" from the field of ghosts.-Like the darkened moon " he retired in the midst of the whistling blast."

Several other appearances of spirits might be pointed out, as among the most sublime passages of Ossian's poetry. The circumstances of them are considerably diversified ; and the scenery always suited to the occasion. "Oscar slowly ascends the hill. The meteors "of night set on the heath before him. A distant "torrent faintly roars. Unfrequent blasts rush

through aged oaks. The half-enlightened moon "sinks dim and red behind her hill. Feeble voices 66 are heard on the heath. Oscar drew his sword." Nothing can prepare the fancy more happily for the awful scene that is to follow. "Trenmor came from "his hill, at the voice of his mighty son. A cloud "like the steed of the stranger, supported his airy "limbs. His robe is of the mist of Lano, that brings "death to the people. His sword is a green meteor, half-extinguished. His face is without form, and "dark. He sighed thrice over the hero: And thrice, "the winds of the night roared around. Many were "his words to Oscar. He slowly vanished, like a "mist that melts on the sunny hill." To appearances of this kind, we can find no parallel among the Greek or Roman poets. They bring to mind that noble description in the book of Job: "In thoughts from the "visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which

"made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed "before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up. "It stood still; but I could not discern the form "thereof. An image was before mine eyes. There "was silence; and I heard a voice-Shall mortal "man be more just than God?"*

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As Ossian's supernatural beings are described with a surprising force of imagination, so they are introduced with propriety. We have only three ghosts in Fingal That of Crugal, which comes to warn the host of impending destruction, and to advise them to save themselves by retreat; that of Evirallin, the spouse of Ossian, which calls him to rise and rescue their son from danger; and that of Agandecca, which, just before the last engagement with Swaran, moves Fingal to pity, by mourning for the approaching destruction of her kinsmen and people. In the other poems, ghosts sometimes appear when invoked to foretel futurity; frequently, according to the notions of these times, they come as forerunners of misfortune or death, to those whom they visit; sometimes they inform their friends at a distance, of their own death; and sometimes they are introduced to heighten the scenery on some great and solemn occasion. "A hundred oaks burn to the wind; and faint "light gleams over the heath. The ghosts of Ardven "pass through the beam; and shew their dim and disJob. iv. 13-17.

"tant forms. Comala is half unseen on her meteor; "and Hidallan is sullen and dim.". "The awful "faces of other times, looked from the clouds of "Crona."-Fercuth! I saw the ghost of night. Si"lent he stood on that bank, his robe of mist flew on the wind. I could behold his tears. An aged man he seemed, and full of thought."

The ghosts of strangers mingle not with those of the natives." She is seen; but not like the daugh"ters of the hill. Her robes are from the strangers “land; and she is still alone." When the ghost of one whom we had formerly known is introduced, the propriety of the living character is still preserved. This is remarkable in the appearance of Calmar's ghost, in the poem entitled The Death of Cuthullin. He seems to forebode Cuthullin's death, and to beckon him to his cave. Cuthullin reproaches him for supposing that he could be intimidated by such prognostics. 66 Why dost thou bend thy dark eyes on me, ghost of the car-borne Calmar? Wouldst thou frighten me, O Matha's son! from the battles of "Cormac Thy hand was not feeble in war; nei"ther was thy voice for peace. How art thou changed, "chief of Lara! if now thou dost advise to fly! Re"tire thou to thy cave: Thou art not Calmar's ghost: "He delighted in battle; and his arm was like the "thunder of heaven." Calmar makes no return to this seeming reproach: But, " He retired in his blast

"with joy; for he had heard the voice of his praise." This is precisely the ghost of Achilles in Homer; who, notwithstanding all the dissatisfaction he expresses with his state in the region of the dead, as soon as he had heard his son Neoptolemus praised for his gallant behaviour, strode away with silent joy to rejoin the rest of the shades.*

It is a great advantage of Ossian's mythology, that it is not local and temporary, like that of most other ancient poets; which of course is apt to seem ridiculous, after the superstitions have passed away on which it was founded. Ossian's mythology is, to speak so, the mythology of human nature; for it is founded on what has been the popular belief, in all ages and countries, and under all forms of religion, concerning the appearances of departed spirits. Homer's machinery is always lively and amusing; but far from being always supported with proper dignity. The indecent squabbles among his gods, surely do no honour to epic poetry. Whereas Ossian's machinery has dignity upon all occasions. It is indeed a dignity of the dark and awful kind; but this is proper; because coincident with the strain and spirit of the poetry. A light and gay mythology, like Homer's, would have been perfectly unsuitable to the subjects on which Ossian's genius was employed. But though his machinery be always solemn, it is not, however, always dreary or * Odyss. Lib. 11.

dismal; it is enlivened, as much as the subject would permit, by those pleasant and beautiful appearances,“ which he sometimes introduces, of the spirits of the hill. These are gentle spirits; descending on sunbeams; fair-moving on the plain; their forms white and bright; their voices sweet; and their visits to men propitious. The greatest praise that can be given, to the beauty of a living woman, is to say, "She is "fair as the ghost of the hill; when it moves in a "sun-beam at noon, over the silence of Morven." "The hunter shall hear my voice from his booth. "He shall fear, but love my voice. For sweet shall "my voice be for my friends; for pleasant were they " to me."

Besides ghosts, or the spirits of departed men, we find in Ossian some instances of other kinds of machinery. Spirits of a superior nature to ghosts are sometimes alluded to, which have power to embroil the deep; to call forth winds and storms, and pour them on the land of the stranger; to overturn forests, and to send death among the people. We have prodigies too; a shower of blood; and when some disaster is befalling at a distance, the sound of death heard on the strings of Ossian's harp all perfectly consonant, not only to the peculiar ideas of northern nations, but to the general current of a superstitious imagination in all countries. The description of Fingal's airy hall, in the poem called Berrathon, and of