Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

4 LECTURE I.
guage and literature of either Greece or Eome,
who knew nothing of the one, and knew the
other only through a translation. Germany has
pronounced her opinion with sufficient emphasis
on the treatment which the claims of Celtic
literature have received at the hands of the
public of England. But a better spirit is abroad
in our land. Men are less disposed than for-
merly to listen to mere dogmatism, a fairer
spirit exists, and the time seems come when
what can be said on the subject of Celtic
literature or history should be said, and may
be said, without there being much reason to
dread the strictures of a prejudiced or unfair
criticism.
In entering upon our subject, let us pass
briefly under review the two races which have
been said to constitute the population of these
islands. And let it be here observed, that
although we speak of Celtic and Saxon races
generally, there is no reason to believe that we
possess any perfectly pure race. Assuredly we
cannot claim perfect purity for our Celtic races.
In casting the eye backward over the past his-
tory of the Scottish Highlands, it is obvious
tliat we cannot have a race of a type perfectly
pure, and claiming to be Celtic. At different
periods the original population of the land