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

24 THE AUTHENTICITY OF
same passage in the arrival of Swarran and the single
combat with Cuthullin in Macpherson's translation of
' FingaU
" The few words I can recall are, first, in relation to
the hosts engaged —
" ' Iomma colan, iomma skia,
Iomina tria is lurigh gharibh;'
and in relation to the chiefs who grappled, and in
whose struggle —
" ' Bha cloghin agus talamh trom
Moscle fo bhonn an cos.'
" I have at different times heard other scraps or frag-
ments repeated, but the principal use I made of them
was to tell my friend and companion at college, Mr
John Home, that there were such relics of ancient
poetry in the Highlands, and ivhich led him to the
inquiries ivhich produced Mr Macpherson's commu-
nications."
The Rev. Mr M'Diarmid of Weem, in his letter to
Mr Mackenzie, of date 9th April 1801, enclosing copy
of Ossian's Address to the Sun, says : *
" As I have not a copy of Mr Macpherson's transla-
tion by me I could not compare it with the original,
nor point out wherein he has departed from it. Mr
Mackenzie will easily see that by comparing his transla-
tion with mine. I got the copy of these poems about
thirty years ago from an old man in Glenlyon. I took
it and several fragments, now, I fear, irrecoverably lost,
* H. S. R., i). 71.