9. From Mr DONALD MACLEOD, Minister of Glenelg, dated Glenelg, 26th March 1764.

SIR,

Sometime before I was favoured with yours of November last, with regard to the authenticity of Ossian's poems. I had a letter from Mr Alexander Mac Aulay, the Highland chaplain, upon the same subject. I then at his desire, set about examining the original poems, and the traditionary stories of Fingal and his host; and got all within my reach who preserved on memory any part of either. This I found a work of some time and labour, but could not without it answer your queries.

There are many poems ascribed to Ossian, more than Mr Macpherson has translated; many of which, I dare say, he never heard; and of these not a few (in my humble opinion) of as much poetical merit as any he has inserted. Macpherson took too little time in the Highlands and Western Isles to be able to have collected the whole of them; for, as the works of Ossian are dispersed all over the Highlands, there is not a clan, through whose lands you travel, but you will find some one of these poems among them, which is not to be met with any where else.

The traditionary history of Fingal, though much intermixed with fable, throws a good deal additional light upon the customs and manners of those remote times. The old Highlanders commonly entertained one another with the repetition of these poems, and diverted the tediousness of the winter nights. When they met to watch the dead corpse of their friends, they spent a considerable part of the night in repeating the poems, and talking of the times of Fingal. They often laid wagers on such occasions, who should repeat most of the poems; and to have a store of them on memory, was reputed not a despicable acquisition. I know

some old men who value themselves for having gained some of these wagers. The Highlanders, at their festivals and other public meetings, acted the poems of Ossian. Rude and simple as their manner of acting was, yet any brave or generous action, any injury or distress, exhibited in the representation, had a surprising effect towards raising in them corresponding passions and sentiments.

It was in my house that Mr Macpherson got the description of Cuchullin's horses and car, in book 1st, p. 11, from Allan Mac Caskie, schoolmaster, and Rory Macleod, both of this glen: he has not taken in the whole of the description; and his translation of it, (spirited and pretty as it appears, as far as it goes,) falls so far short of the original in the picture it exhibits of Cuchullin's horses and car, their harness and trappings, &c. that in none of his translations is the inequality of Macpherson's genius to that of Ossian so very conspicuous.

The battle of Lena, in book 2d, is still preserved by tradition in this country, but with this variation, that the proposal of giving up his wife and dog, in p. 26, as the only condition on which peace would be granted, was made by Magnus, king of Lochlin, to Fingal, and not by Swaran to Cuchullin. It was a principle with Fingal, from which he never deviated, not to engage in battle without first offering the best terms of peace his honour would permit. Agreeably to this principle, he sent proposals to Magnus; in return to which, Magnus demanded his wife and dog, which Fingal rejecting with indignation, the battle began.

I have heard the poem, in book 3d, relating Fingal's voyage to Lochlin, the snares laid for him by Starno, death of Agandecca, how for his cruelty and perfidiousness he took immediate revenge on Starno, when, p. 38, he eyed his valiant chiefs, his valiant chiefs took arms.

The poem in book the 4th, is handed down pretty entire in this country, in which each of Fingal's chiefs singles out the chief among the enemy he was to fight, leaving to Fingal the honour of engaging the king of Lochlin. The description of the sun-beam, Fingal's standard, does not come up to the beauty and spirit of the original. Along with that of the sun-beam, there is in the original a particular description of the standards of the seven principal chiefs of Fingal, which are all so inimitably beautiful that I cannot imagine how Macpherson has omitted them in his translation. Dermod, who led the right hand of the army to that battle, (as it is expressed in the original,) had a standard which, in magnificence, far exceeded the sunbeam. He is, by the tradition of this country, said to be the predecessor of the Campbells.

We have the poem containing the battle of Lochlego, and a good part of that relating the war of Inis-thona, in page 104.

It would take up too much room, and I think it is not necessary that I go through all the poems in the collection, of which we have pieces joined to other poems, and sometimes parts of two or three poems thrown together into

one.

Mr Macpherson, in his journey through the Highlands, put it upon me to look out for the poem called Cath, or the battle of Benedin. I have since got it, but not till after the book was published. The battle is the most memorable of Fingal's exploits; and, I humbly think, the poem is the most finished of Ossian's works.

Upon the whole, I know not any capable of doing that justice to the original, which Mr Macpherson has done. One thing I'm sorry for, his having omitted the description which Ossian gives of Fingal's ships, their sails, masts, and rigging, their extraordinary feats in sailing,

the skill and dexterity of his men in working them, and their intrepidity in the greatest storms-of which he gives the most striking description. I can account for it no other way than his having been born in Badenoch, one of the most inland parts of this kingdom, where not having access to be acquainted with that kind of imagery, he did not therefore perhaps understand the original poems.

With regard to the authenticity of the poems, they were, by the traditions of our forefathers, as far back as we can trace them, ascribed to Ossian, and to the most remote period of time, of which we have any account. It is a word commonly used in the Highlands to this day, when they express a thing belonging to the most remote antiquity, to call it, fiountachk, i. e. belonging to the time of Fingal. I know not a country in the Highlands, which has not places that are famous for being the scenes of feats of arms, strength, or agility, of some of the heroes of the race of Fingal. However much the several clans differ in the traditionary history of their respective families, they are all agreed, as far as ever I could learn, with respect to the genuineness and authenticity of Ossian's poems.

But the most effectual method, I presume, of satisfying the doubts of the gentlemen who deny Highlanders the honour of these monuments of the genius and prowess of their ancestors, is to invite them to the Highlands, and to bring interpreters along with them, that they may examine the matter themselves. You may assure them of a hospitable reception; and wherever they go to, the gentlemen and clergy will find out to them the old men who still have in memory most of the works of Ossian, and the traditionary history of the Fingalians. I would engage that they should return home sufficiently satisfied that these poems belong to the time and country to which they are ascribed. If any other material question occurs to you

upon this subject, I shall make all the enquiry I can for the clearing it up.

I beg the favour you make my most respectful compliments to Principal Robertson. I am,

Sir,

Your most obedient

humble servant,

DONALD MACLEOD.

10. From Mr DONALD MACQUEEN, Minister of Kilmuir, in the Isle of Sky, dated Kilmuir, 17th April 1764.

REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,

I wrote you some months ago an answer to a letter I had from you about the authenticity and antiquity of Ossian's poems, and though I am not sure whether you received it or not, I cannot help prevailing with myself to acquaint you further, by a person who goes from here to Edinburgh, that I had for these twenty days with me a rehearser of ancient songs, whom Sir James Macdonald ordered to see me from Long-island. He had little more to say for your purpose, than what I acquainted you of already, and, I believe, farther discoveries would be too late for the present edition. I have heard the description of Cuchullin's car repeated by seve rals, with some variations: it is very grand in the original; there are four horses described in it, with a long string of epithets applied to each, of which the translator dropped a few through his fingers. It is surprising to find some learned critics doubt that Cuchullin was master of such a car, who cannot be ignorant that Cassivelaunus made use of them against Cæsar, that Galgacus had them at the Grampian hills, Etdocilis rector rostrati Belga Covini,