Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 4

204 GAELIC POETRY OF KNOWN AND UNKNOWN BAKDS,
have discovered this by the aid of fragments (no doubt
genuine) published in the Highland Society's Report.
These fragments begin at page 192, and end at page 260.
A literal translation is inserted on opposite pages, with
MacPherson's translation in foot-notes. MacPherson's
translation is pretty faithful, with the exception of
omitted passages, which under other circumstances might
be supposed to have been translated from a different
version ; but when we are presented with the Gaelic,
purporting to be the original, the deception is too trans-
parent to pass undetected. I am aware that this asser-
tion is detrimental to the honesty and veracity of Mr.
MacPherson, and perhaps to the character of those who
superintended the publishing of the Gaelic after his
death, but I affirm this as my honest conviction of the
matter ; and any Highlander of ordinary intelligence
may satisfy himself on this point by comparing the Re-
port and MacPherson's Gaelic. From this, and other
circumstances, it is evident that MacPherson determined
to appropriate to himself the literary glory of these pro-
ductions. If not, why bequeath in his " last will and
testament" £1000 to defray the expenses of publishing
Ossian's poems in Gaelic, English, and Latin ? This
fact, I think, ought to exonerate those superintending
the Gaelic, as they were merely carrying out his request
as his executors.
But, notwithstanding all I have mentioned, we are
indebted to Mr. MacPherson for what he had done.
He was the first to draw the attention of foreigners to
those wonderful compositions, and others following his
example, matter has been collected and preserved that
would have been for ever lost. Mr. MacPherson's
translation, in my opinion, is superior to the paraphrase
of Dr. Smith ; but the Gaelic of Dr. Smith is genuine,