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The ghoft of Agandecca appears next to Fingal in a dream; but seems to come for no other purpose than to disturb his fleep. The Poet had here a favourable opportunity of applying the fuperftition, of which he appears fo fond, and yet makes fo little use. It had been extremely poetical to have made the ghoft of Agandecca intercede for her brother and countrymen, and to have implored for them the mercy of Fingal, by the love he had formerly professed.

At length the two heroes, Swaran and Fingal, meet in battle, and the fame undiverfified accidents happen to both. Their dark-brown fhields are cleft in twain; their fteel flies broken from their helmets; and laftly, this dreadful preparation of death ends in a wrestling bout, which is defcribed, like the former, with intolerable hyperbole, and concludes in favour of Fingal. Homer, in defcribing the contest between Ulyffes and Ajax, in the games instituted at the funeral rites of Patroclus, has affigned the caufe of the former's prevailing over the latter, and admirably preferved his character. [Iliad, lib. 23. v. 725.] Here nothing is particularly mentioned to fpecify the caufe of Fingal's fuperiority, or to diftinguish his character; but, as in almost all our Poet's defcriptions, every thing is general, confufed, and indiftinct. From this great defect in the work, we are induced to doubt its ever having been written, as fuppofed, by a perfon who was present in the actions defcribed. Indeed we can hardly think it poffible a bard who faw, and acted therein, could be fo very imperfect in his reprefentation of them. With refpect to character and manners, he is in general not more indiftinct in marking them than inconfiftent in their prefervation. That of Fingal has been reprefented, by the implicit admirers of this Poem, as strongly delineated, well preferved, amiable, and heroic. It must be owned he is made now and then to talk very speciously, and, in one part of the work, addrefies his grandfon Ofcar in the following beautiful apostrophe. "OOfcar! bend the ftrong in arm, but fpare the feeble hand. Be thou a ftream of many tides against the foes of thy people, but like the gale that moves the grafs to thofe who afk thine aid.- -So Trenmor lived; fuch Trathal was; and fuch has Fingal been. My arm was the fupport of the injured; and the weak refted behind the lightning of my fteel." Could any one imagine fo humane, fo generous a perfonage, as he here feems to be, could be the fame noble Fingal, who neglected the prefervation of his mistress, that had bleffed him with her charms, and risqued her life for his fafety? The fame noble Fingal who, after the defeat of Swaran, and taking him prifoner, which must na

turally

turally terminate the war) cruelly bids his fons make a general flaughter, left the enemy should fave themselves by flight? "Sons of the King of Morven, faid the noble Fingal, guard the King of Lochlin.But, Ofcar, Fillan, and Ryno, ye children of the race, pursue the rest of Lochlin over the heath of Lena; that no veffel may hereafter bound on the darkrolling waves of Inistore."

Very different was the heroifm of the truly noble Piercy and Douglas, recorded, in the famous fong of Chevy-chase; who, in order to fave the harmlefs blood of their numerous attendants, agreed to decide the quarrel between themselves by fingle combat. And infinitely inferior, in every refpect, must the character of Fingal appear in comparison with that of the amiable and heroic Hector in the Iliada perfonage diftinguifhed by every public and private virtue; one in whom, not only perfonal bravery, but filial duty, paternal tendernefs, manly affection, zeal for juftice, love to his country, and piety to the Gods, were eminently conspicuous.

In regard to manners, the Piece is equally defective; it being impoffible to form any confiftent idea, from the Poem, of the religion of the people, or the times in which they lived. Their religion cannot well be confidered as that of the Druids'; 'the Metempfychofis, or tranfmigration of fouls, being a doctrine inconfiftent with their notions of ghofts. And though the latter be not altogether incompatible with the Chriftian fyftem, yet the properties and powers attributed to fuch ghofts by the Poet, fuch as the confulting together concerning their friends, their revealing future events, affifting their countrymen, directing the ftorms and the like, are not very confiftent with the earliest notions of Chriftianity. Again, there is too manifeft an incongruity in the representation of things, which could hardly exift at the fame time and place. Cuchullin's car and harness are adorned with gems, and yet he has nothing better to drink out of than a fhell *. The echoing hall of Fingal is magnificently fupported by white pillars, and yet not a chief in the army has a tent to cover him. There is frequent and pompous mention made of feasts, and yet they had not a common porridge-pot to drefs their provifions. Such circumstances as thefe appear totally incompatible. Surely that art, which could frame and ornament a chariot and har

It is faid, indeed, the Highlanders to this day drink out of fhells. This we do not at all doubt; but we imagine a chariot ftudded with gems, is at the fame time not to be found in all the Highlands, if indeed in any part of Europe.

