J. F. Campbell Collection > Original collection of the poems of Ossian, Orrann, Ulin, and other bards, who flourished in the same age

PREFACE. hxt
pnems, they have been challenged, with all the ex-
tiltation of superior virtue, and conscious truth to
this discussion. Poor Pinkerton exhibited, in his
hideous aspect, all that rancour could invent, or
vulgarity and audacity could utter: he polluted
the annals of history with such detestable false-
hoods, in what he advanced concerning Ossian and
Caledonia, some passages of which were sufficient
to excite aversion in a kraal of Hottentots. In the
performance of his part, he resembles some stupid
hijudicious actor, to whom a piece of low humour
is assigned, which he so abominably out-herods,
as to become intolerable even to the upper galleries,
by whom he is pelted off the stage, amidst the
groans and hisses of the people. In his nauseous
tract we decline to follow, for here even victory
were disgrace, and the laurels like those acquired
in wrestling with a chimney sweep. Therefore,
we shall allow his arguments, regarding the High-
landers, to remain a venemous bog of filthy slan-
ders— amonument of derision and contempt to suc-
ceeding ages.
Dr. Johnson founded his objections on a few
superficial enquiries. Mr. Laing admits that his
arguments may be easily answered. Pinkerton
assigns a longevity of more than three centuries,
and the objections of others are equally inconsis-
tent and trivial. The truth is that nothing will
satisfy these sceptics, unless we raise up from the
dead lifry ii:enerations, to prove in what mannpr