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In Defence of Ossian : Being a Summary of the Evidence in Favour

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In Defence of Ossian : Being a Summary of the Evidence in Favour ()-> James Norman Methven OSSIAN AND MALVINA IN DEFENCE OF OSSIAN BEING A SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE IN FAVOUR OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE POEMS. BY KEITH NORMAN MACDONALD. M.D. [REPRINTED FROM THE OBAN TIMES.] 1906. PRE F^A.CE THE Poems of Ossian have now been before the public for upwards of 143 years, and the question of their authenticity has not yet been settled to the satisfaction of the disputants on both sides. The main reason for this is prejudice and ignorance of the Gaelic language, and of the manners, customs, and habits of the ancient Gaels on the part of the vast majority of the combatants in denying the possibility of such long poems being preserved and handed down mainly by oral tradition through so many centuries of time. To this it has been answered in the following pages that equally long poems have been preserved and handed down by oral tradition in other countries, and why not in this one also ? The traditional tales of the Highlands have been can-ied down for countless generations, and if so, why not poetry or poetic prose? True, some Celtic scholars and philologists have decided to their own satisfaction tliat there were no originals of the poems as we now have them ; that James Mac- pherson created them out of stories collected from ballads. Against this we have the positive evidence of the Douay MSS., and the sworn testimony of several in- dividuals, and the declarations of other living witnesses, including many clergymen and gentlemen, of the highest character and respectability, who had heard large portions of many of them recited and compared in their presence. So far then as circum- stantial and direct evidence are concerned, the existence of such poems seems as true as any fact recorded in history. The most extraordinary thing is that after the lapse of such a long period of time the slighest spark, even now, would kindle a spirit of the fiercest controversy among the hostile camps, equal to the bitterness so often engendered over religious and political questions, that it is safe to say another century must elapse before the subject can be approached on all sides with the calmness and temper such a (juestion demands. I have tried to be impartial throughout, but how far 1 have succeeded must be left to the public. That a gi'eat deal too much is made of Irish literature in connection with these poems—mostly of a legendary nature— 1 feel certain, and I would suggest that all Irish history, or supposed history, and legends bearing on the subject should be collected and placed in some easily accessible locality for reference, with full and complete ADDITIONAL ERRATA. P. 14, line 6th from top, 2nd column, omit the second "and." P. 37, 6th line from bottom, 2nd column, for "the" read "their." P. 44, line 21, 2nd column, from bottom, for "vein" read "view.' P. 46, for "Dr James Leyden" read " Dr John Leyden." P. 58, 6th line in Note, for "Methink" read "Methinks." F>RE FS-ACE E Poems of Ossiau have now been before the public for upwards of 143 years, TH and the question of their authenticity has not yet been settled to the satisfaction of the disputants on both sides. The main reason for this is prejudice and ignorance of the Gaelic language, and of the manners, customs, and habits of the ancient Gaels on the part of the vast majority of the combatants in denying the possibility of such long poems being preserved and handed down mainly by oral tradition through so many centuries of time. To this it has been answered in the following pages that equally long poems have been preserved and handed down by oi'al tradition in other countries, and why not in this one also ? The traditional tales of the Highlands have been carried down for countless generations, and if so, why not poetry or poetic prose "? True, some Celtic scholars and philologists have decided to their own satisfaction that there were no originals of the poems as we now liave them ; that James Mac- plierson created them out of stories collected from ballads. Against this we have the positive evidence of the Douay MSS., and the sworn testimony of several in- dividuals, and the declarations of other living witnesses, including many clergymen and gentlemen, of the highest character and respectability, who had heard large portions of many of them recited and compared in their presence. So far then as circum- stantial and direct evidence are concerned, the existence of such poems seems as true as any fact recorded in history. The most extraordinary thing is that after the lapse of such a long period of time the slighest