Lena's heath, these so gloomy and dark? Who are these like two clouds, and their swords like lightening above them "5! The little hills are troubled around; the rocks tremble with all their moss. Who is it but Ocean's son and the car-borne chief of Erin? Many are the anxious eyes of their friends, as they see them dim on the heath. But night conceals the chiefs in clouds, and ends the dreadful fight!

It was on Cromla's shaggy side that Dorglas had placed the deer ""; the early fortune of the

65 Who are these like two clouds, and their swords like lightning above them?] MILTON's Encounter of Satan and Death. Par. Lost. ii. 714.

Such a frown

Each cast at other, as when two black clouds---
With heaven's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Caspian.

So frowned the mighty combatants, that hell

Grew darker at their frown.

Or, "these so gloomy and dark," that "the little hills are troubled around; the rocks tremble with all their moss."

66 The ancient manner of preparing feasts after hunting, is handed down by tradition. A pit, lined with smooth stones, was made; and near it stood a heap of smooth flat stones of the flint kind. The stones, as well as the pit, were properly heated with heath. Then they laid some venison in the bottom, and a stratum of the stones above it; and thus they did alternately till the pit was full. The whole was covered over with

chace, before the heroes left the hill. A hundred youths collect the heath; ten warriors wake the fire; three hundred chuse the polish'd stones. The feast is smoking wide! Cuthullin, chief of Erin's war, resumed his mighty soul. He stood upon his beamy spear, and spoke to the son of songs; to Carril of other times, the grey-haired son of Kinfena. "Is this feast spread for me alone, and the king of Lochlin on Erin's shore. far from the deer of his hills, and sounding halls

heath to confine the steam. Whether this is probable I cannot say; but some pits are shewn, which the vulgar say, were used in that manner. MACPHERSON.

This ancient manner of preparing feasts after hunting, is transcribed from Keating's account of the Fions, the militia of Ireland under King Cormac. They lived at free quarters on the people in winter, but subsisted by hunting and fishing, during the summer. After each days chase, their huntsman was dispatched to a proper place, where great fires were kindled, into which they threw large stones, and a pit was then filled with alternate layers of red-hot stones, and venison wrapped in rushes, and covered up till the meat was properly stewed. KEATING'S Hist. 272. In the simplicity of Homer's description, we trace minutely the whole process of the feast, or sacrifice; but the modern Ossian merely informs us, that ten heroes blew the fire; an hundred gathered the heath, three hundred the polished stones, and then, like a French critic, shrinks. from the indelicacy of dressing and preparing "the smoking feast."

of his feasts? Rise, Carril of other times; carry my words to Swaran. Tell him from the roaring of waters, that Cuthullin gives his feast. Here let him listen to the sound of my groves, amidst the clouds of night. For cold and bleak the blustering winds 67 rush over the foam of his seas. Here let him praise the trembling harp, and hear the songs of heroes!"

Old Carril went, with softest voice. He cal led the king of dark-brown shields!" Rise from the skins of thy chace, rise, Swaran, king of groves! Cuthullin gives the joy of shells. Partake the feast of Erin's blue-eyed chief!" He answered like the sullen sound of Cromla before a storm. "C Though all thy daughters, Inisfail should stretch their arms of snow; should raise the heavings of their breasts, and softly roll their eyes of love; yet, fixed as Lochlin's thousand rocks, here Swaran should remain ; till morn, with the young beams of the east,

67 For cold and bleak the blustering winds.] From the ballad, Up in the morning early.

Cold and raw the north did blow,

Bleak in the morning early.

Imitated also in Ilardyknute,

Loud and shrill blew the westlin wind,

shall light me to the death of Cuthullin.

Plea

sant to my ear is Lochlin's wind! It rushes over my seas! It speaks aloft in all my shrouds and brings my green forests to my mind: The green forests of Gormal, which often echoed to my winds, when my spear was red in the chace of the boar. Let dark Cuthullin yield to me the ancient throne of Cormac; or Erin's torrents shall shew from their hills, the red foam of the blood of his pride!"

"Sad is the sound of Swaran's voice," said Carril of other times! "Sad to himself alone," said the blue-eyed son of Semo. "But, Carril, raise the voice on high; tell the deeds of other times. Send thou the night away in song; and give the joy of grief. For many heroes and maids of love, have moved on Inis-fail: And lovely are the songs of woe, that are heard in Albion's rocks; when the noise of the chace is

68 It speaks aloft in all my shrouds.] "Speak on the pinions of the southern gale." Highlander, and in the Hunter;

The murmuring north-west, with refreshing gales,

Hoarse whistles through the shrouds, and swells the sails. But the winds whistling aloft in the shrouds, correspond but ill with sails of deerskin, and thongs for ropes.

past, and the streams of Cona answer to the voice of Ossian 69,"

"In other days," Carril replies, came the sons of Ossian to Erin! A thousand vessels bounded on waves to Ullin's lovely plains. The sons of Inis-fail arose, to meet the race of dark-brown shields. Cairbar, first of men, was there, and Grudar, stately youth! Long had they strove for the spotted bull, that lowed on Golbun's 7° echoing heath. Each claimed him as his own.. Death was often at the point of their steel! side by side the heroes fought; the strangers of Ocean fled. Whose name was fairer on the hill, than the name of Cairbar and Grudar! But ah! why ever lowed the bull, on Golbon's echoing heath! They saw him leaping like snow. The wrath of the chiefs returned !

"On Lubar's grassy banks they fought; Grudar fell in his blood. Fierce Cairbar came to the vale, where Brassolis, fairest of his sisters, all alone, raised the song of grief. She sung of the actions of Grudar, the youth of her secret

69 The Cona, here mentioned, is that small river that runs through Glenco in Argyleshire. MACPHERSON.

7° Golb-bhean, as well as Cromleach, signifies a crooked hill. MACPHERSON. See note 21.