different　modes　and　phrases　are　compared；　and　the　best　obtains　an
  establishment。　　By　degrees　one　age　improves　upon　another。
  Exactness　is　first　obtained；　and　afterwards　elegance。　　But　diction；
  merely　vocal；　is　always　in　its　childhood。　　As　no　man　leaves　his
  eloquence　behind　him；　the　new　generations　have　all　to　learn。　　There
  may　possibly　be　books　without　a　polished　language；　but　there　can　be
  no　polished　language　without　books。
  That　the　Bards　could　not　read　more　than　the　rest　of　their
  countrymen；　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose；　because；　if　they　had　read；
  they　could　probably　have　written；　and　how　high　their　compositions
  may　reasonably　be　rated；　an　inquirer　may　best　judge　by　considering
  what　stores　of　imagery；　what　principles　of　ratiocination；　what
  comprehension　of　knowledge；　and　what　delicacy　of　elocution　he　has
  known　any　man　attain　who　cannot　read。　　The　state　of　the　Bards　was
  yet　more　hopeless。　　He　that　cannot　read；　may　now　converse　with
  those　that　can；　but　the　Bard　was　a　barbarian　among　barbarians；　who；
  knowing　nothing　himself；　lived　with　others　that　knew　no　more。
  There　has　lately　been　in　the　Islands　one　of　these　illiterate　poets；
  who　hearing　the　Bible　read　at　church；　is　said　to　have　turned　the
  sacred　history　into　verse。　　I　heard　part　of　a　dialogue；　composed　by
  him；　translated　by　a　young　lady　in　Mull；　and　thought　it　had　more
  meaning　than　I　expected　from　a　man　totally　uneducated；　but　he　had
  some　opportunities　of　knowledge；　he　lived　among　a　learned　people。
  After　all　that　has　been　done　for　the　instruction　of　the
  Highlanders；　the　antipathy　between　their　language　and　literature
  still　continues；　and　no　man　that　has　learned　only　Earse　is；　at　this
  time；　able　to　read。
  The　Earse　has　many　dialects；　and　the　words　used　in　some　Islands　are
  not　always　known　in　others。　　In　literate　nations；　though　the
  pronunciation；　and　sometimes　the　words　of　common　speech　may　differ；
  as　now　in　England；　compared　with　the　South　of　Scotland；　yet　there
  is　a　written　diction；　which　pervades　all　dialects；　and　is
  understood　in　every　province。　　But　where　the　whole　language　is
  colloquial；　he　that　has　only　one　part；　never　gets　the　rest；　as　he
  cannot　get　it　but　by　change　of　residence。
  In　an　unwritten　speech；　nothing　that　is　not　very　short　is
  transmitted　from　one　generation　to　another。　　Few　have　opportunities
  of　hearing　a　long　composition　often　enough　to　learn　it；　or　have
  inclination　to　repeat　it　so　often　as　is　necessary　to　retain　it；　and
  what　is　once　forgotten　is　lost　for　ever。　　I　believe　there　cannot　be
  recovered；　in　the　whole　Earse　language；　five　hundred　lines　of　which
  there　is　any　evidence　to　prove　them　a　hundred　years　old。　　Yet　I
  hear　that　the　father　of　Ossian　boasts　of　two　chests　more　of　ancient
  poetry；　which　he　suppresses；　because　they　are　too　good　for　the
  English。
  He　that　goes　into　the　Highlands　with　a　mind　naturally　acquiescent；
  and　a　credulity　eager　for　wonders；　may　come　back　with　an　opinion
  very　different　from　mine；　for　the　inhabitants　knowing　the　ignorance
  of　all　strangers　in　their　language　and　antiquities；　perhaps　are　not
  very　scrupulous　adherents　to　truth；　yet　I　do　not　say　that　they
  deliberately　speak　studied　falsehood；　or　have　a　settled　purpose　to
  deceive。　　They　have　inquired　and　considered　little；　and　do　not
  always　feel　their　own　ignorance。　　They　are　not　much　accustomed　to
  be　interrogated　by　others；　and　seem　never　to　have　thought　upon
  interrogating　themselves；　so　that　if　they　do　not　know　what　they
  tell　to　be　true；　they　likewise　do　not　distinctly　perceive　it　to　be
  false。
  Mr。　Boswell　was　very　diligent　in　his　inquiries；　and　the　result　of
  his　investigations　was；　that　the　answer　to　the　second　question　was
  commonly　such　as　nullified　the　answer　to　the　first。
  We　were　a　while　told；　that　they　had　an　old　translation　of　the
  scriptures；　and　told　it　till　it　would　appear　obstinacy　to　inquire
  again。　　Yet　by　continued　accumulation　of　questions　we　found；　that
  the　translation　meant；　if　any　meaning　there　were；　was　nothing　else
  than　the　Irish　Bible。
  We　heard　of　manuscripts　that　were；　or　that　had　been　in　the　hands　of
  somebody's　father；　or　grandfather；　but　at　last　we　had　no　reason　to
  believe　they　were　other　than　Irish。　　Martin　mentions　Irish；　but
  never　any　Earse　manuscripts；　to　be　found　in　the　Islands　in　his
  time。
  I　suppose　my　opinion　of　the　poems　of　Ossian　is　already　discovered。
  I　believe　they　never　existed　in　any　other　form　than　that　which　we
  have　seen。　　The　editor；　or　author；　never　could　shew　the　original；
  nor　can　it　be　shewn　by　any　other；　to　revenge　reasonable
  incredulity；　by　refusing　evidence；　is　a　degree　of　insolence；　with
