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

470 SUPPLEMENTAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE
several volumes small octavo, or rather large duo-
decimo, in the Gaelic language and characters, being
the poems of Ossian and other ancient bards.
Mr. Gallie declares, he remembers perfectly that
many of tliose volumes were, at the close, said to
have been coUected by Paul Macmhuirich, Bard
Clanraonuil, and about the beginning of the 14th
century. As we have, in a former part,* noticed his
description of the characters, illuminated capitals,
and parchment of these manuscripts, we shall only
add what Mr. Galliesays towards the conclusion of his
letter, namely, that some years after the publication
of ringal, he happened to pass several days with
Mr. Macdonald of Clanronald, in the house of Mr.
Butter of Pitlochry, who then resided in tne neigh-
bourhood of Fort William. Clanronald told him,
that Mr. Macpherson had the Gaelic manuscripts
from him, and that he did not know them to exist,
tiU, to gratify Mr. Macpherson, a searcli was made
among his family papers.
Dr. John Smith, of Campbeltown, in his letter to
Henry Mackenzie, Esq. dated the 31st January,
1798, dechires, that in the original poems and trans-
lations which he had published,f he had occasion to
introduce several passages of Mr. Macpherson's ori-
ginals into the notes; for without searching fnr
them, he had got considerable portions of several of
those poems, that were then recited in the liiglicr
parts of Argyleshire ; as were the Pocm of Darthula,
perhaps tlie most beautiful in the collection, called in
Gaelic by thc name of Clann Usnathaìn (the Childrcn
* See page 437. t Gaelic Antiquities.