Ossian Collection > Galic antiquities

126 A DISSERTATION ON THE
there is no reafoning with fuch, we fhall now take leave of them,
perfuaded they can do the Celtic bard no real prejudice. We con-
fider him in the light of that good-natured Indian king, who de-
fired his fervants, when they were driving away the flies that buz-
zed about his ears, to let them alone : as they were but creatures
of a day, it was cruel, he faid, to deny them their fhort paftime ;
adding, that if they amufed themfelves, they gave little concern to
to him, fince he knew their fate would foon rid him of their
trouble.
Having faid fo much for the authenticity of the poems tranf-
lated by Mr Macpherfon, it may be proper now to give fome account
of the few that follow. Early ftruck with the beauty of fome of
them in the original, and finding that they had efcaped the inqui-
ries of the able and ingenious tranflator of Oman, whofe refearches
were chiefly confined to the more northern parts of the High-
lands, I began to collect them for my own amufement. Beyond
this I had no further view, till the tranflation of two fhort frag-
ments, at the defire of fome gentlemen who compofed a Galic fo-
eiety in Glafgow, were given to the Meflrs Foulis of that place,
and printed by them about ten years ago, accompanied with a re-
commendation to the tranflator to purfue the inquiry. A few
other pieces of them happened to fall into the hands of a lady of
diftinguiihed tafte, who Ihewed them, partly in the tranflation, and
partly in the original, to feveral judges of poetry in both the lan-
guages, who wifhed to preferve as many as could be got of them
from finking into oblivion. — By thefe circumflances, in a great
meafure