Ossian Collection > Critical dissertation on the poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN, 27
more happily imagined for this purpofe than the whole management
of the lail battle, wherein Gaul the fon of Morni, had befought
Fingal to retire, and to leave to him and his other chiefs the honour
of the day. The generofity of the King in agreeing to this piopo-
fal ; the majefty v/ith which he retreats to the hill, from whence
he was to behold the engagement, attended by his Bards, and
waving the lightning of his fword ; his perceiving the chiefs over-
powered by numbers, but loth to deprive them of the glory of
vidory by coming in perfon to their afiiftance ; his fending UUin,
the Bard, to animate their courage ; and at laft, when the dan-
ger becomes more preffing, his riling in his might, and interpoling,
like a divinity, to decide the doubtful fate of the day ; are all cir-
cumftances contrived with fo much art as plainly difcover the Cel-
tic Bards to have been not unpradtifed in Heroic poetry.
The ftory vi'hich is the foundation of the Iliad is in itfelf as fimpic
■as that of Fingal. A quarrel arifes between Achilles and Agamem-
non concerning a female Have ; on which, Achilles, apprehending
Jiimfelf to be injured, withdraws his affiftance from the reft of the
Greeks. The Greeks fall into gieat diftrefs, and befeech him to be
reconciled to them. He refufes to fight for them in perfon, but
fends his friend Patroclus; and upon his being flain, goes forth to
revenge his death, and kills Hedlor. The fubjedt of Fingal is this:
iJwaran comes to invade Ireland : CuchuUin, the guardian of the
young King, had applied for afliflance to Fingal, who reigned in the
oppofitc coaft of Scotland. But before Fingal's arrival, he is hurried
by rafh counfel to encounter Svvaran. He is defeated ; he retreats ;
and defponds. Fingal arrives in this conjuncture. The battle is,
for fome time dubious ; but in the end he conquers Swaran j and the
remembrance of Swaran's being the brother of Agandecca, who had
once faved his life, makes him difmifs him honourably. Homer it is
true has filled up his ftory with a much greater variety of particulars
than Oflian j and in this has fliown a compafs of invention fuperior
to that of the other poet. But it muft not be forgotten, that though
Homer be more circumftantial, his incidents however are lefs di-
verfified in kind than thofe of Offian. War and bloodflied reign
throughout the Iliad; and notwithftanding all the fertility of Ho-
mer's invention, there is fo much uniformity in his fubjeils, that
there are few readers, who, before the clofe, are not tired of perpetual
E z lighting.