Ossian Collection > Morison's edition of the Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

APPENDIX. j8l
oHairt=d, Mr MacpheiTon had it in his power to ai'ccrtaini.
in a great meafure, the geniiinr original, to rcllcre the parts
to thtir proper order, and to give the whole to the public
in that degree of corrtdnefs, in which it now appears.
I am alio acquainted, that if inquiries had been made fif-
ty or threefcore years ago, many more particulars concern-
ing thefe poems might have been learned, and many more
living vvitnefles have been produced for attefting their au-
thenticity ; but that the manners of the inhabitants of the
Highland counties have of late undergone a great change.
Agriculture, trades, and manufactures, begin to take place
of hunting, and the fhepherd's life. The introdudion of
the bufy and laborious arts has confiderably abated that
poetical enthuhafm which is better fuited to a vacant and
indolent ftate. The fondnefs of reciting their old poems
decays; the cuftom of teaching them to their children is
fallen into defuetude ; and few are now to be found, except
old men, who can rehearfe from memory any confiderable
parts of them.
For thefe particulars, concerning the ftate of the High-
lands and the tranfmifTion of Offian's poems, I am indebted
to the revertnd and very learned and ingenious Mr John
Macpherfon, miijifter of Slate, in the Ifland of Sky ; and to
the reverend Mr Donald Mai queen, minifter of Kilmair, in
Sky ; Mr Donald Macleod, minifter of Glenelg, in Inver-
refsftire ; Mr Lewis Grant, minifter of Duthel, in Inver-
nefsftiire ; Mr Angus Macneil, minifter of the Ifland of
South Uift ; Mr Meii Macleod, minifter ot Rofs, in the Ifland
of Mull ; and Mr Alexander Macauiay, chaplain to the 88th
regiment.
The honourable Colonel Hugh Mackay of Bighoufe, in
the Shire of SutJierland ; DonaUi Campbell of Airds, in Ar-
gylefliirc, Efq ; jEneas Mackintofti of Mackintofh, in Jn-
vernefsfliire, Efq ; and Ronald Macdonell of Keappoch, in
Lochaber, Efq ; captain in the 87th regiment commanded
by Colonel Frafer, all concur in teftifying that Mr Macpher-
fon's collection confifts of genuine Highland potm.s; known
to them to be fuch, both from the general report of the
country where they live, and from their own remembrance
of the originals. Colonel Mackay aflerts very pofitively,
upon peifonal knowledge, that many of the poems publi{h-
ed by Mr Macpherfon are true and faithful tranflations.
Mr Campbell declares that he has heard many of them, and
Captain Macdonell that he has heard parts of every one of
them, recited in the original language.
James. Grant of Rothiemurchus, Efq; and Alexander
Grant