Ossian Collection > Fingal

Book IV. An EPIC POE M. x^-j
had its branches blafted of old by the lightnhig of heaven.- It
bends over the ftream, and the gray mofs v^'hiftles in the wind : fo
itood the king. Then flowly he retired to the rifing heath of Lena,
His thoufands pour around the hero, and the darknefs of battle ga-
thers on the hilh
Fin GAL, Uke a beam from heaven, fhone in the midft of his
people. His heroes gather around him, and he fends forth the voice
of his power. Raife my flandards * on high, — fpread them on Le-
na's wind, like the flames of an hundred hills. Let them found ou
the winds of Erin, and remind us of the fight. Ye fons of the roar-
ing ftreams, that pour from a thoufand hills, be near the king of
Morven : attend to the words of his power. Gaul ihongefl arm of
death ! O Ofcar, of the future fights ; Connal, fon of the blue
blades of Sora ; Dermid of the dark-brown hair, and OfSan king
of many fongs, be near your father's arm.
We reared the fun-beam -f- of battle ; the flandard of the king.
Each hero's foul exulted with joy, as, waving, it flew on the wind.
It was ftudded with gold above, as the blue wide Ihell of the nightly
fky. Each hero had his flandard tooj and each his gloomy men.
Behold, fald the king of generous fhells, how Lochlin divides
on Lena. They ftand like broken clouds on the hill, or an half
confumed grove of oaks j when we fee the fky through its branches,
and the meteor pafllng behind. Let every chief among the friends
* Th' imperial enfign, which full hig,h + Fingal's ftandarJ was diQinguijIieJ by
advanc'd, the name di fun-beam ; probably on account
Shone like a meteor ftrcaming to the of its bright colour, and its being ftudJcd
wind. with gold. Tobegin a battle iscxprefled, in
Milton. old zom'^o^\uon-,\:>'j lift'wgofih: (un-bcam.
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