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

26 REPORT ON THE
poetry of the Highlands, in concert with another
gentleman of equal knowledge in their language,
and with ftill better opportunities, from his fitua-
tion, of colleding the beft that remained. Mr Pope'^
own account of this propofed undertaking will be
found in a letter to Dr Blair, contained in the Ap-
pendix, No. 3.
The next collector of Gaelic poetry, in order of
time, was the celebrated James Macpherfon, whofe
tranllations firft attracted, in any eminent degree,
the notice of the literary world to that fpecies of
.compofition.
Of the manner in which Mr Macpherfon was
firft induced to tranflate fragments of ancient Gaelic
poetry, and then to colle6t and publifh the greater
poems, of which fo many editions have been fmce
given to the world, the Committee has obtained an
account * from the following gentlemen, well ac-
quainted with the circumftances, the authority of
whofe relation will readily be acknowledged by the
public.
The Reverend Dr Blair,
t Dr Adam Fergufon,
The Reverend Dr Carlifle, and
Mr Home, author of Douglas.
The
* See Appendix, No. 3.
f *Dr Fergufon's letter, befides the account of Mr Macpber-
fon, contains the opinion which his own experience had led him
to ibrm on the bufinefs of the Committee.