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"burfts and fmoaks around.-As the troubled noife of the ocean, "when roll the waves on high; as the last peal of the thunder of "heaven, fuch is the noife of battle *.-As roll a thousand waves "to the rock, fo Swaran's hoft came on; as meets a rock a thou"fand waves, fo Inisfail met Swaran. Death raifes all his voices " around, and mixes with the found of fhields.-The field echoes "from wing to wing, as a hundred hammers that rife by turns on "the red fon of the furnace +.As a hundred winds on Mor"ven; as the streams of a hundred hills; as clouds fly fucceffive "over heaven; or as the dark ocean affaults the fhore of the de"fart; fo roaring, fo vaft, fo terrible, the armies mixed on Lena's echoing heath." In feveral of these images, there is a remarkable fimilarity to Homer's; but what follows is fuperior to any comparison that Homer ufes on this subject. "The groan of the people fpread over the hills; it was like the thunder of night, "when the cloud burfts on Cona; and a thousand ghosts shriek at once on the hollow wind §." Never was an image of more awful fublimity employed to heighten the terror of battle.

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Both poets compare the appearance of an army approaching, to the gathering of dark clouds. "As when a fhepherd," fays Homer, "beholds from the rock, a cloud borne along the fea by the "western wind; black as pitch it appears from afar, failing over "the ocean, and carrying the dreadful ftorm. He fhrinks at the

fight, and drives his flock into the cave: Such, under the Ajaces, "moved on, the dark, the thickened phalanx to the war ||." "They came," fays Offian, "over the defert like ftormy "clouds, when the winds roll them over the heath; their edges "are tinged with lightening; and the echoing groves foresee the "ftorm." The edges of the cloud tinged with lightning, is a fublime idea; but the shepherd and his flock, render Homer's fimile more picturesque. This is frequently the difference between the two poets. Offian gives no more than the main image, strong and full. Homer adds circumftances and appendages, which amuse the fancy by enlivening the scenery.

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Homer compares the regular appearance of an army, to "clouds "that are fettled on the mountain top, in the day of calmness, "when the strength of the north wind fleeps *." Offian, with full as much propriety, compares the appearance of a difordered army, to "the mountain cloud, when the blaft hath entered its womb; "and scatters the curling gloom on every fide +. Offian's clouds affume a great many forms; and, as we might expect from his climate, are a fertile fource of imagery to him. "The warriors fol"lowed their chiefs, like the gathering of the rainy clouds, behind "the red meteors of heaven." An army retreating without coming to action, is likened to "clouds, that having long "threatened rain, retire flowly behind the hills §." The picture of Oithona, after she had determined to die, is lively and delicate. "Her foul was refolved, and the tear was dried from her wildlylooking eye. A troubled joy rofe on her mind, like the red path "of the lightning on a ftormy cloud ||." The image alfo of the gloomy Cairbar, meditating, in filence, the affaffination of Ofcar, until the moment came when his defigns were ripe for execution, is extremely noble, and complete in all its parts. "Cairbar heard "their words in filence, like the cloud of a shower; it ftands dark "on Cromla, till the lightning burfts its fide. The valley gleams "with red light; the fpirits of the ftorm rejoice. So ftood the "filent king of Temora; at length his words are heard ¶."

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Homer's comparison of Achilles to the Dog-Star, is very fublime. "Priam beheld him rufhing along the plain, fhining in his armour,

like the ftar of autumn; bright are its beams, diftinguished "amidst the multitude of ftars in the dark hour of night. It rifes "in its fplendor; but its fplendor is fatal; betokening to miferable "men, the destroying heat **." The first appearance of Fingal, is, in like manner, compared by Offian, to a ftar or meteor. "Fingal, tall in his fhip, ftretched his bright lance before him. "Terrible was the gleam of his fteel; it was like the green meteor "of death, fetting in the heath of Malmor, when the traveller is alone,

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" and the broad moon is darkened in heaven *" The hero's appearance in Homer, is more magnificent; in Offian, more terrible.

A tree cut down, or overthrown by a storm, is a fimilitude frequent among poets for defcribing the fall of a warrior in battle. Homer employs it often. But the most beautiful, by far, of his comparifons, founded on this object, indeed one of the most beautiful in the whole Iliad, is that on the death of Euphorbus. "As "the young and verdant olive, which a man hath reared with care " in a lonely field, where the fprings of water bubble around it; it “is fair and flourishing; it is fanned by the breath of all the winds, and loaded with white bloffoms; when the fudden blast "of a whirlwind defcending, roots it out from its bed, and stretches "it on the duft +." To this, elegant as it is, we may oppose the following fimile of Offian's, relating to the death of the three fons They fell, like three young oaks which stood alone on the hill. The traveller faw the lovely trees, and wondered "how they grew fo lonely. The blast of the defert came by night, "and laid their green heads low. Next day he returned; but they

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were withered, and the heath was bare" Malvina's allufion to the fime object, in her lamentation over Ofcar, is fo exquifitely tender, that I cannot forbear giving it a place also.

