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

28 LETTERS TO B?... BLAIR.
9. From Mr Bcnald Macleod, Mlaisler of Glenelg,
dated Glenelg^ 26th March 176^'..
Sir,
Somelinie before I was favoured with yours
of xNovcmber last, witi' regard to the authenticity of Os-
sian's poems. I had a letter from Mr Alexander Mac Au-
laj, the Highland chaplain, upon the same subject. 1
then at his desire, set about examining the original poems,
and the traditionary stories of Fingal and his host ; and got
all within my reach who preserved on memory any part of
either. This I found a work of some time and labour, but
could not without it answer your querie,^.
There are many poems ascribed to Ossian, more than
Mr Macpherson has translated; many of which, I dare
say, he never heard ; and of these not a few (in my
humble opinion) of as much poetical merit as any he has
inserted. Macpherson took too little time in the Highlands
and Western Isles to be able to have collected the whole of
them ; for, as the works of Ossian are dispersed all over
the Highlands, there is not a clan, through whose lands
you travel, but you will find some one of these poems
among them, which is not to be met with any where else.
The traditionary history of Fingal, though much intermix-
ed with fable, throws a good deal additional light upon the
customs and manners of those remote times. The old High-
landers commonly entertained one another with the repeti-
tion of these poems, and diverted the tediousness of the
winternights. When they met to watch the dead corpse of
their friends, they spent a considerable part of the night in
repeating the poems, and talking of the times of Fingal.
They often laid wagers on such occasions, who should re-
peat most of the poems ; and to have a store of them on
memory, was reputed not a despicable acquisition. I know