Ossian Collection > Fingal of Ossian

THE AUTHENTICITY of the EOEMS of OSSIAN. 15
and read a great Part of an ancient Manufcript, once in the
Poffeffion of the Family of Clanronald, and afterwards carried to
Ireland, containing many of thefe Poems j and that he rehearfed
before him feveral Paffages out of Fingal, which agreed exactly
with Mr. Macpberfon% Tranilation ; that Neil Macmurrich,
whofe Predeceffors had for many Generations been Bards to the
Family of Clanronald, declared alfo in his Prefence, that he had
often feen and read the fame old Manufcript ; that he himfelf
gave to Mr. Macpherfon a Manufcript, containing fome of the
Poems which are now tranflated and publiflied ; and rehearfed
before Mr. Macneil, in the Original, the Whole of the Poem
entitled Dar-thula, with very little Variation from the printed
Tranilation. I have received the fame Teftimony concerning
this Poem, Dar-thula, from Mr. Macpherfon, Minifter of Slate;
and in a Letter communicated to me, from Lieutenant Duncan
Macnicol, of the 88th Regiment, informing me of its being re-
cited in the Original, in their Prefence, from Beginning to
End : On which I lay the more Strefs, as any Perfon of Tafte
who turns to that Poem will fee, that it is one of the moft
highly finilhed in the whole Colledlion, and mofl diftinguiflied
for poetical and fentimental Beauties ', infomuch, that whatever
Genius could produce Dar-thula, mufl be judged fully equal to
any Performance contained in Mr. Macpherfon"?, Publication. I
mufl add here, that though they who have compared the Tran-
flation with what they have heard rehearfed of the Original,
beftow high Praifes both upon Mr, Macpherfon^ Genius and his
Fidelity ; yet I find it to be their general Opinion, that in many
Places he has not been able to attain to the Strength and Sub-
limity of the Original which he copied.
I have