A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

MACl-HEUSON'S TOUR TlIllOUGH THB H10H1.AN1I& 45
very agreeable. You will excust; this trouble from an entire stranger,
and Lflieve me, &c. (Signed) James M'PLerson.
" Inform me of what you can of tlie tradition of the poems: direct
to me by Edinburgli and Ruthven, inclosed to Mr. Macjiherson, post-
master here."
The second letter is dated from Edinburgh, 16tb January, l/Ul, and
runs thus :
—
" Rev. Sik,— I was favoured with your letter inclosing the Gaelic
poems, for whidi I hold myself extremely obliged to you. Duan a
Ghmribh is less jioetical and more obscure than Teaiittich titor iia Feine.
Tiie last is far trom being a bad poem, were it complete, and is parti-
culai'ly valuable for the ancient manners it contains. I sliall reckon
myself nuicii obliged to you for any other pieces you can send me. It
is true 1 have the most of them from other hands, but the misfortune
is, that I find none expoit in the Irish orthography, so that an obscure
poem is rendered doubly so, by their uncouth way of spelling. It
would have given me real pleasure to have got your letter before I left
the Highlands, as in that case 1 would have done myself the pleasure
of waiting on you ; but I do not despair but scmiething may soon cast
up that may bring about an interview, as I have some thoughts of
n;aking a jaunt to Perthshire. Be that, however, as it will, I shall be
always glad of your correspondence ; and hope that yon will give me
all convenient assistance in my present undertaking.
" 1 liave been luchy enough to lay my hands on a pretty complete poem,
and truly epic, concerning Fingal. The antiquity of it is easily ascer-
tained, and it is not only superior to any thing in that language, but
reckoned not inferior to the more polite performances of other nations
in that wav. I have some thoughts of publishing the original, if it
will not clog the work too much.
" I shall be always ready to acknowledge the ol>ligation you have laid
upon me, and promise I will not be ungrateful for further favours.
It would give me pleasure to know how I can serve you, as I am,