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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Tiiestj things (and. a .thousand other arguments that
uiij^fct be adduced,^ ]3rove ^ncont^tibly that Osslan Kve^ ;
that ^t *3ung *at "ri very earfy pferioS ;"' 'tliftt rpa!\y of ]Ù8
best poertis J^e;.still preserved; and that. no ©■ther bard has
ever beeu compared with him by his counlrymen.
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Writtex at Tigheary, in North Uist, on tlie lAh of'
AiT^u?t, isqo^'by Mx E4mund Ma^ i)^§£n> Minis-
ter of the Gospel at Barra, as spoken in Gaelic by
Hugh Macdonald. It was read aloiyi^- wdirc^*f0r
word, at the house of Mr Mac Lean of Boreray, in
presence of that gentleman ; of Major Alexander
Macdonald of Valay ; of Captain Ewen Macdon-
ald of Griminish ; of Mr James Mac Qiieen, Mis-
sionary Minister, in Harris ; and of Mr Roderick
Mac Neil, younger of St Kilda : All of whom
declared, that, although what was spoken by'Hugl»
Macdonald, and thus written by^ Mr Mac Queen,
is perfectly just and satisfactory, with regard to the
authenticity of Ossian's poems ; yet, infinitely
more might be adduced to prove, that Ossian lived
in times far beyond our modern period, and that
Ills works secure to him exclusively the rank of
'he Chief of Caledonian Bards. '