Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 3

PN THE POEMS OF GSSIAN. 227
that Is to be met with in any poet. " Wilt
'* thou not liften, fon of the rock, to the
" fong of Oflian ? My foul is full of other
" times J the joy of my youth returns.
*' Thus the fun appears in the wefl, af-
" ter the fteps of his brightnefs have
*' moved behind a florm. The green hills
*' lift their dewy heads. The blue ftreams
*' rejoice in the vale. The aged hero comes
*' forth on his lUff j and his grey hair glit-
** ters in the beam." Never was there a
finer group of objefts. It raifes a ftrong
conception of the old man's joy and ela-
tion of heart, by difplaying a fcene which
produces in (every fpedator a correfponding
train of pleafing emotions j the declining
fun looking forth in his brightnefs after
a florm j the cheerful face of all nature )
and the ftill life finely animated by the cir-
cumftance of the aged hero, with his liafF
and his grey locks j a circumflance both
extremely piflurefque in itfelf, and pecu-
liarly fuited to the main objeft of the com-
parifon. Inxh analogies and affociaticns of
ideas as thefe, are highly pleafing to the
fancy. They give opportunity for intro-
ducing many a fine poetical pifture. They
diverlify the fcene j they aggrandife the
fubjecl J they keep the imagination awake
and fprightly. For as the judgment is prin-
cipally exercifed in dilHnguiihing objects,
^n(J remarking the difterences amcrg ihcfc