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 befide a wonderful influence in forming virtuous manners: the bards, in praifing deceafed heroes, would naturally felect virtuous actions, which make the best 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 fuccessfully beftow'd upon any atchievement but what is virtuous and heroic. It is accordingly observed by Ammianus Marcellinus (a), that the bards inculcated in their fongs virtue and actions worthy of praife. 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 ftudied by those 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 *. Another circumftance concurred to form Caledonian manners, common 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 supply of all that nature requires, have little notion of property, and not the flight * Polydore Virgil fays, Hiberni funt mufica peritiffimi. — [In English thus: “The "Irish are moft skilful in mufic." Ireland was peopled from Britain; and the mufic of that country must have been derived from British bards. The Welsh: bards were the great champions of independence; and in particular promoted an obftinate resistance 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 est notion of accumulating the goods of fortune; and for that reafon are always found honeft 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 foft and delicate notes of the harp have a tendency to purify manners, and to refine love. Whether the caufes 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 Celtæ, including the Caledonians, were fuch as are above defcribed. 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 intrinfic 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 fciences 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 difciplined 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 Q9 2 chieftains: chieftains compared with their forefathers, the prefent 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 intercourfe with their polished neighbours. tion There certainly never happened in literature, a discovery more extraordinary than the works of Offian. To lay the fcene of achunters in the firft ftage of fociety, and to bestow upamong on fuch a people a fyftem of manners that would do honour to the moft polished state, feemed at firft an ill-contrived forgery. But if a forgery, why fo bold and improbable? why not invent manners more congruous to the favage ftate? And as at any rate the work has great merit, why did the author conceal himfelf?. Thefe confiderations roufed my attention, and produced the foregoing difquifition; which I finished, without imagining that any more light could be obtained. But after a long interval, a thought ftruck 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 fails in a wide ocean, not without hopes of importing precious merchandise. Many volumes did I turn over of Scandinavian history; especially where the manners of the inhabitants in the first stage of fociety are delineated; and now I proceed to prefent my reader with the fruits of my labour. my 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 instantly tranflated to the hall of Odin, to drink beer out of the skull of an an enemy. Happy in their mistake," fays Lucan, are the people who live near the pole: perfuaded that death is only a paffage to long life, they are undisturbed by the most grievous "of all fears, that of dying: they eagerly run to arms, and e"steem it cowardice to spare a life they fhall foon recover in ano"ther world." Such was their magnanimity, that they scorned to fnatch a victory by surprise. Even in their piratical expeditions, inftances are recorded of fetting afide all the fhips that exceeded thofe of the enemy, left the victory fhould be attributed to fuperiority of numbers. It was held unmanly to decline a combat, however unequal; for courage, it was thought, rendered all men equal. The shedding tears was unmanly, even for the death of friends. you The Scandinavians were fenfible in a high degree to praise and reproach; for love of fame was their darling paffion. Olave, King of Norway, placing three of his fcalds or bards around him in a battle, "You fhall not relate," faid he, "what have "only heard, but what you are eye-witneffes of." Upon every occafion we find them infifting upon glory, honour, and contempt of death, as leading principles. The bare fufpicion of cowardice, was attended with univerfal contempt: a man who loft his buckler, or received a wound behind, durft never again appear in public. Frotho King of Denmark, taken captive in a battle, obftinately refused either liberty or life. "To what end," fays he, "fhould I furvive the difgrace of being made a captive? "Should you even restore to me my fifter, my treasure, and my kingdom, would thefe benefits reftore me to my honour? Future ages will always have it to fay, that Frotho was taken by " his enemy (a).” Much efficacy is above afcribed to the fongs of Caledonian (4) Saxo Grammaticus. bards; bards; and with fatisfaction I find my obfervations juftified in every Scandinavian hiftory. The Kings of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, are represented in ancient chronicles as constantly attend→ et with fcalds or bards; who were treated with great refpect, especially by princes distinguished in war. Harold Harfager at his feasts placed them above all his other officers; and employed them in negotiations of the greatest importance. The poetic art, held in great estimation, was cultivated by men of the first rank. Rogvald, Earl of Orkney, paffed for an able poet. King Regnar was diftinguished in poetry, no lefs than in war. It was the proper province of bards in Scandinavia, as in other countries, to celebrate in odes the atchievements of deceased heroes. They were frequently employ'd in animating the troops before a battle. Ha-con, Earl of Norway, in his famous engagement against the warriors of Iomfburg, had five celebrated poets, each of whom fung an ode to the foldiers ready to engage. Saxo Grammaticus, defcribing a battle between Waldemar and Sueno, mentions a fcald belonging to the former, who, advancing to the front of the army, reproached the latter in a pathetic ode as the murderer of his own father. The odes of the Scandinavian bards have a peculiar energy; which is not difficult to be accounted for. The propensity of the Scandinavians to war, their love of glory, their undaunted courage, and their warlike exploits, naturally produced elevated fentiments, and an elevated tone of language; both of which were display'd in celebrating heroic deeds. Take the following inftanThe first is from the Edda, which contains the birth and genealogy of their gods. "The giant Rymer arrives from the east, "carried in a chariot: the great ferpent, rolling himself furioufly in the waters, lifteth up the sea. The eagle fcreams, and "with his horrid beak tears the dead. The veffel of the gods is "Let afloat. The black prince of fire iffues from the fouth, fur ces. ❝ rounded |