human nature, had this circumstance in his mind when, in regard to both Chatterton and Macpherson, he opposed the claim of their works to authenticity. In the case of Chatterton the exposure was comparatively easy, and complete. But with regard to Macpherson the case was very different, particularly for the reason that Macpherson could always take refuge in the fastnesses of the Gaelic speech and Gaelic literary history, where even Johnson could not follow him, and so the remarkable 'Ossian' controversy was never really settled to a demonstration.

This leads to the further consideration that, living in the atmosphere of this literary practice, such as it was, James Macpherson may possibly have begun originally with a certain innocency; for having undoubtedly made investigations, and spent time and labour over the work, he may-to an extent-have convinced himself that he was really giving to the world something that was worth while, in a way that conveyed to readers the spirit, at least, of the plaintive and charming myths which lie at the back of the story of the Gaelic people. That, however, is about all that is to be said for James Macpherson, except, indeed, that the sentimental form in which he presented his translations in itself was a stroke of genius. With its emotional force the work immediately captured, and retained, the imagination of the public in a way that would have been a pure impossibility if put forward in a spirit of calm and cold scholarship, making appeal merely to the reason or the knowledge of the reader. Those who then read Macpherson's 'Ossian' carried away as vivid an idea of the valorous deeds of the Gael in pre-historic times as could be gathered from a poem, or a novel, and the conception of actual events would be just as well founded in the one case as in the other. Readers in Macpherson's time were, however, not aware of that, and, speaking generally, readers in the present day are not certain of it yet.

It is common literary knowledge that fragments of ancient Gaelic tales to some extent did exist in the Scottish Highlands; but to a far greater extent in Ireland -whence, we must remember, the Scottish Gaels, as well as their Gaelic speech, came to Scotland. Within the last three-quarters of a century a great mass of

these'sgeulachdan - fables or legends - have been brought to light, and much of the Ossianic legend, particularly as circulated in Ireland, is thoroughly good literary, traditional material, worthy of the careful treatment it has received from Celtic scholars, both Continental and British. This also must be said, that the genuine ancient Gaelic material, oral or written, is never of the complete, rounded, poetical, dazzling quality presented by James Macpherson in Fingal' (1762), or in 'Temora' (1763). These productions, over which fierce controversy arose, were not the work of a scholar, but of a brilliant writer, skilled in expression, and extraordinarily clever in producing the atmosphere and paraphernalia of ancient and, supposedly, heroic times in the form of complete, dramatic episodes. It answered the purpose of a novel before the novel had the power to make the universal, effective appeal developed in later days. It was, in a way, the poem of sentiment, presented in a complete and attractive guise, with a special charm of mystery as to all that lay behind it. For those works were presented in what might seem, at first view, the modest form of translations.'

Now, the strange thing in this Ossianic business, very little known, or remembered, is the fact that James Macpherson undoubtedly made a translation from Gaelic originals of the poems. Everybody knows that he was repeatedly challenged to produce the Gaelic originals which he declared he worked from; but it is generally forgotten that the challenge was accepted, and that Gaelic originals were produced. As a matter of fact, an advertisement appeared, in 1762, intimating that the original Gaelic manuscript of part of 'Temora' was lying in the hands of Macpherson's publishers in London for the inspection of all who were interested, and that if a sufficient number of subscribers came forward the Gaelic originals would be printed. The manuscript remained there available, actually, for a whole year. We know now, on the authority of one of the publishers, that nobody, friend or foe, took the trouble to call. The manuscript was ultimately withdrawn, and the projected publication of the Gaelic manuscript came, at that time, to nothing.

The crucial question then is-what were these Gaelic

and Western Islands for the purpose of collecting all the ancient Gaelic poetry that could be found; his expenses to be paid by public subscription from the notabilities at the dinner, and others.

·

Two journeys into the Highlands and the Islands took place; but Macpherson did not go alone. Readers of Mrs Grant, of Laggan, will remember that in her delightful Letters from the Mountains' she describes intimately not only the pathetic close of James Macpherson's life at Belleville, Badenoch, in her own neighbourhood, February 1796, but gives significant details with regard to Evan Macpherson, the cultured Highlander, who taught Mrs Grant herself Gaelic, and being an excellent Gaelic scholar' did other remarkable things as affecting Macpherson and his 'Ossian.' Evan Macpherson had been born and educated a gentleman,' Mrs Grant tells us; but had been very unfortunate all his life. He had resided in Skye, and in other parts of the Highlands, and was thoroughly well acquainted with every aspect of Gaelic life and thought. At Laggan, where his brother had been minister, he had taught a school, and in the neighbourhood had formed an intimacy with James Macpherson. By this man, 'The Prophet' of Mrs Grant's familiar 'Letters,' the capable Gaelic scholar, James Macpherson was accompanied on one of his journeys in search of the Gaelic poems. On the other journey Macpherson was accompanied by a no less significant personage. This was Lachlan Macpherson of Strathmashie, also a competent Gaelic scholar, who assisted in the work that James had in hand, and regarding whom some curious things emerged later, as will presently be seen.

