202 



IV. Fighting Druids. 



At the commencement of the poem of Fingal, we see Cuchullin 

 giving orders to Moran, to strike the shield of Cabait, as a signal to 

 call his people to arms. " Go Fithil's son, and take my spear, strike 

 the sounding shield of Cabait." Mr. Macpherson, in his notes on 

 the first book of this poem, tell us that " Cuchullin was the grandson 

 of Caithbat, a Druid, celebrated for his great wisdom and valour ;" 

 and again, that Cabait, or rather Cathbait, "grandfather to the hero, 

 was so remarkable for his valour, that his shield was made use of to 

 alarm his posterity to the battles of his family." That Cathbhadh 

 (prononced Cqffa) the Draoi, commonly translated Druid, was the 

 maternal grandfather of the hero Cuchullin, by his daughter Deitin, 

 is a fact which Irish history every where attests. But we now here 

 hear of the valour of CafFa, nor do any of our histories, poems, or tra- 

 ditions, ever tell us one word about his valour, or once mention his 

 " sounding shield," nor do they ever give us to understand that he or 

 or any other Draoi, or Druid, ever was engaged in war or gave 

 proofs of valour. And as far as can be collected from Casar or other 

 ancient authors, or from Rowland, Smith, or others, amongst the 

 moderns, who treat of the Druids, it does not appear that they 

 ever took an active part in fighting the battles of their country. 

 They were priests, not warriors, and of course had no occasion for 

 shields. If, however, it can be proved that they had, let the advo- 

 cates of the authenticity of Ossian's poems take the full benefit of 

 this internal proof. 



Let us not, however, part with the " shields of Cabait," without 

 one observation on its wonderful sonorous powers. The shields of 

 the ancient Scots were made of wicker work, and sometimes of folds 

 pf leather fastened together by nails or rivets of brass or iron. Thty 



