240 



decca cannot be found in any Gaelic poem of an older date than the 

 birth of Macpherson's Ossian. Even in the Gaelic originals of 

 Ossian, as published by the Highland Society of London, it is in vain 

 that we look for it. The name frequently occurs in the English poem 

 of Fingal, and in other poems of Macpherson's Ossian, but never once 

 in the " originals " of the Society. Macpherson first mentions this 

 lady, Fingal, B. IV. (p. 55, o, ed.) " My hero had seen in his rest 

 the mournful form of Agandecca." The " original " of the Society 

 does not mention any such name as Agandecca ; it calls this lovely 

 lady ^^ the face of snow." The words are: 



" Thainig na chodail do n'ghaisgeach 

 Aghaidh-'n t sneachda 'na cruth faoin." 



" In his sleep came to the hero 

 The /ace of snow in her weak form." — 'Vol. ii. p. 154. 



.•--lUi lif tLjUsiif'- 



Macpherson mentions this lady by the same name twice more in 

 the same Book, pp. 63 and 64, o. ed. In one place the *' original " 

 calls her " Oigh mar shneachd — a maid like snow ;^' in the other 

 " Oigh nan aird threun — viaid of mighty heroes" p. 176. She is 

 mentioned again by Macpherson in the fifth Book, o. ed. p. 67, and 

 twice in the sixth Book, pp. 83 and 84. In the first of these places 

 the "original" calls her ^^ his first love — mo cheud rHin." In the 

 other two she is called " mo riiin," and " mo luaidh." Here the 

 name of Agandecca is not once mentioned. Is it unreasonable 

 then to suppose that the old proverbial expression above mentioned, 

 is a modern forgery ? 



The Committee, in its Report, pp. 2 and 28, refers to the letters 

 of Doctors Blair, Ferguson, and Carlisle, and of Mr. Home and 

 Mr. Macpherson, contained in the Appendix No. 4, as furnishing 

 proofs of the authenticity of Ossian's poems. But upon the closest 



