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

POEMS OF OSSIAN. 45
ledlng and arranging the poems he afterwards pub-
lifhed, of whom the Committee had an opportunity
of inquiring, was Mr Alexander Morrifon, formerly
captain in a provincial corps of loyalifts in America,
now refiding at Greenock *. This gentleman's very
advanced age may eafily account for his forgetting
minute circumflances in matters of fo old a date ;
but the ardour of his mihd did not feem, in the
communications which the Committee had with him
on the fubjeft, at all abated by his years ; and there
is a warm bluntnefs in the flyle of his declaration,
tranfmitted to the Committee, in anfwer to their
queries about his fliare in Mr Macpherfon's labours,
which the Committee thinks may juftify their giving
it entire in the Appendix, NO. 1 3.
On his arrival at Edinburgh, Mr Macpherfon
communicated to his literary patrons the refult of his
expedition ; and foon after he publifhed one volume
in 4to, containing Fin gal, an epic poem, in fix
books, and fome other detached pieces of a fimilar
kind. Afterwards, in the year 176.5, he publilhed
another epic poem, intitled Temora. Of one of
the books (as he termed the divifions) of this poem,
he annexed the original Gaelic ; of all the reft he
publifhed only tranflations ; but he left at his death
a fum of money, 1000/., for the purpofe of defray-
ing the expence of a publication of the originals of
the
'^ Mr Morrifon died fince this fenteiice was wTÌtten, Febru-
;iry 1805, at the age of 84 or 85.