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

THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 245
AC had recourfe to Ireland, which, according to the vulgar
/srrors of the times, was reckoned the tirft habitation of the
Scots. He found, there, that the Irifh bards had carried
their preteniions to antiquity as high, if not beyond any
nation in Europe. It was fi-om them h? took thole impro-
bable fidtions, which form the firjft part of his hiftcry.
The writers that fucceeded Fordun implicitly followed
his lyltem, though they fometimes varied from him in their
relations of particular tranfajflions, and the order of fuccef-
jion of thtir kings. As they had no new lights, and were,
equally with him, unacquainted with the traditions of their
country, their hiftories contain little infoimation conceni-
ing the origin of the Scois. Even Buchanan himfelf, ex-
cept the elegance and vigour of his ftyle, has very little to
recommend him. Blended with political prejudices, he
feemed more anxious to turn the fidions of his predcceflbrs
to his own purpofes, than to deleft their mifreprefentations,
or invelligate truth amidft the darknefs which they had
thrown round it. It therefore appears, that little can be
colleded from their own hjftofians, ccncerjiiDg the firft mit
gration of the Scots into Britain,
That this ifland was peopled frcm Gaul r.dmits of ::o
doubt. Whether colonies came after.vards from the ncith
of Europe is a matter of mere fpeculation. When South-
Britain yielded to the power of the Romans, the uncon-
quered nations to the north of the province were diHinguira-
ed by the name of CaUdorAans. From their veiy name, it
appears, that they were of thjfe Gauh, who pofTtfTeii
t-hemfelvcs originally of Britain, It is co.m{;ounded of tv^o
Celtic words, Cciel fignifying Celts, or Gauls, and Dun, or
Don a hill ; fo that Cael-don, or Caledonians, is as much as
to fay, the Celts of the hill country. T^'C Highlancjers to this
-.,, call themfelves, Cad, their language Ga^/iV or Gj//V,
aod