Ossian Collection > Fragments of ancient poetry, collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the Galic [sic] or Erse language

[ iv ]
ment of clandiip in the northern part
of Scotland, which is itfelf very an-
cient ; for had clans been then formed
and known, they mud have made a con-
fiderable figure in the work of a Highland
Bard ; whereas there is not the leafl men-
tion of them in thefe poems. It is remark-
able that there are found in them noallu*
fionsto the Chriftian religion or worfliip;
indeed, few traces of religion of afty kind.
One circumftance feems to pi'ove them
to be coeval with the very infancy of
Chriftianity in Scotland. In a frag-
ment of the fame poems, which the
tranflator has feen, a Culdee or Monk
is reprefented as defiroiis to take down
in writing from the mouth of Ofcian,
who is the principal perfonage in feveral
of the following fragments, his warlike
atchievenients and thofe of his family*
But Olcian treats the monk and his reli-
gion with dil'dain, telling him, that the
deeds of fuch great men were fubjeds too
high
i^