has decayed greatly with the discouragement of the bards; but that he never heard the authenticity of the poems of Ossian called in question by any Highlander, and has no doubt of their being the productions of the genius of Ossian, as firmly as he believes in the authenticity of any other poems, or in the originality of any other work ancient or modern: That he never could have conceived that any individuals could have the hardiness to put their own sceptical conceits in opposition to the uniform tradition of ages, and the unanimous and unwearied opinion of a whole nation for many successive generations, of the authenticity of these poems, and of the heroes celebrated in them, having existed and he does not believe it would be possible for men who understood Gaelic well, to have any doubt on this subject: That the declarant has no doubt that the Fingalians were Scotch Highlanders, but looks upon all disputes regarding the Era, and the particular scenes of action, to be totally independent of the authenticity of the poems, which he believes to have come down from remote antiquity, as firmly as he believes in his own existence: That some time subsequent to the above excursion, he met Mr James Macpherson at Edinburgh, and was presented by him with a copy of Fingal: That he recollects to have read a part of it, and to have been then of opinion, as far as he could recollect the substance of the original, that this translation was well executed; though the ablest that ever existed could not, in the declarant's opinion, equal the original Gaelic by any translation. (Signed) ALEX. NIELSON, Clerk. EWAN MACPHERSON. Edinburgh, 5th February 1803. A True Copy. Præmissa Attestor. AND. BISSET, N. P. No. VII. ORIGINAL, ACCORDING TO JEROME STONE', COPY. BAS FHRAOICH, OR THE DEATH OF FRAOCH, WHO WAS DESTROYED BY THE TREACHEROUS PASSION OF HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW. i. OSAN Caraid ann cluain Fhraoich, 2. Sud e shiar an carn am bheil, Fraoch Mac Fedhich an Fhuilt mhaoidh, Am fear a rinn Buidheachas do Mhei, Sann air a shloinnte Carn Fhraoich. 3. Gul nam ban on Chruachan shoir, Gur i an ainir a nith an Gul, 5. Aon Inghean Choruil is grinne Falt, 6. Nuair a fhuair i amuigh e, Cairdeas an Laoich budh ghloinne gne Is e abhar ma na reub i chorp, 7. Gun chuir i e gu cath a Bhais, Taobh re Mnaoi 's na dean a Lochd Istuirseach do thuitim le Beist, Dhinsin duibh gun cheilg a nòs. 8. Caoran do bhidh air Loch maidhe, Gach Raidh is gach mi. Bhiodh Torradh abbuigh annsa mheas. 9. Gun raibh Buaidh air a mheas dhearg, Go n cumadh an Caoran is e dearg, 10. Bliadhna do shaoghal gach Fir, 11. An aim-cheist mhor abha na dheidh, 12. Do bhuail easlainte throm throm, Is fhiosruigh an Laoch ciod e mian, Cnuasachd ni ndrineas fein, Thuirt Mac Meidhich na 'n gruaidh dearg, Gar an drinnam arsa Fraoch Theid mi bhuain a chaorain do Mheidh, |