Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

THE AUTHENTICITY of the POEMS of OSSIAN. 17
the Story, he did not remember the Words of the Original ; in
other Places, he remembered and repeated the Galic Lines them-
felves, which, being interpreted to m.e by Mr. Macaulay, were
found, upon Comparifon, to agree often literally with the
printed Verfion, and fometimes with flight Variations of a Word
or an Epithet. This Teftimony carried to me, and muA have
carried to any other who had been prefent, the higheft Con-
vidion ; being precifely a Teftimony of that Nature, which an
Englipman well acquainted with Milton, or any favourite Au-
thor, would give to a Foreigner, who fhewed him a Verfion of
this Author in his own Language, and wanted to be Satisfied,
from what the Englijlmian could recolleil of the Original, whe-
ther it was really a Tranflation of Paradife Loji, or a fpurious
Work under that Title which had been put into his Hands.
The above mentioned Mr. Alexander Macaulay; Mr. Adam
Fergtifon, ProfefTor of Moral Philofophy; and Mr. Alexander
Frafer, Governor to Francis Stuart, Efq. inform me, that at
feveral different Times they were with Mr. Macpberfon, after
he had returned from his Journey through the Highlands, and
whilft he was employed in the Work of Tranflating ; that they
looked into his Manufcripts, feveral of which had the Appear-
ance of being old ; that they were fully fatisfied of their being
genuine Highland Poems ; that they compared the Tranflation
in many Places with the Original; and they atteft it to be very
juft and faithful, and remarkably literal.
It has been thought worth while to beftow this Attention on
eftabliihing the Authenticity of the Works of Ojjian, now in
Poffeflion