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lovely tree in thy prefence, Ofcar! with all my branches round But thy death came, like a blast from the defert, and laid my green head low. The fpring returned with its showers; but "no leaf of mine arofe ||." Several of Offian's fimiles taken from trees, are remarkably beautiful, and diverfified with well. chofen circumstances; fuch as that upon the death of Ryno and Orla :

They have fallen like the oak of the defert; when it lies across a "ftream, and withers in the wind of the mountains §:" Or that which Offian applies to himself; "I, like an ancient oak in Morven, moul"der alone in my place; the blaft hath lopped my branches away; " and I tremble at the wings of the north ¶."

As Homer exalts his heroes by comparing them to gods, Offian makes the same use of comparisons taken from fpirits and ghofts.

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Swaran "roared in battle, like the thrill spirit of a storm that fits "dim on the clouds of Gormal, and enjoys the death of the ma"riner *." His people gathered around Erragon, "like ftorms "around the ghost of night, when he calls them from the top of Morven, and prepares to pour them on the land of the ftranger +." "They fell before my fon, like groves in the defert,. "when an angry ghoft rushes through night, and takes their green "heads in his hand." In fuch images, Offian appears in his ftrength; for very feldom have fupernatural beings been painted with fo much fublimity, and fuch force of imagination, as by this poet. Even Homer, great as he is, muft yield to him in fimiles formed upon thefe. Take, for instance, the following, which is the most remarkable of this kind in the Iliad. "Meriones followed "Idomeneus to battle, like Mars the deftroyer of men, when he "rushes to war. Terror, his beloved fon, ftrong and fierce, at"tends him; who fills with difmay, the most valiant hero. They come from Thrace, armed against the Ephyrians and Phlegyans; "nor do they regard the prayers of either; but difpofe of fuccefs at their will §." The idea here, is undoubtedly noble: But obferve what a figure Offian fets before the astonished imagination, and with what fublimely terrible circumstances he has heightened it.." He "rufhed in the found of his arms, like the dreadful fpirit of Loda, "when he comes in the roar of a thousand storms, and scatters "battles from his eyes. He fits on a cloud over Lochlin's feas. "His mighty hand is on his fword. The winds lift his flaming "locks. So terrible was Cuchullin in the day of his fame ||.”

Homer's comparisons relate chiefly to martial fubjects, to the appearances and motions of armies, the engagement and death of heroes, and the various incidents of war. In Offian, we find a greater variety of other fubjects illuftrated by fimiles; particularly, the fongs of bards, the beauty of women, the different circumstances. of old age, forrow, and private diftrefs; which give occafion to much beautiful imagery. What, for inftance, can be more delicate and moving, than the following fimile of Oithona's, in her lamentation over the dishonour she had suffered?" Chief of

P. 13.

§ Iliad xiii. 298.

+ P. 114. P. 151.

+ P. 180.

"Strumon,,

"Strumon, replied the fighing maid, why didft thou come over the dark blue wave to Nuath's mournful daughter? Why did not "I pass away in fecret, like the flower of the rock, that lifts its "fair head unfeen, and ftrews its withered leaves on the blast *?” The mufick of bards, a favourite object with Offian, is illustrated by a variety of the most beautiful appearances that are to be found in nature. It is compared to the calm fhower of fpring; to the dews of the morning on the hill of roes; to the face of the blue and still lake. Two fimiles on this fubject, I fhall quote, because they would do honour to any of the most celebrated claffics. The one is ; "Sit thou on the heath, O bard! and let us hear thy voice ; "it is pleasant as the gale of the fpring that fighs on the hunter's ear, when he wakens from dreams of joy, and has heard the "mufic of the fpirits of the hill." The other contains a fhort, but exquifitely tender image, accompanied with the finest poetical painting. "The mufic of Carryl was like the memory of joys that are paft, pleasant and mournful to the foul. The ghofts of departed bards heard it from Slimora's fide. Soft founds spread along the wood; and the filent valleys of night rejoice §." What a figure would fuch imagery and fuch scenery have made, had they been presented to us, adorned with the sweetness and harmony of the Virgilian numbers!`

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I have chofen all along to compare Offian with Homer, rather than Virgil, for an obvious reafon. There is a much nearer correfpondence between the times and manners of the two former poets. Both wrote in an early period of fociety; both are originals; both are distinguished by fimplicity, fublimity, and fire. The correct elegance of Virgil, his artful imitation of Homer, the Roman statelinefs which he every where maintains, admit no parallel with the abrupt boldness, and enthusiastick warmth of the Celtic bard. I one article, indeed, there is a resemblance. Virgil is more tender than Homer; and thereby agrees more with Offian; with this dif ference, that the feelings of the one are more gentle and polished, thofe of the other, more strong; the tenderness of Virgil foftens, that of Offian diffolves and overcomes the heart.

*P. 244. $P. 147

+ Vid. p. 215, 18, 35, 194.

P. 72.

A re

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