Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

10 A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE.
the Highlands, in collecting what materials or informa-
tion it was still practicable to collect, regarding the
authenticity and nature of the poems ascribed to Ossian,
and particularly of that celebrated collection published
by Mr. James Macpherson.
For the purpose above-mentioned, the Committee,
soon after its appointment, circulated the following
set of Queries, through such parts of the Highlands and
Islands, sind among such persons resident there, as
seemed most likely to afford the information required :
QUERIES.
1. Have you ever heard repeated, or sung, any of
the poems ascribed to Ossian, translated and published
by Mr. Macpherson? By whom have you heard them
so repeated, and at what time or times ? Did you ever
commit any of them to writing ? or can you remember
them so well as now to set them down ? In either of
these cases, be so good to send the Gaelic original to
the Committee.
2. The same answer is requested concerning any
other ancient poems of the same kind, and relating to
the same ti-aditionary persons or stories with those in
Mr. Macpherson 's collection.
3. Are any of the peisons from whom you heard any
such poems now alive ? or are there, in your part of the
country, any persons who remember andean repeater
recite such poems ? If there are, be so good as to ex-
amine them as to the manner of their getting or learn-
ing such compositions; and set down, as accurately as
possible, such as they can now repeat or recite ; and
transmit such their account, and such compositions as
they repeat, to the Committee.
4. If there are, in your neighbourhood, any persons
from whom Mr. Macpherson received any poems, in-
quiie particularly what the poems were which he so
received, the manner in which he received them, and
how he wrote them down ; shew those persons, if you
have an opportunity, his translation of such poems, and
desire them to say, if the translation is exact and literal ;
or, if it differs, in what it differs from the poems, as