Ossian Collection > Works of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volumes 3 and 4

50 TEMORA: Book II.
thy ftormy halls, and let the bards of old be
near : let them draw near, with their fongs and
their half- viewlefs harps. No dweller of mifty
valley comes ; no hunter unknown at his ftreams ;
but
chain of circiimftances. The abrupt manner of
Offiau may often render him obfcure to inatten-
tive readers. Thofe who retain his poems . on
memory , feem to be fenfible of this ; and iifual-
ly give the hiftory of the pieces minutely, before
they begin to repeat the poetry.
Tho' this book has little aftion, it is not the
leaft important part of Temora. The poet, in
leveral epilbdes» runs up the caufe of the war to
the very fource. The firft population of Ireland,
the wars between the two nations who original*
ly posfefled that Island, its firft race of kings,
and the revolutions of its government, are im-
portant facls , and are delivered by the poet ,
with fo little mixture of the fabulous , that one
cannot help preferring his accounts to the im-
probable fiftions of the Scotch and Irifh hiftori-
ans. The Milefian fables of thofe gentlemen
bear about them the marks of a late invention.
To trace their legends to their fource would be
no difficult tafk; but a disquifition of this fort
would extend this note too far.