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

24 REPORT ON THE
It was unlucky that Stone did not think of giv-
ing his originals to the public ; but Mr Chalmers
of London, whofe diligence and acutenefs as an
antiquarian are fufficiently known, happened to pur-
chafe at a fale a parcel of books and writings which
once belonged to Jerome Stone. Part of thofe
MSS. appears to confift of c opies of iome oi the
'origina l Highland poetry w hich Sto ne had col-
leded ; and Mr Chalmers 'havmg, with his accuf-
" tomed liberality and zeal to promote literary inqui-
ry, communicated them to this Committee, the ori-
ginal of Stone's tranfiation, along with the tranfla-
tion itfelf, are given in the Appendix, NO. 7 ;'' 6uf
his letter to the editor of the Magazine, which the
Committee confiders as one of uncommon excel-
lence, when the period of its being written is con-
fidered, the Committee takes the liberty of fubjoin-
ing here»
TO THE AUTHOR Oi? THE SCOTS MAGAZINE.
Sir, Dimkeld, Nov. I5th, 1755.
Thofc who have any tolerable acquaintanfe
with tlie jriih language mufl know that there are a
gi'eat number of poetical compofiticns in it. and
Ibme of them of very great antiquity, whofe merit
entitles them to an exemption from the unfortunate
negleci:, or rather abhorrence, to which ignorance
has fubje6:ed that emphatic language in which they
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