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THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE POEMS OF OSSIAN. 



BY THE REV. NEIL MacNISH, M.A., B.D., 



Cornwall, Ontario. 



When in the eighteenth century the poems of Ossian were published 

 by James MacPherson^ great surprise was felt that poems purporting 

 to belong to a very remote age, could have been transmitted mainly 

 by oral tradition. Many wondered that poems, ostensibly the pro- 

 duction of a very rude and early age, could contain ideas so grand 

 and sentiments so refined and elegant as the poems of Ossian 

 undoubtedly possess. It was in literary circles deemed necessary to 

 subject these writings to a very rigid examination. That poems of 

 acknowledged beauty could remain so long in obscurity ; that they 

 could have floated in comparative safety across many centuries ; that 

 in a country greatly removed from the influence of classical learning, 

 sentiments similar to those which pervade the writings of Ossian 

 could be cherished ; that suddenly from a comparatively unknown 

 portion of Scotland there issued poems which speedily made a gi-eat 

 impression in the literary world, — was sufficient to draw the critical 

 attention of many. There were not wanting those who maintained 

 that it was impossible for poems to be handed down during many 

 centuries mainly by oral tradition. The beauties pervading the 

 poems of Ossian soon miade a marked impression iii learned circles ; 

 and hence arose the eagerness wherewith men like Johnson, Hume 

 and Laing, endeavoured to prove that the poetical writings in question 

 were the composition of MacPherson himself. Occupying, as these 

 men did, a very distinguished place among the learned of that age, it 

 is not wonderful that their efforts to overthrow the authenticity of 

 Ossian, induced others to regard the entire poems as a forgery and as 

 the production of MacPherson himself. It was to be expected that 

 the opinions of writers who in all likelihood bestowed some attention 

 on the vexed question of the genuineness of the poems ascribed to 