nefs

nefs with gems, might have advanced to fome degree of perfection the most neceffary articles of houshold furniture! The men who feafted in fuperb halls at home, would doubtless have contrived fome means, to defend themselves from the inclemency of the weather when in the field, and have invented utenfils to prepare their viands. Indeed we are apt to think the Tranflator is mistaken, in fixing the era of the Poem, at the conclufion of the third century. He conceives the epoch determined, among other fimilar reafons, by the refemblance of the names Caros and Caraufius, Caracal and Caracalla; a circumstance over-balanced, in our opinion, by more weighty confiderations, than any depending on a mere fimilitude of names. And firft, according to Ufher, and all those who have ftudied the Irish antiquities, the Danes (or Scandinavians, as they are here termed) never vifited Ireland till near five hundred years after the time laid down for their undertaking this expedition. Now we find, in the Irifh hiftory, that a war did fubfift, between the Danes and the Irifh Kings, foon after the former had got footing in that kingdom; in the accounts of which the name of Fingal is mentioned, together with other circumftances that render it more probable that the fubject of the Poem was taken from the events of those times, than from fo early an æra as the Tranflator supposes. It appears, farther, from the Episode of Agandecca, that Fingal had been in Lochlin, whofe fons, as they are called, had been alfo engaged in frequent wars with the Irifh and Scottish Princes; a circumftance which, fuppofing Lochlin to mean Scandinavia, finds no support from hiftory at fo early a period. It appears, however, that as the word Lochlin fignifies, in the Celtic tongue, the fons of the fea, it may be very indefinitely applied. If we add to this, that in the Differtation prefixed to this Poem, Fingal is exprefsly called the King of Scotland, is it not strange that no mention is made in Anderson's Tables of fuch a Prince, about that time?

But whether or not there be any mistake about the time or parties of action, certain it is the manners of no age or people could be fo inconfiftent as they are reprefented in the Poem.

To come laftly to the ass, or diction, in which the great merit of this production confifts, it is certain there are many paffages not inferior to any of the Mæonian or Mantuan bard. It were, however, needlefs to point out the particular inftances of this excellence, fince the Reader must be void of all fenfibility not to have perceived this beauty and energy of style, even from the fhort extracts we have occafionally made

from

from the work. One of the highest embellishments to Poetry lies undoubtedly in the ufe and application of fimilies in thefe, as we have already obferved, Offian is very redundant ; most of them are striking, and many are applied with inimitable beauty and propriety. In as many others he is as remark-、 ably defective. The impropriety and want of fimilitude we fo often meet with, however, is even, lefs difpleafing than the conftant return of the fame comparisons and modes of expreffion. Thus every battle is a storm, the heroes are flames, winds, or torrents; almost all being compared to inanimate objects. And though, in many, the fublimity is vast and. ftriking, yet their frequent repetition is to the laft degree fatiguing and difguftful. On the whole, this Poem appears deficient in all the fuperior parts of the Epoparia; its principal, and indeed we may fay, its fole excellence, confifting in the force of words, and in the glow of defcription. In the latter, the powers of imagination are, on many occafions, admirably exerted and carried to the highest pitch of perfection, particularly in what relates to inanimate fubjects. As to fentimental or intellectual faculties, both the Poet's fancy and judgment appear generally poor and defective, The former objects are painted with truth and boldness; but then they are always delineated in the fame manner, and have little or no variety of colouring: while, in drawing characters, the Poet resembles those Painters, who can give no variety of features to their figures, all appearing to belong to the fame family, or having the fame unmeaning expreffion of countenance.

As the production of an antient Scottish or Irish bard, this work is undoubtedly an object of great curiofity, and worthy of admiration; but, confidered in the light of an Epic Poem, and fet in comparifon with thofe of Homer and Virgil, it looks like the ftatue of a dwarf befide the Coloffal Apollo of Rhodes."

To the work entitled Fingal are annexed several other (fmaller) Poems*. Of these we intended to give fome account in our fecond article; which being, however, already arrived to a fufficient length, must be here concluded. We may poffibly confider the other pieces, at fome future opportunity.

Among thefe, are the Fragments formerly published as a specimen of the Erfe Poetry; of which we gave an account in the XXIIId Volume of our Review, page 204.

K-n-k

ACCOUNT

ACCOUNT of FOREIGN BOOKS.

Le Philofophe Payen. Ou Pensées de Pline; avec un Commentaire litteraire et moral. Par Mr. Formey. 12mo. 3 Tomes. Leide, Chez Luzac.

That is, The Heathen Philofopher: Or, The Thoughts of Pliny, with a Commentary, literary and moral. By Mr.. Formey.

IN

N the Preface to this work, the Author tells us, that in the summer of the year 1756, he retired from Berlin, (where, being Profeffor of Philofophy, he ufually refides) to Charlottemberg, with a design to re-establish his health. Amongst the books he took with him, for his amusement in this recefs, were the Letters of Pliny, which afforded him fuch pleasure as to become his conftant manual; and, as it appears, induced him, on an attentive examination, to take the refolution of publishing the Beauties of his favourite Writer, in the fame manner as thofe of Cicero are selected by Olivet *, and of Seneca by Beaumelle. Not contented, however, with a mere imitation, but determined to improve on his models, he has added to the paffages from Pliny, a Commentary of his own. In writing these reflections, he tells us, he has avoided an excess of refinement, and has written with the fame ease, with which he should have converfed with a friend. This neglect of labour and ftudy, proper as it might be to the Profeffor's fituation, and neceffary to reftore the charms of health, will nevertheless but little recommend his work to the public. And we may venture to affirm that, though in Epiftolary Writing it has been faid we should write as we converfe, in every other fpecies we always write ill when we write as we talk. Indeed, though we applaud the Author for his attention to whatever can form and improve the manners of mankind, that impartiality which Criticism requires, obliges us to own that this work feems but ill calculated to amuse or inftruct, and that it will probably procure its Author but little reputation. Mediocrity in Morality is as infipid as in Poetry; and, like verfe of a certain character, may be written ftans pede in uno. To convey instruction after fo much has been written, is now become the easiest of all kinds of writing. To give, however, to moral precepts the allurement of elegance and novelty, is a tafk not the leaft difficult to a Writer. Those whom a liberal education has • A Tranflation of the Select Thoughts of Cicero, into English, was printed fome years ago, in one volume, Duodecimo.

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