you along; Offian elevates, and fixes you in aftonishment. Homer is most fublime in actions and battles; Offian, in description and fentiment. In the pathetick, Homer, when he chufes to exert it, has great power; but Offian exerts that power much oftener, and has the character of tendernefs far more deeply imprinted on his works. No poet knew better how to seize and melt the heart. With regard to dignity of fentiment, the preeminence must clearly be given to Offian. This is indeed a furprising circumftance, that in point of humanity, magnanimity, virtuous feelings of every kind, rude Celtic Bard should be diftinguished to fuch a degree, that not only the heroes of Homer, but even thofe of the polite and refined Virgil, are left far behind by those of Offian.

Our

After these general obfervations on the genius and spirit of our author, I now proceed to a nearer view, and more accurate examination of his works: and as Fingal is the first great poem in this collection, it is proper to begin with it. To refufe the title of an epic poem to Fingal, because it is not in every little particular, exactly conformable to the practice of Homer and Virgil, were the mere squeamishness and pedantry of criticism. Examined even according to Aristotle's rules, it will be found to have all the effential requifites of a true and regular epic; and to have several of

them in fo high a degree, as at first view to raise our aftonishment on finding Offian's compofition fo agreeable to rules of which he was entirely ignorant. But our aftonishment will ceafe, when we confider from what fource Ariftotle drew thofe rules. Homer knew no more of the laws of criticism than Offian. But guided by nature, he composed in verse a regular story, founded on heroic actions, which all posterity admired. Ariftotle, with great fagacity and penetration, traced the causes of this general admiration. He observed what it was in Homer's composition, and in the conduct of his ftory, which gave it fuch power to pleafe; from this obfervation he deduced the rules which poets ought to follow, who would write and please like Homer; and to a composition formed according to fuch rules, he gave the name of an epic poem. Hence his whole fyftem arofe. Ariftotle ftudied nature in Homer. Homer and Of fian both wrote from nature. No wonder that among all the three, there should be fuch agreement and conformity.

The fundamental rules delivered by Aristotle concerning an epic poem, are these that the action which is the ground work of the poem, should be one, compleat, and great; that it should be feigned, not merely historical; that it should be enlivened with characters and manners; and heightened by the marvellous.

But before entering on any of these, it may perhaps be asked, what is the moral of Fingal? For, according to M. Boffu, an epic poem is no other than an allegory contrived to illustrate fome moral truth. The poet, fays this critic, must begin with fixing on fome maxim, or inftruction, which he intends to inculcate on mankind. He next forms a fable, like one of Æsop's, wholly with a view to the moral; and having thus fettled and arranged his plan, he then looks into traditionary history for names and incidents, to give his fable some air of probability. Never did a more frigid, pedantic notion, enter into the mind of a critic. We may fafely pronounce, that he who should compofe an epic poem after this manner, who should first lay down a moral and contrive a plan, before he had thought of his perfonages and actors, might deliver indeed very found inftruction, but would find few readers. There cannot be the least doubt that the first object which ftrikes an epic poet, which fires his genius, and gives him any idea of his work, is the action or fubject he is to celebrate. Hardly is there any tale, any subject a poet can chufe for such a work, but will afford fome general moral instruction. An epic poem is by its nature one of the most moral of all poetical compofitions: But his moral tendency is by no means to be limited to fome common-place maxim, which may be gathered from the ftory. It arifes

from

from the admiration of heroic actions, which fuch a compofition is peculiarly calculated to produce; from the virtuous emotions which the characters and incidents raise, whilst we read it; from the happy impression which all the parts feparately, as well as the whole taken together, leave upon the mind. However, if a general moral be still infifted 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 nobler ftill; That the most compleat victory over an enemy is obtained by that moderation and generofity which convert him into a friend.

The unity of the Epic action, which, of all Ariftotle's rules, is the chief and moft material, is fo ftrictly preserved in Fingal, that it must be perceived by every reader. It is a more compleat unity than what arises from relating the actions of one man, which the Greek critic juftly cenfures as imperfect; it is the unity of one enterprise, the deliverance of Ireland from the invasion of Swaran: An enterprise, which has furely the full Heroic dignity. All the incidents recorded bear a conftant 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, fo it is an entire or compleat action. For we find, as the Critic farther requires, a beginning, a middle, and an end; a Nodus, or intrigue in the poem; dif

C

ficulties occuring through Cuchullin's rashness and bad fuccefs; thofe difficulties gradually furmonted; and at last the work conducted to that happy conclufion which is held effential to Epic poetry. Unity is indeed observed with greater exactness in Fingal, than in almoft any other Epic compofition. For not only is unity of subje& maintained, but that of time and place also. The Autumn is clearly pointed out as the season of the action; and from beginning to end, the scene is never shifted from the heath of Lena, along the fea-shore. The duration of the action in Fingal, is much shorter than in the Iliad or Æneid. But fure, there may be shorter as well as longer Heroic poems; and if the authority of Ariftotle be alfo required for this, he fays exprefly that the Epic compofition is indefinite as to the time of its duration. Accordingly the action of the Iliad lafts only fortyfeven days, whilft that of the Æneid is continued for more than a year.

Throughout the whole of Fingal, there reigns that grandeur of fentiment, style and imagery which ought ever to distinguish this high species of poetry. The story is conducted with no fmall art. The Poet goes not back to a tedious recital of the beginning of the war with Swaran; but haftening to the main action, he falls in exactly, by a moft happy coincidence of thought, with the rule of Horace.