妻

we find them in the circle of tones, and unheeded by the world. A total disregard for the order, and utter abhorrence of the Druidical rites enfued. Under this cloud of public hate, all that had any knowledge of the religion of the Druids, became exitinct, and the nation fell into the last degree of ignorance of their rites and ceremonies.

It is no matter of wonder then, that Fingal and his fon Offian make fo little, if any, mention of the Druids, who were the declared enemies to their fucceffion in

the fupreme magiftracy. It is a fingular cafe, it must be allowed, that there are no traces of religion in the poems adfcribed to Offian; as the poetical compofitions of other nations are fo clofely connected with their mythology. It is hard to account for it, to thofe who are not made acquainted with the manner of the old Scottifh bards. That race of men carried their notions of martial honour to an extravagant pitch. Any aid given their heroes in battle, was thought to derogate from their fame; and the bards immediately transferred the glory of the action to him who had given that aid.

Had Offian brought down gods, as often as Hoiner has done, to asfift his heroes, this poem had not confift

ed

ed of eulogiums on his friends, but of hymns to these fuperior beings. To this day, thofe that write in the Galic language, seldom mention religion in their profane poetry; and when they profeffedly write of religion, they never interlard with their compofitions, the actions of their heroes. This cuftom alone, even though the religion of the Druids had not been previously exftin guished, may, in fome measure, account for Offian's filence concerning the religion of his own times,

To say, that a nation is void of all religion, is the fame thing as to fay, that it does not confift of people endued with reafon. The traditions of their fathers, and their own obfervations on the works of nature, toge ther with that fuperftition which is inherent in the human frame, have, in all ages, raised in the minds of men fome idea of a fuperior being. Hence it is,

that in the darkest times, and amongst the most barbarous nations, the very populace themselves had fome faint notion, at least, of a divinity. It would be doing injuftice to Offian, who upon no occafion fhews a. narrow mind, to think, that he had not opened his

conceptions to that primitive and greatest of all truths. But let Offian's religion be what it will, it is certain he had no knowledge of Chriftianity, as there is not the

⚫ leaf

leaft allufion to it, or any of its rites, in his poems: which abfolutely fixes him to an æra prior. to the intro, duction of that religion. The perfecution begun by Diocletian, in the year 303, is the most probable time, in which the first dawning of Chriftianity in the north of Britain can be fixed. The humane and mild character of Conftantius Chlorus, who commanded then ins Britain, induced the perfecuted Chriftians, to take refuge under him. Some of them, through a zeal to propaga te their tenets, or through fear, went beyond the pale of the Roman empire, and fettled among the Caledo nians; who were the more ready to hearken to their doctrines, as the religion of the Druids had been exploded fo long before.

Thefe miffionaries, either through choice, or to give more weight to the doctrine they advanced, took poffeffion of the cells and groves of the Druids; and it was from this retired life they had the name of Culdees (*), which in the language of the country fignified fequeftered perfons. It was with one of the Culdees, that Offian, in his extreme old age is faid, to have disputed concerning the Chriftian religion. This dispute is ftill exftant, and is couched in verfe, accord

(*) Culdich.

ing to the custom of the times. The extreme ignoran. ce on the part of Offian, of the Chriftian tenets, fhews, that that religion had only been lately introduced; as it is not eafy to conceive, how one of the firit rank could be totally unacquainted with a religion, that had been known for any time in the country. The dispute bears the genuine marks of antiquity. The obfolete phrases and expreffions peculiar to the times, prove it to be no forgery. If Offian then lived at the introduction of Christianity, 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 dispute, is the allufion in his poems to the hiftory of the tines.

The exploits of Fingal against Caracul (*), the fon of the King of the World, are among the first brave actions of his youth. A complete poem, which relates to this fubject, is printed in this collection.

In the year 210 the emperor Severus, after returning from his expeditions against the Caledonians, at York fell into the tedious illness, of which he afterwards

died. The Caledonians and Maiate, refuming courage

from his indispofition, took arms, in order to recover the posfeffions they had loft. The enraged emperor comihanded his army to march into their country, and to deftroy it with fire and fword. His orders were but ill exfecuted, for his fon, Caracalla, was at the head of the army, and his thoughts were entirely taken up with the hopes of his father's death, and with schemes to fupplant his brother Geta, - He fcarcely had entered the enemy's country, when news was brought him, that

Severus was dead.

A fudden peace is patched up

with the Caledonians, and,

-as it

appears from Dion Caffius, the country, they had loft to Severus, was re

ftored to them,

The Caracul of Fingal is no other than Caracalla who, as the fon of Severus, the Emperor of Rome, whofe dominions were extended almoft over the known world, was not without reafon called, in the poems of Offian, the Son of the King of the World. The space of time between 211, the year Severus died, and the beginning of the fourth century, is not fo

great, but Offian the son of Fingal, might have seen the Christians, whom the perfecution under Diocletian had driven beyond the pale of the Roman empire.

1

Offian,