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第29章

a journey to-第29章

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language; that there is not in the world an Earse manuscript a
hundred years old; and that the sounds of the Highlanders were
never expressed by letters; till some little books of piety were
translated; and a metrical version of the Psalms was made by the
Synod of Argyle。  Whoever therefore now writes in this language;
spells according to his own perception of the sound; and his own
idea of the power of the letters。  The Welsh and the Irish are
cultivated tongues。  The Welsh; two hundred years ago; insulted
their English neighbours for the instability of their Orthography;
while the Earse merely floated in the breath of the people; and
could therefore receive little improvement。

When a language begins to teem with books; it is tending to
refinement; as those who undertake to teach others must have
undergone some labour in improving themselves; they set a
proportionate value on their own thoughts; and wish to enforce them
by efficacious expressions; speech becomes embodied and permanent;
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 ignoran

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