Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

304 ACCOUNT OF
part of a poem on the death of Oscar. So that, notwith-
standing our MS. ascribes it to Fergus, it should seem to
have been generally considered as a genuine composition of
Ossian, in which Fergus was introduced as reporting the
disastrous issue of Cath Ghabhra to Fingal, in the poem
which relates the cause, and consequences of the death of
Oscar.
5. A poem by Allan Mac Rorie on the subject of Diar-
mad's death, corresponds in a great measure with one taken
down from oral recital in Sutherland, and another in Ha ;
the first communicated by General Mackay, and the second
by Robert Campbell Esq. advocate. But both the oral
editions are imperfect in their contents, and irregular in
their arrangement, and the Ila one has an interpolation of
Cuach Fhirm, which is sometimes found engrafted on the
genuine Diarmad of Ossian.
6. Another by the same on the subject of Oscar's death,
agrees, with some variation in words and arrangement,
with one transmitted by Mr. M'Lagan from oral recital, in
as far as this last extends, which is little more than half the
length of our MS. edition.
7. A poem (p. 236) on the death of Conloch, by Gille-
callum mac yn ollaig', that is, Gilcolm, or Malcolm, the
son of the physician, agrees very much with one got from
Ila as above, and with another published by Miss Brooke*.
The Ila copy begins in the same way as our MS.
one. In Miss Brooke's, the first eight verses of the
former, and the first twelve of the latter, are wanting —
The whole three vary in the order ; and both Miss Brooke's
and the Ila edition are continued beyond the conclusion of
the MS. one.
8. A poem (p. 301) on the death of Fraoch by a lady
of the name of Mackeich, differs very little from Mr. Jerom
Stone's edition inserted above, and still less from Mr. Gil»
* Rellqucs of Irish Poetry, p. »65,— -268.