270 



with the bards to the mansion of the king of Connaught, to whom 



they revealed their want of success. Marbhan was sent for, and 



being asked who could relate the Tarn, he replied, no man among 



the living or dead could relate it but Fergus, son of Roigh, alone. 



Fergus was at that time dead near 600 years, and as the bards were 



under obligation either to produce the story of the Tain or continue 



their search for it without resting a second night in one house, they 



begged to know how it was to be obtained. Marbhan having, as he 



thought, sufficiently punished the bards for their insolence, advised 



them to collect all the holy men of Ireland, and bring them to the 



grave of Fergus, where they should fast three days and three nights, 



and beg of God to send Fergus to them, to relate the story of the 



Tain. This advice was followed, and Fergus appeared, and related 



the story, which was taken in writing by Seanchan, of Cluan Mac 



Nois, and the holy Callan, in the presence of Saint Columbkill and 



holy Callan, Kiaran of Cluain Aithin, Brendan of Birr, and Bren- 



don, son of Finnlogha ; after which Fergus retired in the same way 



that he came. 



We have occupied so much of our space with this ridiculous story, 

 merely to shew how little reliance should be placed on the account 

 of ancient Gaelic manuscripts, given by the modern writers of Scot- 

 land. 



'! The Committee (Report, p. 108,) gives the names of some poems 

 in a collection of Gaelic poems in possession of the Highland Society, 

 purchased from a Mr. Kennedy. There are to the number of twen- 

 ty-eight, several of which are, in name at least, and some of them 

 certainly in substance, the same ais sO many poems common in Ire- 

 land, and ascribed to the Irish Ossian. Others of them we have no 

 doubt are Irish also, though disguised by different names, just as the 

 " Dialogue between Ossian and Saint Patrick " is called " Ossian's 



