declares, when on the brink of the grave, that at the most early stage of the business he was convinced that Fingal was no imposition, and that he continued to be so. * Mr. Macpherson of Strathmashie, who accompanied him to the Highlands; who assisted him in collecting the poems; who took down from oral tradition, and transcribed from old manuscripts, by far the greater part of the pieces he has published, makes a similar declaration.+ Captain Alexander Morison, who saw the several manuscripts, and who assisted in translating them, has lately declared, that he as firmly believed in the authenticity of Ossian's poems, as in the existence of soul and body; and that, at the advanced period of 86 years of age, when he made that declaration, he would not deliberately make such an averment, were it not perfectly consistent with the conviction of his own mind.‡

We shall conclude this chapter, with the solemn declaration of that truly respectable character, the late Dr. Blair, which ought to satisfy every

Report of the Highland Society, p. 34.

+ Report of the Highland Society, Appendix, p. 8. See also the declaration of Ewan Macpherson, Appendix, p. 96, who states, that he was for three or four weeks with Mr. Macpherson,taking down the poems of Ossian, from the recitation of several individuals, at different places.

See Appendix, No. IV.

impartial reader: "That, from his perfect knowledge of all the circumstances connected with "the discovery, and the translation of those poems, "it was impossible for him to entertain any doubts on the subject of their authenticity".*

66

He adds this important observation," that he "could not avoid considering the discovery of "the works of Ossian, as an important æra in the "annals of taste and literature; and the share, "which he had in contributing towards it, as a

part of his life, by which he had deserved well, "both of his own age, and of posterity."

"

* Dr. Blair's letter to Henry Mackenzie, Esq. dated 20th December, 1797, Report of the Highland Society, Appendix, p. 60.

CHAPTER II.

ACCOUNT OF THE GAELIC EDITION HEREWITH PRINTED, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH HAVE HITHERTO PREVENTED THE PUBLICATION THEREOF; TOGETHER WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE

BEAUTIES OF THE POEMS OF OSSIAN, AS ORIGINALLY COMPOSED.

THE

'H E particulars, to which I now propose to call the attention of the reader, are the following: 1. The causes which have hitherto prevented the publication of the original Gaelic, and the circumstances owing to which some of the originals have been lost. 2. To ascertain, whether Mr. Macpherson, in his translation, does justice to the original. And 3. To consider, whether the Poems of Ossian are entitled to those praises, which have been bestowed upon them, both at home and in foreign countries.

§ 1.

The circumstances which have hitherto prevented the Publication of Ossian in the original,

ABOVE forty years having now elapsed, since the poems of Ossian, as translated by Mr. Macpherson,

were printed ;* and as, ever since their first appearance, the publication of the original Gaelic has been promised, the reader will naturally expect some account of the circumstances which have occasioned so long a delay.

It appears from an advertisement prefixed to the first edition of Macpherson's translation, that he had published proposals for printing, by subscription, the whole originals, which some men of genius, whom he numbered among his friends, advised him, was a better way of satisfying the public, concerning the authenticity of the poems, than another plan which had been thought of, that of depositing manuscript copies in a public library. He asserts in that preface, that no subscribers had appeared, and hence infers, that in the judg ment of the public, neither the one plan nor the other was necessary. He intimates however a design to print the originals, as soon as he, (the translator), shall have had time to transcribe them for the press. If such a publication should not take place, he then pledges himself, that copies shall be deposited in one of the public libraries,

* The original fragments of Gaelic poetry, translated by Macpherson, were printed in the year 1760; the poem of Fingal, and some other pieces, in the year 1761; and Temora, and the remaining pieces of Ossian, in the year 1762. Is there an instance of such a mass of valuable original poetry, having been composed and published, in so short a period of time, by any author, who, neither before nor after, wrote a single line of tolerable versification?

to prevent so ancient a monument of genius from being lost.

Soon after this publication, Macpherson was led to give up poetical pursuits, and actually accompanied the late Governor George Johnstone to Florida. After remaining about three years abroad, he returned to England in the year 1766.

It would appear, by an extract from Mr. John Mackenzie's diary, to be afterwards inserted, that Mr. Macpherson took with him to Florida, the Gaelic originals of Ossian; by means of which, some of the smaller poems, either in whole, or in part, were lost.

From the connection he had formed with political men, he seems to have abandoned for some time any important literary employment, till the year 1771, when he published a work, entitled, "An Introduction to the History of Great Britain "and Ireland.”

In consequence of the fame he had acquired by his translation of Ossian, however, he was prevailed upon to undertake a translation of the Iliad, in the same style of measured prose. This attempt was so extremely unsuccessful, that it seems greatly to have estranged him from poetry; and it is a singular circumstance, that the same author, whose literary fame had been founded on his translation of Ossian, should have so