Ossian Collection > Notes on the authenticity of Ossian's poems

NOTES
AUTHENTICITY OF OSSIAN'S POEMS.
The publication of the Dean of Lismore's book has
thrown additional light on the Ossianic controversy,
and added fresh proofs of the authenticity of these
poems. This manuscript, which is in the form of a
quarto volume of some 311 pages, was written in the
Gaelic language by the Dean of Lismore and his bro-
ther, betwixt 1512 and 1529, and contains upwards of
11,000 lines of Gaelic poetry, composed at different
periods, 2500 of which are Ossianic. The latter are
contained in 28 poems, 9 of which are directly attri-
buted to Ossian, the others to different bards of the
Feine. It forms one of the 65 Gaelic MSS. now col-
lected in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at
Edinburgh, through the instrumentality of Mr Skene.
The contents of this volume, though alluded to in
Eeport of the Highland Society's Committee, were un-
known to the public, and would have probably remained
so, had it not been for the perseverance and industry of
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