r 49 ] 



and is current in Ireland * . The third is taken from the Marhh- 

 rann Ofcair ; and the fourth from the poem entitled Oran eadar 

 Ailte agus do Maronnan, a copy of which is amongft the Irifh 

 manufcripts in the library of the college of Dublin. It appears, 

 therefore, that thefe fpurious Irifh ballads, as they are called by 

 Mr. Mc. Pherfon and Mr. Mc. Arthur, are the very originals out 

 of which the former compiled his Oflian. 



I WAS much furprized to find, that out of fo large a work 

 as the Temora, Fingal, and all the other fhorter poems, 

 Mr. Mc. Arthur fhould happen to feled only fuch paffages as 

 occurred in the Erfe fongs which fell into Mr. Hill's hands or 

 mine. This feems to indicate that the foundation of Mr. Mc. 

 Pherfon's Oifian is much narrower than, perhaps, we might 

 otherwife have fufpeded. 



In fragment the firft, Mr. Mc. Arthur has multiplied two 

 hammers into an hundred, by inferting the word chiad: Though 

 this be not fo juft as the original, yet it is a grander image, 

 and more agreeable to Mr. Mc. Pherfon's tranflation. 



In fragment the fecond, for Manus Mac Gharra nan Slo/gh, he 

 fubftitutes ]\Iac Jin ri Lochlain nan Jluagh ; bccaufe Manus, a 

 name of later times, does not occur in Mc. Pherfon. 



The following poems are tranfcribed letter for letter from 

 the copies now current in the Highlands, except fo far as they 



* A beautiful copy of this poem is preferred in the library of the univerfity of 

 ■ Dublin ; it is entitled Laoi Mhamiis Mhoir. A mutilated copy of it is printed in 

 the Perth edition, p. 1 8, under the title of Comhrag Fheinn agus Mhamiis. 



(G) have 



