Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

Book IV. F I N G A L. 273
The hoary Bard obey'd, and in thefe Words
Urg'd to heroic Deeds the King of Swords.
Son of the Chief of gen'rous Steeds f be brave ;
High- bounding King of Spears ! thy People fave ;
380 Strong Arm in cv'ry Peril of the Field !
Undaunted Heart that knows not how to yield !
Commander of the pointed Arms of Death !
Or fell yon Ranks, or drive them o'er the Heath :
Let
V. 378. Son cf the Chief of gen' r Otis Steeds! ^c] The War-Song of
Ullin varies (fays Mr. Macpherfon) from the reft of the Poem, in the Ver-
fification. It runs down like a Torrenr, and confifts almoft entirely of
Epithets. The Cuftoin of encouraging Men in Battle with extempore
Rhymes, has been carried down almoft to our own Days, Several of thefe
War-Songs are extant ; but the moft of them are only a Group of Epithets,
without Beauty or Harmony, utterly deftitute of poetical Merit. The
Scandinavians had likewife the fame Pradlice ; their Scalds were frequently
employed in animating the Troops before a Battle. Hacon, Earl oi Norvjay,
in his famous Engagem.ent againft the Warriors oi Jomjhurg, had five ce-
lebrated Poets, each of whom lung an Ode to the Soldiers ready to engage.
Saxo GranimaticHs, defcribing a Battle between TValdejnar and Sweno, men-
tions a Scald belonging to the former, who, advancing to the Front of the
Army, reproached the latter in a pathetic Ode as the Murderer of his own
Fatlier.
Nn V. 3!J5.