»-CHARACTERS. 
vanity ahd sélf-consequence, and 
which met with the most mortify- 
ing reception from the public. It 
was condemned by the critics, ri- 
diculed by the wits, and neglected 
by the world. Some of his friends, 
and particularly Sir John Elliott, 
endeavoured to rescue it from con- 
tempt, and force it into notice. 
Their success was not equal to 
their efforts. After avery acute, 
learned, and witty critique, which 
was universally ascribed toa gentle- 
man still living, and inserted in 
the Critical Reniew, the new tran- 
slation was confessed to possess no 
merit, and ever since has been 
consigned to oblivion. 
About this time seems to be the 
period of Mr. Macpherson’s literary 
mortifications. In 1773 Dr. John- 
son atid Mr. Bosweli made the 
Your of the Hebrides ; and in the 
course of it, the former took some 
pains to examine into the proofs of 
the authenticity of Ossian. The 
result Of his inquiries he gave to 
the public in 1775, in his narra- 
tive of the Tour, and his opinion 
unfavourable. ‘* I believe 
they (i. e. the poems, says he) 
never cxisted in any other form 
than that which we havescen. ‘The 
editor or author never could shew 
the original; nor can it be shewn 
by any other. ‘J’o revenge reason- 
able inetedvlity by refusing evi. 
dence, isa degree of insolence with 
which the wor!d is not yet ac. 
quainted ; and s:.:bborn audacity is 
the last refuge of cuilt. {ft would 
be easy to shew it if he had it; 
but Whence coud itbe had? ‘Tr is 
too long to be remembered, and 
the language had formerly nothing 
written. He has doubtiess insert- 
éd names that circulate in popular 
stories, and may have translated 
some wardering ballads, if any 
Vop. XXXVIILL, 
Was 
[36g 
can be found; and the names and 
some of the images being recol- 
le&ted, make an inaccurate auditor 
imagine, by the help of Caledo.. 
nian bigotry, that he has formerly 
heard the whole.’? Again, “ t 
have yet supposed no imposture 
but in the publisher, yet I am far 
from certain, that some transla. 
tions haye not been lately made, 
that may now be obtruded as parts 
of the original work. Credulity 
on one part is a strong temptation 
to deceit on the other, especially to 
deceit of which no personal injury 
is the consequence, and which flat- 
ters the author with his own inge- 
nuity. The Scots have something 
to plead for their easy reception of 
an improbable fiction: they are se- 
duced by their fondness’ for their 
supposed ancestors. A Scotchman 
must be a sturdy moralist who does 
not love Scotland better than truth: 
he will always love it better than 
i: aquiry ,and, if falshood flatters his 
vanity, will not be very diligent to 
deteét it, Neither ought the English 
to be much influenced by Scotch au- 
thority ; for of the past and present 
state of the whole Erse nation, the 
Lowlanders are at least as ignorant 
as ourselves. ‘Lo be “ignorant is 
painful; but it is dangerous to 
quiet our uneasiness by the delu- 
sive opiate of hasty persudsion,”? 
The opinions above declared by 
Dr. Johnson incensed our author 
so much, that he was prompted by 
his evil genius to send a menacing 
letter to his antagonist, which pro- 
‘duced the severe, spirited, and sar. 
castiereply which has been already 
printed in the European Magazine. 
Wherher his warmth abated,or whe- 
ther he had been made sensible of his 
folly by the interposition of friends, 
we know not; but certain it is, 
we hear no more afterwards of this 
Bb ridiculous 
