Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

GAELIC MANUSCRIPTS. 305
lies' Collection (p. 107.) or from the specimen of the ori-
ginal annexed to Dr. Smith's translation of Fraoch.
Q. A poem (p. 85.) whose author is not named, which
represents four wise men as conversing at the grave of
Alexander the Great the day after he was buried, diifers
but in nine words from one of Ronald Mac Donald's Col-
lection (p. 13 3.) printed Edinburgh 1772.
Of the MSS. received from Mr. Mackenzie the oldest is
that which is marked Emanuel^ Mr. Astle having ascer-
tained it to be a writing of the 9th or 1 0th century. * The
following extract from it will not only throw light on the
state of classical learning in Scotland in ancient times, but
show the care with which its langtiage was then cultivated,
and prove how faithfully it has been transmitted in purity,
from age to age, down to the present time.
[Tainig Curio do] reimiugudh agus dard dechsain Ì
tulaigh uraird bui oscind ind longphuirt. Bennt Shlebhe
moir agus garbh all clochda agus caircci cendgarbha imdha
OSS in tulaigh sin. Ba huraibhind iaromh ant Inadh sin
agus badh ingna farcsena is in tir uile e. Ro gabh Curio
ic reaghadh o each carraic dar aile ann co torradh aoen
fher do lucht ni tiri in a dhochum. Saighis Curio coir
comhraidh fair, agus frecrais int oclaoech AfFracda e.
Anbh fhuil senchas nan dind agus na cnocc agus na
cathrach leat ? far Curio. Ata umoro amhail ro fhacsat
tjrn Aithri agus ar sean aithri occaind, far ant oglaoech.
Caidh i ainm na tulcha sa i tam? far Curio, agus ca
hainm na carcisea far ar cul? Carrac Anteuis ainm na
carrci tran ar int oclaoech, agus tulach na gleacea ainm na
iulchasa i tai. Cidh ni da filit na hainmanda sin fbrtho
far Curio. Mur bhadh emilti leatt ro indisfeind duit uili
* Origin and progress of writing, p. 133. and engraved fac slniik, plate 33.
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