scripts now to be found, yet it can be proved on the most unquestionable authority, that Macpherson had collected a variety of MSS. and that when he returned from his poetical mission, he produced several volumes in small octavo, or rather large duodecimo, in the Gaelic language and character, containing the poems of Ossian and other ancient bards; * indeed the testimonies to that fact are so numerous, that it would be tedious here to detail them.+

In regard to manuscripts, a curious circumstance has occurred, which it may be proper to mention. It is stated on undoubted authority, that Mr. Macdonald of Clanronald had himself transcribed above 100 pages of a large ancient manuscript which treated of the wars of Fingal, and Comhal his father; which manuscript was carried over, many years ago, by a worthless person to Ireland, in a clandestine manner. This was prior to the year 1763. It is singular, that in Walker's Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, printed anno 1786, there is an account of a young

* See the Reverend Andrew Gallie's letter, Report, p. 31. + See evidence of Ewan Macpherson and Malcolm Macpherson, App. No. 6; and of Lachlan M'Vuirich, App. p. 275. Letter from Mr. Angus M'Neil, minister of Hopemore, to Dr. Blair, in the App. No. 1. p. 18. Mr. Macpherson's own letter to Mr. M'Laggan, dated 27th October 1760, App. No. 10.

Report of the Highland Society, Appendix, p. 19.

lady, who saw two volumes of what she considered to be Irish manuscript poems, in the possession of a labourer, which she had often heard him read to a rustic audience in her father's fields. As soon as she perused Macpherson's Ossian, she was surprised to find, in that work, her favourite tales decked with meretricious ornaments. There is some reason to imagine, that one of these manuscripts must have been the identical one which had been lost by Clanronald; for the lady remembered the poem of Carthon, as one of them, in which she thinks Macpherson kept very close to the original. This circumstance is of more importance, as in fact, that poem is one, the authenticity of which has been peculiarly contested, which was never heard of by the name of Carthon in Ireland, though in Miss Brooke's collection, a poem called Conloch, having some resemblance to it, is to be found.*

*This curious circumstance is mentioned in a note to Walker's Historical Memoirs, p. 41, 42. It is extremely unfortunate, as Mr. Walker justly observes, that these precious volumes are irrecoverably lost.

S V.

That a Manuscript of Ossian, in Gaelic, actually existed at Douay, in Flanders, previous to Mr. Macpherson having made any collection of those

Poems.

THE Rev. Thomas Ross having accidentally mentioned to me, that Bishop Cameron, a Roman Catholic clergyman residing at Edinburgh, could furnish some interesting information regarding the authenticity of Ossian, I took the liberty of addressing to him a note and queries, of which the following is a copy:

Note to Bishop Cameron.

Sir John Sinclair presents his compliments to Bishop Cameron. Has accidentally heard that the Bishop can throw some new light upon the controversy regarding the authenticity of the Poems of Ossian, and takes the liberty therefore of requesting his attention to the subjoined queries.

Charlotte-square, Edinburgh, 7th Feb. 1806.

1. Does the Bishop ever recollect to have seen, or heard of any ancient Gaelic manuscripts in France?

2. Did they contain any of the poems of Ossian, and what were they?

3. Did the Bishop compare them with Macpherson's translation, and did it seem to be a just one?

4. Can the Bishop recollect any other person or persons now living, who saw those manuscripts ?

5. Where did he see them; and is there any chance of those being yet recovered, or copies of them obtained?

To that application, I received the following

answer:

Bishop Cameron returns his respectful compliments to Sir John Sinclair. Has taken the necessary steps for acquiring and laying before Sir John the most satisfactory account he can, of a manuscript Gaelic collection, which contained a very considerable part of what was afterwards translated and published by Macpherson. The collector died in Scotland some years ago. The manuscript had been lost in France. But there is at least one still alive, who, being much pleased with the translation, although he did not understand the original, saw them frequently compared, and had the manuscript in his hands. Sir John's queries, and whatever else can throw any light on the subject, shall be attended to.

Blackfriar's Wynd, 12th Feb. 1806.

Being anxious to know what information could be procured regarding the particulars alluded to in that note, I again applied to Bishop Cameron, and received the subjoined answer:

Bishop Cameron returns his most respectful compliments to Sir John Sinclair, and regrets that the information he has hitherto received, concerning the manuscript of Ossian's poems, is not so complete as he expected. The MS. is lost irreparably.

The Rev. James Macgillivray declares, that he remembers the manuscript perfectly well; it was in folio, large paper, about three inches thick, written close, and in a small letter,— the whole in Mr. John Farquharson's hand writing. It was in 1763 Mr. Macgillivray went to Douay college, where Mr. Farquharson was at the time Prefect of Studies. Gaelic poetry

and the contents of the MS. were frequently brought upon the carpet. About 1766 Mr. Glendonning of Parton sent Macpherson's translation of the Poems of Ossian to Mr. Farquharson. The attention of every one was then drawn to the MS. in proportion to the impression made upon their minds by the translation. Mr. Macgillivray saw them collated hundreds of times. The common complaint was, that the translation fell very far short of the energy and beauty of the original. Mr. Macgillivray is convinced, that the MS. contained all the poems translated by Macpherson; 1. Because he recollects very distinctly having heard Mr. Farquharson say, after having read the translation, that he had all these poems in his collection; 2. Because he never saw him at a loss to find the original in the MS. when any observation occurred upon any passage in the translation. He knows the poems of Fingal and Temora were of the number, for he saw the greatest part of both collated with the translation. And he heard Mr. Farquharson often regret that Macpherson had not found or published several poems contained in his MS. and of no less merit than any of those laid before the public.

Mr. Farquharson came to Scotland in 1773, leaving his MS. in the Scots' college of Douay, where Mr. Macgillivray had occasion to see it frequently during his stay there, till 1775; but, he says, it had got into the hands of young men who did not understand the Gaelic, it was much tattered, and several leaves had been torn out.

The late Principal of that college, who was then only a student there, remembers very well having seen the leaves of the mutilated manuscript torn out to kindle the fire in their stove.

Bishop Cameron believes the collection was made before the middle of last century. He was personally acquainted with Mr. Farquharson from 1773 to 1780, and the poems were often the subject of their conversation. Whatever opinion the literary world might form of them, it was not easy to foresee that Macpherson should be seriously believed to be the author of them. It was hoped he would publish the original. In that persuasion