Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

ADVERTISEMENT.
I T is thought proper to give a fpecimen of the original Galic,
for the fatisfaftion of thofe who doubt the authenticity of Offian's
poems. The feventh book of Temora is fixed on, for that pur-
pofe, not from any other fuperior merit, than the variety of its
verfification. To print any part of the former colled;ion was
unneceffary, as a copy of the originals lay, for many months, in
the bookfeller's hands, for the infpedlion of the curious. Tho'
the erroneous orthography of the bards is departed from, in ma-
ny inftances, in the following fpecimen, yet feveral quiefcent con-
fonants are retained, to ihew the derivation of the words. This
circumftance may give an uncouth appearance to the language,
in the eyes of thofe who are flrangers to its harmony. They
ought, however, to confider, that a language is put to the fe-
verefl teft, when it is ftripped of its own proper charaders ; el-
pecially, when the power of one of them requires, fometimes,
a combination of two or three Roman letters to exprefs it.