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

T.ETTER3 TO DR. BLAIR. 23
8. From Mr Alexander Mac Aulay, ciatcd Ediiihiirgh^
2dÙì January ITO-l.
Rev. Sir,
I \\'rote, as you desired me, to Lieut.
Duncan Mac Nicely ,of the late 88th Regiment ; I received
his answer, and now send you as much of it as relates to
the subject of your present enq^uiry.
" I was from home when yours of the 17th ultimo
came to this place, (Sockroek in Glenurchy) ; but since
my return, I have been at some pains in examining severa]s
in this country about Ossian's poems, and have found out
as follows : Fingal, b. iii. p. 45. " Oscar I was youn<T
" like thee, when lovely Faineasollis, " &.c. tp the end
of the 3d book. Fing. b. iv. p. 50-r— " Eight were the
" heroes of Ossian, " &:c. mostly word for word to p. 58,
or the end of the 4th book. The story of Orla, in the
beginning of the 5th book to p. 71. " Then Gaul and
** Ossian sat on the green banks of Lubar " ; the battle of
Lora mostly ; Darthula, p. 155,, pretty well to the end of
p. 171 ; Temora, much the same, p. 172 to the end of
p. 190 ; Caric-Thura, p. '207, " "Who can reach the
*' source of thy race, O Connal 1 " Sec. till you come to
the passage that begins thus, " Dire -yvas the clang of their
" steel. "
" Those that know most' about the history of Ossian and
his poems in this country, are now «o more ;, formerly I
might,""! dare say, make out a great deal more among
them. At this very day there are many in this country^
who can neither read nor write, that can repeat poems com-
posed by Ossian, at least pretty much in the same strain,
which would make a larger volume, if they were all ga-
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