Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 95
his fable some air of probabilitj'. Never did a more
frigid, pedantic notion enter into the mind of a critic.
We may safely pronounce, that he v ho should com-
pose an epic poem after this manner, who should first
lay down a moral and contrive a plan, before he had
thoiight of his personages and actors, might deliver
indeed very sound instruction, but would find rery
few readers. There cannot be the least doiibt that the
first object which sti-ikes an epic poet, which fires his
genius, and gives him any idea of his work, is the
action or subject he is to celebrate. Hardly is there
any tale, any subject, a poet can choose for such a
work, but will alford some general moral instruction.
An epic poem is, by its nature, one of the most moral
of all poetical compositions : but its moral tendency
is by no means to be limited to some common-place
maxim, which may be gathered from the storj-. It
arises from the admiration of heroic actions, which
such a composition is peculiarly calculated to produce;
from the virtuous emotions which the characters and
incidents raise, whilst we read it; from the happy
impressions which all the parts separately, as well as
the whole together, leave upon the mind. However,
if a general moral be still insisted on, Fingal obviously
furnishes one, not inferior to that of any other poet,
viz. That wisdom and bravery always triumph over
brutal force : or another, nohler still ; That the most
complete victory over an enemy is obtained by that
moderation and generosity which convert him into
a friend.
The unity of the epic action, which of all Aristotle's
rules, is the chief and most material, is so strictly pre-
served in Fingal, that it must be perceived by every
reader. It is a more complete unity than what arises
from relating the actions of one man, which the Greek
critic justly censures as imperfect ; it is the unity of
one enterprise, the deliverance of Ireland from the
invasion of Swaran : an enterprise, which has surely
the full heroic dignity. All the incidents recorded
bear a constant reference to one end ; no double plot
is carried on ; but the parts unite into a regular whole:
and as the action is one and great, so it is an entire