J. F. Campbell Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

iO REPORT ON THE
that Noble Lord, at his defire. I believe him a very
good man ; a better man than a politician.
Since writing the above, I have been in company
with Mrs Montague, a lady of great diftinftion in
this place, and a zealous partizan of Offian. I told
her uf your intention, and even ufed the freedom to
read your letter to her. She vi^as extremely pleafed
with your project ; and the rather, as the Due de
Nivernois, fiie faid, had talked to her much on that
fubject lafl winter, and defired, if poflible, to get
colleded fome proofs of the authenticity of thefe
poems, which he propofed to lay before the Aca-
demic de Belle Lettres at Paris. You fee, then,
that you are upon a great flage in this inquiry, and
that many people have their eyes upon you. This
is a new motive for rendering your proofs as com-
plete as poflible. I cannot conceive any objedlion
which a man even of the graveft character could
have to your publication of his letters, which will
only atteft a plain fa6t known to him. Such fcru-
ples, if they occur, you muft endeavovu* to remove ;
for on this trial of yours will the judgment of the
public finally depend.
Lord Bath, who was in the company, agreed
with me, thatfuch documents of authenticity are
entirely neceflary and indifpenfable.
Pleafe to write to me as foon as you make any
-advances, that I may have fomething to fay on this
lubjed to the literati of Paris. I beg my compli-
ments to all thofe who bear that chara<5ter at Edin-
burghf