Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

on the Poems of Ossian. 75
happy coincidence of thought, with the rule of
Horace.
Semper ad eventum festinat, et in medias res,
Nou secus ac notas, auditorem rapit
Nee gemino bellum TroJEUium auditur ab ovo.
Z>e Arte Poet.
He invokes no muse, for he acknowledged none ;
but his occasional addresses to Malvina have a finer
effect than the invocation of any muse. He sets
out with no formal proposition of his subject; but
the subject naturally and easily unfolds itself; the
poem opening in an animated manner, with the
situation of Cuthullin, and the arrival of a scout
who informs him of Swaran's landing. Mention is
presently made of Fingal, and of the expected as-
sistance from the ships of the lonely isle, in order to
give furthur light to the subject. For the poet often
shows his address in gradually preparing us for the
events he has to introduce ; and in particular the
preparation for the appearance of Fingal, the pre-
vious expectations that are raised, and the extreme
magnificence, fully answering these expectations,
with which the hero is at length presented to us,
are all worked up with such skilful conduct as would
do honour to any poet of the most refined times. Ho-
mer's art in magnifying the character of AchUles
has been universally admired. Ossian certainly
shows no less art in aggrandizing Fingal. Nothing
could be more happily imagined for this purpose
than the whole management of the last bat tie, wherein
Gaul, the son of Morni, had besought Fingal to
retire, and to leave to him and his other chiefs the
honour of the day. The generosity of the king in
agreeing to tliis proposal; the majesty with which
he retreats to the hill, from whence he was to be-
hold the engagement, attended by his bards and
waving the lightning of his sword; his perceiving
the chiefs overpowered by numbers, but, from un-
willingness to deprive them of the glory of victory
by coming in person to their assistance, firbt sending