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

THE POEMS OF OSSIAN„ jtj
f3.*.her ; his tcndernefs for Malvina ; are the ftrokes of a
mafterly pencil ; the ftrokes are few ; but it is the hand of
nirure, and attrafcs the heart. Offian's own charader, th^
old manj the hf.o, and tlie bard, all in one, prefents to us
through the whole work a mod refpedable and venerable
figure, which we always contemplate with pleafure. Cu-
chullin is a hero of the higheft clafs ; daring, magnanimous,
aiid exquifitely fenfibk to honour. We become attached
to his intereft, and are deeply touched with his diftrefs ;
and after the admiration raifcd for him in the firft part of
the poem, it is. a ftrong proof of Offian's mafterly genius
tb.at he durft adventure to produce to lis another hero, com-
pared with whom, even the great Cuchullin, {hould be on-
ly an inferior perfonage ; and who fliould rife as far above
him, as CuchiiUin rifes above the reft;
Here, indeed, in the character and defcfiptlon of Fingal,
Offian triumphs almoft unrivalled : For we may boldly defy
all antiquity to fliew us any hero equal to Fin gal. Homer's
Hedtor poffefles feveral great and amiable qudlities; but
Hedor is a fecondary perfonage in the Ihad, not the . hero
of the work. We fee him only occafionally ; v/e know
much lefs of him. than we do of Fingal ; who not only iri
this epic poem, but in Temora, and throughout the reft of
Offian's works, is prefented in all that variety of lights,
which give the full difplay of a character. And though
Hecftor faithfully difcharges his duty to his country, his
friends, and his family, he is tindtured, however, with a
degree of the fame favage ferocity, which prevails among
all the Homeric heroes. For we find him infulting over the
fallen Patroclus, with the moft cruel taunts, and telling him
when he lies in the agony of death, that Achilles cannot
help him tiow ; and that in a fhort time his body, ftripped
naked, and deprived of funeral honours, fliall be devoured
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