[ 82 ] 



The INVASION of IRELAND by ERRAGON' 



On a day when Patrick" had no pfalms to fing, and had 

 leifure for banqueting and difcourfe, he went to the houfe of 

 OfTian, the fon of Fin, whofe words were fweet to his 



ears. 



Patrick. We falute you, O chearful old man ; and have 

 come to vifit your dweUing, O valiant hero of the ruddy coun- 

 tenance, who never refufed a requeft. We wifh to hear related 

 by you, O grandfon of Cumhal of the ftrong fword, the greateft 

 danger that befel the Fians ijince firft you began to walk in 

 their footfteps. 



OssiAN. I will freely relate to you, O Patrick of fweet 

 pfalms, the greateft danger that ever befel the Fians fince the 

 firft origin of the heroes of Fin. 



» Compare Mc. Pherfon's Battle of Lota with this poem, and the Perth edition 

 of it, page 305. ' 



»> Mc. Pherfon, as ufual, has here tranfmuted St. Patrick into a Culdee, and 

 pretends that this poem is called, in the original, Buan a Chuldkh, or the Culdee's 



Poem, 



