Selma (1), chief of fallen Clutha! I am the fon of Lamgal, who dwelt in thy father's hall. I heard of thy dark dwelling in the cave, and my foul arofe. Arise, son of Rathmor, for the night is dark.

Bleft voice replied the chief, comeft thou from the darkly-rolling clouds for often the ghofts of his fathers defcend to Calthon's dreams, fince the fun has retired from his eyes, and darkness has dwelt around him. Or art thou the fon of Lamgal, the chief I often faw in Clutha? But shall I fly to Fingal, and Colmar my brother low? Shall I fly to Morven, and the hero clofed in night? No: give me that fpear, fon of Lamgal, Calthon will defend his brother.

A thoufand warriors, replied the maid, ftretch their spears round car-borne Colmar. What can Calthon do against a host so great? Let us fly to the king of Morven, he will come with battle. His arm is ftretched forth to the unhappy; the lightning of his fword is round the weak.-Arife, thou fon of Rathmor; the shades of night will fly away. Dunthalmo will behold thy fteps on the field, and thou must fall in thy youth.

The fishing hero rofe; his tears defcend for car-borne Colmar. He came with the (1) Fingal.

maid to Selma's hall; but he knew not that it was Colmal. The helmet cover'd her lovely face; and her breaft rofe beneath the steel. Fingal returned from the chace, and found the lovely ftrangers. They were like two beams of light, in the midft of the hail.

The king heard the tale of grief; and turned his eyes around. A thousand heroes half-rose before him; claiming the war of Teutha.I came with my fpear from the hill, and the joy of battle role in my breaft: for the king spoke to Offian in the midst of the people.

Son of my ftrength, he said, take the fpear of Fingal; go to Teutha's mighty ftream, and fave the car-borne Colmar.-Let thy fame return before thee like a pleasant gale; that my foul may rejoice over my fon, who renews the renown of our fathers.

Offian! be thou a ftorm in battle; but mild when the foes are low! It was thus my fame arofe, O my fon; and be thou like Selma's chief. When the haughty come to my halls, my eyes behold them not. But my arm is ftretched forth to the unhappy. My fword defends the weak.

I rejoiced in the words of the king: and took my rattling arms. Diaran (1) rofe at

(1) Diaran, father of that Connal who was unfortunately killed by Crimora, his mistress.

my fide, and Dargo (1) king of fpears. Three hundred youths followed our steps:

(2) Dargo, the fon of Collath, is celebrated in other poems by Offian. He is faid to have been killed by a boat at a hunting party. The lamentation of his mistress, or wife, Mingala, over his body, is extant; but whether it is of Offian's compofition, I cannot determine. It is generally afcribed to him, and has much of his manner; but fome traditions mention it as an imitation by fome later bard.As it has fome poetical merit, I have fubjoined it.

THE spouse of Dargo came in tears for Dargo

was no more! The heroes figh over Lartho's chief: and what shall fad Mingala do? The dark foul vanished like morning mift, before the king of fpears but the generous glowed in his prefence like the morning ftar.

:

Who was the fairest and most lovely? Who bur Collath's ftately fon? Who fat in the midst of the wife, but Dargo of the mighty deeds!

Thy hand touched the trembling harp: Thy voice was foft as fummer-winds.-Ah me! what shall the heroes fay for Dargo fell before a boar. Pale is the lovely-cheek; the look of which was firm in danger!Why haft thou failed on our hills, thou fairer than the beams of the fun?

the lovely ftrangers were at my fide. Dunthalmo heard the found of our approach; he gathered the ftrength of Teutha.-He stood on a hill with his hoft; they were like rocks broken with thunder, when their bent trees are finged and bare, and the streams of their chinks have failed.

,

The ftream of Teutha rolled, in its pride, before the gloomy foe. I fent a bard to Dunthalmo to offer the combat on the plain; but he smiled in the darkness of his pride. His unfettled hoft moved on the hill; like the mountain-cloud, when the blast has

The daughter of Adonfion was lovely in the eyes of the valiant; she was lovely in their eyes, but she chofe to be the spouse of Dargo.

But thou art alone, Mingala! the night is coming with its clouds ; where is the bed of thy repofe? Where but in the tomb of Dargo?

Why doft thou lift the ftone, O bard! why doft thou shut the narrow houfe? Mingala's eyes are heavy, bard! She must fleep with Dargo.

bed.

Laft night I heard the fong of joy in Lartho's ofty hall. But filence now dwells around Mingala refts with Darge.

my

entered its womb, and scatters the curling gloom on every side.

They brought Colmar to Teutha's bank, bound with a thoufand thongs. The chief is fad, but lovely, and his eye is on his friends; for we ftood, in our arms, on the oppofite bank of Teutha. Dunthalmo came with his fpear, and pierced the hero's fide: he rolled on the bank in his blood, and we heard his broken fighs.

Calthon rushed into the ftream: I bounded forward on my fpear. Teutha's race fell before us. Night came rolling down. Dunthalmo refted on a rock amidft an aged wood. The rage of his bofom burned against the car-borne Calthon. But Calthon ftood in his grief; he mourned the fallen Colmar; Colmar flain in youth, before his fame arose.

I bade the fong of woe to rife, to footh the mournful chief; but he ftood beneath a tree, and often threw his fpear on earth. -The humid eye of Colmal rolled near in a fecret tear she forefaw the fall of Dun thalmo, or of Clutha's battling chief.

Now half the night had paffed away. Silence and darkness were on the field; fleep refted on the eyes of the heroes: Calthon's fettling foul was ftiH. His eyes were half