J. F. Campbell Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 3

460 SUPPLEMENTAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE
great estiniation. " It is no argument (says Mr.
Macdonalcl) against the transmission of these ancient
poems, that no man can now be found who is ahle to
repeat the whole of thcm. There are few men who
can repeat much of any poetry with accuracy, ex-
cepting such persons as make it their profession^
and who earn tlieir bread by their memories. It is
enough, tluit tìiouscuìds can be stìU found in our High-
lands and isles, who can recite many detached portions qf
them, according as they "xere pleased with particular pas-
sages, or as certain incidents recorded in theni made a
peculiar impression on their ìnìnds. How, if all were
fìctitious, could so many poems named after Ossian
have existed for so many hundred years, and been
stiU retained amongst the remotest islands, and the
most sequestered corners of our Highlands."
The Rev. Mr. Pope, Minister of Rea in Caithness,
in his lettcr dated 1 jtli November, 1763, to the Rev.
Alexander Nicholson, minister of Thurso,* observes
in one part of his letter, that many of the poems of
Ossian are lost partly owing to our clergy, who were
declared enemies to these poems, so that the rising
generation scarcely know any thing material of tliem.
However, we have some stiU that are famous for re-
peating them, and these people never heard of Mr.
Macpherson; and it is an absurdity to imagfne, that
Mr. Macpherson caused any person to teach these
old people. On the contrary, they had these poems
before Mr. Macpherson was born ; and if the literati
would defray the expense, I coukl produce these old
people, at lcast some of them, at London.
* Appendix to Uepui t of the llighlaiid Sociel^-, p. 53.