Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. PI
Notwithstanding the poetical advantages which I
ive ascribed to Ossian's machinery, I acknowledge
^it would have been much more beautiful and perfect,
had the author discovered some knowledge of a Supreme
Being. Although his silence on this head has been ac-
counted for by the learned and ingenious translator, in
z very probable manner, yet still it must be held a con-
siderable disadvantage to the poetry. For the most
august and lofty ideas that can embellish poetry, are
derived from the belief of a divine administiation of
the universe : and hence the invocation of a Supreme
Being, or at least of some superior powers, who are con-
ceived as presiding over human affairs, the solemni-
ties of religious worship, prayers preferred, and assis-
tance implored on critical occasions, appear with great
dignity in the works of almost all poets, as chief orna-
ments of their compositions. The absence of all such
religious ideas from Ossian's poetry, is a sensible blank
in it : the more to be regretted, as we can easily ima-
gine what an illustrious figure they would have made
If under the management of such a genius as his ; and
I how finely they would have been adapted to many si-
tuations which occur in his works.
After so particular an examination of Fingal, it were
needless to enter into as full a discussion of the conduct
of Temora, the other epic poem. ?vlany of the same
observations, especially with regard to the great cha-
■ racteristics of heroic poetry, apply to both. The high
• merit, however, of Temora, requires that we should
t not pass it by without some remarks.
i The scene of Temora, as of Fingal, is laid in Ire-
l land ; and the action is of a posterior date. The sub-
' ject is, an expedition of the hero, to dethrone and pu-
nish a bloody usurper, and to restore the possession of
f the kingdom to the posterity of the lawful prince ; an
' undertaking worthy the justice and heroism of the great
of the Scamlinavian tongue. The rnrinners and the superstitions of the inhabitants, are
quite distiuct nom those of the Higl'.lands and western Isles of Scotland. Their
aent songs too, are of h different strain and character, turning upon magical incanta.
tions and evocations from the dead, which were the favourite subjects of tfce old Kunic
poetn,'. They have many traditions among them of war», ui fonmer tiaite, witJi Uie
whabitants of the western ijlandj.