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

POEMS OF 0S6IAN. 23
of making any tranflations of them into Englifli.
TLe firft who feems to have conceived fuch an idea
was a young man, to whom the Gaelic was an ac-
quired language, (who, from that very circumftance,
perhaps prized more what compofitions he found
in it), Jerome Stone of Dunkeld, who if appears
had been at pains to colled: feveral of the ancient
poems of the Highlands, of one of which, as a
fpecimen, he publiflied a tranflation in rhyme, in
the Scots N[agazine^ then the only periodical pub-
lication in Scotland, for the month of January
1756, along with a fliort letter, addrefled to the
editor of the Magazine, which fnfficiently indicates
his opinion of the poetical merit of thofe poems.
Stone, then only 20 or 21, in an obfcure fituation,
and with few opportunities of cultivating his native
genius or talents, could not be fuppofed capable of
giving a very happy or imprefiive tranflation of Gae-
hc poetry, efpeciaily when fettered with rhyme,
which, even in the abl.eil hands, and thofe moft ac-
cufhomed to the conftru6:ion of Englifh verfe, af-
fords always an unfaithful, and generally an imper-
fe^ tranfcript of ancient poetry. His place of refi-
dence too, was unfavourable, either to the acquire-
ment of pure Gaelic, or the collection of the befl
copies of the ancient poetry of the Highlands*
B4 It
Without ent^erlng, however, into the difpute as to Fingal's ori-
gin or kingdom, the Committee may here obferve, that Scotland
and Ireland had anciently fuch conftant communication and inter-
courfe, as to be confidered almoft one country ; and theh- poetir
eal language is nearly, or rather altogether the fdnie.