THE WAR of CAROS*: B A POE M. RING, daughter of Tofcar, bring the harp; the light of the fong rifes in Offian's foul. It is like the field, when darkness covers the hills around, and the fhadow grows flowly on the plain of the fun. I BEHOLD my fon, O Malvina, near the moffy rock of Crona ; but it is the mist of the de * Caros is probably the noted ufurper Caraufius, by birth a Menapian, who affumed the purple in the year 284; and, feizing on Britain, defeated the emperor Maximian Herculius in feveral naval engagements, which gives propriety to his being called in this poem the king of ships. He repaired Agricola's wall, in order to obstruct the incurfions of the Caledonians; and when he was employed in that work, it appears he was attacked by a party under the command of Ofcar the son of Offian. This battle is the foundation of the prefent poem, which is addressed to Malvina the daughter of Toscar. + Crona is the name of a fmall ftream which runs into the Carron. On its banks is the fcene of the preceding dramatic poem, fmoke. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of SOLOMON'S Song. fart fart tinged with the beam of the weft: Lovely is the mift that affumes the form of Ofcar! turn from it, ye winds, when ye roar on the fide of Ardven. WHO comes towards my fon, with the murmur of a fong? His ftaff is in his hand, his gray, hair loose on the wind. Surly joy lightens his face; and he often looks back to Caros. It is Ryno * of the fong, he that went to view the foe. WHAT does Caros king of fhips, faid the fon of the now mournful Offian? spreads he the wings of his pride, bard of the times of old? HE fpreads them, Ofcar, replied the bard, but it is behind his gathered heap. He looks over his ftones with fear, and beholds thee terrible, as the ghost of night that rolls the wave to his ships. Go, thou first of my bards, fays Ofcar, and take the fpear of Fingal. Fix a flame on its point, and shake it to the winds of heaven. Bid him, in fongs, to advance, and leave the rolling of his wave. Tell to Caros that I long for * Ryno is often mentioned in the ancient poetry.- -He feems to have been a bard, of the firft rank, in the days of Fingal. The Roman eagle. Agricola's wall which Caraufius repaired. battle; battle; and that my bow is weary of the chace of Cona. Tell him the mighty are not here; and that my arm is young. He went with the found of his fong. Oscar reared his voice on high. It reached his heroes on Ardven, like the noise of a cave ; when the fea of Togorma rolls before it; and its trees meet the roaring winds. -They gather round my fon like the streams of the hill; when, after rain, they roll in the pride of their course. RYNO came to the mighty Caros, and struck his flaming fpear. Come to the battle of Ofcar, O thou that fitteft on the rolling of waters. Fingal is diftant far; he hears the fongs of his bards in Morven and the wind of his hall is in his hair, His terrible fpear is at his fide; and his shield that is like that darkened moon. Come to the battle of Ofcar; the hero is alone. He came not over the ftreamy Carun; the bard returned with his fong. Gray night grows dim on Crona. The feaft of fhells is fpread. A hundred oaks burn to the wind, and faint light gleams over the heath. The ghosts of Ardven pass through the beam, and fhew their As when the hollow rocks retain MILTON. dim and diftant forms. Comala is half-unfeen on her meteor; and Hidallan is fullen and dim, like the darkened moon behind the mist of night. WHY art thou fad? faid Ryno; for he alone beheld the chief. Why art thou fad, Hidallan, haft thou not received thy fame? The fongs of Offian have been heard, and thy ghoft has brightened in the wind, when thou didst bend from thy cloud to hear the song of Morven's bard. AND do thine eyes behold the hero, said Ofcar, like the dim meteor of night? Say, Ryno, fay, how fell the chief that was so renowned in the days of our fathers?His name remains on the rocks of Cona; and I have often feen the ftreams of his hills. FINGAL, replied the bard, had driven Hidallan from his wars. The king's foul was fad for Comala, and his eyes could not behold Hidallan. LONELY, fad, along the heath, he flowly moved with filent fteps. His arms hang difordered on his fide. His hair flies loofe from his *This is the scene of Comala's death, which is the subject of the dramatic poem. The poet mentions her in this place, in order to introduce the fequel of Hidallan's ftory, who, on account of her death, had been expelled from the wars of Fingal. helmet helmet. The tear is in his down-caft eyes; and the figh half-filent in his breaft. THREE days he ftrayed unfeen, alone, before he came to Lamor's halls: the moffy halls of his fathers, at the ftream of Balva *. -There Lamor fat alone beneath a tree; for he had fent his people with Hidallan to war. The ftream ran at his feet, and his gray head refted on his ftaff. Sightless are his aged eyes. He hums the fong of other times. The noife of Hidallan's feet came to his ear: he knew the tread of his fon. Is the fon of Lamor returned; or is it the found of his ghoft? Haft thou fallen on the banks of Carun, fon of the aged Lamor? Or, if I hear the found of Hidallan's feet; where are the mighty in war? where are my people, Hidallan, that were wont to return with their echoing shields?-Have they fallen on the banks of Carun ? No replied the fighing youth, the people of Lamor live. They are renowned in battle, my father; but Hidallan is renowned no more. I muft fit alone on the banks of Balva, when the roar of the battle grows. *This is perhaps that fmall ftream, ftill retaining the name of Balva, which runs through the romantic valley of Glentivar in Stirlingshire. Balva fignifies a filent ftream; and Glentivar, the fequefiered vale. BUT |