All the world knows the remarkable outcome of these journeys in search of ancient Gaelic poetry. James Macpherson reported results to literary friends from time to time as the journeys proceeded. Not only was ancient Gaelic poetry found in abundance; but it was found in complete dramatic episodes, the like of which had never before been encountered, and was never encountered again by the most diligent and competent of scholars. In particular, he asserted, 'I have been lucky enough to lay my hands on a pretty complete poem, and truly epic, concerning Fingal.' Here, then,

is the situation. James Macpherson, himself incapable of producing Gaelic manuscript of any passable kind, proceeds on this roving commission in search of Gaelic poems-the substance of certain of which was already in his mind-and is accompanied in his quest by two competent Gaelic scholars, one the unfortunate Evan Macpherson, and the other Lachlan Macpherson of Strathmashie, regarding whom a curious thing has to be noted. Dr W. F. Skene, who helped to edit the Dean of Lismore's Book, with its genuine Gaelic fragments, in 1862, states that, happening to be in the neighbourhood of Strathmashie, he was informed that after Lachlan Macpherson's death, in 1767, a paper was found in his repositories containing in Gaelic the Seventh Book of Temora in his own handwriting, with numerous corrections and alterations, and having the title, 'First rude draft of the Seventh Book of Temora.' It is a most singular thing that it was the Seventh Book of Temora that was put on exhibition with Macpherson's publishers in 1762, and if Dr Skene's information was correct this throws light on the methods by which the Gaelic originals were produced. It is not necessary to suppose, of course, even if Dr Skene's information were accurate in all particulars, that Lachlan Macpherson of Strathmashie fabricated the manuscript. The likelihood, indeed, is that he did not. But the assistance given by him and Evan Macpherson, through their competency in Gaelic, to the production of these originals,' which James Macpherson proceeded to operate upon, made possible, there is not the least doubt, the publication of the Ossian poems, and the remarkable celebrity of the work. If James Macpherson had been alone there would have been no Gaelic Fingal' and no Gaelic 'Temora,' and he would have died an obscurer and in all probability a poorer man.

6

We have now reached the stage when certain things must be said with regard to the Gaelic originals' from which James Macpherson made his translation. Before doing so, however, it is pertinent to the inquiry to note one particular aspect of Macpherson's character, well enough known in his lifetime but nearly forgotten now, yet knowledge of which is essential to a right understanding of the situation.

originals? Although the manuscripts from which Macpherson translated the poems were all either in his own handwriting or in that of amanuenses, they were not the composition of Macpherson, for it is well enough known, as it was in his lifetime, that he had not the competence in Gaelic for anything of the kind. Those 'originals' were really the spurious material in this business. It was from them that he made what is often a poor translation, although it was a close translation on the whole, and if a right view of the situation is to be obtained attention must be directed specially to the personages and circumstances under which these Gaelic 'originals' came into being, and also the use that James Macpherson made of them.

With regard to the personages and the circumstances, a clear view of what took place is helpful. It will be remembered that when Macpherson, in 1759-in response to urgent request-showed to Dr Hugh Blair some alleged translations of fragments of ancient Gaelic poetry, and was urged by him to translate all that he had in order that they might be printed, Macpherson-and it may be a point in his favour-only with great reluctance, consented. Why he was reluctant can never be known ; but taking the reluctance as real-and there is no reason to suppose otherwise-it indicates that he shrank, and very properly shrank, from taking a step so public that, if his pretensions so far merely amounted to little more than personal literary vanity, the publication of a book meant nothing less than an imposture on the world. He yielded, however, to persuasion, and the result was the publication, in 1760, by Hamilton and Balfour of Edinburgh, of his 'Fragments of Ancient Poetry, Collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and Translated from the Gallic or Erse Language.'

In the intense interest aroused by the later publication of 'Fingal' and 'Temora,' this volume of 'Fragments' has received less attention than is its due; but it is characteristic of James Macpherson to a remarkable degree, and shows clearly three things. In the first place, it demonstrates that the scheme of a large 'discovery' was already taking shape in Macpherson's mind, for in the preface to the Fragments' he states that there was ground for believing that most of the frag