Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volume 1

PREFACH. vii-
per Hiftcricd order; but in this new edition, the Poem
of Oithona is printed near the beginning of the worlc^.
and that of Lathmon, which ought to have preceded it,
is inferted at an immenfe diftance, and almofl in the very-
rear of the colledlion. What is not lefs ridiculous, both
thefe Poems ought to have been inferted among the firft
in order, as they narrate fome of the moft early military
exploits of the venerable and admirable bard of Mor-
ven. The Poem of Daxthula is merely a fequel to that
entitled the Death of Cuchullin, and as fuch, was inferr-
ed in its proper place in all the former editions. In
this laft one, it precedes the Death of Cuchullin, whicli
is a mere contradiiflion. " The Battle of Lora:^' ought
to have fucceeded immediately to the Poem of Firgal, as
it contains an exprefs reference to the Irifh expedition
of Sv-.aran, as a recent event. Inftead of this, three dif-
ferent pieces intervene. We have firft the Poem of
Fhigal, in which Ofcai*, the fon of Oflian, pei-forms a
diftinguifhed part. We have next Lathmon, which re-
cords a tranfa(rtion that happened before Ofcar was
born; and then, after the infertlon of two oth.er pieces,
not lefs mifplaced, we are prefented with the Battle of
Lora.
We have thought it neceflary to hazard thefe remarks
upon the alledged improvement in the aiTangement c£
this edition of the Poems of OiTian, in 177.3, as a fufii-
cient vindication of our conduct in declining to adopt
it. As in the firil edition of the Poems but little atten-
tion had been paid to chronelogical order, it might
have been propofed to clafs the poetry in a ihhd feries. -
But many objefls which are fpecious at a diflant view-,
afTum.e an oppofite appearance upon a clofer infpecftion.
Such a m.ealiire would have been fetting an example of
fanciful variation before every future editor. We have
therefore thought it better to restore the Poems to their
primitive arrangement. In particular, we faw the moft
ftriking propriety in replacing the Poem of Fingal at
tlie head of the colledion. Fingal himfelf is the great
licro of the whole work, and ia this piece we have an