are daily following. Had those of landed property, like their ancestors, continued liberal, kind, and beneficent, the people, notwithstanding the laws enacted to disunite them, would have steadily remained attached; but the greedy, selfish, and oppressive conduct of their masters, hath at length alienated their affections. Accord ingly, though the chiefs have increased their incomes, they have entirely lost their consequence; and some that could formerly, on an emergency, summons five or six hundred well appointed men, now cannot muster twenty. Thus, from persons equal in power to the first nobility, they are become as insignificant as private gentlemen, and in point of fortune yield to the generality of them. From what has been said, it is plain, the Highlanders of this day differ widely from what they formerly were. They boast no longer the magnanimity and heroism of the Fingalians. Those were a free people, unawed by power, who lived under the mild government of paternal rulers. The pre sent, sent, an oppressed race, constitute a small portion of a powerful, rich, and extensive 'kingdom. This, This, however, argues nothing against their former consequence and importance. Nations of greater celebrity, have dwindled away to nothing. He who travels over modern Greece, will see the descendants of men once famous for bravery, science, and liberty, now cowardly, ignorant, and abject slaves.* It is true, the eye * Not only countries famous in history, but others, the early annals of which were never recorded, have suffered similar degradations. We are told that Antonio de Leone e Gama, has made a collection of statues, idols, talismans, and manuscripts, on deer skins and cloth, remains of the history and arts of the ancient Mexicans. And from those, he has drawn proofs, in his memoirs, that the Mexicans had attained to distinguished skill even in algebra, astronomy, mechanics, and other sciences, to which they were hastily supposed to have been utter strangers. It seems, likewise, that North America was formerly possessed by a people of more knowledge and civilization than the present inhabitants. From the late discoveries of Monsieur Verandrier and his companions, who travelled westward from Montreal, in order to reach the south sea. When they had traversed many nations, of which no European had any knowledge before, they met with large tracts, every where covered with furrows, which had formerly been ploughed :-It is to be observed, that the people which now inhabit North America, never made use of horses eye at every turn, will meet with piles of ruins, presenting broken pillars, the fine proportion and curious workmanship of which convince him of former taste and splendour. The Highlands and Western Isles never were, nor from their northern situations, ever can be places of affluence and commerce; yet, though they offer no vestiges of grand and elegant architecture, a person may perceive, by the ruins of many old castles, that the present race do not enjoy the comforts and magnificence of their predecessors, Some of them, particularly the vitrified edifices described by Williams, bear marks of a period more remote than the age of Fingal, or the invasion of the Romans. Which proves beyond contradiction, that the natives had then attained to a higher state of refinement than in after times. The oxen, or ploughs. In several places they met on the plains, and in the woods, great pillars of stone, which to all appearance had been erected by human hands; they found one in which was fixed a smaller stone, measuring 12 inches by 5, on which was an inscription in unknown characters; this they brought to Canada, from thence it was sent to France, to the Count of Maurepas, then Secretary of State. The early knowledge of these people in music and poetry being certain, there is no difficulty in admitting, as the bards would endeavour to excel, that one of superior genius, like Homer, might appear. The human mind was then as vigorous to the full as it is now. If we attentively peruse the compositions of those who have come down to us from remote antiquity, it will be found, they were penned by men of information, judgment, and parts. Those of Moses are universally admired. The book attributed to Job, a work, perhaps, of greater antiquity, is energetic, argumentative, and sublime. The Psalms of David, are interspersed with genuine poetry. Solomon's Proverbs and Book of Wisdom, shew an intimate acquaintance with human nature, life, and manners. The style of all the prophets, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel, hath in it an awful grandeur, that evinces the divine Spirit which inspired them. These flourished not only long before Ossian, but most, if not all, before there were : The early were any writers in Greece. production, therefore, of Ossian's poems, is less to be wondered at, than that the sentiments they contain should in generosity and humanity, surpass not only Homer, but the refined and courtly Virgil. Though, in justice to the latter, we must observe, that as his heroes were cotemporary with those celebrated by the Grecian, he was obliged to colour after him. Both Homer and Ossian, it may be presumed, depicted faithfully the manners of the people they record. The Greeks seem to have arrived at a higher degree of refinement in the liberal arts; yet the Caledonians had certainly better notions of justice and humanity. However surprising this may appear, there is a plain natural reason for it. The inhabitants of Greece, having lost all ideas of the true God, had fallen into the utmost depravity. They became so blind as to worship for divinities, men of the most profligate and abandoned lives. Virtue with them, was but an imaginary name, whilst every species of iniquity was publicly practised. The poet had no better no |