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

xvi- A DISSERTATION.
cured, by the inaccefilblenefs of their country, they were free and
independent. As they had httle communication with Ilrangers, the
cuftoms of their anceftors remained among them, and their lan-
guage retained its original purity. Naturally fond of military fame,
and remarkably attached to the memory of their anceftors, they
delighted in traditions and fongs, concerning the exploits of their
nation, and efpecially of their own particular families. A llicceflion
of bards was retained in every clan, to hand down the memorable
aflions of their forefathers. As the aera of Fingal, on account of
OiFian's poems, was the moft remarkable, and liis chiefs the molt
renowned names in tradition, the bards took care to place one of
theiu in the genealogy of every great family. — That part of the
poems, which concerned the hero who was regarded as anceftor,
was prefcrved, as an authentic record of the antiquity of the fami-
ly, and was delivered down, from race to race, with wonderful ex-
adnefs.
The bards themfulves, in the mean time, were not idle. They
erefted their immediate patrons into heroes, and celebrated tliem in
their fongs. As the circle of their knov/ledge was narrow, their
ideas v/ere confined in proportion. A few happy expreffions, and
the manners they reprefent, may pleafe thofe who undcrftand the
language; their obfcurity and innacuracy would dilguO: in a tran-
flation. — It was chiefly, for this reafon, that I kept wholly to the
conipoiitions of Oflian, in my former and prefent publication. As
he aded in a more extenfive fphere, his ideas are more noble and
univerfal ; neither has he fo many of thofe peculiarities, which are
only underftood in a certain period or country. The other bards
have their beauties, but not in that fpecies of compofition in which
Oflian excels. Their rhimes, only calculated to kindle a martial
fplrit