There was great excitement throughout literary Europe when in 1762, 1765 and 1773 the young Scottish schoolmaster and poet James Macpherson published translations of an extraordinary series of epic poems he claimed to have found by an ancient Gaelic bard called Ossian. Romantic and emotional, they proved a huge success, and were widely translated. Samuel Johnson was the first to cast doubt on their authenticity, and after Macpherson’s death, a report in 1805 concluded that the works were founded only on scraps of Gaelic originals which he had embellished. That he had done so with masterly ingenuity was also accepted. Walter Scott added his stern views on the subject in a letter to his friend Anna Seward.
Ashestiel September 1806
… As for the great dispute I should be no Scottish man if I had not very attentively considered it at some period of my studies & indeed I have gone to some length in my researches for I have beside me translations of some twenty or thirty of the unquestioned originals of Ossians poems. After making every allowance for the disadvantages of a literal translation & the possible debasement which those now collected may have suffered in the great & violent change which the Highlands have undergone since the researches of Macpherson I am compelled to admit that incalculably the greater part of the English Ossian must be ascribed to Macpherson himself and that his whole introductions notes &c &c is an absolute tissue of forgeries …
The Highland Society have lately set about investigating, or rather, I should say collecting materials to defend the authenticity of Ossian. Those researches have only proved that there were no real originals using that word as is commonly understood to be found for them. The oldest tale they have found seems to be that of Darthula but it is perfectly different both in diction & story from that of Macpherson – it is, however, a beautiful specimen of Celtic poetry & shews that it contains much which is worthy of preservation – indeed how should it be otherwise when we know that till about fifty years ago the Highlands contained a race of hereditary poets. Is it possible to think that perhaps among many hundreds who for such a course of centuries have founded their reputation & rank on practising the art of poetry in a country where scenery & manners gave such effect & interest & imagery to their productions, there should not have been some who have attained excellence? In searching out those genuine records of the Celtic Muse & preserving them from oblivion with all the curious information which they must doubtless contain I humbly think our Highland antiquaries would merit better of their country than confining their researches to the fantastic pursuit of a chimera …