Ossian Collection > Critical dissertation on the poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

A DISSERTATION. xxxi
Neither (hall I much difpute the matter with him: He has my
confent alfo to appropriate to Ireland the celebrated Ton-iofal. I
(hall only fay, that they are different perlbns from thofe of the
fame name, in the Scotch poems j and that, tho' the ftupenduous
valour of the firfl: is fo remarkable, they have not been equally
lucky with the latter, in their poet. It is fomewhat extraordinary,
that FioN, who lived fome ages before St. Patrick, fwears like a
very good chriftian :
Air an Dia do chum gach cq/e.
By God, ivho Jhaped every cafe.
It is worthy of being remarked, that, in the line quoted, Offian',
who lived in St. Patrick's days, feems to have underftood fomething
of the Englifh, a language not then fubfifting. A perfon, more
fanguine for the honour of his country than I am, might argue,
from this circumftance, that this pretendedly Irifh Offian was a
native of Scotland ; for my countrymen are univerfally allowed
to have an exclufive right to the fecond-fight. .
From the inftances given, the reader may form a compleat idea
of the Irifli compoiitions concerning the Fiona. The greateft part
of them make the heroes of Fioriy
Siol Alb IN a n'nioma caoile.
'The race of Albion of many frths.
The reft make them natives of Ireland. But, the truth is, that
their authority is of little confequence on either fide. From the in-
flances I have given, they appear to have been the work of a very
I moderi.