J. F. Campbell Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

ON MR. hill's specimen. 145
V". 3, — 5. " Ossian. It is a pitiful tale, O Patrick \
*' that thou tellest me the Clerk of:^^ [a mistake of the
*' translator for me of^ Clerk !'\ " Why should I be reli-
*' gious, if heaven be not in the possession of the heroes of
« Fingal?"
" St. Patrick. How wicked is that, O Ossian ! tftou.
" who usest blasphemous expressions : God is much
" njore mighty than all the heroes of Albion."
*' Ossian. I would prefer one mighty battle, fought by
" the heroes of Fingal, to the God of thy worship, and
" thee, O Clerk!"
V. 19, — 21. " St. Patrick. He is now bound in hell,
" who used to distribute gold. Because he. was a despiser
" of God, he has hell for his portion."
" Ossian. If the children of Morni, and the many tribes
" of the children of Ovi, 'were yet alive ; we would force
*' the brave Fingal out of hell, or the habitation should b«
** our own."
'* St. Patrick. Valiant as you imagine the brave Scots
<■' were ; yet Fingal they would not release, though they
" should be there themselves."
It must be remarked, that an ambiguity which might be
alleged to result in the last of these verses, from the name
of Scots, which extended to natives of Ireland soon after
the age of St. Patrick, is occasioned by a perversion of the
original ;
*^ V. 21. Cion fheodhna na Halabinn maseacli
" Air leatsa gum ba mhor am feum
*' Cho dtuga sin Fiunn amach
" Ged bhiodh an teach aguibh fein."
The literal meaning of which is this :
The leaders of the host of Albion, in succession^
Great as you deem their prowess.
Could not effect the release of Fingal,
Though -the habitation were your own.
I.