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

6o A CRITICAL DISSERTATION
" and the broad moon is daikened in heaven *"." The hero's ap-
pearance in Homer, is more magnificent ; in Oflian, more terrible.
A tree cut down, or overthrown by a ftorm, is a fimiUtude fre-
quent among poets for defcribing the fall of a warrior in battle.
Homer employs it often. But the moft beautiful, by far, of his
comparifons, founded on this objedt, indeed one of the moft beau-
tiful in the whole Iliad, is that on the death of Euphorbus. " As
" the young and verdant olive, which a man hath reared with care
*' in a lonely field, where the fprings of water bubble around itj it
" is fiir and flourifliing ; it is fanned by the breath of all the
" winds, and loaded with white bloflbms ; when the fudden blaft
" of a whirlwind defcending, roots it out from its bed, and ftretches
*' it on the duft -)-." To this, elegant as it is, we may oppofe the
following fimile of Offian's, relating to the death of the three fons
of Ulhoth. " They fell, like three young oaks which flood alone
•' on the hill. The traveller faw the lovely trees, and wondered
" hov/ they grew fo lonely. The blafl: of the defert ca.me by night,
" and laid their green heads low. Next day he returned ; but they
•' were withered, and the heath was bare t." Malvina's allufion to
the fame objedt, in her lamentation over Ofcar, is fo exquifitely
tender, that I cannot forbear giving it a place alio. •' I was a
*' lovely tree in thy prefence, Ofcar ! with all my branches round
•' me. But thy death came, like a blaft from the defert, and laid
" my green head low. The fpring returned with its lliowers ; but
" no leaf of mine arofe ||." Several of OlTian's fimiles taken from
trees, are remarkably beautiful, and diverhfied with well chofen
circumflances ; fuch as that upon the death of Ryno and Orla :
" They have fallen like the oak of the defert j when it lies acrofs a
*' ftream.and withers in the wind of the mountains §:" Or that which
Offian applies to himfelf ; " I, like an ancient oak inMorven, moul-
" dcr alone in my place; the blaft hath lopped my branches away ;
" and I tremble at the wings of the north 5[-"
As Homer exalts his heroes by comparing them to gods, Offiati
makes the fame ufe of comparifons taken from fpirits and ghoils.
» P. 41. 1 1'"'*<^ "V"' S3- t P- *7°« I P- 250.
§P. 70. «P. 191.
Swaran