Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

Book VI. F 1 N G A L. 403
In Tournaments their fierce Rencounters tell,
That on their Fame I may delighted dwell ;
And Stamo\ Son, invited by your Lays,
May yield to Sleep, and fet his Mind at Eafe.
In
appropriated to the ferious ; a Flute or Pipe accompanied the comic and
lively. That Species of Dancing which the Greeks difl:ingui(hed by the
Name of Pyrrhic, was an univerlal Amufement among the Celtic Nations.
A Number of young Men in complete Armour rufhed in fuddenly before
the Guefts, at a certain Period of the warlike Mufic, danced with great
Agility, and kept Time by ftriking their Swords againft their Shields.
When the Spedators were, for a fliort Time, amufed with this Show, the
Mufic fuddenly changed, and a Band of young Women entered, tripping
Hand in Hand to a merry Air. They too, at a certain Period of the
Mufic, vanifiied at once ; the young Men entered again as if engaged in
Aftion, and to the Sound of the accompanying Inftrument exhibited all
the Incidents of a real Battle. Neither were the Guefts at Celtic Entertain-
ments gratified with fictitious Battles only ; the young Warriors frequently
challenged one another to fingle Combat to (hew their Bravery. The gla-
diatorial Speftacles at Rome proceeded from this charadteriftical Cuftom of
the Barbarians of the North of Europe, who, contrary to the Opinions of
all other Nations, placed Death itfelf in the Number of their Amufements.
This Peculiarity they carried to fuch an extravagant Pitch, that a Stranger,
if renowned for his Valour, thought himfelf dilhonoured, fhould his Hoft
negledl to give him an Opportunity of breaking a Spear with fome brave
Man among his Friends.
Fff2 V. 381.