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

POEMS OF OSSIAN. 17
a book not much known, and fomewhat difficult to
procure, the translation of the Forms of Prayer, and
Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and Catechifni
of the Chiiftian Religion, as ufed in the reformed
Church of Scotland, into Gaelic, by Bifhop Can-
well, printed at Edinburgh in the year 1567.
In his preface or introduction, the bifhop laments
and reproves the preference which the Highlanders
give to their ancient ballads over fuch Godly books
as that he was about to publifh.
8 But there is one great difadvantage which we
* the Gaeil of Scotland and Ireland labour under,
' beyond the reft of the world, that our Gaelic
8 language has never yet been printed, as the lan-
1 guage of every other race of men has been :
4 And we labour under a difadvantage which is
£ ftill greater than every other difadvantage, that
8 we have not the Holy Bible printed in Gaelic, as
* it has been printed in Latin and in Englifh, and
8 in every other language ; and alfo, that we Jiave
c never yet had any account printed of the anti-
4 quities of our country, or of our anqefiors ; for
8 though we have fome accounts of the Gaeil of
* Scotland and Ireland, contained in manufcripts,
8 and in the genealogies of bards and hiftoriogra-
8 phers, yet there is great labour in writing thenv
e over with the hand, whereas the work which is
8 printed, be it ever fo great, is fpeedily finifhed.
8 And great is the blindnefs and finful darknefs,
c and ignorance and evil defign of fuch as teach,
8 and write, and cultivate the Gaelic language*
B * that