Notes on the Authenticity of Ossian's Poemsauthor, 1868 - 76 pages |
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Page 2
... centuries after- wards , as appears from the MS . collection made by that gentleman betwixt the years 1774 and 1783 , which was purchased by the Highland Society of Scotland , and is now in the Advocates ' Library at Edinburgh . Before ...
... centuries after- wards , as appears from the MS . collection made by that gentleman betwixt the years 1774 and 1783 , which was purchased by the Highland Society of Scotland , and is now in the Advocates ' Library at Edinburgh . Before ...
Page 10
... century . Mr Macpherson and I were of opinion that , though the Bard collected them , yet they must have been writ by an ecclesiastic , for the characters and spelling were most beautiful and correct . Every poem had its first letter of ...
... century . Mr Macpherson and I were of opinion that , though the Bard collected them , yet they must have been writ by an ecclesiastic , for the characters and spelling were most beautiful and correct . Every poem had its first letter of ...
Page 48
... century ; and in Ireland they greatly exceed this num- ber . In the next place , he says that no one in the Highlands could repeat six lines of Ossianic poetry . Ample evidence has been produced to refute that state- ment . Yet the ...
... century ; and in Ireland they greatly exceed this num- ber . In the next place , he says that no one in the Highlands could repeat six lines of Ossianic poetry . Ample evidence has been produced to refute that state- ment . Yet the ...
Page 62
... century , not only from internal evidence , but because Irish poetry is not once men- tioned in the twelfth century by Giraldus Cambrensis ; " and in his dissertation he says , " Rhymes in Welsh poetry were unknown to Giraldus ...
... century , not only from internal evidence , but because Irish poetry is not once men- tioned in the twelfth century by Giraldus Cambrensis ; " and in his dissertation he says , " Rhymes in Welsh poetry were unknown to Giraldus ...
Page 71
... centuries old ; but from the mention of cattle and goats , and the style of the composition , it must have been subsequent to the era of Ossianic poetry . In fact the Ossianic poetry stands alone , quite distinct and separate from all ...
... centuries old ; but from the mention of cattle and goats , and the style of the composition , it must have been subsequent to the era of Ossianic poetry . In fact the Ossianic poetry stands alone , quite distinct and separate from all ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquainted Adam Ferguson ancient Gaelic poetry appears assisted AUTHENTICITY OF OSSIAN'S authority Badenoch bards Battle of Lora beauties Becket Blair's Letter Book Boswell Captain Morison Carthon Clanranald collection and translation combat composition Conloch contained copy courtship of Everallin Cuthullin Dargo Darthula Dean of Lismore's Death of Oscar Dr Blair Edinburgh English Erse evidence Ewan Macpherson Fainesolis Ferguson Fingal Fingalians forgery fragments friends Gaelic language Gaelic Ossian Gaelic poems Gallie's gentleman Giraldus Cambrensis heard Highland Society Highland Society's Committee imposture Irish Poetry James Macpherson John Home Johnson Lachlan Macpherson Laing says Laing's M'Lagan Mackenzie Macpher Macpherson of Strathmashie Macpherson's translation Miss Brooke never old manuscripts oral recitation Ossian's poems Ossianic poetry passage pherson pieces poems of Ossian poet poetical published Scotland Sir John Sir John Sinclair Sleat songs South Uist Spirit of Loda Strath Swaran Temora tion transcribed from old Uist writing
Popular passages
Page 47 - MR. JAMES MACPHERSON, I received your foolish and impudent letter. Any violence offered me I shall do my best to repel ; and what I cannot do for myself, the law shall do for me. I hope I shall never be deterred from detecting what I think a cheat, by the menaces of a ruffian.
Page 43 - The Scots have something to plead for their easy reception of an improbable fiction : they are seduced by their fondness for their supposed ancestors. A Scotchman must be a very sturdy SECOND SIGHT 177 moralist, who does not love Scotland better than truth : he will always love it better than inquiry ; and if falsehood flatters his vanity, will not be very diligent to detect it.
Page 39 - I assisted him in collecting them ; and took down from oral tradition, and transcribed from old manuscripts, by far the greatest part of those pieces he has published. Since the publication, I have carefully compared the translation with the copies of the originals in my hands, and find it amazingly literal, even in such a degree as to preserve, in some measure, the cadence of the Gaelic versification.
Page 43 - I believe they never existed in any other form than that which we have seen. The editor, or author, never could shew the original; nor can it be shewn by any other; to revenge reasonable incredulity, by refusing evidence, is a degree of insolence, with which the world is not yet acquainted ; and stubborn audacity is the last refuge of guilt.
Page 43 - He has doubtless inserted names that circulate in popular stories, and may have translated some wandering ballads, if any can be found ; and the names, and some of the images being recollected, make an inaccurate auditor imagine, by the help of Caledonian bigotry, that he has formerly heard the whole.
Page 15 - ... have been lucky enough to lay my hands on a pretty complete poem, and truly epic, concerning Fingal, The antiquity of it is easily ascertained, and it is not only superior to any thing in that language, but reckoned not inferior to the more polite performances of other nations in that way. I have some thoughts of publishing the original, if it will not clog the work too much.
Page 10 - I inquired the success of his journey, and he produced several volumes, small octavo, or rather large duodecimo, in the Gaelic language and characters, being the poems of Ossian and other ancient bards. "I remember perfectly...
Page 15 - I am favoured with your last letter, enclosing four poems, for which I am much obliged to you. I beg you send me what more you can conveniently.
Page 56 - WITHOUT increasing his genius, the author may have improved his language, in the eleven years that the following poems have been in the hands of the public. Errors in diction might have been committed at...
Page 11 - ... Every poem had its first letter of its first word most elegantly flourished and gilded; some red, some yellow, some blue, and some green : the material 'writ on seemed to be a limber, yet coarse and dark vellum : the volumes were bound in strong parchment : Mr. Macpherson had them from Clanranald. "At that time I could read the Gaelic characters, though with difficulty, and did often amuse myself with reading here and there in those poems, while Mr. Macpherson was employed on his translation....