Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

138 F I N G A L. Book II.
Who in the Bloom of Beauty, like the Sun,
Amidft a thoufand Maids, fuperiour fhone.
Well-
it feems, did not yield to them in Stature, and they almon equalled them
in Strength of Body and in Vigour of Mind. They were fair, blooming,
and {lately ; juft and full in the Proportions of their Limbs; adtive, high-
fpirited, and bold. Their long yellow Hair flowed carelefs down their
Shoulders, and their large blue Eyes animated their Looks into a Kind of
Ferocity Icfs apt to kindle Love than to command Refpeft and Awe. In
modern Europe a fictitious Reipedl is paid to Women, in the ancient they
polTefled real Confequence and Power. The moft unpoliflied Germans,
according to Tacitus, thought that fomething divine dwelt in Female Minds:
Women were admitted to their public Deliberations, and they did not de-
fpife their Opinions, or negleft to follow their Advice. To fuch-a Pitch
had feme Branches of the Celt^e carried their Veneration for the Fair Sex,
that, even in their Life Time, a Kind of divine Honours was paid to fome
diftinguifhed Women. The ancient 5nVo«j were particularly fond of the
Government of Women. SuccefTion, where it was eftabliflied at all, went
in the Female as well as in the Male Line ; and they convened with no
lefs Ardour round the Standard of a Princefs, than they followed with
Eagernefs their petty Kings and Chiefs to the Field. Boadicea is recorded
in Roman Annals as a Qiieen of a warlike Spirit. She led on a great
Army againft the Romans-, and in exhorting her People to behave with
Courage, (lie obferved that it was not unufual to fee a Britijh Army led on
to Battle by a Woman -, to which Tacicus adds his Teftimony : Solitum
qiiidem Britannis f^eminarum duHu hellare. Annal. Lib. 14. No Doubr,
that Whitcnefs of Skin, for which the BriHJJj Women were fo remarkably
diftinguiflied, might, in fome Meafure, be afcribed to that moift Atmo-
fphere, which ftill clothes our Fields with a Kind of perpetual Green.
After