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

30 A CRITICAL DISSERTATION
no doubt of Homer's excelling all the heroic poets who have evc"
wrote. But though Ofiian be much inferior to Homer in this ar-
ticle, he will be found to be equal at leaft, if not fuperior, to Virgil ;
and has indeed given all the difplay of human nature which the
fimple occurrences of his times could be expedcd to furniil-i. No
dead uniformity of charadler prevails in Fingal ; but on the contrary
the principal charasfters are not only clearly diftinguiilied, butfome-
times artfully contratled fo as to illuftrate each other. Offian's he-
roes are like Homer's, all brave ; but their bravery, like thofe of
Homer's too, is of different kinds. For inftance ; the prudent,
the fcdate, the modcfl and circumfped Connal, is finely oppofed to
the prefumptuous, rafli, overbearing, but gallant and generous Cal-
mar. Calmar hurries Cuchullin into aftion by his temerity ; and
when he fees the bad efted of his counfels, he will not furvive the
difgrace. Connal, like another Ulyffes, attends Cuchullin to his
retreat, counfels, and comforts him under his misfortune. The
fierce, the proud, and high fpirited Swaran is admirably contrafted
with the calm, the moderate, and generous Fingal. The charader
of Ofcar is a favourite one throughout the whole Poems. The
amiable warmth of the young warrior ; his eager impetuofity in the
day of adion ; his pallion for fame ; his fubmidion to his father;
his tenderncfs for Malvina ; are the (trokes of a mafterly pencil;
the llrokes are few ; but it is the hand of nature, and attrads the
heart. Ollian's own charader, the old man, the hero, and the
bard, all in one, prefents to us through the whole work a moft
refpedable and venerable figure, which we always contemplate with
pleafure. Cuchullin is a hero of the higheft clafs ; daring, mag-
nanimous, and exquifitely fenfible to honour. We become attached
to his intereft, and are deeply touched with his diftrefs ; and after
the admiration raifed for him in the firft part of the Poem, it is a
Ifrong proof of Offian's mafterly genius that he durft adventure to
produce to us another hero, compared with whom, even the great
Cuchullin, flwuld be only an inferior perfonage ; and who fhould
rife as far above him, as Cuchullin rifes above the reft.
Here indeed, in the charader and defcription of Fingal, Offian
triumphs almoft unrivalled : For we may boldly defy all antiquity to
fhew us any hero equal to Fingal. Homer's Hedor pofleffes feve-
ral great and amiable qualities ; but Hedor is a fecondary perfonage
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