654: MR small's biographical SKETCH OF PROF. ADAM FERGUSON. 



any one thinks he can do better in a more portable form, or in Roman character, 

 this he can easily accomplish from your standard copy; and I shall cease to 

 reason on the subject. Being but a bastard Gaelic man, my ear is a very uncer- 

 tain rule for pronunciation or orthography. I will, however, mention what 

 occurs under correction of your better judgment. Will it not be proper to prefix 

 an alphabet, with notice of the power of each letter? If so, I think the two 

 sigmas should be distinguished, the one s the other sh. I think the alpha is 

 sufficiently full and broad in the sound without any additional vowel, as (v), for 

 instance ; and I think the upsilon should have the power of the English {v) uni- 

 formly given to it. The modern Greeks always pronounce it so. The (a), falsely 

 numbered with the diphthongs, should always stand for the Italian (u) or English 

 double (oo), as in moon or boon, &c. To illustrate these remarks, I have ventured 

 to mark the changes they would make in the specimen. Axxt, I see, you spell Mith 

 a kappa, to my ear it is rather a (y), gamma ; however you know much better. 

 Query, also whether the nasal sound, when the article ocr precedes a word be- 

 ginning with gamma or kappa, may not be marked with the double gamma, as 

 in the tale of Pharaoh's daughter (ayy xo^a^) ; so much for remarks which you will 

 not make any use of, as you see cause. I have conformed to your former injunc- 

 tion exactly in consulting no more persons. There are few persons of any educa- 

 tion in the Highlands, whether clergy or laity, that do not know the Greek 

 alphabet ; and perhaps will have easier access to your Ossian in that alphabet 

 than they would in the barbarous orthography which few, and I among the 

 rest, never learned to read. I know that this would make many a learned man 

 stare. For there is no persuading people south of Tay, that all the works of the 

 bards are not to be found in booksellers' shops in Lochaber or Morven the capital 

 of the country at least. I tryed your experiment on J. Home, and he made it much 

 more intelligible from the Greek orthography than from the Roman. I showed 

 him in confidence your flagellation of the Edinburgh critics, and he is much 

 diverted. I admire the fair hand and current writing of Greek in your amanu- 

 ensis. — And am, dear sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, 



" Adam Ferguson."* 



M'Pherson does not seem to have received much encouragement towards 

 using the Greek characters for his projected edition. He died three years after 

 this, and the Poems of Ossian, which were printed in Gaelic after his death, 

 appeared in the ordinary Roman characters. 



About the end of the year 1793, Ferguson, although now in his seventieth 

 year, finding his health much improved, formed the resolution of visiting Italy, 

 that he might be the better able to prepare a new edition of his Roman History. 

 He accordingly set out for the Continent on his way to Rome, and visited the 

 chief cities of Germany, in all of which he was received with much distinction. 



* This letter has been kindly furnished by Sir David Brewster. 



