་་ TORCUL-TORNO*, of aged locks! where now are thy fteps, by Lulan? thou haft failed, at thine own dark ftreams, father of Conban-carglas! But I behold thee, chief of Lulan, fporting by Loda's hall, when the dark-skirted night is poured along the fky. Torcul-torno, according to tradition, was king of Crathlun, a district in Sweden. The river Lulan ran neat the refidence of Torcul-torno. There is a river in Sweden, ftill called Lula, which is probably the fame with Lulan. The war between Starno and Torcul-torno, which terminated in the death of the latter, had its rife at a hunting party. Starno being invited, in a friendly manner, by Torcul-torno, both kings, with their followers, went to the mountains of Stivamor, to hunt. A boar rufhed from the wood before the kings, and Torcul-terno killed it. Starno thought this behaviour a breach upon the privilege of guests, who were always honoured, as tradition expreffes it, with the danger of the chace. A quarrel arofe, the kings came to battle, with all their attendants, and the party of Torcul-torno were totally defeated, and he himself fain. Starno purfued his victory, laid waste the district of Crathlun, and, coming to the refidence of Tercul-torno, carried off, by force, Conban-cargles, the beautiful daughter of his enemy. Her he confined in a cave, near the palace of Gormal, where, on account of her cruel treatment, she became diftracted. The paragraph, juft now before us, is the fong of Conban-carglas, at the time she was difcovered by Fingal. It is in Lyric measure, and fet to mufic, which is wild and fimple, and fo inimitably fuited to the fituation of the unhappy lady, that few can hear it without tears. THOU, fometimes, hideft the moon, with thy fhield. I have feen her dim, in heaven. Thoù kindleft thy hair into meteors, and faileft along the night. Why am I forgot in my cave, king of fhaggy boars? Look from the hall of Loda, on lonely Conban-carglas. “WHO art thou, said Fingal, voice of night?” thou, in thy darknefs?" She shrunk into the cave. The king loofed the thong from her hands; he asked about her fathers. in TORCUL-TORNO, fhe faid, once dwelt at Lulan's foamy ftream: he dwelt-but, now, Loda's hall, he shakes the founding fhell. He met Starno of Lochlin, in battle; long fought the dark-eyed kings. My father fell, at length, blue-fhielded Torcul-torno. By a rock, at Lulan's ftream, I had pierced the bounding roe. My white hand gathered my hair, from off the ftream of winds. I heard a noife. Mine eyes were up. My foft breaft rofe on high. My ftep was forward, at Lulan, to meet thee, Torcul-torno! Ir was Starno, dreadful king!His red eyes rolled on Conban-carglas. Dark waved his fhaggy brow, above his gathered fmile. Where is my father, I faid, he that was mighty in war? Thou are left alone among foes, daugh-ter of Torcul-torno He took my hand. He raised the fail. In this cave he placed me comes, a gathered mift. dark. At times, he He lifts before me, A my father's fhield. Often paffes a beam of youth, far-diftant from my cave. He dwells lonely in the foul of the daughter of Torcultorno. DAUGHTER of Lulan, faid Fingal, whitehanded Conban carglas; a cloud, marked with freaks of fire, is rolled along the foul. Look not to that dark-robed moon; nor yet to thofe - meteors of heaven; my gleaming fteel is around thee, daughter of Torcul-torno. Ir is not the fteel of the feeble, nor of the dark in foul.. The maids are not fhut in our caves of ftreams; nor toffing their white carms alone. They bend, fair within their locks, *By the beam of youth, it afterwards appears, that Conban-carglas means Swaran, the fon of Starno, with - whom, during her confinement, fhe had fallen in love.. t From this contraft, which Fingal draws, between his own nation, and the inhabitants of Scandinavia, we may learn, that the former were much lefs barbarous than the latter. This diftinction is fo much obferved throughfout the poems of Offian, that there can be no doubt, that he followed the real manners of both nations in his own time. At the clofe of the fpeech of Fingal, there is a great part of the original loft. R 3 above above the harps of Selma. Their voice is not in the defart wild, young light of Torcul torno. FINGAL, again, advanced his fteps, wide thro' the bofom of night, to where the trees of Loda fhook amidft fqually winds. Three ftones, with heads of mofs, are there; a ftream, with foaming courfe; and dreadful, rolled around them, is the dark-red cloud of Loda. From its top looked forward a ghoft, half-formed of the fhadowy fmoak. He poured his voice, at times, amidst the roaring ftream.Near, bending beneath a blasted tree, two heroes received his words: Swaran of the lakes, and Starno foe of ftrangers. On their dun fhields, they darkly leaned their fpears are forward in night. Shrill founds the blaft of darkness, in Starno's floating beard. THEY heard the tread of Fingal. The warriors rofe in arms. "Swaran, lay that wanderer low, faid Starno, in his pride. Take the fhield of thy father, it is a rock in war."Swaran threw his gleaming fpear: it flood fixed in Loda's tree. Then came the foes forward, with fwords. They mixed their rattling feel. Thro' the thongs of Swaran's fhield rushed the blade blade of Luno. The fhield fell rolling on earth. Gleft the helmet † fell down. Fingal ftopt the lifted fteel. Wrathful food Swáran, unarmed. He rolled his filent eyes, and threw his fword on earth. Then, flowly stalking over the ftream, he whistled as he went. NOR unfeen of his father is Swaran. Starno turned away in wrath. His fhaggy brows wayed dark, above his gathered rage. He ftruck Loda's tree, with his fpear; he raifed the hum of fongs. They came to the host of Lochlin, each in his own dark path, like two foamcovered streams, from two rainy vales. Fair To Turthor's plain Fingal returned. rofe the beam of the eaft. It fhone on the spoils of Lochlin in the hand of the king. From her cave came forth, in her beauty, the daughter of Torcul-torno. She gathered her hair from wind; and wildly raised her fong. The fong of Lulan of shells, where once her father dwelt. She faw Starno's bloody fhield. Gladness rofe, a light, on her face. She faw the cleft * The [word of Fingal, fo called from its maker, Luno of Lochlin. + The helmet of Swaran. The behaviour of Fingal is always confiftent with that generofity of fpirit which belongs to a hero. He takes no advantage of a foe difarmed. |