233 



rate man. We shall not deny, that, to a modern Highlander, there 

 are enough of obsolete words and phrases in the poems of Ossian, cir- 

 culated in the Highlands, which are, originally, Irish compositions, 

 though now corrupted and debased by being handed down to latter 

 times, only by oral recital. But we positively deny that they are 

 composed in the language of the times to which they refer. The 

 Gaelic language of Ossian's times would be nearly unintelligible 

 to the most learned in the Gaelic language of the modern Scotch 

 whose works have as yet come to our knowledge, and we affirm, with- 

 out fear of contradiction, that it must be totally so to an illiterate 

 Highlander. 



Mr. Mac Donald does not appear intimidated by his being " igno- 

 rant of the language of any other country," from pronouncing his 

 opinion, very dogmatically, on any translation that might be made 

 of those poems into English, or any other language. He says, "And 

 though it were attempted to make the ablest scholar translate those 

 poems into English, or any other tongue, he surely could not trans- 

 fuse into them the merits of the original, but still less could he, as it 

 is alleged, first compose them in English, and turn them into such 

 Gaelic, as should retain the bone and marrow of their own true lan- 

 guage." This is pretty well ; but this is not all. He again tells us, 

 (Appendix to Report, p. 43.) " The names of men, and of places, are 

 significant to a degree, found only in an original language ; and 

 Ossian's expressions are so peculiarly and wonderfully happ}', that 

 no man can translate or change them, without losing the aptness, 

 substance, melod}^, and perfect beauty which distinguish the pure 

 Gaelic of Ossian alone, through all his works." It must be confessed, 

 that this Mr. Mac Donald is a very extraordinary man, who, though 

 illiterate and ignorant of every language but his own, is thus able to 



