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me not from his cloud.

Why, sun of Sul-malla, dost thou not look forth? I dwell in darkness here; wide over me flies the shadowy mist. Filled with dew are my locks": look thou from thy cloud, O sun of Sul-malla's soul."

ed trees." MILTON. Converted, in Ossian, into high-bosomed maids, from Homer's Δαρδανίδες βαθυκολασοι. "Deep-bosomed Dardanian dames." MACPHERSON's Homer, ii. 213.—25. By the usual transposition ef epithets, Milton's bosomed high is applied to women, and Homer's deep-bosomed to war.

21 Filled with dew are my locks.] For my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. Song of Solomon, v. 2.

BLIOTH

TEMORA :

AN EPIC POEM.

BOOK VII.

VOL. II.

N

ARGUMENT.

This book begins about the middle of the third night from the opening of the poem. The poet describes a kind of mist, which rose, by night, from the lake of Lego, and was the usual residence of the souls of the dead, during the interval between their decease and the funeral song. The appearance of the ghost of Fillan above the cave where his body lay. His voice comes to Fingal, on the rock of Cormul. The king strikes the shield of Trenmor, which was an infallible sign of his appearing in arms himself. The extraordinary effect of the sound of the shield. Sul-malla, starting from sleep, awakes Cathmor. Their affecting discourse. She insists with him to sue for peace; he resolves to continue the war. He directs her to retire to the neighbouring valley of Lona, which was the residence of an old Druid, until the battle of the next day should be over. He awakes his army with the sound of his shield. The shield described. Fonar, the bard, at the desire of Cathmor, relates the first settlement of the Fir-bolg in Ireland, under their leader Larthon. Morning comes. Sul-malla retires to the valley of Lona. A lyric song concludes the book. MACPHERSON.

No poet departs less from his subject than Ossian. No farfetched ornaments are introduced; the episodes rise from, and are indeed essential to, the story of the poem. Even his lyric songs, where he most indulges the extravagance of fancy, naturally spring from his subject. Their propriety and connection with the rest of the poem, shew that the Celtic bard

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