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. 23
of making any tranflations of them into EngUfh.
The ftrfl who feems to have conceived fuch an idea
was a young man, to whom the Gaelic was an ac-
quired language, (who, from that very circumltance,
perhaps prized more what compofitions he found
Jn it), Jerome Stone of Dunkeld, who it appears
had been at pains to collect feveral of the ancient
poems of the Highlands, of one of which, as a
ipecimen, he publifhed a tranflation in rhyme, in
the Scots Magazine , then the only periodical pub-
lication in Scotland, for the month of January
1756, along with a fhort letter, addreffed to the
editor of the Magazine, which fnfiiciemiy indicates
his opinion of the poetical merit of thole poems.
Stone, then only 20 or 21, in an obfcure fituation,
and with few opportunities of cultivating his native
genius or talents, could not be fuppofed capable of
giving a very happy or impreffive tranflation of Gae-
lic poetry, efpecially when fettered with rhyme,
which, even in the abLeft hands, and thofe mod ac-
cuftomed to the conftruclion of Englifti verfe, af-
fords always an unfaithful, and generally an imper-
fect tranfcript of ancient poetry. His place of resi-
dence too, was unfavourable, either to the acquire-
ment of pure Gaelic, or the collection of the befl
copies of the ancient poetry of the Highlands.
B4 It
Without entering, however, into the difpute as to Fingal's ori-
gir or kingdom, the Committee may here obferve, that Scotland
and Ireland had anciently fuch conftant communication and inter-
courfe, as to be confidered almoft one country ; and their poeti-
cal language is nearly, or rather altogether the fame.