Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 2

:^io A CRITICAL DISSERTATION
What degrees of friendiliip, love, and heroifni,
may poffibly be found to prevail in a rude ftate
of fociery, no one can fay. Aftonllliing in-
f^ances of them we know, from hiftory, have
fometimes appeared : and a few charaifters dif-
tingaillicd by thofe high qualities, might lay a
foundation for a fet of manners being intro-
duced into the fongs of the bards, more refined,
it is probable, and exalted, according to tlie
ufual poetical licence, than the real manners of
the country. In particular, with refped to
hcroifm ; the great employment of the Celtic
bards, was to delineate the characters, and fnig
the praifcs of heroes. So Lucan ;
dem, in ea enitercr, ut viderem inter quos arnica, mea efTet
flores ; omnes fufcinderem frutices ibi enatos, omnes ramos
praefecarem, hos virentes ramos. Curfuin nubium eflem fecu-
tus, qux iter fuum infiitiiunt verfus paludem Orra, fi ad te
volare pofTeni alls, comicum alis. Sed mihi defunt alas, als
querquedula;, pedefque, anferum pedes plantaeve bonze, qu^e
dcferre me valeant ad te. Satis expciSlalli diu ; per tot dies,
tot dies tuos optimoj, oculis tuis jucundiffimis, corde tuo ami-
ciiTimo. Quod fi longiflime velles effugere, cito tamen te
confequerer. Quid firraius validiufve effe potell quam con-
torti nervi, catena;ve ferreae, qua: duriflime ligant ? ^ic amor
contorquet caput nolbum, mutat cogitationes Sc fententias.
Puerorum voluntas, voluntas venti ; juvenum cogitationes,
longi- cogitationes. Quos fi audirem omnes, a via, a via juftade-
clinarem. Unum eft confilium quod capiam ; itafcio viani rec-
tiorem me reperturuni. SchefTeri Lapponia, Cap. 25.
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