Ossian Collection > Ossianic controversy

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and the one was not to encroach upon fche prerogatives of fche
others. It is not improbable that fch'e Bards were prohibited
by law from mixing up the mysteries of religion with the
secular themes of thcir songs ; and even granting, as is by
most writers supposed, that before Ossian's time fche Druidical
hierarchy had been abolished, may we not suppose that by fche
force of custoni tlie Bard wonld have been restrained from
making any allusion to religion ?
VI. It has been said, it' fche poems, of which Macpherson
pretended fco have given a translation, did really exist, how does
it happen that they conkl not afterwards be found aniong tlie
Highlanders ? Snrely Macpherson did not gather np all fche
nianuscripts available at tlie tiine; and even, supposing lie did,
poems that for ages had been preserved by oral tradition would
still survive in the memories of those who were in the habit of
reciting tliem. That such poems did exist in Macpherson's day
is proved by his own confession, the testimony of soine of those
from whom pieces were received, and the evidence of the Rev.
Andrew Gallie, Badenoch, and Mr Macpherson, Strathmashie,
who had seen them in his possession, and assisted liim in col-
lating the various editions, and in translàting the niost dirhcult
passages. But it is rather unfortunate that the Highland
Society Committee, after the strictest inquiry, were obliged fco
confess that thongh they had discovered pieces in snbstance
and expression the same as those translated by Macphersou,
yet they could not say they had fouad any one poem throughout
exactly thesame in title ot tenor. This is perhaps the strongesl
argument against the anthenticity of the Ossianic poetry. It
is, however, to be remembered that the Committee had nol
begun their search till after the lapse of forty years, during
which period fchfe conditiou of the Highlanders had undergone
;> vmy considerable change. Indeed the probabiMty is thathad