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Fio7i na Gael, or, as it is modernized, Fingal, exists * * * * in 

 Scotland," and that " Ossian dall, hl'md Ossian, is as well known as 

 strong Sampson, or wise Solomon." We acknowledge the latter fact, 

 but deny the first. The traditional history is of a hero called Fionn, 

 or Fionn Mac Cuhhaill, not of Fion na Gael, or Fingal, which is, as 

 the Committee acknowledges, a modern name, of which the Highlan- 

 ders never heard until of late. 



The Committee seems also to think it of importance to this 

 inquiry, that the world should know of some proverbial expressions 

 still used in Scotland ; such as " Cothram nafeine — the equal com- 

 bat of the Fingalians ;" " Ossian an deigh nam Jiann — Ossian, the 

 last of his race ;*' and " Tha i cho boidheach reh Agandecca, nighean 

 ant sneachda — She is as beautiful as Agandecca, daughter of the 

 snow." It is not in the spirit of captious criticism, that we 

 offer any remarks either on the original or translation of these 

 proverbial expressions, but because we think some of them, at 

 least, are of late invention, and that the translation is made to 

 support a cause which the original does not do. " Cothram na 

 feine " is not fairly translated : Cothram, or more properly Comh- 

 throm, conveys not the most distant idea of fighting. It literally 

 signifies equal weight, and is used to express justice, right, &c. ; and 

 the word Feinne is an oblique case of the word Fianna, which sig- 

 nifies an army or host, and in Gaelic writings is always used in that 

 sense. In every province in Ireland there were Fianna, but the host 

 that was commanded by Fionn Mac Cubhaill, was called Fionna 

 Firionn, and Fianna Fhinn, the host of Ireland, and the host of 

 Fionn. The translating the word " Feine " Fingalians, " was evi- 

 dently done for the purpose of imposing a belief that Fingal was an 

 ancient name. Tha i cho boidheach reh Agandecca nigheanant 

 sneachda," is clearly of modern manufacture. Its language, if there 

 were nothing else, proves it so. But there is more ; the name Agan- 



