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on the Poems of Ossian. 55
their shields, when the uphfted spear flew at the
breasts of heroes. The sword bit the Scarfiaii rocks ;
bloody was the shield in battle, until Rafno the
king was slain. From the heads of warriors the
warm sweat streamed down their armour. The
crows around the Indirian islands had an ample
prey. It were difficult to single out one among so
many deaths. At the rising of the sun I beheld
the spears piercing the bodies of foes, and the bows
throwing forth their steel-pointed arrows. Loiid
roared the swords in the plains of Lano. The
virgin long bewailed the slaughter of that morning."
—In this strain the poet continues to describe
several other military exploits. The images are
not much varied : the noise of arms, the streaming
of blood, and the feasting the birds of prey, often
recurring. He mentions the death of two of his
sons in battle ; and the lamentation he describes as
made for one of them is very singular. A Gre-
cian or Roman poet would have introduced the
virgins or nymphs of the wood bewailing the un-
timely fall of a young hero. But, says our Gothic
poet, " When Rogvaldus was slain, for him mourn-
ed all the hawks of heaven," as lamenting a bene-
factor who had so liberally supplied them with
prey; " for boldly," as he adds, " in the strife of
swords, did the breaker of helmets throw the spear
of blood."
The poem concludes with sentiments of the
highest bravery and contempt of death. " What
is more certain to the brave man than death,
though amidst the storm of swords he stands always
ready to oppose it ? He only regrets this life who
hath never known distress. The timorous man
allures the devouring eagle to the field of battle.
The coward, wherever he comes, is useless to him-
self. This I esteem honourable, that the youth
should advance to the combat fairly matched one
against another; nor man retreat from man. Long