Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

16 REPORT ON THE
ized, Fingal, exifts, and has immemorially exifted
in the Highlands and iflands of Scotland, and that
certain poems or ballads, containing the exploits of
him and his affociate heroes, were the favourite lore
of the natives of thofe diftricts. The general belief
of the exiftence of fuch heroic perfonages, and of
the great poet Ossian, the fon of Fingal, by whom
their exploits were fung, is as univerfal in the High-
lands as the belief of any ancient fact whatfoever. It
is recorded in proverbs, which pafs through all
ranks and conditions of men. Ossian dull, blind
Offian, is a perfon as well known as ftrong Sampfon
or wife Solomon. The very boys in their fports
cry out for fair play, Cothram na feme, the equal
combat of the Fingalians. Offian, " an dcigh namfi-
ann" Offian, the laft of his race, is proverbial, to
fignify a man who has had the misfortune to furvive
his kindred ; and fervants returning from a fair or
wedding, were in ufe to defcribe the beauty of young
women whom they had feen there, by the words,
" Tha i cho boìdheach reh Agandecca, nighean ant
sncachda" She is as beautiful as Agandecca, daugh-
ter of the fnow. This is one of thofe general and
well known facls, which it is believed no one will
conteft, however much he may be difpofed to doubt
the authenticity of the poems publifhed as the com-
.poiition of Offian the fon of Fingal, To give, how-
ever, an idea of the general impreffion and delight
which the recital of thofe poems or ballads produc-
ed among the inhabitants of the Highlands, the
Committee may quote the following fentence from