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

ON THE POEMS OF O S S I A N. 65
With regard to perfonifications, I formerly obferved that Oflian
was fparing, and 1 accounted for his being fo. Allegorical per-
fonages he has none •, and their ablence is not to be regretted. For
the intermixture of thofe ihadowy Beings, which have not the fup-
port even of mythological or legendary belief, with human adlors,
feldom produces a good effedt. The fidion becomes too vilible and
phantaftick ; and overthrows that impreffion of reality, which the
probable recital of human adiions is calculated to make upon the
mind. In the ferious and pathetick fcer.es of Offian efpecially, allego-
rical characters would have been as much out of place, as in Tra-
gedy ; ferving only unfeafonably to amule the fancy, whilfl: they
ftopped the current, and weakened the force of paflion.
With aportrophes, or addrelles to perfons abfent or dead, which
have been, in all ages, the language of pallion, our poet abounds ;
and they are among his higheit beauties. Wiinefs the apoftrophe,
in the firft hook of Fingal, to the maid of Inillore, whofe lover had
fallen in battle ; and that inimitably fine one ot Cuchullin to Bra-
gela at the conclulion of the ftme book. He commands the harp
to be flruck in her praife ; and the mention of Bragela's name, im-
mediately fuggefting to him a crowd of tender ideas ; '* Dofl: thou
" raife thy fair face from the rocks," he exclaims, " to find the
" fails of Cuchullin ? The fea is rolling far diflant, and its white
" foam Ihall deceive thee for my fails." And now his imagiiiatioa
being wrought up to conceive her as, at that moment, really in this
fituation, he becomes afraid of the harm flie may receive from the
inclemency of the night ; and with an enthuliafm, happy and af-
feding, though beyond the cautious ftrain of modern poetry, ' Re-
" tire," he proceeds, " retire, for it is night, my love, and tJie
" daik winds ligh i 1 thy hair. Retire to the hall of my fcafts, and
*' think of the times that are pafi: ; for I will not return till the lloroi
«' of war has ceafed. OConnal, fpeak of wars and arms, and lend
" her from my mind ; for lovely v.'ith her raven hair is the white-
" bofomed daughter of Sorglan *." This breathes all the native
fpirit of paffion and tendernels.
The addreffes to the fun -j-, to the moon I, and to the evening
liar §, muft draw the attention of every reader of tafle, as an ong
*P. 18. t P- I4I. 1 1'. 'S'. « P. 2'9-
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