Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

431
These fragments of the epic poem of Fingal
we received from the Rev. Mr M'lver, minister of
Lochalsh, in the shire of Ross, some years be-
fore his death, which happened in the year 1790.
It may be observed, that they do not altogether
accord with Mr Macpherson's translation of the
originals : some stanzas appear in his translation
which are not found in these fragments, and
others of great poetical merit are wanting in the
translation, as may be easily conceived to take
place respecting poetical compositions, handed
down from generation to generation by oral tra-
dition, as ably and satisfactorily explained by
the learned Dr Macpherson in his letter to Dr
Blair above taken notice of : But so far as the
fragments express the subject of Fingal's battle
with Swaran, or the fierce son of Starno, the
sense and spirit of the poem is maintained with
high animation, and accords with the translation
as given by Mr Macpherson.
The following Poems were received by the
writer of these sheets from a friend of his in the
island of Skye, enclosed in a letter, in these
words : —
" I would, agreeable to your commands, have
" waited on Mr A. M'Aulay, to get his edition of
1