Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 3

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. I5I
and was in all refpedls a perfonage of much
higher dignity than any of the chieftans,
or heads of clans, who lived in the fame
country, after a more extenfive monarchy
was ellablithed.
The manners of Oflian's age, fo far as
we can gather them from his writings, were
abundantly favourable to a poetical genius.
The two difpiriting vices, to which Longi-
nus imputes the decline of poetry, covet-
oufnefs and effeminacy, were as yet un-
known. The cares of men were few. They
lived a roving indolent life ; hunting and
war their principal employments ; and their
chief amufements, the mulic of bards, and
" the feaft of fhells." The great object
purfued by heroic fpirits, was to ** receive
*' their fame ;" that is, to become worthy
of being celebrated in the fongs of bards;
and " to have their name on the four grey
" rtones.'* To die, unlamented by a bard,
was deemed fo great a misfortune, as even
to diilurb their ghofls in another Hate.
*' They wander in thick mH\s befide the
*' reedy lake j but never {hall they rife,
*' without the fong, to the dwelling of
*' winds." After death, they expeded to
foUoA' employments of the fame nature
with thofe which had amufed them on earth j
to fly with their friends on clouds, to pur-
ine airy deer, and to liften to their praife
in the mouths of bards. In fuch times as