regarding its own dignity, as the representative of the most illustrious public association of men that now exists in Britain, or perhaps in Europe, has chosen, on this occasion, to maintain a becoming reserve. Anxious only to collect facts, it has been little solicitous to offer opinions, or to enter into controversial discussion. The important facts, which it has collected, are laid before the public, and to these it is left to make their proper impression.

The Committee having thus declined to enter into the argument, it may be deemed presumptuous in an individual, favoured with far scantier means of information, to attempt to revive the controversy, or to pursue it to a greater length than has been already done. But it may be permitted to remark,

that though the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland has, very properly, considered it as beneath its dignity to stoop to the refutation of the arguments of Mr Laing, it may not be improper for one, who has little to lose, and who may have the good fortune to gain some advantage in the discussion, to enter the lists even with this powerful antagonist.

It is proper, at the same time, to observe, that the object of the Committee has, unquestionably, been, in a very great measure, accomplished, by the vast body of valuable observations and facts which it has collected, and by the ample field which it has thus opened up for the speculations of those, who may be disposed to enter into the controversy. Of these import

ant observations and facts, together with the conclusions which may be drawn from them, the Author of these pages will take the liberty, from time to time, to avail himself.

Without pretending to follow the formal and minute divisions of Mr Laing's Dissertation, it is proposed to consider, in the order in which they occur, those topics that may appear to relate more essentially to the antiquity and authenticity of this poetry; and, in this view, it would seem, that the suject will be exhausted, by taking into our account the following parti, culars; viz. The Period in which these Poems are said to have been composed-The State of Society and Manners, in the age in which Ossian is supposed to have flourished-The Mode

in which these Poems are represented to have been transmitted to us-And, finally, The Manner in which they have been collected, translated, and published, by Mr Macpherson. In this course of treating the subject, it is proposed to advert to the arguments advanced by Mr Laing, as they occur.

It is necessary to say, that the literary merits of these poems constitute no part of the argument, which it is proposed to discuss. Mr Laing may find in them "bombast, extravagant "rants, and contemptible conceits." An opportunity will occur of shewing, that, if such instances of false taste are to be found, they are to be imputed to the translator, and not to the original. But to vindicate the general merits of this poetry is foreign from the purpose

of this Essay. It

may

suffice to say,

that it has been long admired, both at home and abroad, by persons whose taste and literature will not suffer by a comparison with those of any man whatsoever.

But, laying aside the consideration of the merits of these poems, if they are indeed as ancient as they are represented to be, they furnish, as Mr Hume has remarked, "one of the great"est curiosities, in all respects, that 66 ever was discovered in the common"wealth of letters."* They evidently afford a fair promise of throwing much light on the early history and manners of an interesting people; and the few

* See Mr Hume's Letter on this subject to Dr Blair; Report of the Committee, p. 8.