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

LETTERS TO DR. ELAIR. 29
some old men who value themselves (or ì&Vm^'^z]ned
'to Q-
some of these wafers. The Highlanders, iat thefr^estiv^s
and other public meetings, acted the pfèèms of Os'slan'.
Rude and simple as their manner of acting wa's^^ ' jetanj-
brave or generous action, anj'injury or distreW, ^èihrbitecl
in the representation,, had a sm-prising effect toWa^Ms rais-
ing in them corresponding passions and sentiments.
It was in my house that. Mr Macpherson got the de-
Ecription of CuchuUin's horses arid car, in book rst,p. II,
from Allan Mac Caskie, schoolmaster, and Rory Màc-
ìeod, both of this glen : he has riot taken in the whole of
the description ; and his translation of it, (spirited and
prettj as it appears, as far as it goes,) falls so far short of
the original in the picture it exhibits of CuchuUin's horses
and car, their harness and tràppii>gS, See. thdt in notle of
his translations is the inequality of 'MacpherSon's genius to
tliàt of Ossian so very conspicuous.
The battle _ of Lena, in book 2d, is still preserved by
tradition In tHis' country, but with this variation, that the
proposal of giving up his wife and dog-, in pf. 26, a^' the
only condition on which peace would be granted, H^ft^' made
by Magnus, king of Lochlin,' tò'Fihgal, attd tiot by S^^'a-
ran to Cuchullin. It was a principle with Fingal, frorii
,\ liich he never deviated, not to engage In battle without
fiiSt offering the best terms of peace liis honoW would pèr-
'mit. Agreeably to this principle, he' sent propÒ3als'''''fo
Magnus ; in return to which, 'iMagnus dethanded' his i^lfe
and dog, which Fingal rejecting with indignation, the battle
began.
I have heard the poem, in book 3d, relating Fingal's
voyage to Lochlin, the snares laid for him by Stamo, death
of Agandecca, how for his cruelty and perfidiousness 'he
took immediate revenge on Starno, when,' p. 3S,' he 'cydd
Ills Valiant chiefs, his valiant chiefs took arms.