Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

94 A CRITICAL DISSERTATION
The character of Foldath tends much to exalt tha
of Cathiiior, the chief commander, which is distin
guished by the most humane virtues. He abhors ai
fraud and cruelty, is famous for his hospitality to stran
gers ; open to every generous sentiment, and to ever
soft and compassionate feeling. He is so amiable a
to divide the reader's attachment between him and th
hero of the poem ; though our author has artfully ma
naged it so, as to make Cathmor himself indirectly ac
knowledge Fingal's superiority, and to appear sothc
what apprehensive of the event, after the death of Fil
Ian, which he knew v/oukl call forth Fingal in all hi
might. It is very remarkable, that although Ossia
has introduced into his poems three complete heroe;
CuthuUin, Cathmor, and Fingal, he has, however, sea
sibly distinguished each of their characters. Cuthulit
is particularly honourable ; Cathmor particulary ami
able ; Fingal wise and great, retaining an ascendaB
peculiar to himself, in whatever light he is viewed.
Eut the favourite figure in Temora, and the on
most highly finished, is Fillan. His character is of tha
sort, for which Ossian shews a particular fondness ; a
eager, fervent young warrior, fired with all the imps
tient enthusiasm for military glory, peculiar to tha
time of life. He had sketched this in the descriptio
of his own son Oscar ; but as he lias extended it mor
fully in Fillan, and as the character is so consonant t
the epic strain, though, so far as 1 remember, nc
placed in such a conspicuous light by any other epii
poet, it may be worth whiie to atiend a little to Ossian'i
management of it in this instance.
Fillan was the youngest of all the sons of Fingal
younger, it is plain, than his nephew Oscar, by whos
fame and great deeds in war, we may naturally suf
pose his ambition to have been highly stimulatep
Withal, as he is young:er. he is described as more ras,;
and fiery. His first aj^pearance is soon after Oscar
de^'th, when he was employed to watch the motions (
the foe by night. In a conversation with his brothei
Ossian, on that occasion, we learn that it was not Ion