persons and time. The scout comes back too soon, and he is too much terrified to have observed all the particulars he so distinctly reported, even with an almost idle and officious complacency. Was Swaran, after all, a man capable of quietly listening to these details, which tended to magnify the pomp of his enemy, and to exhort him to fly? It seems that the brightness of this car dazzled even Ossian himself, so as to prevent him from sufficiently perceiving the person who spoke, and the character to whom he did speak. Fitness and proportion are the two rules of taste, and there can be no poetic beauty without them.

(18) Line 402, &c. Shall Swaran fly from a hero?

Were Fingal himself before me,

My soul should not darken with fear.

Fuggirò da un guerrier? Foss' ei Fingallo,
Non mi si abbujeria l'alma di tema.

The poet has suffered us to forget his hero. All our attention was fixed on Cuthullin, and on his tremendous preparation. Fingal now shews himself sideways, and attracts our attention. There is no danger that his absence will be of prejudice to him. His image follows us every where.

(19) Line 424, &c. Darts rush along the sky,

Spears fall like the circles of light,

Which gild the face of night.

E per lo ciel volano, cadono

Nembi di dardi, e tronchi d'aste, e schegge,

Quai circoli dil uce, onde s'indora

This appropriate and beautiful comparison darts an unexpected ray of light on the terrible scene before us, and makes an affecting impression on the mind of the reader, entirely corresponding to what it represents.

(20) Line 447. The battle lay behind him,

As groves overturned on the desarts of Cromla.
Sta raso il campo

Addietro lor, quai rovesciati boschi

Nel deserto di Cromla.

We cannot sufficiently admire the force, the aptitude, and the delicacy of these comparisons.

Nor can it be denied that Homer has many such, full of sublimity and conviction; but it must at the same time be granted, that he has perhaps as many that are low and unsuitable; and those which are most admirable seldom embrace at once all the necessary qualifications. Moreover, we do not perceive in his comparisons a certain rare nicety of discrimination, nor any very great effort of genius.

Homer mostly makes use of objects as they present themselves to his mind; Ossian in general makes a choice selection, and at times he in a certain degree creates them.

(21) Line 461, &c. Weep on the rocks of roaring winds, O maid of Inistore!

Vergine d' Inistore, allente il freno

Alle lagrime tue,

Mark this artful vicissitude of strong and pathetic affections. It is not enough for Ossian to be great and admirable, his chief study is to touch the heart.

These precious traits of sentiment are rare in Homer, or they are feebly sketched. He at times touches upon some interesting incident, but he does it in a manner so slight and uniform, that it makes but little impression. The tone of his narrations resembles much the singing of his crickets;* it is long and monotonous. Ossian's tender apostrophe breaks the monotony of style, and softens the ferocity which martial scenes inspire. It would only have been desirable, that the amiable warrior, alluded to in the text, had fallen rather by the hand of the fierce Swaran, than by that of the virtuous Cuthullin. But he at least does not vilely insult him, as the brutal Idomeneus does the generous youth Otrioneus, in the 13th book of the Iliad.

(22) Line 485, &c. The field echoes from wing to wing, As a hundred hammers that rise

By turns on the red son of the furnace.

Monti echeggiano e piagge, al par di cento

Ben pesanti martelli alternamente

Alzantisi, abbassantisi, sul rosso

Figlio della fornace.

The noise of a hundred hammers would appear trifling after so much havoc. But the poet does not mean to express the grandeur of the crash, but only the frequent and reverberating sound of the echo;

* Palm cricket, Lat. cicada, Gr. TETTE. It is a pretty large winged insect, living upon trees, and making in summer a loud chirping noise, nearly similar to that of the chimney cricket, but far louder and shriller, so that it may be heard at a great distance around in the country. It is unknown in Britain, but is very common in Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, &c. SASTRES.

in which sense the comparison has all its strength

and propriety.

(23) Line 498, &c. But night conceals the chiefs in clouds,

And ends the dreadful fight.

Ma già già la notte

Scende, e tra nubi i due campioni involve ;
E all' orribil conflitto omai dà posa.

After having raised in our minds such great hopes and expectations, the poet leaves us in the lurch, and closes the scene. This cruelty is of a very artful and teazing nature. It excites the affections and keeps the mind active; it eludes curiosity in order to awaken it the more, and to satisfy it in due time with a higher gratification.

(24) Line 534, &c. He answered like the sullen sound

Of Cromla before a storm.

quei non parlò, muggio,

Simile al cupo brontolio di Cromla,

Di tempeste forier.

Nothing less would have sufficed to prepare us to hear so brutal an answer.

(25) Line 536, &c. Though all thy daughters, Inisfail,

Should stretch their arms of snow.

quand' anche, Erina,

Le giovinette tue mi stendan tutte

Le lor braccia de neve ;

In the rude wildness of this man, Vico* would see with pleasure those primitive descendants of

* Enea Vico was a learned antiquary, but of little note, native of Parma. He lived in the 16th century. SASTRES.

Polyphemus, who, according to Plato, were heads of families in a savage state, and who lived in their dens, shunning all intercourse with society. Nec visu facilis, nec dictu affabilis ulli. He detests every thing that is not his own, and considers himself as the centre of nature. In the morning he has no other care but that of keeping up his fierceness. The east belongs to him. If the sun arose on the side of Ireland, he would abhor it as his enemy. The selfishness of this great cyclopic character, and the uncouthness which proceeds from it, are painted with an astonishing force.

(26) Line 557, &c. Sad to himself alone,

Said the blue-eyed son of Semo.

ma sol per lui,

Ripiglio Cuculiin.

What a high sentiment in two syllables! Remark the natural ease of this passage intended to introduce the episode which follows.

(27) Line 575, &c. "In other days," Carril replies,

"Came the sons of Occan to Erin.”

Venne in Erina nei passati giorni,

Ei cominciò, dell' oceàn la stirpe.

If any one should ask what connection this episode has with the principal action, it may be answered that, in the dull parts of a poem, the poet is at liberty to introduce such descriptions as may appear to him the most natural and proper. Hence in all poems we see the intervals of the action filled up with games, feasts, sacrifices, and other matters relative to the national rites, usages, and ceremonies.