Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 389
heath by the sea shore ; the mountain shaded with mist ; the tor-
rent rushing through a solitary valley; the scattered oaks, and
the tombs of warriors overgrown with moss ; all produce a solemn
attention in the mind, and prepare it for great and extraordinary
events. "We find not in Ossian, an imagination that sports itself,
and dresses out gay trifles to please the fancy. His poetry, more
perhaps than that of any other writer, deserves to be styled, The
Poetry cf the Heart. It is a heart penetrated with noble senti-
ments, and with sublime and tender passions ; a heart that glows,
and kindles the fancy ; a heart that is full, and pours itself forth.
Ossian did not write, like modern poets, to please readers and
critics. He sung from the love of poetry and song. His delight
was to think of the heroes among whom he had flourished ; to
recall the afFe£ting incidents of his life ; to dwell upon his past
wars and loves and friendships ; till, as he expresses it himself,
*' there comes a voice to Ossian and awakes his soul. It is the
** voice of years that are gone ; they roll before me with all their
** deeds ;" and under this true poetic inspiration, giving vent to
his genius, no wonder we should so often hear, and acknowledge in
his strains, the powerful and ever-pleasing voice of nature.
Arte, natura potentlor omni. —
Est Deus in nobis, agitante calescimus illo.
It is necessary here to observe, that the beauties of Ossian's
writings cannot be felt by those who have given them only a
single or a hasty perusal. His manner is so different from that of
the poets, to whom we are most accustomed ; his style is so con-
cise, and so much crowded with imagery ; the mind is kept at
such a stretch in accompanying the author j that an ordinary reader
is at first apt to be dazzled and fatigued, rather than pleased. His
poems require to be taken up at intervals, and to be frequently-
reviewed ; and then it is impossible but his beauties must open
to every reader who is capable of sensibility. Those who have
the highest degree of it, M'ill relish them the most.
As Homer is of all the great poets, the one whose manner,
and whose times come the nearest to Ossian's, we are naturally led
to run a parallel in some instances between the Greek and the
Celtic bard. For though Homer lived more than a thousand years
3 C before