** Fall of Gondolin Section 3 Structure**

[Findegil]

The problem is not in the scene of Maeglins capture itself. Tha scene is in itself nice and fit well with the behavior of Orcs as we know them. But only a few lines later we insert the following:

§ 39 ... Morgoth bade him speak. Then [he] told {he} {those tidings, and Morgoth hearkening spake very fair to him, that the insolence of his heart in great measure returned} unto Morgoth the place of Gondolin FG-M-06.
[Morgoth {must answer} [answered] laughing, saying: 'Stale news will buy nothing. I know this already, I am not so easily blinded!' So Maeglin was obliged to offer more ? the ways whereby it might be found and assailed and to himself undermine resistance in Gondolin.] FG-M-07.

So at first Maeglin is threatend by the Orcs and told them all about the defens of Gondolin and then he is brought to Morgoth and tries to do say no more than the place were the city can be found.
For me telling the Orcs "of all the fashion of that plain and city, of its walls and their height and thickness, and the valour of its gates; of the host of men at arms who now obeyed Turgon he spake, and the countless hoard of weapons gathered for their equipment, of the engines of war and the venomous fires" is pratically the same as to tell Morgoth "the ways whereby it might be found and assailed". Of course Maeglin did in the end more, he offered "to undermine resistenace". But we underestimate the value of the information Maeglin gives to Morgoth, especialy when we let the next part stand were it is told that "Morgoth aided by the cunning of Maeglin devised a plan for the overthrow of Gondolin".

Respectfully
Findegil

For that reason I want to delet the passage were Maeglin tells the Orcs all about Gondolin.