Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

120 F I N G A L. Book IL
The Onfet of an Army iingly ftands,
And from Deftrudlion faves the v^anquifh'd Bands.
340 As Water from a Rock, from Heroes round
The Blood diftils, and purples wide the Ground.
But, in the Centre, while he checks the King,
The Irijh^ overpow'r'd on either Wing,
Yield to fuperior Force, and fall away,
34.5 Like Snows that melt before the Beams of Day.
When Grumal, feeing all Refiftance vain,
Addrefs'd the £t\v who yet the Fight maintain.
" Forc'd
V. 346. When Griimal, iic.'\ The Brevity of Grumal's Speech is very
fuitable to the Hurry of the Occafion, This and the Speech of Cuthidlin
a little after, are the only two, in the whole Poem, fpoke in the Heat of
Battle. When a Man's Attention is fuppofed to be taken up amidft the
Confufion of a general Engagement, it is not a Time to be employed in
Words, except fomething of the higheft Confequence abfolutely requires
it. For which Reafon the frequent Taunts and Infults uttered by the
Heroes oi Homer in the very Midft of an Aiftion are ill timed, and unna-
tural, confidering the violent Agitation of Mind as well as Body, the
Speakers may be fuppofed to have been in upon fuch perilous Conjunftures.
Another