CHAPTER IV. 



GAELIC LANGUAGE, POETRY, AND MUSIC. 



One of the early resolutions of the Society was that it 

 should pay a proper attention to the preservation of the 

 language, poetry, and music of the Highlands. In pursu- 

 ance of this resolution, the Society, as noticed on pages 48 

 and 49, had at least two bards who held office in succession 

 from 1784 to 1799. An officer, known as Professor of 

 Gaelic, was recognised during the like period ; while the 

 Society had several pipers from 1784 to 18 17. 



Ossian Inquiry. 



The same spirit which led the Society to appoint the 

 officers just named induced it to assent to an inquiry, by a 

 Committee of its members, regarding the Poems of Ossian. 

 The poems issued by Alacpherson in 1762, 1763, and 

 1765, had been read with avidity and translated into 

 various European languages, but their authenticity, as is 

 well known, was loudly questioned by Dr Johnson, David 

 Hume, Malcolm Laing, and others. The resolution au- 

 thorising the inquiry was adopted at a meeting in July 

 1797, a year after the death of Macpherson, at a time, 

 therefore, when a semi-official inquiry could be made with- 

 out reference to personal feeling. The question submitted 

 to the Committee was of a two-fold character. The Com- 

 mittee itself defines the inquiry to be first, ' What poetry, of 

 what kind, and of what degree of excellence, existed 

 anciently in the Highlands, and which was generally 

 known by the denomination of Ossianic, from its universal 

 belief that its author was Ossian, the son of Fingal ; and 

 secondly, how far the collection of such poetry, published 

 by Macpherson, was genuine .'" The Committee issued 

 circulars containing queries which were addressed to such 



