Ossian Collection > Small tribute to the memory of Ossian

cation of Ossian by MACPHERson made its appearance.
For the truth of such an assertion, there is no evidence
whatever, and nothing but the most unaccountable pre-
judice could ever have framed it. The testimony of one
C ARSE WELL, whosc work was the first scarce book ever
printed, and who died in the year 1572, is of the utmost
importance on the present occasion. • The following is an
English quotation from the work now mentioned. " We
suffer peculiar loss and inconvenience above any other
part of the world, in not having our literature and lan-
guage printed, as other tribes of men have. We have
licver had in print, the history or antiquity of our an-
cestors, although a certain portion of the Hterature of
Scotland and Ire- and exists in manuscripts, in the pos-
session of bards and teachers, and their patrons. Great
is T.he sinful darkness, and ignorance, and perverseness
of those who teach and write, and compose in Gaelic, in
exhibiting much more attention to the heroes of Fingal,
than they display to write, and to teach, and to compose
the sincere words of God."
The memory of this man is by no means popular, and
the bards, to whom he, bore no good will, made him the
subject of their satirical verses and invectives, and many
proverbs expressive of his rapacity, are still current in
the country. His apologies for bad spelling, prove that
the Gaelic was a written language in his day, containing
many popular compositions, besides the exploits of Fin-
gal and his heroes. Carswell, who died about two hun-
dred .ind thirty-six years ago, is a valuable vi^itness to
the antiquity ot written language in the Highlands of
Scotland ; and .is this was no doubt common for centuries
beiorc his time, it was not necessary to depend so much
on oral tradition for transmitting the poems of Ossian
tr posterity, as son.e are apt to imagine. The bards, ac-
cording to him, were learned and elegant, and the druids
may be considered as tlie repositories of much valuable
knowledge, botli in philosophy and theology. But Mr