Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 1

ON THE POEMS OF OSSI AX. IxXV
the qualities indeed which distinguish a Fingal,
moderation J humanity, and clemency, would not
probably be the first ideas of heroism occurring to
a barbarous people: but no sooner had such ideas
begun to dawn on the minds of poets, than, as the
human mind easily opens to the native representa-
tions of human perfection, they would be seized
and embraced ; they would enter into their pane-
gyrics ; they would afford materials for succeed-
ing bards to work upon and improve; they would
contribute not a little to exalt the public manners.
For such songs as these, familiar to the Celtic
warriors from their childhood, and throughout
their whole life, both in war and in peace, their
principal entertainment must have had a very con-
siderable influence in propagating among them real
manners, nearly approaching to the poetical; and
in forming even such a hero as Fingal. Especially
when we consider that among their limited objects
of ambition, among the few advantages which,
in a savage state, man could obtain over man, the
chief was Fame, and that immortality which they
expected to receive from their virtues and ex-
ploits, in the songs of bards*.
Having made these remarks on the Celtic poetry
and bards in general, I shall next consider the
particular advantages which Ossian possessed. He
appears clearly to have lived in a period which
enjoyed all the benefit I just now mentioned of
* When Edward I. conquered Wales, he put to death all
the Welch bards. This cruel policy plainly shews, how
great an influence he imagined the songs of the^e bards to
have over the minds of the people ; and of what nature he
judged that nifluence to be. The Welch bards were of the
same Celtic race with the Scottish and Iriah.
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