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The first period, concerning this gentleman, is remarkably long; and it contains three very extraordinary assertions. In the beginning, we are told, that he is a man of great modesty and worth in the middle, that he is robbing Mr. Macpherson of his juft right

and in the end, that he is an impoftor. The reader muft renconcile these contradictions in the best manner he can; fince Mr. Shaw has not done it for him.

Mr. Shaw fays, "Mr. Smith tells us the "names and refidence of men in his neighbour "hood, who he has heard, for weeks together; "rehearse ancient poems, many of which were "Offian's; but he has not given us a fingle line of them, as a fact, in his Disfertation:" p. 33. This is another falfehood; for if the reader will examine Mr. Smith's book, he will find fix hundred and forty-eight lines of the original of Offian.

Mr. Shaw proceeds, and asferts, "Nor; were to call upon him (Mr. Smith) to pro"duce the Gaelic of any forty lines in either "Fingal or Temora, he could not produce them;" P. 42. This is a remarkable paragraph. It be

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gins with a fuppofition, which is not just; and concludes with a pofitive assertion, which is not true. To draw final conclufions from conjectural reafons, and tell us, that a thing muft have happened, because it might have happened, is a mode of reafoning, with which logicians are yet unacquainted.

Mr. Shaw knows very well, that proposals have been put up in the Shop of Mr. Charles' Elliot, bookfeller in Edinburgh, eighteen months ago, for publishing the originals of the poems, which Mr. Smith has translated from the Galic. The lift of fubfcribers, though not very numerous, is refpectable. Our Inquirer, however, endeavours to prevent their publication, by an exertion of his ufual ingenuity, telling us, that they are Mr. Smith's own compofition. He has, however, been rather unlucky in the means, he has used to accomplish his ends. His arguments turn directly against himself.

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Our Inquirer informs us, repeatedly, that the most ancient poems, he has met with in the Highlands, are the compofitions of the fifteenth century; that they display no mark of genius; that they are full of enchantment, witchcraft,

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hobgoblins, and fuch other ftuff, as marks a futile and contemptible performance; and that they can bear no translation. We are told, that the originals, which Mr. Smith is going to publifh, must be bad (the reader will furely ftare at the reafon), because they are not com pofed by thofe illiterate bards, whom Mr. Shaw has reprobated through the whole of his pamph let, but by Mr. Smith himfelf, whofe literary merit does honour to an enlightened age. I exaggerate nothing on this point; let Mr. Shaw's words fpeak for themselves.

"All they (the Highlanders) could repeat, was nothing but a few fabulous and marvel"lous verfes or ftories concerning Fiann Mac"Chumhal, alias Fingal, and his Fione,

followers, chacing each other from ifland to "island, ftriding from mountain to mountain, "or croffing a frith at a hop, with the help of "his spear. There was inuch of enchantment, "fairies, goblins, incantation, rhymes, and the "fecond-fight:" P. 57. "Sometimes representing "the heroes as men, at other times as giants; "fometimes probable, and often marvellous; no"ne of which can bear a translation:" P. 49..

After fuch a description of the ancient poetry of the Highlands, one would imagine, that (e) 2

Mr.

Mr. Smith could claim no great fhare of merit, for writing poetry equally good at leaft. But notwithstanding this gentleman's extraordinary talents and extensive learning, Mr. Shaw tells us, he has not been able to accomplish even this. For we are informed, "That, if the two "copies do not fit each other better than the "fpecimens already given, and if the Gaelic poe"try be not better, we fhall be at no lofs to "judge, which is the original; and when it "appears, we fhall not neglect pointing out "the vulgarifins and local phrafeology to the few "of his countrymen, that are judges of the "tongue:" P. 49. "Mr. Smith has not given us "that of the old poet, but thofe he made from "his English original; the local phrafeology, "and the forced ftrain of which, to any dis"cerning reader, points out the impofition:" P. 48.

It would be an infult to the reader's judg ment, to infist any farther on this part of the argument. It is curious to obferve, how our author fometimes ftumbles upon the truth, notwithstanding all his endeavours to avoid it. If Mr. Shaw himself could not carry-on a deception through an eighteen penny pamphlet,

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how

how could the translators from the Gaelic fucceed through volumes, without one flip, which the penetrating eye of criticifin could catch hold of? The purity and elegance of Mr. Smith's translations, will speak to future times, for themselves, in far more favourable terms, than any thing which I can write in their vindication. But, though I admire Mr. Smith's elegant tafte, and refpect his fhining abilities, I am very much of Mr. Shaw's opinion, that he is utterly incapable of compofing any thing equal to the fublime originals, he has translated,

"Then an inge

Our author proceeds "nious apology would have been contrived "the man had died of a fever, or had emigrated "to America. Some fuch misfortune has befal

"len the whole of them; for all the Highlands "have not been able to fhow three lines, ex"cepting thofe Mr. Macpherson translated as a "fpecimen, and which in reality are his own "translations:" P. 42.

Our Inquirer ftill continues to write, what he knows is not true. In about two pages only of his own Analytis (p. 157.) we have the original of Malvina's Dream by Offian, extending (e) 3

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