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NOTES. 407uniformly aai^its thall tbe Iriih were the real and 07ily Scots upto the efcventh" century ; or, in other words, that Irish and Scotswere synonimous terms.The plain English of the matter thenis, that the poems ofOssian are both Scottish and authentic. Ifthere is evidence enough in the memoirs of the Irish Royal Societyto convince Pinkarton of the authenticity of these poems,there is certainly (considering his anticeltic prejudices) muchmore than enough to convince all the world besides. But thepity is, that Scotland and Ireland have pulled in opposite directions;and by preferring each, its individual and exclusive clairtthave perplexed and obscured, instead of illustrating this importantpoint. The contention is mean, contemptible, and gratuitous.It is a matter of the utmost indifference whether we callthese poems Scottish or Irish^ or whether we blend both namestogether, and call them Scoto.Irish.The claims of both nationsare solid and well founded, with this difference, that the claimof the Scots is more immediate and direcr, that of the Irish moredistant and circuitous. Both nations are, however, sufHcientlyinterested to combine their efforts, and produce such document?as they are respectively possessed of;and were this done, thereis not even the shadow of a doubt but the authenticity of thesepoems might be placed on a basis so firm and stable^ as wouldbid defiance to all future cavil or controversy.Were Pinkarton a man of impartiality, or could we be certaiathat he had bestowed one serious thought on the subject, hisconcession that thesepoems were composed by the Jrish bards,would be of vast importance, because, according to his own definition,the Irish bards were the Scottish. Indeed, if the authenticityof these poems is once fixed, the claims of the Irish,and Scots can be satisfactorily adjusted.But Pinkarton givesthese poems to the Irishfrom mere whim and caprice, becausehe is determined not to give them to the St'ots; and had thsWelch preferred the slightest claim to them, there is not a doubtbut he would have given them to Caradoc of Lancarvon^ or OwenGlendower, without a scruple. But what justice can any Scotexpect from him, when he wrecks his fury on the very name, and3 F 2