Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

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vation from well known primitives in the same
language. In fact, the Greek language is a co-
pious, elegant, and polished composition of vari-
ous ancient languages. It still, however, retains
a pregnant proof of its descent from that com-
mon origin, of which the language called by the
above mentioned learned authors Celtic, but by
us Gaelic, still remains the living offspring.
The Greek language, it is certain, never pene-
trated into the country of the Gael of Scotland.
The Romans visited it as enemies, who separated
themselves and their conquered provinces from
it and its inhabitants, by walls defended by Ro-
man arms. The Saxons, Angles, and Normans,
were ever held as enemies, with whom the Gael
held no intercourse which could affect their lan-
guage; and the Danes or Norwegians, although
they made conquests of several of the Scottish
islands, and retained them in subjection for a
considerable time, yet they never penetrated into
the interior of the country in any other shape
than as enemies, with arms in their hands ; and
as such they met with successful opposition and
a total expulsion, without their being able at any
period to make permanent settlements. That
the Picts were of Scythian race, or emigrants
from the northern continent of Europe, we hesi-
tate not to affirm to be a false conjecture, which
we will have occasion to consider in another
place.