the kingdom. It is well known, that the southeastern coasts of Scotland, and the islands of Orkney and Shetland, are in general inhabited by a race of people originally different from the Gael. Their descendants were thence inclined to take up with peculiar eagerness, whatever could tend to depreciate, or to throw a slur, upon the genius and talents of those, who inhabited the western and more mountainous districts. It was impossible for them, therefore, to admit, that the generous and noble sentiments, with which the poems of Ossian abound, could exist in the compositions of a savage race, incapable, as they considered them, of civilization or industry.

The means, adopted by those who wished to prove the authenticity of these poems, were defective. The manuscripts, produced by Macpherson, do not appear to have been examined by impartial persons competent to the task; nor were copies of such manuscripts taken, nor literal translations of them made, as ought to have been the case. No enquiry was set on foot for the discovery of other manuscripts, though it evidently appears that several were then in existence, which are now lost.* No distinct account was obtained from

* See Lord Bannatyne's letter, Report of the Highland Society, Appendix, p. 280. The MS. at Douay, to be afterwards mentioned, (section 5), might certainly have been preserved by an earlier search.

Macpherson of the persons from whom he had collected the poems, that other copies of them might be got from the same individuals; and though the superior advantage of sending a poetical missionary, was clearly proved in the case of Macpherson, yet the same plan, however successful, was not again resorted to, and the doubtful effect of general correspondence was unfortunately relied on.

In the last place, the conduct of Macpherson himself, tended to render the subject of authenticity doubtful and mysterious. At first he seemed to have had no other object in view but to be considered as the mere translator; but when the reputation of the poems was fully established, he felt no objection to be considered as capable of composing such works himself, or at least of being able to improve them. Elevated, by his connection with Gaelic poetry, to a respectable rank, both in literature and in society, his pride made him wish to believe, that he owed that elevation, more to his own talents, than to the genius of an old bard, whom he had rescued from oblivion. But notwithstanding every motive which pride or vanity could furnish, a conscientious regard to truth, induced him at last to leave behind him the original Gaelic poetry, expressly for the purpose of being published, though, by destroying it, his claims to be considered as the real author,

would have received such additional confirmation, that it would have been extremely difficult indeed, at the present moment, to have refuted . them.

That this observation is well founded, appears from the following circumstance.

*

Under all the disadvantages of a lapse of many years, a most respectable public institution, The Highland Society of Scotland, took up the investigation into the authenticity of Ossian, and employed some of its ablest members to conduct it. The exertions they made were of a very extensive nature, prosecuted for several years, and carried on with zeal and activity. The result of the whole enquiry, after due examination, was drawn up by an author distinguished for his literary acquirements; and published in a Report, which has made a very deep impression upon the minds of those who have examined it with attention. On the subject of that Report, it is only necessary to add, that the evidence therein brought forward, joined to the proofs which had been formerly adduced, (both of which it is now intended briefly to detail), seems to have left the question in that state, that the publication of the original, and the internal evidence which it contains, cannot fail to produce a most decisive conviction, in the mind of every impartial man, in favour of the authen

* Henry Mackenzie, Esq.

ticity of the poems. That conviction also must be greatly strengthened, by the new, and most satisfactory proofs, which will be brought forward in the course of this Dissertation.

We shall now proceed briefly to state, that train or deduction of evidence already alluded to, which tends so strongly to prove the authenticity of these poems, independently of the Gaelic originals being herewith published.

§ I.

That the Celtic Tribes in general were addicted to Poetry, and accustomed to preserve in Verse, whatever they considered to be peculiarly entitled

to remembrance.

It is a fact hardly to be questioned, that the greater part of Europe was anciently inhabited by tribes of Celts. They were principally to be found in Germany, France, Spain, and Great Britain, but they were also to be traced in Greece, Illyria, and Italy.* Descended from the same origin, they resemble each other in various particulars; more especially in their manners, in their language, in their mode of living, in their form

* Pelloutier, Hist. des Celtes, 2 vol. 4to. edit. 1771, vol. 1. p. 12 and 115.

of government, and, above all, in their turn for poetry. Despising letters, as unworthy the attention of a warlike race, they had no other means of preserving their laws, the precepts of their religion, or the historical annals of their country, but by memory; and being under the necessity of learning all those particulars by heart, hence they endeavoured to render the task less irksome, by composing in verse, whatever was deemed peculiarly entitled to be remembered.*

The poets who composed those verses, and by whom they were principally preserved in remembrance, were distinguished by the name of BARDS; which in the Celtic language, implied a poet, a singer, and a musician; for the same person often sung his own verses, and accompanied them by the harp. It is certain that the antient Celts had a great number of those poems; and that the Druids, to whom the education of youth was intrusted, sometimes devoted even twenty years to the learning of verses, many of which were asserted to be of great antiquity, at a period which we consider to be remote:

* Pelloutier, vol. I. p. 184.

+ lb. p. 184.

and,

Ib. p. 188. It is not impossible, as a noble personage, distinguished by his knowledge in such discussions, (the Earl of Moira), very ingeniously remarked, that Ossian might have derived his taste for poetry, from those more ancient bards; and