The good taste to discover, the genuineness and antiquity of any work, from the turn of its composition. With the greatest esteem, I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, 2. From SIR JAMES MACDONALD, dated, Isle of Sky, 10th October 1763. DEAR SIR, YOUR letter to me on the subject of Ossian's poems came at a very unlucky time for giving you any assistance in the enquiry you wish to set on foot. I received your letter yesterday, and have appointed a meeting with all the people of my estate in one end of Sky to-morrow, in order to fix them in their different possessions for some time to come. I had made this appointment many days before I had the pleasure of getting your letter; and am sorry that such unclassical business should have interfered to prevent my pursuing the enquiry immediately, with the vigour I could wish. I am not able to give you a satisfactory answer to any point, in regard to the question at present, but have sat down in order to give you my sentiments of the matter as they occur, without pretending to any thing certain. I must however join with you, first, in expressing my wonder at Macpherson's obstinacy, and I must add his ignorance-who should imagine that his own consciousness of the authenticity of the work was any reason for other people's conviction, or that a man, who was weak enough to doubt of this point, is not worthy of satisfaction? I have said so much to him upon this subject already to no purpose, that, I believe, he has abandoned me along with the sceptics long ago. But after wondering at his absurdity, who has it in his power at once to put the matter beyond a question, I doubt much whether any other man can do it. All the manuscripts of consequence are in his hands; and he alone knows from what parts of the Highlands, and from what persons, he collected them. By obtaining these from him, and procuring certificates from the persons in whose possession they have formerly been, and comparing them with the translation, something might be done: but I have little hopes that any manuscripts will be found in the Highlands, which have not already fallen into his hands. These Islands never were possessed of any curious manuscripts, as far as I can learn, except a few which Clanranald had, and which are all in Macpherson's possession. The few bards that are left among us, repeat only detached pieces of these poems. I have often heard, and understood them; particularly from one man called John Mac Codrum, who lives upon my estate of North Uist. I have heard him repeat, for hours together, poems which seemed to me to be the same with Macpherson's translation; but as I had it not along with me, and could not remember it with sufficient exactness, I cannot positively affirm that what I have heard is precisely the same with the translation. As I made no doubt of its being the same, I might also, on that account, give less attention to discover any small differences. The man whom you mention, by the name of John Ossian, lives in Hams. I have heard nothing of him since I came last to this country; but was told, when I was here before, that hé could repeat more of these poems than any man in these Islands. I shall contrive to get him, and the other man I mentioned to you, examined in the way you propose, in presence of some people who are proper judges, and get a faithful report of the result of this trial. I am sorry my own engagements will not allow me to remain long enough in this country to be present when this trial is made; but I believe I can entrust it to people who will execute it very faithfully. I am sorry I have so little leisure to write to you at present: this will serve only to tell you how little I can do. I wish heartily it were in my power to do more. -If any thing occurs to me to be done, before I leave the country, I will acquaint you; at any rate, I will trouble you with another letter when I have conversed with people who can give some assistance in the investigation. I perceived this scepticism beginning long ago, and fore− saw the difficulty of answering it. Mr Hume certainly sees the con: equence of it to the reputation of the poem in a very right light; and it must give great pleasure to any one connected with this country, to obviate this evil; but I have great doubt of such evidences being procured, as the case requires. Though I can do little, nothing shall be wanting, to fight Ossian's cause, that lies in the power of, Dear Sir, Your most obedient, and most humble servant. J. MACDONALD. 3. From Doctor JOHN MACPHERSON, Minister of Sleat, dated Sleat, 14th October 1763. DEAR SIR, YOUR letter of September 28th came to hand four days ago. Before I speak to the contents, you will permit me to say, however little that declaration may signify, that not any one in this part of the world can have more sensible pleasure in doing a thing that can afford Dr Blair any degree of satisfaction. The testimonies I had of his benevolence, when last in Edinburgh, give him an undoubted right to all the small services in my power. I am not at all surprised that, at a time when the spirit of party, and national quarrels, are risen to such a height, the authenticity of Ossian's poems should be called in question.. The glory arising to our country and ancestors, from these noble monuments of genius, cannot miss to give pain to the malevolent in the southern division of the Isle; and, as a great person who has patronized Fingal, must not only be depressed, but made as little as possible in every respect, Mr Macpherson must be involved in the same cruel persecution. But to come directly to the questions you propose-I am not able to say, with any degree of certainty, that I have seen, but can affirm that I have not perused, any MSS. containing either the whole, or a part, of the poems published by our friend. I never made it my business to find out, or examine, such papers; and the Isle in which I live at present can hardly afford such curiosities. About twenty years back, I was settled in a part of the country where there was an ancient little family, the head of which united the professions of the bard, genealogist, and sennachy. The bard of that family whom I had occasion to know, was a man of some letters, that is to say, he and his ancestors, for many ages, had received their education in Irish Colleges of poetry and history, and understood the Latin tolerably well. The man who was of my acquaintance, was thought an antiquary, in the Highland acceptation of the word, and had some MSS. in his possession. But he is dead long since, and his office abolished, because expensive to his patron Clanranald. That gentleman may very probably have all the MSS. formerly belonging to these old laureats, if preserved, in his custody: and though I understood by your letter that Macleod has undertaken to write to Clanranald upon this subject, I have, immediately after receiving yours, written to the Minister of the parish where these bards lived; and intreated him, in the name of our friendship, country, and several things more, to do what you may require at my hands. To say the truth, I am not sanguine in my expectations from any one manuscript that can be found in our part of the Isles.. Mr Macpherson was himself in the Isle where the hereditary sennachies, of whom I have been speaking, resided for several centuries: he saw the friends of these sennachies, and saw Clanranald. Whether he has procured any old papers fit for his purpose from these people, he can inform you best. As to your second question, I hope to give you some satisfaction within a little time. I shall make the strictest enquiry for all the persons within twenty miles of my house, who can rehearse, from memory, any part of the poems contained in Mr Macpherson's Fingal, &c. His Temora I have not been able to procure. I have begun this work already, and entertain hopes, to me very pleasing, that my endeavours will be attended with some success. Your commands with regard to the exactness of the translation, the pages of the book, and the names of the persons who rehearse from memory, shall be faithfully executed. I fancy there is no great difficulty in showing how such compositions have been transmitted from one generation to another. The degree of credit due to such traditionary records as have preserved them, I shall in my next letter place in the justest and best light possible. The people in the western parts of Ross-shire, know a great deal more concerning the old heroic poems, or epic fragments, of the Gaelic tongue, than our islanders of the northern quarter. The people I mean, are those of Gerloch, Lochbroom, and Assin. Mr James Robertson, minister of Lochbroom, may possibly be of use to you, if consulted. I would have written to him upon the head, |
