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

134 OBSERVATION'S
But mark the translation of it which Mr. Hill has given to
the public. *' I can hardly believe thy tale, thou light-
" haired and unworthy Clerk I that the heroes of our race
f* should be in captivity either to the devil or to God."
It were idle to search for a key to this translation. But
it supplies a note to Mr. Hill, which proves that he paid
no less attention to the natural history^ than he did to the
radical structure of the Erse. *' Why, (says he) was light
*' hair esteemed an opprobrium ? the Erse themselves are a
^^ red-haired race."
Staiiza 24. " Sa Phadruig nam bachoil fial" is trans-
lated *' Generous Patrick of the innocent staff !" instead of
Patrick of the generous staves ; an unmeaning expression
resulting from writing^a/, instead of ftary which last sig-
nifies crooked. Mr. Hill, however, very happily stumbles
on the truth, when he observes in a note that " perhaps
*' the innocent staffs mentioned in v. 24. may have some re-
*' ferencetothe crosier." For certain it is that the pastoral
statT of the primitive teachers of Christianity, both in Scot-
land and Ireland, was called Bahul^ after the Roman hucu-
lusy baculum^ or bacillmn, and that, like the lituus of the Ro-
man Augurs, it was crooked : For which reason it also got
the name of Cambhatta or crooked staff, as the crosier of
that Abbot Columbanus is termed, by whom the monastery
of Bobio in Italy was founded in the year 614. *• Qui et
*' baculum ipsius, quern vulgo Camhuttam Vocant, per ma-
** num Diaconi transmiserunt*.'-
A piece of land is still held in the island of Lismore, by
virtue of a grant from an Earl of Argyll, on condition that
the holder do keep and take care of the Baculus of Maluag,
after whom its church is named. From which circumstance
1 Theodor. Monach. & Abb. de vit. S. Mag. apnd Henric. Ciinis. Lection.
'^*.Tom. I. Sasc. Vll. Antw. 1725. *