6^ Poeby. [Chap. XX. 



ing which much diversity of opinion exists to the 

 present day. The events alhided to are the pub- 

 lication of the poems of Chatterton, an extraor- 

 dinary youth of Bristol; and the collection and 

 exhibition, in a regular form, of the works of Os- 

 sian, by Mr. James Macpherson, a man who, by 

 the connexiofi of his name with these poems alone, 

 has attained [high celebrity in the republic of let- 

 ters. 



In 1760 Mr. James Macpherson, of North Bri- 

 tain, surprised the world by the publication of 

 " Frag77ie7its of Ancient Poetry, collected in the 

 Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the 

 Gaelic or Erse language." In 1762 he published 

 " Fin gal, an Epic Poem, in six books, together- 

 with several other Poems composed by Ossian, the 

 Son of Fingal;" and again in 1763 he produced 

 " Teniora, an ancient Epic Poem, in eight books," 

 with several additional poems. These were all 

 ascribed to Ossian, an ancient Scottish bard*, and 

 were declared by the publisher to have been col- 

 lected, partly from old manuscripts, and partly 

 from oral tradition. 



Few of the literary controversies of the age ex- 

 cited more attention than that which immediately 

 arose respecting the authenticity of these poems. 

 By many learned men their antiquity was readily 

 admitted; aiid their reception, particularly on the 

 continent of Europe, was extremely favourable. 

 There were not wanting enthusiastic admirers. 



* This poet is said, by those •\vho believe in the authenticity of 

 the poems in question, to have flourished about the end of the 

 second and the beginning of the third century. 



