A N

ANSWER

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TO

MR. SHAW'S INQUIRY.

M

ed.

R. WILLIAM SHAW, author of the "In"quiry into the Authenticity of the "Poems afcribed to Offian," is a native of the ifle of Arran, where a dialect of the Gaelic tongue is ufed, fo corrupt in the words, and fo vicious in the pronunciation, as to be almost unintelligible in the other Western Islands and oppofite continent of the Highlands, where the language is spoken with elegance and purity. Having obtained the common education given to perfons 'intended for being minifters of the church of Scotland, he was admitted a clergyman in that church; and because he had no immediate chance of a living in it, he went to London, where he was employed for fome time by a merchant, a native of Scotland, in the tuition of his children. During the time Mr. Shaw was thus employed, he turned his thoughts

thoughts to the making fome figure in Gaelic literature, as the means of recommending himfelf to the patronage of fome of his countrymen, who had ecclefiaftical preferments in the Highlands to beftow,, He, accordingly published proposals for printing by fubfeription, a Grammar of the Gaelic language; and, through the fupport of fame gentlemen, natives of the High lands, refident in London, obtained a confiderable number of fubfcribers. This circumftance encouraged him to propofe to write a Dictiona ry of the Gaelic; a work much wanted, and defired, by the adinirers of that ancient tongue

But when the grammar, written by Mr. Shaw, made its appearance in public, it was foon perceived, that, from his ignorance in the first principles of the language, nothing was to be exfpected from a dictionary compofed by fuch unfkilful hands. His Highland patrons in London became, therefore, indifferent about the propofed work, and the fubfcription for the dictionary went on very languidly and coldly. Mr. Shaw, however, having left the fervice, in which he was employed in England, refolved to make a tour through the Highlands of Scot land, to obtain fubfcribers. Unluckily for his

project

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(5)

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project, the reputation of his grainmar had run before his application for patronage to his dictionary; and the former was by no means calculated to procure encouragement to the latter. Befides, the manners of the man were not fuch, as were requifite to gain the friendship or esteem of thofe to whom he applied; he therefore met with very little fuccefs in his journey. His profeffed defign to refcue, 'what he called the dying language of his country, recommended him, however, to a nobleman in the North, fo far as to obtain from him the presentation to living in the Highlands, of about 501. yearly value.

Mr. Shaw having entered on the functions of his ministry, foon found that he was by no means agreeable to his parishioners. His forward manner, and uncouth addrefs, gave disguft to many; whilft the provinciality of his dialect rendered his discourfes almoft unintelligible to all. Under fuch circumftances, it is natural to fuppofe, he foon became tired of his new preferment; and he returned to London, where he refumed the plan of his dictionary, which he had in a manner laid afide, on account of the

very little encouragement, he received for the

profecution of his defign. He applied to the Highland-Society in London, for their fupport; which they collectively refused, both from their opinion of Mr. Shaw's want of abilities and knowledge for fuch a work, and that fome gent lemen of talents in Scotland had undertaken to write a dictionary of the Gaelic, that would merit, in every way, their patronage. Some individuals, however, gave their names to Mr. Shaw, which enabled him to print a book, which he called a Galic dictionary.

When the book, under the name of the Galic dictionary, was publifhed, it evidently appeared, that the distrust, generally entertained of Mr. Shaw's abilities and knowledge, was perfectly well-founded. Inftead of adhering to the dialect spoken in the Highlands of Scotland, he had thrown into his work all the words he could collect from vocabularies of the different dialects of the Celtic, particularly that which is ufed in Ireland. To give an appearance of novelty to his book, he feems to have coined many words, to be met with in no dialect whatsoever of any language either ancient of modern. Upon the whole, there perhaps never appeared a work fo unworthy of, or fo unlike,

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its title; for there are whole pages of Mr. Shaw's dictionary, which do not contain three words any wife fimilar to the Scotch Gaelic. The impofition, in fhort, was fo glaring and impudent, that, the author fell at once under the contempt and ridicule of every man converfant in the Gaelic, who was at the trouble of examining his book.

Disappointment and refentment operated ve ry powerfully on Mr. Shaw's mind. His hopes of patronage in Scotland had been exftinguished. He had quarrelled with his parishioners; and a living of fifty pounds a-year was not fufficient to gratify his ambition and pride. He therefore refolved to quit the church of Scotland entirely, and to take orders in that of England. As he had failed in his attempt to flatter Scotch vanity, he refolved to convert English prejudice to his own advantage, by unfaying and unwrit ing, what he had faid and written in favour of the ancient poetry and language of his native country.

The colouring of the above picture of Mr. Shaw is neither overcharged, nor are the featu

res