66 per virtutem, non per dolum, dimicare confueverunt *." And tho' cruel to their enemies, yet Pomponius Mela (a) obferves, that they were kind and compaffionate to the fupplicant and unfortunate. Strabo (b) describes the Gauls, as ftudious of war, and of great alacrity in fighting; otherwise an innocent people, altogether void of malignity. He fays, that they had three orders of men, bards, priests, and druids; that the province of the bards was to study poetry, and to compofe fongs in praise of their deceafed heroes; that the priests prefided over divine worship; and that the druids, befide studying moral and natural philofophy, determined all controverfies, and had some direction even in war. Cæfar, lefs attentive to civil matters, comprehends these three orders under the name of druids; and obferves, that the druids teach their difciples a vaft number of verfes, which they must get by heart. Diodorus Siculus fays, that the Gauls had poets termed bards, who fung airs accompanied with the harp, in praise of fome, and difpraise of others. Lucan, fpeaking of the three orders, fays, "Vos quoque, qui fortes animas, belloque peremptas, "Plurima fecuri fudiftis carmina bardi †." "The Gauls are of an open temper, not at all infidious; and in fight they "rely on valour, not on ftratagem." + "You too, ye bards! whom facred raptures fire, "Who confecrate in your immortal strain, "Brave patriot fouls, in righteous battle flain. "And nobleft themes in deathlefs fongs purfue." (a) Lib. 3.. Rowe. (b) Lib. 4. σε With refpect to the Celtic women in particular, it is agreed by all writers, that they were extremely beautiful (a). They were no lefs remarkable for fpirit than for beauty. If we can rely on Diodorus Siculus, the women in Gaul equalled the men in courage. Tacitus, in his life of Agricola, fays, that the British women frequently joined with the men, when attacked by an enemy. And fo much were they regarded, as to be thought capable of the highest command. “ Neque enim fexum in imperiis difcernunt*," fays the fame author (b). And accordingly, during the war carried on by Caractacus, a gallant British King, against the Romans, Cartifmandua was Queen of the Brigantes. Boadicea is recorded in Roman annals as a queen of a warlike spirit. She led on a great army against the Romans; and in exhorting her people to behave with courage, fhe obferved, that it was not unufual to fee a British army led on to battle by a woman; to which Tacitus adds his testimony: "Solitum quidem Britannis fœminarum ductu "bellare † (c)." No wonder that Celtic women, fo amply provided with spirit, as well as beauty, made a capital figure in every public entertainment (d). The Gallic Celtæ undoubtedly carried with them their manners and customs to Britain, and spread them gradually from fouth to north. And as the Caledonians, inhabiting a mountainous country in the northern parts of the island, had little commerce with other nations, they preferved long in purity many Celtic cuftoms, "They made no distinction of sex in conferring authority." "The Britons even follow'd women as leaders in the field." particularly that of retaining bards. All the chieftains had bards in their pay, whofe province it was to compofe fongs in praise of their anceftors, and to accompany thofe fongs with the harp. This entertainment enflamed their love for war, and at the fame time foftened their manners, which, as Strabo reports, were naturally innocent and void of malignity. It had beside a wonderful influence in forming virtuous manners: the bards, in praifing deceased heroes, would naturally felect virtuous actions, which make the beft figure in heroic poetry, and tend the most to illuftrate the hero of their fong: vice may be flattered; but praise is never willingly nor fuccefsfully beftow'd upon any atchievement but what is virtuous and heroic. It is accordingly obferved by Ammianus Marcellinus (a), that the bards inculcated in their fongs virtue and actions worthy of praise. The bards, who were in high estimation, became great proficients in poetry; of which we have a confpicuous instance in the works of Offian. Their capital compofitions were diligently studied by thofe of their own order, and much admired by all. The fongs of the bards, accompanied with the harp, made a deep impreffion on the young warrior, elevated fome into heroes, and promoted virtue in every hearer * hearer *. Another circumstance concurred to form Caledonian manners, com mon to them with every nation in the first stage of fociety; which is, that avarice was unknown among them. People in that stage,, ignorant of