Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

PREFACE. XXV
of the prefent time can be fuppofed to poflefs.
The two firfl are only remarkable for their
confufed manner of compiling the indigefted
fables of bards and iileas j and the latter has
fcarcely any thing to recommend him but
the elegance of his didion.
In vain has Mr. O Connor endeavoured to
cftabliih an aboriginal knowledge of letters
in Ireland. Innes had previoufly deftroyed
the credit of that fyftem, and Dr. Macpher-
fon has thrown it down for ever. From an
additional dilTertation publKhed lately by
Mr. O Connor, he feems to have been ex-
tremely gauled by fome obfervations made
by the tranflator of the works of Offian on
the ancient hiflory and poems of Ireland.
If a judgment can be formed from O Con-
nor's intemperate rage, he feels very fore on
that fubjed. His perfonal abufe of Mr.
Macpherfon feems to have proceeded from
a very irafcible difpofition, or was intended
to drav/ an anfwer from that gentleman,
v/hich might give importance to his own
work. In this, it is to be feared, he wall
not fuccecd. The tranflator of the Galic
poems is not much in the humour of doing
an honour of that kind to adverfaries who
ufe low fcurrility in the place of argument
and difpalTionate difquifition,
Doctor