year 211 A.D. Ossian, his son, must therefore have been born after this date. Again, it was pointed out by Macpherson that the Irish histories, however untrustworthy otherwise, agree in placing the death of Fion Mac Comhal or Fingal in the year 283. Further, there are legendary poems extant (one is printed in the Dean of Lismore's Book, p. 5) describing a dispute waged by Ossian in his old age with a Culdee. The bard appears to have been extremely ignorant of his opponent's faith. It seems fair, therefore, to conclude that the new religion had but lately been introduced to the country. This enterprise was probably effected by the Christian refugees driven northwards out of the Roman empire by the persecution of Dioclesian in 303. From these facts it seems proved with fair clearness that Ossian lived and fought and sang in the latter part of the third century.
As exact material for history, however, the value of the poems of Ossian, like the value of all early poetry, must remain difficult to decide. It can never be absolutely proved that events happened on the plains of Troy or among the hills of Morven exactly as Homer and as Ossian had described them; though it must be confessed that Ossian, as an eye-witness, corroborated in many details by history, tradition, and antiquities, appears entitled to the greater credence. But for another and
