Ossian Collection > Ossian, his principal poems

oxE day's jol'kney to the highlands ol'J
llerodian, Dio, and other writers, make mention of the
Emperor Sevenis having passed the two walls, and fought
in person with the Caledonians, and their leader, which
beyond all probability must have been Fingal, and perhaps
the above poem relates to that part of the history ; it cannot,
however, be imagined, that Fingal, who, at that time,
— anno 207, — was chief of the Caledonians, could have
remained inactive when such a powerful armj^ Avas at hand ;
and indeed it appears, that the invasion of Severus had such
an effect upon the Caledonians, that they sent ambassadors
to sue for peace, which was rejected ; the consequence was,
that a bloody engagement commenced, in which the Cale-
donians proved victorious, and the emperor returned with
the loss of about fifty thousand men.
The Romans again made another effort against the Cale-
donians, under their leader Caracalla ; Fingal met them
upon the banks of Carron, where a battle ensued, in which
the Romans were again defeated, with considerable loss.
Along the whole south front of the Grampian hills, the
antiquary Avill meet with numerous rerjaains of Roman
camps, forts, (causeways, tumid i, etc.) raised against the
Caledonians ; which being the frontier country, it cannot
with any degree of probability be contradicted, but that
Fingal and his army might have often fixed their resi-
dence nigh these mountains, in order to watch the enemy.
Selma, in Morven, which is said to have been Fingal's chief
residence, is only about fift}^ computed miles distant from
Glenalmond ; and Ossian, Fingal's son, would no doubt
continue to rouse the army after his father's death, by his
martial example and warlike song, aid probably chose
to have his residence near the spot where there was the
greatest danger ; the Roman camp, the forts and tumuli,