Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 4

64 OSSIAN— TRADITIONS, WRITINGS, ETC.
And hence it appears that he knew something of west
country traditions, and mayhap alluded to the Stewarts,
of whose works some are preserved. Fyn MacCoull and
Gol MacMorne were clearly known to the poet and his
audience, if " Fingal " was not mentioned by this
author. Colin and MakConnal and their cow might
be a reference to some well known story about a feud ;
but a horn that was a " relic " must have been that of
a famous cow, and there are plenty of such animals in
the old stories mentioned by Professor O'Curry, in one
of which (" The tain " above mentioned) MacCumhal
plays a part. But, however he got there, Fyn went to
court about 1535, and was presented by Sir David
Lindsay in a dress of motley for the second time.
(Hist, of Scotch Poetry, 376, 425).
A manuscript attributed to John Beaton, one of
the family which furnished the MacDonalds of the
Isles, and even kings of Scotland, with physicians for
several centuries, is preserved with other MSS. at
Edinburgh. These are supposed to have belonged to
the Beatons, and contain medical metaphysical, and
mathematical discussions, all in Gaelic. If the dialect
and character be Irish, it proves that early Irish and
Scotch learning were identical, for this was part of the
library of a Scotch family who flourished about this
time. This also gives a clue to the knowledge of Gaelic
matters, which Scotch courtiers who could not now speak
Gaelic, evidently possessed.
A'provincial council of Scotch clergy were so scan-
dalized by the flood of ballads j)oured out against them,
that they enjoined every ordinary to search for them,
and take steps for the punishment of the offenders who
sang them. (Hist, of Scotch Poetry, 391).