Ossian Collection > Fingal

Antiquity, &c. of OSSIAN's Poems, vii
to propagate their tenets, or through fear, went
beyond the pale of the Roman empire, and fettled
among the Caledonians ; who were the more rea-
dy to hearken to their dodrines, as the religion of
the Druids had been exploded fo long before.
These mifllonaries, either through choice, or to
give more weight to the doctrine they advanced,
took pofleffion of the cells and groves of the Dru-
ids ; and it was from this retired life they had the
name of Culdees *, which in the language of the
country fignified Jequejl&red perjons. It was with
one of the Culdees that OfTian, in his extreme old
age, is faid to have difputed concerning the Chrif-
tian religion. This difpute is flill extant, and is
couched in verfe, according to the cuftom of the
times. The extreme ignorance on the part of Of-
fian, of the Chriftian tenets, fhews that that religi-
on had only been lately introduced, as it is not eafy
to conceive, how one of the firft rank could be to-
tally unacquainted with a religion that had been
known for any time in the country. The difpute
bears the genuine marks of antiquity. The obfolete
phrafes and exprelTions peculiar to the times, prove
it to be no forgery. If OfTian then lived at the in-
troduction of Chriftianity, as by all appearance he
did, his epoch will be the latter end of the third,
and beginning of the fourth century. What puts
this point beyond difpute, is the allufion in his po-
ems to the hitlory of the times.
The exploits of Fingal againft Caracul f, the fon
of the King of the World, are among the firft brave
a6tions of his youth. A complete poem, which re-
lates to this fubje6t, is printed in this colle6lion.
In the year 210, the emperor Severus, after re-
turning from his expeditions againft the Caledoni-
ans, at York fell into the tedious illnefs of which
he afterwards died. The Caledonians and Maiatse,
refuming
* Culdich. t Carac'huil, terrible eye.