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Red embers, falling from the burning shroud,
Hifs in the wave, and bubble in the flood.

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Great SUENO turns, and fees the flame behind fwell its huge columns on the driving. wind; Then thus to ERIE "Urge your fpeedy flight, Recal the fiery MAGNUS from the right :: Quick let him come! th' endanger'd transports save, And dafh against the burning, ship the wave.

The youth obeys, and, flying o'er the fand,
Repeats in MAGNUS' ear the king's command.
The warrior starts, rage fparkling in his eyes,
He tow'rs along refounding as he flies:
He comes.--From-SUENO'S army squadrons fall
Around the chief, and rear the manly wall;
Till in their front the stately chief appears,
They wave, behind, an iron wood of fpears;
In all the gloomy pomp of battle low'r,
And beat with founding steps the fatal shore. ·

Bent to support the flame, his thin array
Young ALPIN draws along the murm'ring fea.--
He holds the maffy spear in at to throw,
And bends his fiery eyes upon the foe.
Advanc'd.--with awful din the fight began;:
Steel speaks on steel; man urges upon man.

Groans

Groans, fhouts, arms, men, a jarring difcord found, Gain on the sky and fhake the mountains round.

Fierce MAGNUS, here, wou'd rush into the main: Young ALPIN,there, wou'd keep at bay the DANE. One pushes the swift boat into the sea ;

Thro' his bent back the faulchion cleaves its way:: Another dashes to the ship the wave,

And bends at once into a wat❜ry grave;

Spouts with departing breath the bubbling flood, And dyes the water with his foaming blood.

Thus fought the men.----Behind the flame refounds,

Gains on the fleet, and spreads its wasteful bounds. Great MAGNUS, burning at the dismal fight,

Advanc'd with rage redoubled to the fight. "Degen'rate DANES"----The raging warrior cries, "The day is loft---Your fame, your honour dies! Advance, condense your ranks, ---- bear on your

way,

*And sweep these daring ftriplings to the fea." The men advance.---- proceeds their haughty lord, And wounds the air with his impatient fword. 'Bending, where ALPIN,reapt the bloody plain, "Turn, here's a man, turn, ftripling, here's a DANE!"

He

He faid.The Mountain-warrior turns his eyes,

Then fternly wheels, and with a blow replies.
Great MACNUS falling on young ALPIN's fhield,
Adds to the dismal thunder of the field.
Revengful ALPIN, with defcending blade,

Crashes the fhining thunder on his head.
They aim, defend; their fwords, at every stroke,
Talk on the way, and gleam along the smoke.

At length on MAGNUS Fate deals home a wound;
He nods to death, and thunders on the ground.
Starting from the wide wound the bubbling blood,
Sinks thro' the fand, and rolls a smoaking flood.
Prone on the ftrand, extended ev'ry way,
Clad o'er with fteel, a fhining trunk he lay.
Thus, on its lofty feat, fhou'd winds invade
The statue keeps the mem'ry of the dead;
It quakes at ev'ry blast, and nods around,
Then falls, a fhapeless ruin, to the ground.

The DANES beholding their commander die, Start from their ranks, and in confufion fly. The youth pursues: the flames behind him roar Catch all the fleet, and clothe with smoke the shore. Mean time great SUENO, DENMARK'S valiant King, Round royal INDULPH bends the hostile ring.

Hemm'd

Hemm'd in a circle of invading men,

They face on ev'ry fide the clofing DANE;

Deal blow for blow, and wound return for wound,
And bring the stagg'ring en'my to the ground.
Great SOMERLED, ARGYLE's majestic lord,
Thro' HARALD's founding helmet drives his fword:
Stagg'ring he falls, his rattling arms refound,
And in the pangs of death he bites the ground.
Thro' HILRIC's fhield great INDULPH urg'd the
fpear,

It pierc'd his breast, and smok'd behind in air:
Groaning he finks; as when repeated strokes
Bring headlong to the ground the flaughter'd ox.
Brave GRAHAME thro' mighty CANUTE urg'd the
fpear,

Where, 'twixt the helm and mail, the neck was bare.
Prefs'd with the helm his pond'rous head inclin'd;
He nodding falls, as trees o'erturn'd by wind.
While thus the en'my's front the chieftains wore,
And pil'd with hostile trunks the fatal shore;
By flow degrees their force declines away,
Surrounding DENMARK gains upon the day.
Great INDULPH stood amidst the warrior-ring;
All give attention to their valiant king.

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"Hear me, ye chiefs," the mournful monarch cries, "We fall to day, our state, our country dies. Let us acquit ourselves of ALBION's death,

And yield in her defence our latest breath.”

He said and rufh'd from the furrounding ring,

:

And 'midst the battle fought the DANISH king.
Ready to fight the royal warriors ftood,
And long'd to revel in each others blood;
While ALPIN rushing from the flaming shore,
With wasteful path, purfu'd the flying pow'r;
Hew'd thro' great SUENO's ring his bloody way,
And to the defp'rate chieftains gave the day;
Rush'd'twixt great INDULPH and bold SUENO'sfword,
And with his royal life preferv'd his lord.

Brave SUENO nods, falls to the ftrand, and cries;
"O honour! DENMARK loft, undone!"--and dies.
But ftill fierce DENMARK made a broken stand;
Here stands a squadron, there a gloomy band,
Rears a firm column on the smoky shore,
Makes the laft efforts of a dying pow'r.

Thus, after fire thro' lanes its way has took,
A proftrate village lies o'erwhelm'd in fmoke;
But here and there fome fable turrets ftand,
And lock, a difmal ruin, o'er the land.

So

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