deceit. The mediocrity of his other productions is not-fufficient; for the ftyle of Offian may convince the world, that he must creep on the earth unless he foars fublime. It difcovers bold experiments in language, rich fentimental defcription, if fometimes pathetic, more frequently turgid than sublime; but contains no accurate delineation of character, no obfervations on human nature, no research into human actions, no artful tranfitions, nor talent for narration or plot; nothing in fact, either chaste or fober, that could be transferred with advantage to the historical page. In Dow's Hiftory of Indoftan, in which Gibbon juftly fufpected that the ftyle of Ferifhda was improved by that of Offian, he indulged the epic extravagance of his genius uncontrouled. His Introduction even to the Hiftory of Britain, is grofsly embellished with a Celtic fable, borrowed from Procopius and fome Eastern tale, of a bard who visited the Fortunate Islands for a few days, and difcovered that two centuries had elapfed on his return 65. His Hiftory of Britain is a dull and hasty chronological abstract from Ralph, and the State Papers collected by Carte and himself. But the plot and incidents of Offian, its tumid Preface and Differtations, demonftrate that, however qualified to improve upon a few facts, he was incapable, or insensible to the value, of a judicious arrangement, folid argument, or profound investigation. When we confider Offian alone, or the temptation to emerge from an obfcure indigence, the acknowledgment which he has made might atone for a deception fo grateful to his countrymen, had he not bequeathed such spurious originals as we have examined, to be published by his friends; one of whom I know to be a man of worth and letters, though deceived by the impofture, as I was once myfelf. Inftead of being precluded, at a maturer age, from the cultivation of poetry, he might have acquired a more durable and legi 66 P. 181. Gibbon's Hift. x. 343. 8vo, edit. 7 timate timate reputation, had he trufted, like Thomson in the fame obfcure fituation, to the native force of his own genius; nor availed himself of the national credulity by an imposture not fo difficult as Pfalmanazar's, though more fuccessful. But when his impure hands are imposed on history, the mifquotations and fictions detected in his Introduction ", and his cold malignity towards the most illuftrious characters, fhould teach us to receive his Original Papers with extreme diftruft; and we must regret that the State Papers of the Stewarts and of William, by fome ftrange fatality, were referved for Dalrymple and the tranflator of Offian. 4. After all, these arguments are easily answered, but not by abuse. A fingle manufcript is worth a thousand arguments. If a single poem of Offian in manufcript, fuch as tranflated by Macpherson, of a decent length, and the MS. indifputably of an older date than the present certury, be produced and lodged in a public library, I shall return among the first to our national Creed. But popular arguments are no answer to pointed objections or historical facts; much lefs will abufe fuffice to restore the loft authenticity of Offians poems. The most bigoted must acknowledge, that the refined poetry which they admire fo much, was more likely to be produced by a cultivated genius of the prefent, than by an illiterate bard of the third century; and his reputed countrymen may reft fatisfied with the honour and confolation to be derived from an Epic poet in modern times, 67 Genuine Hift. of the Britons afferted, 297. Whitaker's politeness to a man whom he had convicted of "fuch a grofs perversion even of his ❝ own quotations, fuch plain and manifeft. corruptions even of his own "authorities, fuch erazings of records, fuch falfifications of histories," forms a fignal contraft to his fcurrilous abuse of the late Dr. Robertson, whom, from a minute examination of the most difputed paffages of his hiftory, I cannot hesitate to pronounce the most faithful of hiftorians. Teft of the authenti city of Oman. GG 3 INDE X. N. B. The Roman Numerals refer to the Volume, and the Figures to 431. ABERDEEN facked by Montrose, i. 253. furrenders to Monk, Aboyn, lord, fecond fon of the earl of Huntley, befieged in Car- Acceffion of James VI. to the throne of England, i. 2. 4. Accommodations between Charles I. and the Scottish parliament, i. Advocates banished from Edinburgh, ii. 65. African and India company established, ii. 232. Unfuitable to Aird/mofs, Cameronians furprized at, ii. 100. Airley, earl of, joins Montrofe with his two fons, i. 253. Annandale, earl of, engaged in the revolution, ii. 174. In Anne of Denmark, queen of James VI. her death and character, queen, daughter of James VII. her acceffion, ii. 257. By the GG 4 Annexation Annexation of church lands to the crown diffolved, i. 32. , earl of, employed to chaftife the Macgregors, i. 47. , Archibald, earl of, his fon joins the covenanters, i. 147. , earl of, his fon, (fee Lorn,) is restored to the title of earl, ii. 16, earl of, his fon, afterwards duke, engaged in the revolution, , John, duke of, commiffioned to parliament, 288. His Army, English, its difcontent and mutinous petitions, i. 338. ton. Articles, lords of, i. 29. Mode of their election altered, 81. 101. Articles |