spark, even now, would kindle a spirit of the fiercest controversy among the hostile camjjs, equal to the bitterness so often engendered over religious and political questions, that it is safe to say another century must elapse before the subject can be approached on all sides with the calmness and temper such a question demands. I have tried to be impartial throughout, but how far I have succeeded must be left to the public. That a great deal too much is made of Irish litei'ature in connection with these poems—mostly of a legendary nature— I feel certain, and I would suggest that all Irish history, or supposed history, and legends bearing on the subject should be collected and placed in some easily accessible locality for -reference, with full and complete translations. Then, and then only, can comparisons be made, and facts separated from fiction. In collecting these poems and placing them before the public, I have to acknowledge, with thanks, the courtesy of the proprietors and editor of "The Oban Times " for their valuable assistance in placing my opinions of the Poems of Ossian on permanent record. K. N. MacDonald. 21 Clarendon Crescent, Edinburgh, 2Uh July, 1906. E i^ ]E?. ^ a? ^. Fourth line from bottom of Preface, for " poems" read "papers." Page 3, 4th line from bottom, for " indispensible " read " indispensable." Page 13, after Tacitus, 20th line from top, read "or Agricola," and 4th line from bottom, 2nd column, for " Mons Grampius" read " Mons Granpius." Page 16, 12 lines from top, 2nd column, for " Fairveasalis " read " Fainasolis." Page 22, 2nd column, for " Homeridac " read " Homeridae." Page 37, 6th line from bottom, for "the " read " their." " " " " Page 40, top line, 2nd column, for del gel " read Ded-Gel ; 7th from bottom, for in light " read "as light" Footnote of same, for " Cairhur," read " Cairbar," and " stri nan duoim " read " " stri-nan-daoine." F'or " Aganideca," middle of page, 2nd column, read " Agandecca Page 51, line 10 from top, 2nd column, for "did not publish a translation of the Address to the Sun," read " did not publish the Gaelic of the Address to the Sun." " " Page 58, 6th line from bottom, for Belgue" read Belgae" ; same page, '2nd column, 2nd line from bottom of Note, for " pladdis " read " plaeddis." Page 66, 12th line from bottom, for " Milesian " read " Milesians." In Defence of Macpherson's " Ossian." BY K. N. MACDONALD, M.D. -*- It musti iierver be forgotten that James detection and disgrace and literary eix- MacpheLTsioni, the translator of Ossian'^s tinctiori. No sane person would have poeiras, was only twenty-two year's of agei risked whe-n he puhlished liis " Fragments of SUC!H A CATASTROPHE ancient poetry collected in the Plighlands, from pure imagination ; neither could he of Scotland" in 1760; twenty-four when have foreseiein that any success would have " he published Fingal,'' six books, in, 1762, attended his venture, and failure would " " and twemty-five when Temora in eight have been most disastrousi to a young booika appeiareid in 1763;sioi that if heiwa-t aspirant to fame. the sole author of all theisieif books he must Macpherson's most bitter opponents at have composed " Fingal " within twO' years the time of the publication of " Fingal" of the publication of thei "Fragments,' and " Temora " were non-Gaelic speaking and the eight books of " Temora, " in onei individuals, who were, in consequence, year afteir t-hei publication of ' Fingal." debarred from forming a correct judgment Anyone perusing them in both laiHgu- a,si to the meiritis or demerits of the case. ages can hardly imagine it, possible that No omei who is ignorant of thei Gaelic such a young man, with little knowledgei language can possibly determine whether of the world, could havei conceived such the Gaelic was Ma,cpherson's own compo- a vast undertaking in soi shoi-t a space of sition or not, and the Gaelic scholars who time; for, if it weire all a forgery, the do> a,asert that hei was the author haveino^ amount of labour bestowed upon it must proof whatever for the assertion. On the have been, in the language of " Dominie contra.ry, t,hey differ among themselves on Sampson," " prodeegeious," not the least the subject. Dr. Stern, of Berlin, holds difficult part of which was the constant that, La.chla,n Macpherson, Strat,hma,shie, alertness, indispensible toi avoid betrayal and Dr. Thomas Ross, Lochbroom, were of himsieilf, and the epoch embraced by the composers of most of Macpherson's the poems, and the working of it out Gaelic; while others a,ttribut,e both the without running the risk of immediate Gaelic and the English to James Mac- plierson—holding that he first composed it is not my business t-o collect fresh " the English, and then translated it into copies." " The struggle for existence Gaelic.
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