Ossian Collection > Ossianic controversy

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the poems not been collected before the end ot' last century
they would have been entirely lost to the literary world.
After the Eebellion of 1745 the old system of clanship was
broken up — the people oppressed by tyrannical laws, and the
growing rapacity of landlords, lost their chivalry and their
poetry. It must also be remembered that, through the energy
and zeal of Sir John Sinclair, Bart., and the kindness of Doctor
Cameron, Catholic Bishop of Edinburgh, we have obtained
sufficient evidence to show that a collection of Ossianic poems
had been made by the Bev. John Farquharson, a Jesuit, in the
year 1745, while residing at Strathglass. In 1706 Mr Far-
qnharson was Prefect of Studies at the Scots College, Douay,
when he received a copy of Macpherson's translation. In
presence of the Bev. James Macgilvray, and others, Farqnhar-
son's manuscripts were compared with the translation, when
Mr Farquharson declared that he hacl all these pocms in his
collection. Unhappily his collection was lost — the leaves being
torn and used by the students to kindle their fires.
Who, then, composed these poems ì By some it has been
said that they are of' Irish origin. When the works oi'
Ossian were given out to the world, some of the Irish
Celts cried out, these are the poems of our country. It'
so, where did Maepherson find them? We have sufficient
evidence that he travelled through the Highlands in search
of poetrv, but we have no evidence to show that lie ever
put a foot upon the Emerald Isle. We have the positive
testimony of several credible and respectable witnesses, that ]ie
had received from them and their friends some Gaelic MS8.,
and poetical pieces handed down orally ; but we have no
reason to suppose that ]ie ever received MSS. from Ireland.
From Ireland's proximitv to tlie Western Highlands — from the
friendly intercourse existing between thelrisli and Seotch Celts,