Poetry. 227 



was supposed to have brought to light such pre- 

 cious remains of ancient genius. 7 On the con- 

 trary, many judges equally learned and acute have 

 denied the authenticity of the poems ascribed to 

 Ossian, and have insisted that they are forgeries 

 by Mr. Macpherson himself/ Though this con- 

 troversy is far from being terminated, yet the best 

 supported and most probable opinion seems to be, 

 that the poems in dispute are neither wholly the 

 work of any ancient bard, nor entirely forged by 

 Macpherson; but that the latter really made large 

 collections of ancient Gaelic poetry, which he 

 modified and connected in his own way, making 

 additions with freedom where he thought proper, 

 and forming an apparently regular work of frag- 

 ments which were never before united/ 



But whatever may be the origin of the poems 

 which have passed under the name of Ossian, 

 they doubtless possess merit of a wonderful kind. 

 Amidst the obscurity which remarkably per- 

 vades them, and the frequent, and even disgust- 

 ing recurrence of the same images, such as the 

 extended heath by the sea-shore; the mountain 

 covered with mist; the torrent rushing through a 



g Among the distinguished characters who have contended for the authen- 

 ticity of Ossian's poems may be mentioned Dr. Blair, Lord Kaims, 

 Dr. Henry, Mr. Whitaker, and on the continent of Europe a large 

 number. 



r Dr. Johnson not only utterly denied the authenticity of these poems, 

 but also maintained that they had no merit. His opinion on the former 

 point may, with some qualification, be admitted; but, on the character of 

 the work, it is difficult to suppose that so acute and profound a critic could 

 deliver such an unfavourable judgment, without improper bias. Though 

 the poetry of Ossian has been extravagantly estimated, it is surely worthy 

 of much praise. 



s On the one hand, it is by no means credible that a man of Mac- 

 pherson's mediocrity of talents could be himself the author of the poems 

 which bear the name of Ossian; nor can it be supposed that any one, 

 however great his powers, could completely forge compositions bearing so 

 many marks of antiquity, both in -the style, the sentiments, and the histo- 

 rical facts. On the other hand, it is no less difficult to believe that manu- 

 script copies of these poems, in the form in which we now see them, 

 should have existed from very remote antiquity. 



