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

THE PO"EMS OF OSSIAN; 349
frifli antiquities allow it ; but they place the colony from
Britain in an improbable and remote asra. I fliall eafily ad-
mit, that the colony of the Firboig, confefledly the Belgis
of Britain, fettled in the fouth of Ireland, before the Caelj
or Caledonians, difcovered the north : but it is not at all
likely, that the migration of the Firboig to Ireland happen-
ed many centuries before the Chriftian isra.
Offian, in the poem of Temora, [Book II.J throws con-
fiderable light on this fubjcdt. His accounts agree fo well
with what the ancients have delivered, concerning the firft
population and inhabi'ants of Ireland, that every unbiafied
pcrfon will confefs them more probable, than the legends
handed down, by tradition, in that country. From him,
it appears, that, in the days of Trathal, grandfather to Fin-
gal, Ireland was pofftlTed by two nations ; the Firboig or
Belg£ of Britain, who inhabited the fouih, and the Caelj
who pafied over from Caledonia and the Hebrides to Ulftero
The two nations, as is ufiial among an unpolinii;d and late-
ly fettled people, were divided into fmall dynafties, fubjeft
to petty kings, or chiefs, independent of one another. In
this fituation, it is probable, they continued long, without
any materia! revolution in the ftate of the ifland, until Cro-
Ihar, Lord of Atha, a count! y in Connaught, the moft po-
tent chief of the Firboig, carried away Conlama, the daugh-
ter of Cathmin^ a chief of the Cael, who pofftflcd Ulfter.
Conlama had been betrothed, fo ne time before, to Tur-
loch, a chief of their own nation. Turloch refented the
affront offered him by Crothar, made an irruption into
Connau-htj ano killed Cormul, the brother of Crothar,
who came to oppofe his progrefs. Crothar himftif then
took arms, and either killed or expelled Turloch. The
war, upon this, became general, between the two nr.tions :
an i the Gael-w^re reduced to the laft extremity. In. this
Vol. II. I i fituatiun