"When Courage, through the Scottish ranks confessed, / With his immortal steel incased each breast."
— Ossian; Macpherson, James (1736-1796)
Date
1805
Metaphor
"When Courage, through the Scottish ranks confessed, / With his immortal steel incased each breast."
Metaphor in Context
The youth arrived, when o'er the northern main
The lovely form of Liberty is seen.
A heavenly splendour, and unfading grace,
Flashed from her eyes, and wandered in her face;
Her lovely skin the varied beauty shews,
Of the white lilly, and the blushing rose.
Justice around her spreads her awful reign,
And Innocence, in white robes, neatly plain,
Smiles life away; when sweet Fidelity,
With sister Modesty, completes the joy.
There Science stands, in endless pleasure clad,
Eternal laurels flourish on her head.
Each Muse, a lovely choir! around her sings,
And gnawing Care thére drops the pointless stings.
Oppression, ghastly shade! her presence flies;
The trembling tyrant veils his coward eyes,
When clad in wrath, and law-maintaining arms,
The goddess shines in more than mortal charms.
Majestically slow descends the fair;
Her snow-white robe swims on the placid air,
And on the royal head conspicuous stood,
With courage keen, and dauntless fortitude.
She raised her voice; the rocks re-echo round;
The embattled English tremble at the sound.
Thrice call'd the power, and thrice the ocean rang,
And from the starting horse the riders hang:
When Courage, through the Scottish ranks confessed,
With his immortal steel incased each breast.
Each generous soul confess'd with ardent joy,
I'll save my country, or revenged die.
But more than all the youthful Hunter burns,
Joy swells his breast, and vengeance stings by turns.
Pain heaves his beating heart; his form, improved,
Towers o'er the field, and as a god he moved.
Terror, commixed with soul-attractive grace,
Flashed from each feature of his manly face.
The lovely form of Liberty is seen.
A heavenly splendour, and unfading grace,
Flashed from her eyes, and wandered in her face;
Her lovely skin the varied beauty shews,
Of the white lilly, and the blushing rose.
Justice around her spreads her awful reign,
And Innocence, in white robes, neatly plain,
Smiles life away; when sweet Fidelity,
With sister Modesty, completes the joy.
There Science stands, in endless pleasure clad,
Eternal laurels flourish on her head.
Each Muse, a lovely choir! around her sings,
And gnawing Care thére drops the pointless stings.
Oppression, ghastly shade! her presence flies;
The trembling tyrant veils his coward eyes,
When clad in wrath, and law-maintaining arms,
The goddess shines in more than mortal charms.
Majestically slow descends the fair;
Her snow-white robe swims on the placid air,
And on the royal head conspicuous stood,
With courage keen, and dauntless fortitude.
She raised her voice; the rocks re-echo round;
The embattled English tremble at the sound.
Thrice call'd the power, and thrice the ocean rang,
And from the starting horse the riders hang:
When Courage, through the Scottish ranks confessed,
With his immortal steel incased each breast.
Each generous soul confess'd with ardent joy,
I'll save my country, or revenged die.
But more than all the youthful Hunter burns,
Joy swells his breast, and vengeance stings by turns.
Pain heaves his beating heart; his form, improved,
Towers o'er the field, and as a god he moved.
Terror, commixed with soul-attractive grace,
Flashed from each feature of his manly face.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "breast" and "steel" in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
06/12/2005
