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So ftood the DANES ; but, foon o'erpower'd, they fly, Stumble along, and in their flight they die.

NORVEGIA'S fons, of MAGNUS' fire bereft, Fell down before the chieftains of the left. The great DUMBAR upon the right repell'd Young HACO's force, and fwept him off the field: He winds his hafty march along the coast, Fights as he flies, and fhields his little hoft. At length, within a wood o'ershades the sea, With new fell'd oaks he walls his thin array; Bent on his fate, and obftinately brave, There mark'd at onee his battle-field and grave.

End of Canto fecond.

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CANTO IIT

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CANTO III.

S when, beneath the night's tempeftuous cloud,
Embattl'd winds affail the leafy wood;

Tear on their fable way with awful found,
And bring the groaning forest to the ground:
The trunks of elms, the fhrub, the fir, the oak,
In one confufion fink beneath the fhock.

So death's fad fpoils the bloody field beftrow'd;
The haughty chieftain, the ignoble croud,
The coward, brave, partake the common wound,
Are friends in death, and mingle on the ground.
Dark night approach'd. --- the flaming lord of day
Had plung'd his glowing circle in the fea.

On the blue fky the gath'ring clouds arise,

And tempefts clap their wings along the fkies.
The murm'ring voice of heav'n, at diftance, fails,
And eddying whirl-winds howl along the vales.
The fky inwrapt in awful darkness low'rs,
And threatens to defcend, at once, in show'rs.-
The CALEDONIAN chiefs, to fhun the storm,
Beneath a leafy oak their council form.
An antient trunk fupports the weary king;
nobles bend around the ftanding ring.

With fwords unfheath'd the awful forms appear'd,
Their fhining arms with DANISH blood befmear'd':
Their eyes fhoot fire; their meins unfettled fhew,
The battle frowns as yet upon their brow.

The monarch rofe, and leaning on the oak,
Stretch'd out his hand, and to the nobles fpoke.
"My lords! the DANES, for fo juft heav'n decreed,
Ev'n on that shore they thought to conquer, bleed.
In vain Death wrapt our fathers in his gloom,
We raise them, in our actions, from the tomb..
Not infamous their aim, o'er lands afar

To spread deftruction and the plague of war;
To meet the fons of battle as they roam,

Content to ward them from their native home;:
To fhew invaders that they dar'd to die,
For barren rocks, for fame and liberty.

In you they live, fall'n DENMARK's hoft may fhew;
Accept my thanks; your country thanks you too."
He added not: but turn'd his eyes around,

Till in the ring the valiant youth he found. "Approach, brave youth!" the smiling monarch

cry'd,

"Your country's foldier, and your country's pride. "

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SCOTLAND fhall thank thee for this gallant ftrife, While grateful INDULPH owes to thee his life."

Thus he, advancing, and with ardour preft

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The gallant warrior to his royal breast.
The unprefumptuous ALPIN bends his eyes,.
And mix'd with blushes to the king replies.
"To fave our king,, our country's antient throne,
Are debts incumbent on her ev'ry. fon;

O monarch! add it not to ALPIN's praife,

That, of this gen'ral debt, his part he pays."
Thus faid the youth, and modeftly retir❜d,
While, as he moves, the king and chiefs admir'd:
Slow to his stand his easy steps he bears,

And hears his praifes with unwilling ears.

The king refumes...." O chiefs, O valiant peers !! Glad CALEDONIA dries her running tears:

The warrior rais'd his faulchion o'er her head
Now fleeps, forgotten, on an earthen bed.
Fierce SCANDINAVIA's fatal storms are o'er,
Her thunder-bolts lie harmless on the shore.
But as when, after night, has beat a storm,..
On the mild morn fome fpots the sky deform;
The broken clouds from ev'ry quarter fail,
Join their black troops, and all the heav'ns veil;

The

The winds arife, defcends the fluicy rain,

The storm, with force redoubl'd, beats the plain ::
So, when the youthful HACO fhall afar
Collect the broken fragments of the war,

The Hero, arm'd with SueNo's death, may come
And claim an expiation on his tomb ;:

Deep in that wood the gallant warrior lies
Who fhall, to night, his little camp furprize;;
Surround the martial DANE with nightly care,,
And give the final ftroke to dying war:
Hence NORWAY's ships shall shun our fatal sea,
And point the crooked beak another way;
If chance they spy where oft their armies fell,
Shall turn the prow, and croud away the fail."
He said no more: the gen'rous chiefs arife,
Bent on the glory of the enterprize.
Eager to climb thro' dang'rous paths to fame,
The nightly war they severally claim.

One chief obferv'd where godlike HACO lay;
This knew the wood; and that, the dusky way:
Another urg'd his more unweary'd friends

And ev'ry chieftain something recommends.

Thus for the arduous task the chiefs conteft, While each wou'd grasp the danger to his breast.

Th'

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