J. F. Campbell Collection > Original collection of the poems of Ossian, Orrann, Ulin, and other bards, who flourished in the same age

J PREFACE.
ascertain the truth, must appear more convincing
than the unsupported conjectures of a few fabu-
lous historians.
The other detections from the Roman history
contain such a tissue of gratuitous suppositions
and misrepresentations, as we have rarely seen in-
troduced into any controversy. Fingal is sup-
posed to have fought with Caracalla, in the year
208; and because some Irish historians fix tlie
date of another battle, in which he was engaged,
to near a century afterwards, this is to be con-
sidered as absurdity; which forms an undeniable
detection of Os&ian. Had these very accurate
historians (the redoubtable supporters of a mil-
Jenium of fabulous kings), placed the two battles
five centuries asunder, we should consider it much
the same in regard to the decision of the question.
The mention of the name of Caracalla in the
poems of Ossian, is another detection of the same
class.
The absurdity, says Mr. Laing, was remarked
by Gibbon, that the Highland bard should describe
the Son of Severus by a nick-name, invented four
years afterwards, after the battle in 208; scarcely
used by the Romans themselves till after the death
of that emperor, and seldom mentioned by the most
ancient historians. ISow, with due deference to
Mr. Gibbon, be it remarked, that this battle took
place in Fingals youth, before his marriage with
Ossian's mother ; and that Ossian composed his