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
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po::ms of ossian. 25
"cvere compofed. Several of thefe performances are
to be met witli, which, for fublimity of fentiment,
nervoufnefs of expreffion, and high fpirited meta-
phor, are hardly to be equalled among the chief
productions of the mofl cultivated nations. Others
of them breathe fuch tendenicfs and fimplicity, as
mull be afFeding to every mind that is in the leafl
tinctured with the fofter paillons of pity and huma-
nity. Of this kind is the poem of which I here fend
you a tranflation. Your learned readers will eafily
difcover the conformity there is betv/ixt the tale up-
on which it is built, and the (lory of Bellerophon,
as related by Homej ; while it will be no fmall gra-
tification to the curiofity of fome, to fee the differ-
ent manner in which a fubjed of the fame ^lature is
handled by the great father of poetry and a High-
land bard. It is hoped the i.mcommon turn of fe-
veral exprefiions, and the feeming extravagance
there is in fome of the comparifons I have preferved
in the tranflation, will give no offence to fuch per-.
fons as can f(irm a jufl notion of thofe compofitions,
which are the productions of fimple and unaffifted
genius, in which energy is always niore fought after
than neatnefs, and the ftrictnefs of connexion lefs
adverted to than the defign of moving the pafTions
and affecting the heart. I am, &c.
About the fame time Mr Pope^ miniftcr of Reay
in Caithncfs, well known for his abilities as a fcho-
lar, and his great: knowledge of the Gaelic language,
had thoufrhts of makinjj a colleftion of the ancient
o o
poetry
"cvere compofed. Several of thefe performances are
to be met witli, which, for fublimity of fentiment,
nervoufnefs of expreffion, and high fpirited meta-
phor, are hardly to be equalled among the chief
productions of the mofl cultivated nations. Others
of them breathe fuch tendenicfs and fimplicity, as
mull be afFeding to every mind that is in the leafl
tinctured with the fofter paillons of pity and huma-
nity. Of this kind is the poem of which I here fend
you a tranflation. Your learned readers will eafily
difcover the conformity there is betv/ixt the tale up-
on which it is built, and the (lory of Bellerophon,
as related by Homej ; while it will be no fmall gra-
tification to the curiofity of fome, to fee the differ-
ent manner in which a fubjed of the fame ^lature is
handled by the great father of poetry and a High-
land bard. It is hoped the i.mcommon turn of fe-
veral exprefiions, and the feeming extravagance
there is in fome of the comparifons I have preferved
in the tranflation, will give no offence to fuch per-.
fons as can f(irm a jufl notion of thofe compofitions,
which are the productions of fimple and unaffifted
genius, in which energy is always niore fought after
than neatnefs, and the ftrictnefs of connexion lefs
adverted to than the defign of moving the pafTions
and affecting the heart. I am, &c.
About the fame time Mr Pope^ miniftcr of Reay
in Caithncfs, well known for his abilities as a fcho-
lar, and his great: knowledge of the Gaelic language,
had thoufrhts of makinjj a colleftion of the ancient
o o
poetry
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/81742865 |
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| Description | Drawn up, according to the directions of the Committee, by Henry Mackenzie ... ; with a copious appendix, containing some of the principal documents on which the report is founded. |
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| Shelfmark | Cam.1.d.31 |
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| Description | Volumes from a collection of 610 books rich in Highland folklore, Ossianic literature and other Celtic subjects. Many of the books annotated by John Francis Campbell of Islay, who assembled the collection. |
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| Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
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