THE POETICAL WORKS OF OSSIAN BY JAMES MACPHERSON WITH A CRITICAL DISSERTATION BY HUGH BLAIR, D.D. Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009 http://www.exclassics.com Public Domain JAMES MACPHERSON -2- THE POETICAL WORKS OF OSSIAN CONTENTS FRONTISPIECE............................................................................................................4 Introduction....................................................................................................................5 Bibliographic Note.........................................................................................................6 A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE .................................................................................7 PREFACE....................................................................................................................23 A DISSERTATION CONCERNING THE ÆRA OF OSSIAN. ................................26 A DISSERTATION CONCERNING THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. ............................33 A CRITICAL DISSERTATION ON THE POEMS OF OSSIAN, THE SON OF FINGAL.......................................................................................................................49 CATH-LODA — DUAN I. .......................................................................................100 CATH-LODA — DUAN II. ......................................................................................104 CATH-LODA — DUAN III......................................................................................107 COMALA, A DRAMATIC POEM...........................................................................110 CARRIC-THURA......................................................................................................114 CARTHON. ...............................................................................................................122 OINA-MORUL..........................................................................................................130 COLNA-DONA.........................................................................................................132 OITHONA. ................................................................................................................134 CROMA.....................................................................................................................138 CALTHON AND COLMAL.....................................................................................141 THE WAR OF CAROS.............................................................................................145 CATHLIN OF CLUTHA...........................................................................................149 SUL-MALLA OF LUMON.......................................................................................153 THE WAR OF INIS-THONA ...................................................................................156 THE SONGS OF SELMA.........................................................................................159 FINGAL: AN ANCIENT EPIC POEM.....................................................................164 FINGAL — BOOK II................................................................................................172 FINGAL — BOOK III...............................................................................................179 FINGAL — BOOK IV. .............................................................................................186 FINGAL — BOOK V................................................................................................192 FINGAL — BOOK VI. .............................................................................................197 LATHMON................................................................................................................203 DAR-THULA ............................................................................................................209 THE DEATH OF CUTHULLIN. ..............................................................................217 THE BATTLE OF LORA. ........................................................................................222 TEMORA – BOOK I. ................................................................................................227 TEMORA — BOOK II..............................................................................................235 TEMORA — BOOK III. ...........................................................................................241 TEMORA — BOOK IV ............................................................................................247 TEMORA — BOOK V .............................................................................................253 TEMORA — BOOK VI. ...........................................................................................258 TEMORA — BOOK VII...........................................................................................263 TEMORA — BOOK VIII .........................................................................................269 CONLATH AND CUTHONA. .................................................................................276 BERRATHON. ..........................................................................................................279 - 3 - JAMES MACPHERSON FRONTISPIECE The Dream of Ossian by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres -4- THE POETICAL WORKS OF OSSIAN INTRODUCTION By The Ex-Classics Project "The Poems of Ossian" by James Macpherson were published in the 1760's, (see below) and created a sensation. Over the next thirty years it was translated into many languages, and gave a tremendous impetus to both the nascent romantic movement, and the study of folklore and Celtic languages. Goethe translated parts into German; Napoleon brought a copy to Moscow and also commissioned Ingres to paint The Dream of Ossian; Scandinavian and German princes were named Oscar after the character in it, as was Oscar Wilde; indeed the popularity of this name is due entirely to Macpherson. The city of Selma in Alabama, USA, is named after the palace of Fingal. Writers as diverse as William Blake, Henry Thoreau, George Byron, Walter Scott, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Matthew Arnold praised or imitated it. Its influence or lack of it on James Fenimore Cooper has been the subject of lively debate. Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms composed pieces inspired by it. But it is little known today (though it has been recently reprinted -- see below). When it was first published Macpherson said that it was a translation of an ancient manuscript in Scottish Gaelic which had come into his possession, and which was a copy of an original work written by Ossian. This was contested by various people, including notably Samuel Johnson, who said that it was entirely the work of Macpherson himself. Both sides became passionate and vituperative in expressing their own view, and the controversy rumbled on over the next fifty years. The alleged manuscript never appeared, but later researches have shown that the work is based partly on genuine Highland traditions. Those familiar with the later, more authentic, versions in English of ancient Gaelic literature will recognise many of the names and stories - Fingal is evidently Fionn Mac Cumhaill; Temora is Tara (Temro in Old Irish); Cuthulinn is Cú Chulainn (though a much feebler figure than the Irish hero), Dar-Thula is Deirdre of the Sorrows; Ros-cranna is Gráinne and Dermid is Diarmuid Ó Duibhne, though the Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne is not one of Macpherson's stories. And so on. However, much of the work is Macpherson's own invention -- the tragic love story of Fingal and Agandecca, for example; and though "Temora" has some similarity to the Battles of Ventry and of Gabhra, the details are different. The footnotes (by Macpherson) are almost entirely misleading or downright wrong - be warned! - 5 - JAMES MACPHERSON BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTE. The following works of Ossian were published by Macpherson: . Fragments of ancient poetry, collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the Galic or Erse language. 1760. Fingal. An Ancient Epic Poem, in six books; together with several other Poems, composed by Ossian, the son of Fingal. 1761/1762 . Temora, an Ancient Epic Poem, in eight books; together with several other poems, composed by Ossian, the son of Fingal; translated from the Galic language by James Macpherson. 1762. These were published in a combined edition: . The Works of Ossian, the Son of Fingal. 1765. And finally, in a revised edition as . The Poems of Ossian. A new edition, carefully corrected, and greatly improved. 1773. Most subsequent editions (including this one) are reprinted from the 1773 edition. The text of this version of The Poetical Works of Ossian is taken partly from a copy published by Crosby and Nichols, Boston, 1863 (The Poems) and partly from a copy published by Philips, Sampson & Co, Boston, 1852. (Front matter and illustrations). These two copies appear to have been printed from the same plates as they are identical in layout and pagination. The front matter and illustrations were transcribed by John B. Hare whose edition is on the Sacred Texts Web Site (Thank you, John!) I am glad to say that Ossian is in print. Howard Gaskill has produced an edition The Poems of Ossian and Related Works (Edinburgh University Press). This is based on the 1765 edition, and so is different from ours, which is taken from the 1773 edition. He has also edited a work on The Reception of Ossian in Europe (Continuum)