battles. Often have I touched the harp "to lovely Everallin. Thou, too, haft often accom"panied my voice in Branno's hall of fhells. And "often amidft our voices was heard the mildest "Everallin. One day the fung of Cormac's fall, "the youth that died for her love. I saw the tears " on her check, and on thine, thou chief of men. "Her foul was touched for the unhappy, though she "loved him not. How fair among a thousand "maids, was the daughter of the generous (a) Fingal, book 5. VOL. I. (6) Fingal, book 5. 3 L "Bran |