Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael: with an account of the Picts, Caledonians, and Scots; and observations relative to the authenticity of the poems of Ossian / By James Grant.

  • James Grant of Corrimony
Date:
1814
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael: with an account of the Picts, Caledonians, and Scots; and observations relative to the authenticity of the poems of Ossian / By James Grant. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    71/468 page 61
    “ oO] the globe where the sun, that glorious luminary, apparently the source of life and vivifying soul of the universe, varies his benignant influence, he naturally draws forth the earliest attention, and allures the adoration of man. At the ap- proach of this active principle of nature, the tor- pid earth is inspired with animation, universal gayety attends his course, the splendour of his presence produces hilarity and joy, the earth teems with fruitfulness by the influence of his beams; at his departure, animation pines. and sickens, all nature puts on the garb of sadness, those beauties which rose in rich luxuriance to welcome his cheering ray, sink into the bosom of the parent earth, again to spring at the ap- proach of his gladdening presence, emblematic of the ways of God to man. The sun’s change of place in the heavens must have early claimed the attention of mankind. The rising of the sun is an object of great splendour and magnificence. That region of the heavens where the sun commences to shed his benignant influence, got from the Gael the name of er. The Greeks used xe, the Latins ver, for the spring season. Eri, rising ; erich, rise; ert na greane, the rising of the sun. The Irish spell the word oz, which the pronunciation of the Gael of Scotland cannot admit of. Orviens, ortus, warrant the same conclusion. The influence of that luminary being visibly the cause of the springing of plants, the word
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3