195 



guage, seldom mention religion in their profane poetry, and when 

 they professedly write of religion, they never mix with their composi- 

 tions, the actions of their heroes. This custom alone, may, in some 

 measure, excuse the author's silence concerning the religion of ancient 

 times." 



This latter circumstance, he thinks *' may excuse the author's 

 silence," and if it were true, it must be acknowledged it should have 

 some weight. But in this there in not one word of truth. It would 

 be unnecessary to give particular ebiamples where religion is fre- 

 quently mentioned in profane Gaelic poetry, but we refer generally 

 to the collections of printed Earse poems, published in Perth, Edin- 

 burgh, Glasgow, &c., and to the writings in the Irish Gaelic, in all 

 of which allusions to religion and religious matters will be found to 

 be of frequent recurrence. We have already observed, page 174, 

 that, according to Mr. Macpherson, Ossian was acquainted with 

 both the Druidic and Christian systems of religion. That he did 

 know religion, and that he has given proofs of that knowledge, is so 

 evident to all, that it is astonishing how it could have escaped the 

 observation of a gentleman of such critical acumen as Doctor Blair^ 

 In the third book of Fingal, o. ed. p. 41, we find Ossian making 

 Cuchullin, not only pray most devoutedly for the soul of Agandecca, 

 who had been then long dead, but also to invoke a " strong spirit of 

 heaven," to preserve the ships of Fingal. Let us quote his words, 

 " Blessed be her soul, said Cuchullin * * * * And if any strong 

 spirit of heaven sits on that low hung cloud ; turn his dark «hips from 

 the rock, thou rider of the storm." Does not this contradict the 

 assertions of Doctor Blair and Mr. Macpherson, that there are no 

 traces of religion to be found in the poems. But if Ossian were silent 

 with respect to religion, it would not, therefore, be an internal proof 

 that the poems fathered upon him are either ancient or authentic; on 



VOL. XVI. D D 



