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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 shrinks "at the fight, and drives his flock into the cave: "Such, under the Ajaces, moved on, the dark, "the thickened phalanx to the war t."

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They came," fays Offian, "over the defert "like ftormy clouds, when the winds roll them "over the heath; their edges are tinged with lightning, and the echoing groves foresee "the ftorm." The edges of the cloud tinged with lightning, is a fublime idea; but the fhepherd and his flock, render Homer's fimile more picturefque. This is frequently the difference between the two poets. Offian gives no more than the main image, ftrong and full. Homer adds circumstances and appendages, which amuse the fancy by enlivening the fcenery.

HOMER compares the regular appearance of an army, to "clouds that are fettled on the "mountain top, in the day of calmness, when "the ftrength of the north wind fleeps *.' Offian, with full as much propriety, compares the appearance of a disordered army, to "the

↑ Iliad, iv. 275.

* Iliad, v. 522.

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"mountain cloud, when the blaft hath entered

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its womb; and fcatters 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 followed 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 fhe had determined to die, is lively and delicate. "Her foul was refolved, "and the tear was dried from her wildly-look

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ing eye. A troubled joy rofe on her mind,

like the red path of the lightning on a stormy "cloud." The image alfo of the gloomy Cairbar, meditating, in filence, the affaffination of Oscar, until the moment came when his defigns were ripe for execution, is extremely noble, and complete in all its parts. "Cairbar heard their

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words in filence, like the cloud of a fhower ; "it ftands dark on Cromla, till the lightning "burfts its fide. The valley gleams with red

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light; the fpirits of the form rejoice. So ftood the filent king of Temora; at length his words are heard.”

HOMER'S

HOMER'S comparison of Achilles to the DogStar, is very fublime. "Priam beheld him

rushing along the plain, thining in his ar"mour, like the ftar of autumn; bright are "its beams, distinguished amidst the multitude "of ftars in the dark hour of night. It rifes "in its fplendor; but its fplendor is fatal; be"tokening to miferable men, the deftroying "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 $6 meteor of death, fetting in the heath of Malmor, when the traveller is alone, and the "broad moon is darkened in heaven." The hero's appearance in Homer, is more magnificent; in Offian, more terrible.

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A TREE cut down, or overthrown by a ftorm, 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 moft 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 + Iliad, xxii. 26. Dd 4

"the

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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 blof" foms; when the fudden blaft of a whirlwind defcending, roots it out from its bed, and "ftretches it on the duft ." To this, elegant as it is, we may oppofe the following fimile of Offian's, relating to the death of the three fons of Ufnoth. 66 They fell, like three young oaks "which ftood alone on the hill. The traveller "faw the lovely trees, and wondered how they

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grew fo lonely. The blaft of the defert came

by night, and laid their green heads low. "Next day he returned; but they were wi"thered, and the heath was bare." Malvina's. allufion to the fame object, in her lamentation over Ofcar, is fo exquifitely tender, that I cannot forbear giving it a place also.

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"I was a

lovely tree in thy prefence, Ofcar! with all 66 my branches round me. But thy death came,

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like a blaft from the defert, and laid my green head low. The fpring returned with its fhowers; but no leaf of mine arofe." Several of Offian's fimiles taken from trees, are remarkably beautiful, and diverfified with well chofen circumftances; fuch as that upon the death of Ryno and Orla : They have fallen

Iliad, xvii. 53.

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"like the oak of the defert; when it lies across 66 a ftream, and withers in the wind of the "mountains:" Or that which Offian applies to himself; 66 I, like an ancient oak in Morven, "moulder alone in my place; the blast hath lopped my branches away; and I tremble at "the wings of the north."

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As Homer exalts his heroes by comparing them to gods, Offian makes the fame use of comparisons taken from spirits and ghofts. Swaran " roared in battle, like the fhrill spirit of a "form that fits dim on the clouds of Gormal,

and enjoys the death of the mariner." 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 ghost 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 so 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 inftance, the following, which is the most remarkable of this kind in the Iliad. "Meri

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