Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 3

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAW, l5l
tombs of warriors overgrown with mofs ;
all produce a folemn attention in the mind,
and prepare it for great and extraordinary
events. We find not in Oflian, an imagi-
nation that fports itfelf, and dreffes out
gay trifles to pleafe the fancy. His poetry,
more perhaps than that of any other wri-
ter, deferves to be ft y led The Poetry of the
Heart. It is a heart penetrated with noble
fentinients, and with fublime and tender
paflions j a heart that glows, and kindles
the fancy ; a heart that is full, and pours
itfelf forth. OfTian did not write, like mo-
dern poets, to pleafe readers and critics.
He fung from the love of poetry and fong.
Kis delight was to think of the heroes a-
mong whom he had fiourifhed j torecalthe
affe£ling incidents of his life j to dwell up-
on his paft wars, and loves, and friendihips ;
till, as he exprefles it himfelf, " there comes
*' a voice to Oflian, and awakes his foul.
" It is the voice of years that are gone ;
*' they roll before me with all their deeds j"
and under this true poetic infpiration, giv-
ing vent to his genius, no wonder we fliould
fo often hear, and acknowledge in his
ftrains, the powerful and ever-pleaflng voice
of nature.
Arte, natura potertior omni.
Eft Deus in nobis, agitante calefcimus illo.
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