the seat of mist, on the deep, for for many darkbrown years! So terrible is the sound of the host, wide-moving over the field. Gaul is tall before them. The streams glitter within his strides. The bards raise the song by his side. He strikes his shield between. On the skirts of the blast, the tuneful voices rise. "On Crona," said the bards, "there bursts a stream by night. It swells in its own dark course, till morning's early beam. Then comes it white from the hill, with the rocks and their hundred groves. Far be my steps from Crona. Death is tumbling there 7. Be ye a stream from Mora, sons of cloudy Morven !" 6 As the sudden rising of winds; or distant rolling of troubled seas, when some dark ghost, in wrath, heaves the billows over an isle, the seat of mist, on the deep.] POPE's Iliad, iv. 478. so frequently imitated. As when the winds, ascending by degrees, First move the whitening surface of the seas; So to the fight the fierce battalions throng; Shields urg'd on shields, and men drove men along. Sedate and silent move the numerous bands. "So terrible is the sound of the host, wide-moving over the field.” 7 On Crona---there burst a stream by night. It swells in its "Who rises, from his car, on Clutha? The hills are troubled before the king! The dark woods echo round, and lighten at his steel. See him, amidst the foe, like Colgach's sportful ghost; when he scatters the clouds, and rides the eddying winds! It is Morni of bounding steeds! Be like thy father, O Gaul!” own dark course.---Far be my steps from Crona. Death is tumbling there.] The former simile from THOMSON'S Winter repeated. Wide o'er the brim, with many a torrent swelled, At last the roused up river pours along ; Where rocks and woods o'erhang the turbid stream. "Then comes it white from the hill, with the rocks and their hundred groves." 3 There are some traditions, but, I believe, of late invention, that this Colgach was the same with the Galgacus of Tacitus. Colgach signifies fiercely looking; which is a very proper name for a warrior, and is probably the origin of Galgacus; though I believe it a matter of mere conjecture, that the Colgach here mentioned was the same with that hero. MACPHERSON. 9 When he scatters the clouds, and rides the eddying winds.] Colgach's sportful ghost; the Angel in ADDISON's Campaign. "Selma is opened wide. Bards take the trembling harps. Ten youths bear the oak of the feast. A distant sun-beam marks the hill. The dusky waves of the blast fly over the fields of grass. Why art thou silent, O Selma? The king returns with all his fame. Did not the battle roar; yet peaceful is his brow? It roared, and Fingal overcame. Be like thy father, O Fillan!" They move beneath the song. High wave their arms, as rushy fields beneath autumnal winds 1°. On Mora stands the king in arms. Mist flies round his buckler abroad; as, aloft, it hung on Calm and serene he drives the furious blast, 10 High wave their arms, as rushy fields beneath autumnal winds.] And in the preceding paragraph, "The dusky waves of the blast fly over the fields of grass." From POPE's Iliad, iiz 179. And as on corn, when western gusts descend, Before the blast the lofty harvests bend; Thus o'er the field the moving host appears, With nodding plumes, and groves of waving spears. But the "waves of the blast," is a harsh figure; and in Gaul's invocation of Morni, (supra, 2.) "The shadowy breeze pours its dark wave over the grass," is from THOMSON'S Autumn. For not a gale Rolls its light billows o'er the bending plain. a bough, on Cormul's mossy rock. In silence I stood by Fingal, and turned my eyes on Cromla's wood: lest I should behold the host, and rush amid my swelling soul. My foot is for ward on the heath. I glittered, tall, in steel; like the falling stream of Tromlo, which nightly winds bind over with ice. The boy sees it, on high, gleaming to the early beam ": toward it he turns his ear, and wonders why it is so silent! But Nor bent over a stream is Cathmor, like a youth in a peaceful field. Wide he drew forward the war, a dark and troubled wave. when he beheld Fingal on Mora, his generous pride arose ; "Shall the chief of Atha fight, and no king in the field? Foldath, lead my people forth. Thou art a beam of fire." Forth issues Foldath of Moma, like a cloud, 11 Like the falling stream of Tromlo. The boy sees it, on high, gleaming to the early beam.] THOMSON's Winter. Supra, ii. ". Then appears The various labours of the silent night Wide spouted o'er the hill, the frozen brook, A livid track, cold-gleaming on the morn. "Towards it he turns his ear, and wonders why it is so silent.” An intended improvement upon Thomson's dumb cascade, as will afterwards appear. Infra, viii. '. the robe of ghosts. He drew his sword, a flame, from his side. He bade the battle move. The tribes, like ridgy waves, dark pour their strength around. Haughty is his stride before them. His red eye rolls in wrath. He calls Cormul chief of Dunratho; and his words were heard. Cormul, thou beholdest that path. It winds green behind the foe. Place thy people there, lest Selma should escape from my sword. Bards of green-vallied Erin, let no voice of yours arise. The sons of Morven must fall without song. They are the foes of Cairbar. Hereafter shall the traveller meet their dark thick mist on Lena, where it wanders, with their ghosts, beside the reedy lake. Never shall they rise, without song, to the dwelling of winds." Behind him Cormul darkened, as he went. rushed his tribe. They sunk beyond the rock. Gaul spoke to Fillan of Selma; as his eye pursued the course of the dark-eyed chief of Dunratho. "Thou beholdest the steps of Cormul! Let thine arm be strong! When he is low, son of Fingal, remember Gaul in war, Here I fall forward into battle, amid the ridge of shields 1.” 12 Amid the ridge of shields.] "The tribes like ridgy waves." |