140 



historians, critics, antiquaries, and whole legions of literati; traditions, 

 not left floating in the breath of the vulgar, but transmitted by writ- 

 ten parchment documents from one age to another, and incorporated 

 with the history of her kings and legislators. 



From the proverbs connected with the name of Fin Mac-Cumhal 

 and his heroes, nothing can be argued in favour of Sir John's theory, 

 unless it can be shewn that they are peculiar to the Highlands, and 

 not of foreign extraction. The fame of illustrious men travels far, 

 and it had been strange, indeed, if that of the Fenian heroes, even 

 though they had never formed a settlement in Scotland, had not 

 been resounded in her valleys and mountains, and rendered familiar 

 to women and children. 



Their chief was like 



" The Talbot, so much famed abroad. 

 That with his name the mothers stilled their babes." 



,>: But the proverbial sayings which Sir John would fondly array in 

 his cause, are not indigenous to Scotland. They are all completely 

 Irish, and only afford a proof of the stability and long duration of 

 the Irish dominion, language, and customs, in the Highlands. The 

 justice of Scotland's claims to Fingal and his Fenians, is not demon- 

 strated by " the Clan Campbell tracing their descent from those 

 heroes." For Irish genealogists derive that family from a higher 

 source, and shew that the Campbells of Argyle may boast of Lugadi/, 

 father of Tea or Thais, the wife of Heremon, as one of their progeni- 

 tors.* In farther corroboration of his opinions, Sir John states that 



Jj,; * See Ogygia Vindicated, p. li. Fothad Connan, (says O'Flaherty, Ogygia, ii. p. 230,) 

 the son of king Mac-con, has been the original founder of the Campbells, (in Irish, Mac- 

 Cathlin,) earls of Argyle in Scotland. 



