Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

Book V. F I N G A L. 319
No ! faid the noble King, I never will,
Difabled and unarm'd, a Warrior kill :
Return to Loda Home again with Life,
180 And glad the Sight of an afflicted .Wife.
You may, perhaps, have likewife left behind,
An aged. Father, now gray-hair'd and blind,
V. 177. No ! faid the noble King^A^c] Whatever difcoyers human Na-
ture in its greateft Elevation, whatever befpeaks a high Effort of Soul, or
fhews a Mind fuperior to Pleafures, to Dangers, and to Death, forms what
may be called the moral or fentimental Sublime. For this, OJ/Ian is emi-
nently diftinguifhed. No Poet maintains a higher Tone of virtuous and
noble Sentiments throughout all his Works. Particularly in all the Senti-
ments of Fingal, there is a Grandeur and Loftinefs proper to fwell the
Mind with the higheft Ideas of human Perfeftion. Wherever he appears,
we behold the Hero. The Objeds which he purfues, are always truly
great; to bend the proud; to protect the injured ; to defend his Friends;
to overcome his Enemies by Generofity more than by Force. A Portion
of the fame Spirit adluates all the other Heroes. Valour reigns ; but it is
a generous Valour, void of Cruelty, animated by Honour, not by Hatred.
We behold no debafing Paffions among Fingal's Warriors ; no Spirit of
Avarice or of Infult : but a perpetual Contention for Fame ; a Defire of
being diftinguifhed and remembered for gallant Aftions ; a Love of Juftice;
and a zealous Attachment to their Friends and their Country. Such is the
Strain of Sentiment in the Works of Ojfmn.