Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN, 9S
to his father, has contrived to distinguish him for
being an eminent poet as well as warrior. Fingal's
song upon this occasion, when, " his tliousand
bards leaned forwards from their seats, to hear the
voice of the king," is inferior to no passage in the
whole book; and with great judgment put in his
mouth, as the seriousness, no less than the sub-
limity of the strain, is peculiarly suited to the hero's
character. In Darthula are assembled almost all
the tender images that can touch the heart of man;
frieudsliip, love, the affections of parents, sons,
and brothers, the distress of the aged, and the un-
availing bravery of the young. The beautiful ad-
dress to the moon, with which the poem opens, and
the transition from thence to the subject, most hap-
pily prepare the mind for that train of affecting
events that is to follow. The story is regular, dra-
matic, interesting to the last. He who can read it
without emotion may congratulate himself, if he
pleases, upon being completely armed against sym-
pathetic sorrow. As Fingal had no occasion of
appearing in the action of this poem, Ossian makes
a very artful transition from his narration, to what
was passing in the halls of Selma. The sound
heard there on the strings of his harp, the concern
which Fingal shews on hearing it, and the invoca-
tion of the ghosts of their fathers, to receive the
heroes falling in a distant land, are introduced with
great beauty of imagination to increase the solemni-
ty, and to diversify the scenery of the poem.
Carric-thura is full of the most sublime dignity ;
and has this advantage, of being more cheerful in
the subject, and more happy in the catastrophe,
than most of the other poems : though temi^ered at
the same time with episodes in that strain of tender
melancholy which seems to liave been the great de-
l.i^ht of Ossian and the bards of his age. Lath-
mon is peculiarly distinguished by high gene-
rosity of sentiment. This is carried so far, par-
ticularly in the refusal of Gaul, on one side, to
take the advantage of a sleeping foe j and of Lath -
roon, on the other, to overpower by numbers the
tto young warriors, as to recal into one's mind the