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

58 LETTERS TO MR. MACKENZIE, 'iSci
Preface which is prefixed to them, in consequence of the
conversations I had held with Mr Macpherson.
The Fragments, when published, drew much attention ,
and excited, among all persons of taste and letters, an ear-
nest desire to recover, if possible, all those considerable
remains of Gaelic poetry which were said stiU to exist in,
the Highlands.. When Mr Macpherson was spoken to on
the subject, and urged by several persons to undertake the
search, he showed extreme unwillingness to engage in it ;
representing both his diilldence of success and of public
approbation, and the difficulty and expensiveness of such a
search as was requisite through the remote Highlands. At
length, to encourage him to undertake it, a meeting was
brought together at a dinner, to which Mr Macpherson
was invited, and which I had a chief hand in convocating,
of many of the first persons of rank and taste in Edinburgh.
The late Patrick Lord Elibank took a great lead at that
meeting, together with Dr Robertson, Mr John Home, Sir
Adam Fergusson, and many others whom I have now
forgotten, who were all very zealous for forwarding the
discovery proposed ; and after much conversation with Mr
Macpherson, it was agreed, that he should disengage him-
self from all other employment, and set out without delay
on this poetical mission throughout the Highlands ; and as
his circumstances did not admit of his engaging in this at
his own expence, that the whole expence he might under-
go was to be defrayed by a collection raised from this meet-
ing, with the aid of such other friends as we might chuse
to apply to for that purpose ; and we, in effect^ engaged for
his future success. Mr Robert Chalmers, if I remember
right, was the person who undertook to collect the money,
and to act as our treasurer. I remember well, that when
the company were about to break up, and I was going a-
way, Mr Macpherson followed me to the door, and told
me that from the spirit of that meeting, he now for the