  which　the　world　is　not　yet　acquainted；　and　stubborn　audacity　is　the
  last　refuge　of　guilt。　　It　would　be　easy　to　shew　it　if　he　had　it；
  but　whence　could　it　be　had？　　It　is　too　long　to　be　remembered；　and
  the　language　formerly　had　nothing　written。　　He　has　doubtless
  inserted　names　that　circulate　in　popular　stories；　and　may　have
  translated　some　wandering　ballads；　if　any　can　be　found；　and　the
  names；　and　some　of　the　images　being　recollected；　make　an　inaccurate
  auditor　imagine；　by　the　help　of　Caledonian　bigotry；　that　he　has
  formerly　heard　the　whole。
  I　asked　a　very　learned　Minister　in　Sky；　who　had　used　all　arts　to
  make　me　believe　the　genuineness　of　the　book；　whether　at　last　he
  believed　it　himself？　but　he　would　not　answer。　　He　wished　me　to　be
  deceived；　for　the　honour　of　his　country；　but　would　not　directly　and
  formally　deceive　me。　　Yet　has　this　man's　testimony　been　publickly
  produced；　as　of　one　that　held　Fingal　to　be　the　work　of　Ossian。
  It　is　said；　that　some　men　of　integrity　profess　to　have　heard　parts
  of　it；　but　they　all　heard　them　when　they　were　boys；　and　it　was
  never　said　that　any　of　them　could　recite　six　lines。　　They　remember
  names；　and　perhaps　some　proverbial　sentiments；　and；　having　no
  distinct　ideas；　coin　a　resemblance　without　an　original。　　The
  persuasion　of　the　Scots；　however；　is　far　from　universal；　and　in　a
  question　so　capable　of　proof；　why　should　doubt　be　suffered　to
  continue？　　The　editor　has　been　heard　to　say；　that　part　of　the　poem
  was　received　by　him；　in　the　Saxon　character。　　He　has　then　found；　by
  some　peculiar　fortune；　an　unwritten　language；　written　in　a
  character　which　the　natives　probably　never　beheld。
  I　have　yet　supposed　no　imposture　but　in　the　publisher；　yet　I　am　far
  from　certainty；　that　some　translations　have　not　been　lately　made；
  that　may　now　be　obtruded　as　parts　of　the　original　work。　　Credulity
  on　one　part　is　a　strong　temptation　to　deceit　on　the　other；
  especially　to　deceit　of　which　no　personal　injury　is　the
  consequence；　and　which　flatters　the　author　with　his　own　ingenuity。
  The　Scots　have　something　to　plead　for　their　easy　reception　of　an
  improbable　fiction；　they　are　seduced　by　their　fondness　for　their
  supposed　ancestors。　　A　Scotchman　must　be　a　very　sturdy　moralist；
  who　does　not　love　Scotland　better　than　truth：　　he　will　always　love
  it　better　than　inquiry；　and　if　falsehood　flatters　his　vanity；　will
  not　be　very　diligent　to　detect　it。　　Neither　ought　the　English　to　be
  much　influenced　by　Scotch　authority；　for　of　the　past　and　present
  state　of　the　whole　Earse　nation；　the　Lowlanders　are　at　least　as
  ignorant　as　ourselves。　　To　be　ignorant　is　painful；　but　it　is
  dangerous　to　quiet　our　uneasiness　by　the　delusive　opiate　of　hasty
  persuasion。
  But　this　is　the　age；　in　which　those　who　could　not　read；　have　been
  supposed　to　write；　in　which　the　giants　of　antiquated　romance　have
  been　exhibited　as　realities。　　If　we　know　little　of　the　ancient
  Highlanders；　let　us　not　fill　the　vacuity　with　Ossian。　　If　we　had
  not　searched　the　Magellanick　regions；　let　us　however　forbear　to
  people　them　with　Patagons。
  Having　waited　some　days　at　Armidel；　we　were　flattered　at　last　with
  a　wind　that　promised　to　convey　us　to　Mull。　　We　went　on　board　a　boat
  that　was　taking　in　kelp；　and　left　the　Isle　of　Sky　behind　us。　　We
  were　doomed　to　experience；　like　others；　the　danger　of　trusting　to
  the　wind；　which　blew　against　us；　in　a　short　time；　with　such
  violence；　that　we；　being　no　seasoned　sailors；　were　willing　to　call
  it　a　tempest。　　I　was　sea…sick　and　lay　down。　　Mr。　Boswell　kept　the
  deck。　　The　master　knew　not　well　whither　to　go；　and　our　difficulties
  might　perhaps　have　filled　a　very　pathetick　page；　had　not　Mr。
  Maclean　of　Col；　who；　with　every　other　qualification　which　insular
  life　requires；　is　a　very　active　and　skilful　mariner；　piloted　us
  safe　into　his　own　harbour。
  COL
  In　the　morning　we　found　ourselves　under　the　Isle　of　Col；　where　we
  landed；　and　passed　the　first　day　and　night　with　Captain　Maclean；　a
  gentleman　who　has　lived　some　time　in　the　East　Indies；　but　having
  dethroned　no　Nabob；　is　not　too　rich　to　settle　in　own　country。
  Next　day　the　wind　was　fair；　and　we　might　have　had　an　easy　passage
  to　Mull；　but　having；　contrarily　to　our　own　intention；　landed　upon　a
  new　Island；　we　would　not　leave　it　wholly　unexamined。　　We　therefore
  suffered　the　vessel　to　depart　without　us；　and　trusted　the　skies　for
  another　wind。
  Mr。　Maclean　of　Col；　having　a　very　numerous　family；　has；　for　some
  time　past；　resided　at　Aberdeen；　that　he　may　superintend　their
  education；　and　leaves　the　young　gentleman；　our　friend；　to　govern
  his　dominions；　with　the　full　power　of　a　Highland　Chie