Ossian Collection > Morison's edition of the Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 30J
general tone or melody. The events recorded, are all feri-
ous and grave ; the fcenerj' throughout, wild and romantic.
The extended heath by the fea Ihore ; the mountain (haded
with mift ; the toiTent rufiiing through a folitary valley ; the
fcattered oaks, and the tombs of warriors overgrown with
mofs ; all produce a folemn attention in the mind, and pre-
pare it for great and extraordinary events. We find not in
Offian, an imagination that fports itfelf, and drefles out gay
trifles to pleafe the fancy. His poetry, more perhaps than
that of any other writer, defcrves to be Ityled, The Poetry
of the Heart. It is a heart penetrated with noble fentiments,
and with fublime and tender paflions ; and a heart that
glows, and kindles the fancy ; a h^eart tliat is full, and pours
itfelf forth. Offian did not write, like modern poets, to
pleafe readers and critics. He fang from the love of poetry
and fong. His delight was to think of the heroes among
whom he had flourifhed ; to recal the affeding incidents of
his life ; to dwell upon his paft wars and loves and friend-
lliips ; till, as he exprefles it himfelf, " there comes a voice
to Offian and awakes his foul. It is the voice of years that
are gone ; they roll before me with all their deeds ;" and
under this true poetic infpiration, giving vent to his genius,
no wonder we fhould fo often hear, and acknowledge in his
llrains, the powerful and ever-pleafing voice of nature.
Arte, natura potentior omni.' —
Eft Deus in nobis, agitante calefcimus illo.
It is neceffiiry here to obferve, that the beauties of Of-
fian's writings cannot be felt by thofe who have given them
only a fingle or a hafty perufal. Ks manner is fo different
from that of the poets, to whom we are moft accuftomed ;
his Itylc is fo concife, and fo much crowded with imagery ;
the mind is kept at fuch a ftretch in accompanying the au-
thor; that an ordinary reader is at flrft apt to be dazzled
and