a journey to-第26节

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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