habitual wants, and having a ready fupply of all that nature requires, have little notion of property, and not the flight * Polydore Virgil fays, Hiberni funt musica peritissimi. — [In English thus: "The "Irish are most skilful in mufic." Ireland was peopled from Britain; and the mufic of that country must have been derived from British bards. The Welfh bards were the great champions of independence; and in particular promoted an obftinate refiftance to Edward I. when he carried his arms into Wales. And hence the tradition, that the Welsh bards were all flaughtered by that King. (a) Lib. 15. eft eft notion of accumulating the goods of fortune; and for that reafon are always found honest and difinterested. With refpect to the female fex, who make an illuftrious figure in Offian's poems, if they were fo eminent both for courage and beauty as they are represented by the best authors, it is no wonder that they are painted by Offian as objects of love the most pure and refined. Nor ought it to be overlooked, that the soft and delicate notes of the harp have a tendency to purify manners, and to refine love. Whether the causes here affigned of Celtic manners be fully adequate, may well admit of a doubt; but if authentic history be relied on, we can entertain no doubt, that the manners of the Gallic and British Celta, including the Caledonians, were fuch as are above described. And as the manners afcribed by Offian to his countrymen the Caledonians, are in every particular conformable to those now mentioned, it clearly follows, that Offian was no inventor, but drew his pictures of manners from real life. This is made highly probable from intrinsic evidence, the fame that is fo copiously urged above: and now by authentic history that probability is fo much heightened as fcarce to leave room for a doubt. Our prefent highlanders are but a fmall part of the inhabitants of Britain; and they have been finking in their importance, from the time that arts and sciences made a figure, and peaceable manners prevailed. And yet in that people are difcernible many remaining features of their forefathers the Caledonians. They have to this day a difpofition to war, and when disciplined make excellent foldiers, fober, active, and obedient. They are eminently hofpitable; and the character given by Strabo of the Gallic Celta, that they were innocent, and devoid of malignity, is to them perfectly applicable. That they have not the magnanimity and heroifm of the Caledonians, is easily accounted for. The Caledonians were a free and independent people, unaw'd by any fuperior power, and living under the mild government of their own Qq2 chieftains: chieftains compared with their forefathers, the present highlanders make a very inconfiderable figure: their country is barren, and at any rate is but a small part of a potent kingdom; and their language deprives them of intercourse with their polished neighbours. There certainly never happened in literature, a discovery more extraordinary than the works of Offian. To lay the scene of action among hunters in the first stage of society, and to bestow upon fuch a people a system of manners that would do honour to the most polished state, seemed at first an ill-contrived forgery. But if a forgery, why fo bold and improbable? why not invent manners more congruous to the favage state? And as at any rate the work has great merit, why did the author conceal himself? These confiderations roufed my attention, and produced the foregoing difquifition; which I finished, without imagining that more light could be obtained. But after a long interval, a thought struck me, that as the Caledonians formerly were much connected with the Scandinavians, the manners of the latter might probably give light in the prefent enquiry. I chearfully spread my fails in a wide ocean, not without hopes of importing precious merchandise. Many volumes did I turn over of Scandinavian hiftory; especially where the manners of the inhabitants in the first ftage of fociety are delineated; and now I proceed to prefent my reader with the fruits of my labour. any The Danes, fays Adam of Bremen, are remarkable for elevation of mind: the punishment of death is lefs dreaded by them than that of whipping. "The philofophy of the Cimbri," fays Valerius Maximus, is gay and refolute: they leap for joy in a battle, hoping for a glorious end: in fickness they lament, for "fear of the contrary." What fortified their courage was a perfuafion, that those who die in battle fighting bravely, are inftantly tranflated to the hall of Odin, to drink beer out of the skull of an |