Ossian Collection > Morison's edition of the Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

NOTES ON CATH-LODA.
gal authority, however, except in time of war, was but in-
confiderable ; for every chief, within his own diftiid:, was
abfolute and independent. From the fcene of th. battle in
this epifode (which was in the valley of Crona, a little to the
north of Agricola's wall) I Ibould fuppofe that the enemies
of the Caledonians were the Romans, or provincial Britons,
b In tradition, this Cromma glas makes a great figure in
that battle which Comhal loft, together with his life, to the
tribe of Morni. I have juft nov/, in my hands, an Irilh
compofition, of a very modern date, as appears from the
language, in which all the traditions, concerning that de-
cifive engagement, are jumbled together. In juftice to the
merit of the poem, I fhould have here prefented to tlie-
reader a tranflation of it, did not the bard mention fome
circumftances very ridiculous, and others altogether inde-
cent. Morna, the wife of Comhal, had a principal hand
in all the tranfadions, previous to the defeat and death of
her hufband ; fhe, to ufe the words of the bard, <who ivas
ibe guiding ^ar of the women of Erin. The baid, it is to
be hoped, mifreprefented the ladies of his country, for
Morna's behaviour was, according to him, fo void of all
decency, and virtue, that it cannot be fuppofed, they had
chofen her for their guiding flar. The poem coniifts of
many ilanzas. The language is figurative, and the num-
bers harmonious ; but the piece is fo full of anachornifms,
and fo unequal in its compofition, that the author, moft
undoubtedly, was either mad, or drunk, when he wrote
it. It is worthy of being remarked, that Comhal is, in
this poem, very often called, Ccmhal na A' Aibin^ or Com-
hal of Albion. Which futficiently dcmonftrates, that the
allegations of Keating and O'flaherty, concerning Fion
Mac-Connal, are but of late iuvention.
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