Ossian Collection > Original collection of the poems of Ossian, Orrann, Ulin, and other bards, who flourished in the same age

xrsfr PREFACE.
Hesays that they had three orders of men— Bards*
Priests, and Druids: that the province of the
Bards was to study poetry, and to compose songs
in praise of their deceased heroes ; that the Priests
presided over divine worship ; and that the Druids,
besides studying moral and natural philosophy,
determined ail controversies, and had some direc-
tion even in war. Csesar, less attentive to civil
matters, comprehends these three orders under
the nanje of Druid ; and observes, that the Druids
teach their disciples a vast number of verses, which
they must get by heart. The Celts (says Elian.
Var. Ilisi.) are the most enterprising of men : they
tt^ake those warriors^ w ho die bravely in fight, the
Fubject of songs. And Diodorus Siculus, already
quoted, inforniis us, that the Gauls had poets
lermed Bards, who sung airs, accompanied with
the harp, in praise of some and dispraise of others.
Of this, if reason and authentic history are to be
relied on, we can entertain no doul)t, but the
manners of tiie Gailic,and British Celtic, including
the Caledonians, were such as are above related ;
and as the manners ascribed by Ossian to his
countrymen are in every particular conformable to
those now mentioned, it clearly follows, that ho
was no inventor, but drew his pictures of manners
from real life. This is })roved from the same in-
trinsje evidence as has been urged above; and
now, by authentic history so much heightened, as
hot to h ave the least room for a doubt.