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

THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 21
" The Battle of Lora, nearly.
" Dartluda, page 155, pretty well to the end of page
171.
" Temora, much the same, page 172 to the end of
page 190.
" Carric-Thura, page 207, ' Who can reach the source
of thy race, O'Connal,' &c, till you come to the passage
that begins thus — ■' Dire was the clang of their steel.'
" Those that know most about the history of Ossian
and his poems in this country are now no more : for-
merly I might, I daresay, make out a great deal more
among them. At this very day there are many in this
country, who can neither read nor write, that can re-
peat poems composed by Ossian, at least pretty much
in the same strain, which would make a larger volume
if they were all gathered together than that which Mr
Macpherson has given to the public."
The Rev. Donald Macleod, minister of Glenelg, writ-
ing to Dr Blair, of date 26th March 1764, says : *
" It was in my house that Mr Macpherson got the
description of Cuchullin's horses and car in ' Fingal,'
Book I., page 11, from Allan MacCaskle, schoolmaster,
and Bory Macleod, both of this glen. He has not taken
in the whole of the description, and his translation of
it, spirited as far as it goes, falls so far short of the
original in the picture it exhibits of Cuchullin's horses
and car, their harness, trappings, &c, that in none of
his translations is the inequality of Macpherson's genius
to that of Ossian so very conspicuous.
" The Battle of Lena in ' Fingal,' Book IT., is still
* H S. R., App., p. 28.