committed to writing. On the contrary, he says, '* I am not able to 

 say, with any degree of certainty, that I have seen, but can affirm 

 that I have not perused any manuscripts containing either the whole, 

 or apart of the poems published by our friend." Again, "To say 

 the truth, I am not sanguine in my expectations from any one manu- 

 script that can be found in our part of the Isles. Mr. Macpherson 

 was himself in the isle where the hereditary Senachies, of whom I 

 have been speaking, resided for several centuries ; he saw the friends 

 of these Senachies, and saw Clanranald. Whether he has procured 

 any old papers fit for his purpose from these people, he can inform 

 you best." Here is a confession — that the writer never saw and 

 never read any of these poems ; yet, this very gentleman, in con- 

 junction with his friend James Macpherson, erects, upon the autho- 

 rity of these poems, a new system of Scottish history, in opposition 

 to all the historians that had ever before written upon that subject. 



Doctor Macpherson's second letter, dated 27th November, 1763, 

 a little better than a month after he had written his first, flatly con- 

 tradicts that first letter. In the former he confesses, not only, that 

 he had not even seen, but positively affirms, that " he never permed 

 any manuscripts containing either the whole or a part of the poems 

 published by James Macpherson." But in the latter he says, " That 

 I have perused a Gaelic manuscript, containing all the poems trans- 

 lated by Mr. Macpherson, or a considerable part q/"them, I am notable 

 to say ; but can honestly affirm, that I have seen a Gaelic manuscript 

 in the hands of an old bard, who travelled about through the High- 

 lands and Isles about thirty years ago, out of which he read, in my 

 hearing, and before thousands yet alive, the exploits of Cuchullin, 

 Fingal, Oscar, Ossian, Gaul, Dermid, and the other heroes celebrated 

 in Mr. Macpherson's book." After such a contradiction, what reliance 

 js tp be placed upon the sayings of this gentleman. Yet, upon such a 



