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 in dicates 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

·

ments were episodes of a greater work which related to
the wars of Fingal; that there was ground for believing,
also, that many more remains of ancient Gaelic genius
might be found in the Highlands where these were col-
lected, and in particular, he stated, there was reason to
hope that one considerable heroic poem might be re-
covered and translated if encouragement were given
to such an undertaking.' And he goes on to represent,
actually, the substance of the prospective poem. The
second thing observable about the 'Fragments' is that
the characters who appear in them reappear in the
later productions-not a remarkable thing if the originals
were genuine, but very significant if the originals were
false. Thus, the personage Shilric in the 'Fragments
reappears in 'Carric-Thura'; Vinvella reappears in the
same; Connal appears again in both Fingal' and 'Car-
ric-Thura,' while Ryno does so in Fingal,' 'Temora,'
'Songs of Selma,' and so on. The third thing to be
noted is that the paraphernalia of the 'Fragments' is
precisely of the same quality, though presented in
slightly different form, as that of the later productions.
The bard sits by mossy fountains, evening is grey on the
hills, or grey mist rests on them, the sun going down is
the 'beam of the west,' and the angry Morar is 'terrible
as a meteor of fire.' Any one well versed in 'Ossian'
will remember how often the idea is expressed of the
pre-historic grave as a mound of stones in the moor,
and the future hunter shedding a tear on the stones.
Says the bard in the 'Fragments,' 'If fall I must in the
field, raise high my grave, Vinvela. Grey stones, and
heaped-up earth, shall mark me to future times. When
the hunter shall sit by the mound, and produce his food
at noon,
some warrior rests here," he will say, and my
fame shall live in his praise.' Again, let it be said, that
all this would not be remarkable if Macpherson's claim
for the genuineness of the originals were justified; but
if the originals were not genuine these things show the
imposture to have been deliberate and gross.

66

Now, to look at the personages who were concerned with Macpherson in the discovery of the poems. After the publication of the 'Fragments,' in 1760, came the celebrated dinner in Edinburgh, and the commission to Macpherson to proceed on tour through the Highlands

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.

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.

It is well established that he was an extraordinarily vain man, and in particular that his literary vanity was extreme. Indeed, it was to this that his connexion with this whole Ossianic business was due. We must remember that he began badly, when only a young man of twenty-three, a tutor at Moffat, by an imposition in this very subject on John Home, the author of 'Douglas,' and the first notable personage who became interested in his 'Ossian' productions. Home it was who introduced Macpherson to Dr Blair, and in that way really started him on his career of Gaelic authorship. The fragment produced by Macpherson for John Home-in 1759-was a short, dramatic episode on the Death of Oscar,' which was demonstrably false history, so that Macpherson attempted to repair the mistake by discovering' a more correct version. Unfortunately, it helped him not at all. But this shows the kind of thing he was doing, even at that early day.

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That this overwhelming vanity continued through life we know from many circumstances. Even Mrs Grant, a personal friend and neighbour, was constrained to say, at the time of Macpherson's death, that his will, which was made some time before this period of anguish, was, alas, too strongly marked with that vanity and ostentation which threw a deep shade over many good qualities he really possessed.' It may be recalled that by this same will Macpherson bequeathed, properly, the 10007. sent him from India for the purpose, for the publication of the Gaelic originals of Ossian'; also, that he left 500l. for the erection of a monument to himself at Belleville, Kingussie, where the tall obelisk may be seen to this day, and left directions that when dead he was to be buried in Westminster Abbey. It may be a shock to many readers to know that this was actually done, and that Macpherson rests in Poets' Corner.

With regard to the Gaelic originals of the 'Ossian' poems-to which far too little attention has been paidthese have a literary history of their own, but a sentence or two must suffice. After much trouble, and with the aid of the 10007. sent from India, these originals were published in three volumes by the Highland Society of London in 1807, eleven years after Macpherson's death. They were published in a second edition, edited by Ewen