Ossian Collection > Selections from the Gaelic bards

PREFATORY NOTICE.
Thomas Pattison was a native of Islay. He was designed for
the Church, and after receiving a fair elementary education at
the Parish School of Bowmore, was sent to the University
of Edinburgh, and afterwards to that of Glasgow. In the
latter he completed his studies, and became thereafter a licentiate
of the Church of Scotland. His excellent attainments, enthu-
siasm in various departments of literature, and singular modesty of
character, endeared him to his family and friends; and his death,
at an early age, was profoundly mourned.
The friends of Mr. Pattison, on whom devolved the duty of
ushering these Metrical Translations and other Literary Remains
into the world, are indebted to one who v.'as his early school
companion and dear friend, now a clerg)Tnan of the Church of
Scotland, for the following truthful and eloquent tribute to his
sweet and gentle memory : —
" Without pronouncing an opinion on the merits of this work
as a literary composition, I am disposed to think that those who
are capable of estimating the difficulties that surrounded the task
of which these Translations are the performance, will hail them as
at least a valuable contribution to a branch of study which has
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