All the pieces here attributed to Ossian are written in the same metre, tone, and spirit, as those attributed to him in the other collection, so if Macpherson's Ossianic poems, which he said were collected by him in the Highlands, are forgeries, Smith's Ossianic poems, which, according to his account, were also collected in the Highlands, must be also forged, and have been imitated from those published by the other.

Now as it is well known that Smith did not possess sufficient poetic power to produce any imitation of Macpherson's Ossian, with a tenth part the merit which the "Sean Dana" possess, and that even if he had possessed it, his principles would not have allowed him to attempt to deceive the world by imposing forgeries upon it, as the authentic poems of another, he being a highly respectable clergyman, the necessary conclusion is that the Ossianic poems which both published are genuine, and collected in the manner in which both stated they were." After a little more discourse about Ossian, the old gentleman asked me if there was any good modern Gaelic poetry.

"None very modern," said I: "the last great poets of the Gael were Macintyre and Buchanan, who flourished about the middle of the last century.

The first sang of love and of Highland scenery; the latter was a religious poet.

The best piece of Macintyre is an ode to Ben Dourain, or the Hill of the Water-dogs--a mountain in the Highlands.