thoughts are of peace; when the din of arms is past. Gather the strength of the tribes! Move to the wars of Erin! Attend the car of my battles! Rejoice in the noise of my course! Place three spears by my side: follow the bounding of my steeds! That my soul may be strong in my friends, when battle darkens round the beams of my steel!" 38 As rushes a stream of foam from the dark shady steep of Cromla 39; when the thunder is travelling above, and dark brown night sits on half the hill. Through the breaches of the tempest look forth the dim faces of ghosts 39. So Those gods, which I from flaming Troy redeemed, Full in the beams of Phabe's entering light. DRYDEN. 38 As rushes a stream of foam, from the dark shady steep of Cromla.] Iliad, xi. 492. Ωσ δ' ὅποτε ΠΛΗΘΩΝ ΠΟΤΑΜΟΣ πεδίονδε κάτεισι Χειμάρρους κατ ̓ ΟΡΕΣΦΙΝ, ΟΠΑΖΟΜΕΝΟΣ ΔΙΟΣ ΟΜΒΡΩ. "As pours a swollen stream to the plain, white foaming as it roars down the hills, when lower aloft the wild tempests of father Jove." MACPHERSON'S Homer, i. 333. Or, "when the thunder is travelling above, and dark-brown night sits on half the hill." 39 Through the breaches of the tempest look forth the dim faces of ghosts.] Omitted in the first, but restored, or added, from Comala, n. 2. in the improved edition of 1773. Æn. ii. 522. 40 fierce, so vast, so terrible, rushed on the sons of Erin. The chief, like a whale of ocean, whom all his billows pursue, poured valour forth, as a stream, rolling his might along the shore 4°. The sons of Lochlin heard the noise, as the sound of a winter storm. Swaran struck his bossy shield: he called the son of Arno. "What murmur rolls along the hill, like the gathered flies of the eve 4? The sons of Erin descend, or Apparent dira facies inimicaque Troia Æn. ii. 522. With dreadful faces thronged, and fiery arms. Par. Lost. xii. 644. 40 Rolling his might along the shore.] A covert simile, purposely inverted to conceal, at once, the imitation and the sense. "The chief, like a whale of ocean, whom all his billows pursue, poured valour forth as a stream, rolling his might along the shore." Part, huge of bulk, Wallowing unwieldy, enormous in their gait, Hugest of living creatures At his gills Draws in, and, at his trunk spouts out, a sea. Par. Lost. vii. 41. Or, the chief pours valour forth, as a stream, emitted by the whale of the ocean, wallowing unwieldy, or rolling his might along the shore. 41 What murmur rolls along the hill, like the gathered flies of evening]. POPE's Iliad, ii. 552, rustling winds roar in the distant wood! Such is the noise of Gormal, before the white tops of my waves arise 42. O son of Arno, ascend the hill; view the dark face of the heath!" He went. He trembling, swift returned. His eyes rolled wildly round. His heart beat high against his side. His words were faultering, broken, slow. "Arise, son of ocean, arise, chief of the dark brown shields! I see the dark, the mountain-stream of battle! The deep-moving strength of the sons of Erin! The car, the car of war comes on, like the flame of death! the rapid car of Cuthullin, the noble son of Semo! It bends behind, like a wave near a rock ; like the sun-streaked mist of the heath 43. Its As thick as insects play-- That drawn by milky streams at evening hours, The gilded legions, glittering in the sun. 4 Or rustling winds roar in the distant woods. Such is the noise of Gormal, before the white tops of my waves arise.] VIRG. Georg. i. 556. Continuo ventis surgentibus, aut freta ponti Incipiunt agitata tumescere, et aridus altis Montibus audire fragor; aut resonantia longe Littora misceri, et nemorum increbescere murmur. 43 The rapid car of Cuthullin. It bends behind, like a waxe sides are embossed with stones, and sparkle like the sea round the boat of night. Of polished yew is its beam; its seat of the smoothest bone 44. The sides are replenished with spears; the bottom is the foot-stool of heroes 45! Before the near a rock, like the golden mist of the heath.] First Edit. POPE's Iliad, v. 897. Braces of gold suspend the moving throne; The car behind an arching figure bore, The bending concave formed an arch before. But the braces of gold, and the bending concave, as if too refined for Ossian, are expressed by comparisons. 44 Its sides are embossed with stones. Of polished yew is its beam; its seat of the smoothest bone.] OVID. Metam. ii. 107. Aureus axis erat, temo aureus, aurea summæ Gold was the beam, the wheels were orbed with gold, ADDISON. And sparkle, like the sea round the boat of night;" a better translation than Addison's, of Clara repercusso reddebant lumina Phoebo; but derived apparently from Dryden's Virgil. ÆN. v. 186. Sparkles the briny main, and the vexed ocean fries. 45 The sides are replenished with spears; the bottom is the foot-stool of heroes.] King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold; the covering thereof of purple ; right side of the car is seen the snorting horse! The high-maned, broad-breasted, proud, wideleaping, strong steed of the hill. Loud and resounding is his hoof"; the spreading of his mane above, is like a stream of smoke on a ridge of rocks. Bright are the sides of the steed! his name is Sulin-Sifadda! "Before the left side of the car is seen the snorting horse! The thin-maned, high-headed, strong-hoofed, fleet, bounding son of the hill: his name is Dusronnal, among the stormy sons of the sword! A thousand thongs bind the car the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.---Song of Solomon, iii. 9. Where there is no imitation, there is no compound resemblance of thought and style. There is no resemblance, for instance, between the chariot of Solomon, and Juno's car in the Iliad, or the chariot of the sun in Ovid; but, the rapid car of Cuthullin is at once an imitation of the whole. It bends like Juno's car, behind; its sides are studded with gems, like the chariot of the sun; a degree of magnificence unknown in the most refined ages; and, the bottom thereof of gold, the midst thereof being paved with love, is converted into the sides, replenished with spears, and the bottom, the footstool of heroes. Yet Blair would persuade us, that this was merely a horse litter, set with Scotch pebbles. 46 Loud resounding is his hoof.] GRAY. With necks in thunder cloathed, and long resounding pace. "With necks in thunder cloathed."" The spreading of his mane above, is like a stream of smoke.” |