of the remaining Scottish bards; in particular, for recovering and
translating the heroic poem mentioned in the preface."

Macpherson, a frugal man, included many of the "Fragments"
in his later work. Sometimes he introduced them into the notes as
being later than Ossian but in the same spirit; at other times he
introduced them as episodes in the longer narratives. With the exception
of Laing's edition, they are not set off, however, and anyone
who wishes to see what caused the initial Ossianic fervor
must consult the original volume.

When we have to remind ourselves that a work of art was revolutionary
in its day, we can be sure that we are dealing with something
closer to cultural artifact than to art, and it must be granted
that this is true of Macpherson's work; nevertheless, the fact that
Ossian aroused the interest of major men of letters for fifty years
is suggestive of his importance as an innovator. In a curious way,
Macpherson's achievement has been overshadowed by the fact that
many greater writers followed him and developed the artistic
direction that he was among the first to take.


NOTES TO THE INTRODUCTION

[1] See Scott's letter to Anna Seward in J. G. Lockhart, _Memoirs of
Sir Walter Scott_ (London, 1900), I, 410-15.

[2] _The Poems of Ossian_, ed. Malcolm Laing (Edinburgh, 1805), I, 441.

[3] See Home's letter to Mackenzie in the _Report of the Committee of the