A Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian: The Son of Fingal |
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Page 2
... highest beauties of poetical writing . Ir- regular and unpolifhed we may expect the productions of unculti- vated ages to be ; but abounding , at the fame time , with that en- thufiafm , that vehemence and fire , which are the foul of ...
... highest beauties of poetical writing . Ir- regular and unpolifhed we may expect the productions of unculti- vated ages to be ; but abounding , at the fame time , with that en- thufiafm , that vehemence and fire , which are the foul of ...
Page 10
... highest bravery and contempt of death . " What is more certain to the brave man than " death , though amidft the ftorm of fwords , he ftand always ready " to oppofe it ? He only regrets this life who hath never known " diftrefs . The ...
... highest bravery and contempt of death . " What is more certain to the brave man than " death , though amidft the ftorm of fwords , he ftand always ready " to oppofe it ? He only regrets this life who hath never known " diftrefs . The ...
Page 11
... highest ideas of magnanimity , generofity , and true heroifm . When we turn from the poetry of Lodbrog to that of Offian , it is like paffing from a favage defart , into a fertile and cultivated country . How is this to be accounted for ...
... highest ideas of magnanimity , generofity , and true heroifm . When we turn from the poetry of Lodbrog to that of Offian , it is like paffing from a favage defart , into a fertile and cultivated country . How is this to be accounted for ...
Page 12
... highest subjects , afferted the immortality of the human foul t . Though Julius Cæfar in his account of Gaul , does not exprefly mention the Bards , yet it is plain . that under the title of Druids , he comprehends that whole college or ...
... highest subjects , afferted the immortality of the human foul t . Though Julius Cæfar in his account of Gaul , does not exprefly mention the Bards , yet it is plain . that under the title of Druids , he comprehends that whole college or ...
Page 14
... highest luftre , and be adorned with qualities truly noble ? Some of the qualities indeed which diftinguish a Fingal , moderation , humanity , and cle- mency , would not probably be the first ideas of heroifm occurring to a barbarous ...
... highest luftre , and be adorned with qualities truly noble ? Some of the qualities indeed which diftinguish a Fingal , moderation , humanity , and cle- mency , would not probably be the first ideas of heroifm occurring to a barbarous ...
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Common terms and phrases
Æneid Agandecca alfo ancient appearance Balclutha bards battle beautiful becauſe Befides blaſt Calmar Celtic character chief circumftances clouds compariſons compofition Cuchullin death defcribe defcription defert diftinct diftinguiſhed diverfified Druids epic poem epic poetry erat fame fays fcenes feem fentiment fhall fhould figh filence fimiles Fingal firſt fituation flain fociety folemn fome fometimes fongs foul fpear fpirit ftate ftill ftorm ftream ftrokes fubject fublime fuch fuperior fword Gaul genius ghofts ghoſt Gladius heart heath hero hiftory higheſt hill himſelf Homer honour human ideas Iliad imagery images imagination impreffion inftance itſelf lefs manners meaſure mift mind moft moon moſt mourn mufick muft muſt nature numbers obferved objects occafion Ofcar Offian Olaus Wormius paffage paffed paffion Patroclus perfons pleaſe poet poetical poetry praiſe prefent profe raiſe refemblance refpect rife ſcene ſtate ſtrong ſtyle Swaran Temora tender thefe theſe thofe thoſe thou tranflation uſe Virgil voice wind
Popular passages
Page 64 - And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched, unto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it, are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants : and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Page 35 - A dark red stream of fire comes down from the hill. Crugal sat upon the beam : he that lately fell by the hand of Swaran striving in the battle of heroes. His face is like the beam of the setting moon : his robes are of the clouds of the hill : his eyes are like two decaying flames. Dark is the wound on his breast. The stars dim-twinkled through his form ; and his voice was like the sound of a distant stream.
Page 15 - Oscar; but they only came by halves to our ears ; they were dark as the tales of other times, before the light of the song arose.
Page 44 - The flower hangs its heavy head, waving, at times, to the gale. Why dost thou awake me, O gale, it seems to say, I am covered with the drops of heaven? The time of my fading is near, and the blast that shall scatter my leaves. Tomorrow shall the traveller come, he that saw me in my beauty shall come; his eyes will search the field, but they will not find me?
Page 65 - Doft thou raife thy fair face from the rock to find the fails of Cuchullin ? The fea is rolling far diftant, and its white foam fhall deceive thee for my fails.
Page 39 - God; the appearance and the speech of that awful spirit; the wound which he receives, and the shriek which he sends forth, " as rolled into himself, he " rose upon the wind;" are full of the most amazing and terrible majesty.
Page 13 - Loose the bards," said his brother Cathmor, " they are the sons of other times. Their voice shall " be heard in other ages, when the kings of Temora
Page 21 - The extended heath by the sea shore ; the mountain shaded with mist ; the torrent rushing through a solitary valley ; the scattered oaks, and the tombs of warriors overgrown with moss; all produce a solemn attention in the mind, and prepare it for great and extraordinary events.
Page 38 - ... 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.
Page 31 - ... man. He is not only unconquerable in war, but he makes his people happy by his wisdom in the days of peace. He is truly the father of his people. He is known by the epithet of ' Fingal of the mildest look;' and distinguished, on every occasion, by humanity and generosity.