Most of the poems, however, we remark in the second place, we have before us, and they have been before Gae lic scholars for several years ; some of them complete. Now, if they had been modern compositions, is it not strange that no one should ever have courage and probity to declare them so ? We have seen them long before they were published—we examined them with a suspici ous eye—we heard the opinions of many learned and com petent judges upon their merit, and yet no one ever har boured a thought that they could be the composition of any modern poet.
We have the compositions of many poets for two or three hundred years back ; we can easily compare these with the poems commonly called Ossian's. Yet every one of them is of a different character. There are only three, the authors of which are doubtful. The death of Fraoch,and the old Bard's Wish, and Morduth, imperfect, as published by Gillies, which bear any thing like resem blance to the composition of the ancient bards. But they also bear evident marks of their modern origin, compared with the poems translated by Dr. Smith and Mr. Mac pherson.
As already mentioned, we have abundance of imitations so far clown as the last century, but they are easily distin guishable from those of Ossian and others.
A third remark offers itself. If we suppose Mr Mac pherson an impostor, we must also pronounce Dr. Smith one; nay, we must go farther, we must suppose all the collectors of the poems belonging to the Ossianic xra im postors. If we do so, how can we account for the fact, that Dr. Smith and AIacpherson, and all these collectors, could have written in the same style and manner, and give exactly the same characters, the same events, and the same every thing, especially as to the history and charac ter of Fingal ? So far as we know any thing of human nature and human genius, we may assert that the thing is impossible. They could not imitate Macpherson, or any body else, for Macpherson's originals, except the seventh Bock of Temora, did not appear till long afterwards. These collections, which we have all examined, evidently appear to have been adulterated ; they contain many mo dern terms which could not have been known in the fourth century. But here and there we meet passages which at once must decide, that they could not be the composition of the same authors, or belong to the same mra.
Is it likely that Macpherson could, at the time he trans lated or collected these poems, a young man of no expe rience, and no great proficient in Celtic literature, all at once form a new species of Gaelic composition, and al most a new language to himself ? Could he, or almost any man, write in terms which requires much study fully to comprehend ? The first Gaelic scholars, as Dr. Do nald and Dr. John Smith, the two Stewarts, and several others, have pronounced these poems to be of great anti quity, not only from their style, but from the total absence of all reference or allusion to modern ideas or modern manners. Though Mr. Macpherson might succeed in one or two short poems, is it possible that he could succeed in so many poems, of such length, without being detected ? To say that he composed first in English, and then translated into Gaelic, would only subject him the more to detection—for no human being could, or can, deprive a translation of its proper characters. We have manuscripts
of nearly a thousand years old. Their language, gene rally speaking, is the language of these poems. We have it therefore in our power to compare and determine. We have done so, and the result is favourable to Mr. Mac pherson's veracity.
The poems, as published by Dr. Smith, and we may say by Sir John Sinclair, bear evident proofs of the labour taken to divest them of the spurious compositions min gled with them, so as to form a consistent whole. They clearly indicate that many pieces were tacked together, and that much had been lost. The transitions are some times so violent, so abrupt, so obscure, that it requires much attention to follow the speakers, or to find out who they are. Now could all this happen if Mr. Macpher son and Dr. Smith were impostors ? They had no oc casion to leave the building in this unfinished state. Nay, they could not have done it.
We find also from the poems themselves that they are not all Ossian's. Dr. Smith admits this. Mr. Macpher son said nothing about it. But his collection speaks for itself. We regret that we cannot enlarge upon this im portant part of the subject. We therefore refer, for in stance, to the very first poems in the collection of Mr. Mac pherson. Cath Loda seems to be the composition of Os sian ; Carrickthura, of Ullin. We could show, that throughout the whole collection, the parts of the different poets are clearly indicated by internal style and manners. Now, could Mr. Al acpherson accomplish this ? The at tempt would be impossible—Ullin, the poet Laureate, Fergus, Carrul, Cronan, Minoan, &c. have each a pecu liar characteristic style, and all of them differ from Ossian as much as they do from one another. Ossian survived them all. There is a poem now before us, in which Pa trick, the son of Alpin, is said to have come to Ossian to hear and record the history of the Fingalians. Ile was hospitably entertained. They had red deer venison on the table. The son of Alpin praises the size of the deer. Os sian says he saw an elk that could not be compared to it in point of bulk. This Patrick does not believe, and, iri fit of incredulity, throws all his papers into the fire. Upon this, Ossian blindly breaks out into a strain of indignant lamentation at the incredulity of the son of Alpin, a Christain missionary. " Hast thou burnt every tale and poetic song ? Alas ! Ullin of love is no more. No morc is Carrul of melodious voice. No more is Orran the strength of harmony. No more is Fergus the praise of song. No more is Annir Mor, nor Sonn." Then he breaks out into a most pathetic address to his forefathers, Cumhal, Treunmor, Luthan, and to his wife Evir.