Ossian Collection > Fingal, an ancient epic poem

3i A DISSERTATION concerning tlie
in order to recover the poflefTions they had loft.
The enraged emperor commanded his army to
inarch into their country, and to deftroy it with
fire and fword. His orders were but ill executed,
for his fon, Caracalla, was at the headpf the ar^
my, and his thoughts were entirely taken up with
the hopes of his father's death, and with fchemes
to fupplant his brother Geta. — He fcarcely had
entered the enemy's country, when news was
brought him that Scverus was dead. — A fudden
peace is patched up with the Caledonians, and,
as it appears from Dion CafTius, the country they
had loft to Severus was reftored to them.
The Caracul of Pingal is no other than Cara-
calla, who, as the fon of Severus, the Emperor of
Rome, whofe dominions were extended almoft
over the known world,. \vas not without reafon
called in the poems of Oflian, the Son of the King
of the lyorld. The fpace of time between 211,
the year Severus died, and the beginning of th.e
fourth century, is not {o great, but OiTian the fon
of Fingal, might have fecn the Chriftians whom
the perfecuticn under Dioclefian had driven beyond
the pale of the Roman empire^
OssiAN, in one of his many lamentations on
the death of his beloved fon Ofcar, mentions
among his great aS:ions, a battle which he fought
againft Caros, king of fhips, on the banks of the
winding Carun *. It is more than probable, tha-t
the Caros mentioned here/ is the fame with the
* Car-avon, Winding ri'ver,
noted