Cairbar, the fon of Borbar-duthul, lord of Atha in Con naught, the moft potent chief of the race of the Firbolg, having murdered, at Temora the royal palace, Cormac the fon of Artho, the young king of Ireland, ufurped the throne. Cormac was lineally defcended from Conar the fon of Trenmor, the great grandfather of Fingal, king of thofe Caledonians who inhabited the western coast of Scotland. Fingal resented the behaviour of Cairbar, and refolved to pafs over into Ireland, with an army, to reestablish the royal family on the Irish throne. Early intelligence of his defigns coming to Cairbar, he affembled fome of his tribes in Ulfter, and at the fame time ordered his brother Cathmor to follow him speedily with an army, from Temora. Such was the fituation of affairs when the Caledonian invaders appeared on the coast of Ulfter.

The poem opens in the morning. Cairbar is reprefented as retired from the rest of the army, when one of his scouts brought him news of the landing of Fingal. He affembles a council of his chiefs. Foldath the chief of Moma haughtily despises the enemy; and is reprimanded warmly by Malthos. Cairbar, after hearing their debate, orders a feaft to be prepared, to which, by his bard Olla, he invites Ofcar the fon of Offian; refolving to pick a quarrel with that hero, and fo have fome pretext for killing him. Ofcar came to the feaft; the quarrel happened; the followers of both fought, and Cairbar and Oscar fell by mutual wounds. The noife of the battle reached Fingal's army. The king came on, to the relief of Ofcar, and the Irish fell back to the army of Cathmor, who was advanced to the banks of the river Lubar, on the heath of Moilena. Fingal, after mourning over his grandfon, ordered Ullin the chief of his bards to carry his body to Morven, to be there interred. Night coming on, Althan, the son of Conachar, relates to the king the particulars of the murder of Cormac. Fillan, the fon of Fingal, is fent to observe the motions of Cathmar by night, which concludes the action of the first day. The scene of this book is a plain, near the hill of Mora, which rofe on the borders of the heath of Moilena, in Ulfter.

TEMOR A:

ΑΝ

ЕРІС РОЕМ.

THE

BOOK I.

HE blue waves of Erin roll in light. The mountains are covered with day. Trees shake their dufky heads, in the breeze. Grey torrents pour their noify streams. Two green hills, with aged oaks, furround a narrow plain. The blue course of a stream is there. On its banks stood Cairbar of Atha. His fpear fupports the king the red eye of his fear is fad. Cormac rifes in his foul, with all his ghaftly wounds.

*

*Cairbar, the fon of Borbar-duthul, was defcended li neally from Lathon the chief of the Firbolg, the first colony who settled in the fouth of Ireland. The Cael were in poffef fion of the northern coast of that kingdom, and the first monarchs of Ireland were of their race. Hence arose those differences between the two nations, which terminated, at last, in the murder of Cormac, and the ufurpation of Cairbar, lord of Atha, who is mentioned in this place.

The grey form of the youth appears in darkness. Blood pours from his airy fide. Cairbar thrice threw his fpear on earth. Thrice he ftroaked his beard. His fteps are short. He often stops. He toffes his finewy arms. He is like a cloud in the defart, varying its form to every blaft. The valleys are fad around, and fear, by turns, the fhower! The king, at length, refumed his foul. He took his pointed fpear. He turned his eye to Moi-lena. The fcouts of blue ocean came. They came with fteps of fear, and often looked behind. Cairbar knew that the mighty were near! He called his gloomy chiefs.

THE founding fteps of his warriors came. They drew, at once, their fwords. There Morlath* ftood with darkened face. Hidalla's long hair fighs in wind. Red-haired Cormar bends on his fpear, and rolls his fide-long-looking eyes. Wild is the look of Malthos from beneath too

*Mór-lath, great in the day of battle. Hidalla', mildly looking hero. Cor-mar, expert at fea. Málth-os, flow to speak. Foldath, generous.

Foldath, who is here ftrongly marked, makes a great figure in the fequel of the poem. His fierce, uncomplying character is fuftained throughout. He feems, from a paffage in the fecond book, to have been Cairbar's greatest confident, and to have had a principal hand in the conspiracy against Cormac king of Ireland. His tribe was one of the most confiderable of the race of the Fir-bolg.

thaggy

fhaggy brows.

Foldath ftands, like an oozy rock, that covers its dark fides with foam. His fpear is like Slimora's fir, that meets the wind of heaven. His fhield is marked with the strokes of battle. His red eye despises danger. These and a thousand other chiefs furrounded the king of Erin, when the fcout of ocean came, Morannal, from streamy Moi-lena. His eyes hang forward from his face. His lips are trembling, pale!

"Do the chiefs of Erin ftand," he said, "filent as the grove of evening? Stand they, like a filent wood, and Fingal on the coaft? Fingal, who is terrible in battle, the king of streamy Morven !" "Haft thou feen the warrior ?" faid

Cairbar with a figh. "Are his heroes many on the coaft? Lifts he the fpear of battle? Or comes the king in peace?" "In peace he comes not, king of Erin! I have feen his forward spear†. It is a meteor of death. The blood of thousands

* Mór-annal, strong-breath; a very proper name for a scout. + Mor-annal here alludes to the particular appearance of Fingal's fpear. If a man, upon his first landing in a strange country, kept the point of his fpear forward, it denoted in thofe days that he came in a hoftile manner, and accordingly he was treated as an enemy; if he kept the point behind him, it was a token of friendfhip, and he was immediately. invited to the feaft, according to the hofpitality of the times.