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

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to foist in any matter of his own. If, as is
alleged, he was the author of the whole fabric
of such wonderful compositions, why hesitate
to supply two lines in which the poem appeared
to be deficient?
It has been said, that this copy of the address
to the sun might have been handed about, and
might have got into the possession of a variety
of persons in the Highlands; and that it afforded
no proof of the poem being an original poetical
composition, known as such in that country.
The following letter, written by the Rev. Mr
IVrDiarmid, will afford a sufficient answer to any
doubts entertained on that subject.
" JVeem, April 9- 1801.
" Enclosed you have a translation of the Gaelic
" pieces which I sent you last week. It is as
" literal as possible. I made it so on purpose,
" without any regard to the English idiom, that
" you might understand the original the better.
" Every one knows at what disadvantage a tran-
" slation of this kind must appear from one
''language into another; but more especially
" when the idioms and genius of the two lan-
" guages differ so widely as those of the Gaelic
" and English. As I have not a copy of Mr
" Macpherson's translation by me, I could not
" compare it with the original, nor point out
" wherein he has departed from it : Mr Mackenzie