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

152 REPORT ON THE
Mr Macpherfoii obtained in the form in which he
has given it to the world. The poems and frag-
ments of poems which the Committee has been able
to procure, contain, as will appear from the article
in the Appendix, NO. 15. already mentioned, often
the fubftance, and fometimes almoft the literal ex-
preffion (the ipsissima verhd)^ of paiTages given by
Mr Macpherfon, in the poems of which he has pub-
lifhed the tranflations. But the Committee has not
been able to obtain any one poem the fame in title
and tenor with the poems publifhed by him. It is
inclined to believe that he was in ufe to fupply
chafms, and to give connection, by inferting paf-
fages which he did not find, and to add what he
conceived to be dignity and delicacy to the original
compofition, by ftriking out pafiages, by foftening
incidents, by refining the language, in (hort by
changing what he confidered as too fimple or too
rude for a modern ear, and elevating what in his
opinion was below the ftandard of good poetry.
To what degree, however, he exercifed thefe liber-
ties, it is impofTible for the Committee to determine.
The advantages he poffeifed, which the Committee
began its inquiries too late to enjoy, of collecling^
from the oral recitation of a number of perfons
now no more, a very great number of the fame
poems, on the fame fubjeds, and then collating
thofe different copies or editions, if they may be fo
called, rejeding what was fpurious or corrupted in
one copy, and adopting from another fomething
more genuine and excellent in its place, afforded
him