where faid, "That a man does not like to have his creed disturbed at threefcore." The men to whom the inquiries of the Committee were addreffed, had generally long paffed that period of life, and the traditionary histories and poetry of their fathers were, in their belief, of fuch indifputable authenticity as it was needless to inquire into, and it rather offended them to doubt. Such of them as this idea did not prevent from anfwering the Committee's inquiries, frequently answered them in a manner which a man naturally enough adopts, who is unufed to difcuffion or difpute, and who does not think it neceffary to fuit his information to a fcepticifm of which he never dreamed himself, and which he hardly conceives it poffible for others to entertain. *

From this circumftance, the correspondence of the Committee, (which the diftant refidence of many of its correfpondents, and the irregularity of the conveyance of letters to and from thofe remote diftricts, muft at any rate have fubjected to great delay), was rendered much more dilatory and difficult than can well be conceived by perfons who have not

had

* The Committee thinks it may not be uninterefting to the Society to read the opinion of a native Highlander, uninstructed in the literature, and even ignorant of the language of any other country, of the question which he heard was agitated with regard to the authenticity of Offian's poems. It is given in the original Gaelic, as delivered by Hugh McDonald, tackfinan of Kilpheder, in the ifland of Uift, with a tranflation as literal as a right understanding of its meaning will allow. Vid. Appendix, No. II.

had occafion to inquire into fuch fubjects, under such disadvantages, with an anxiety perfectly to understand, and scrupulously to report the meaning of their correfpondents.

In conducting this inquiry, the Committee wished to be guided not only by the ftrictest impartiality, but by a feeling of fcrupulous delicacy towards every person whose name or character was in any degree implicated in the fubject. The Committee wished to condu&t its inquiries, and to frame its report, in a manner as impersonal as poffible. It has been, however, under the abfolute neceffity of mentioning the names of fome individuals, and of producing fome documents relative to the character and difpofition, as well as the fituation of Mr James Macpherson, and of a few other perfons intimately connected with the matter of its investigation. The Committee hopes, that in fuch unavoidable notice of individuals, it has obferved every poffible delicacy. The Committee feels it a duty to speak of every one with moderation and with diffidence, but efpecially of thofe who are no more; although "de mortuis nil nifi bonum" is a falfe maxim in criticifm, as well as in history; yet it is fafe, as well as candid, to speak with caution of the actions and motives of those who cannot now be queftioned as to their actions or motives; who cannot now explain what is doubtful, or account for what feems contradictory.

The Committee prefumes it may affume as undifputed, that a traditionary history of a great hero or chief, called Fion, Fian na Gael, or, as it is modern

ized

ized, Fingal, exifts, and has immemorially existed in the Highlands and iflands of Scotland, and that certain poems or ballads, containing the exploits of him and his affociate heroes, were the favourite lore of the natives of those districts. The general belief of the existence of fuch heroic perfonages, and of the great poet Ossian, the son of Fingal, by whom their exploits were fung, is as univerfal in the Highlands as the belief of any ancient fact whatsoever. It is recorded in proverbs, which pass through all ranks and conditions of men. Ossian dall, blind Offian, is a person as well known as ftrong Sampfon or wife Solomon. The very boys in their fports cry out for fair play, Cothram na feine, the equal combat of the Fingalians. Offian, " an deigh nam fiann," Offian, the last of his race, is proverbial, to fignify a man who has had the misfortune to furvive his kindred; and fervants returning from a fair or wedding, were in use to describe the beauty of young women whom they had feen there, by the words, "Thai cho boidheach reh Agandécca, nighean' ant sneachda," She is as beautiful as Agandecca, daugh. ter of the fnow. This is one of thofe general and well known facts, which it is believed no one will conteft, however much he may be difpofed to doubt the authenticity of the poems publifhed as the compofition of Offian the fon of Fingal. To give, however, an idea of the general impreffion and delight which the recital of thofe poems or ballads produced among the inhabitants of the Highlands, the Committee may quote the following fentence from

a

a book not much known, and fomewhat difficult to procure, the tranflation of the Forms of Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and Catechifm of the Christian Religion, as used in the reformed Church of Scotland, into Gaelic, by Bishop Carfwell, printed at Edinburgh in the year 1567.

In his preface or introduction, the bishop laments and reproves the preference which the Highlanders give to their ancient ballads over fuch Godly books as that he was about to publifh.

But there is one great difadvantage which we the Gaeil of Scotland and Ireland labour under, beyond the rest of the world, that our Gaelic language has never yet been printed, as the language of every other race of men has been: And we labour under a difadvantage which is • ftill greater than every other disadvantage, that we have not the Holy Bible printed in Gaelic, as it has been printed in Latin and in English, and in every other language; and alfo, that we have never yet had any account printed of the antiquities of our country, or of our ancestors; for though we have fome accounts of the Gaeil of Scotland and Ireland, contained in manufcripts, and in the genealogies of bards and hiftoriographers, yet there is great labour in writing them over with the hand, whereas the work which is printed, be it ever fo great, is fpeedily finished. And great is the blindness and finful darkness, and ignorance and evil defign of fuch as teach, and write, and cultivate the Gaelic language, • that

.

B

that, with the view of obtaining for themfeives the vain rewards of this world, they are more defirous, and more accustomed to compose vain, tempting, lying worldly hiftories, concerning the Tuae tha de dannan, and concerning warriors and champions, and Fingal the fon of Cumhall, with his heroes, and concerning many others which I will not at prefent enumerate or mention, in order to maintain or reprove, than to write and teach, and maintain the faithful words of God, and of the perfect way of truth.'

But the question remaining for the inquiry of the Committee was the nature of that genuine poetry which the Highlanders used then to repeat and to admire? and how far what, in later times, has been given to the world, correfponds with that genuine ancient poetry? if any, and what additions or alterations have been made? or if a new and more refined poetry, founded on the traditionary materials current over the Highlands, has been fubftituted in the room of the ancient and original compofitions? In pursuing this inquiry, and in laying its refult before the Society, the Committee has thought the most fatisfactory method would be, to give first an account of the collections made by perfons who have fucceffively been engaged in collecting the an cient poetry of the Highlands; and 2dly, of what the Committee itfelf had been able to procure of the fame fpecies of compofition. But before entering into this detailed account, it may be proper for the Committee to premife a few obfervations on the general,