Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

386 A CRITICAL DISSERTATION
ty. Thofe who have the higheft degree of it, will rehfh^
them the moll.
As Homer is of all the great poets, the one whofe man-
ner, and whofe times come the neareft to Offian's, we are
naturally led to run a parallel in fome inftances between
the Greek and the Celtic bard. For though Homer lived
more than a thoufand years before Offian, it is not from
the age of the world, but from the ftate of foeiety, that
we are to judge of refembling times. The Greek has, in
feveral points, a manifefl fuperiority. He introduces a
greater variety of incidents ; he poflefles a larger compafs
of ideas ; has more diverfity in his characters ; and a much
deeper knowledge of human nature. It was not to be ex-
pected, that in any of thefe particulars, Offian could equal
Homer. For Homer lived in a country where foeiety
w^as much farther advanced ; he had beheld many more
objecls ; cities built and flowrifliing ; laws inftituted ; or-
der, difcipline, and arts begun. His jfield of obfervation
was much larger and more fplendid ; his knowledge, of
courfe, more extenfive ; his mind alio, it Ihall be granted,
more penetrating. But, if Offian's ideas and objeds be
lefs diverfified than thofe of Homer, they are all, however,
of the kind fitted for poetry : The bravery and generofi-
ty of heroes, the tendernefs of lovers, the attachments of
friends, parents, and children. In a rude age and coun-
try, though the events that happen be few, the undiffi-
pated mind broods over them more ; they ftrike the ima-
gination, and fire the paffions in a higher degree ; and of
confequence become happier materials to a poetical ge-
nius, than the fame events when fcattered through th©
■wide circle of more varied aftion, and cultivated life.
Homer is a more cheerful and fprightly poet than Of-
fian. You difcern in him all the Greek vivacity ; where-
as Offian uniformly maintains the gravity and folemnity
of a Celtic hero. This too is in a great meafure to be ac-
counted for from the different lituations in which they
lived, partly perfonal, and partly national. Olhan had
furvived all his friends, and was difpofed to melancholy
by the incidents of his hfe. But beiides this, cheerful-
nefs is one of the many bleffings which we owe to formed
foeiety. The folitary wild ftate is always a ferious one.
Bating the fudden and violent burll:> of mirth, which
fometimes