Ossian Collection > Life and letters of James Macpherson

FRENCH ENTHUSIASM—NAPOLEON. 21
This was followed by a new and very success-
ful translation into verse by Baour-Lormian,
made, it appears, for the express use of the
Imperial army. In a late edition of Cesarotti's
Italian rendering the works of Ossian became
the favourite reading of Napoleon, who carried
them with him wherever he went ; it is said
that he modelled some of his despatches on
their style ; and he gave open proof of his
enthusiasm by founding a Celtic academy in
Paris, and by rewarding Cesarotti.^ Lamartine
in his memoirs has a picturesque account of
the admiration everywhere felt for the poems
in his youth, when Oscar and Malvina were
names often given to French children. A great
part of the most popular literature of the time
adopted the Celtic vein ; some of it may also
be traced in the letters of Ohermann-, and
Madame de Stael, in the transports of her
criticism, declared that in Ossian were con-
tained all the essential characteristics of
northern literature.^ The French musicians,
^ It is worth mentioning that the present King of Sweden
and Norway, Oscar II., owes his name to the Ossianic poems ;
for it was out of compliment to Napoleon that his grand-
father Bernadotte gave that name to his son Oscar I.
^Z)e la LitUratiire, ch. xi.