...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...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...

...opportunity of enquiring into the authenticity of the poems of Ossian, and convinced himself that " they never existed in any other form than that which we have seen. " This is the best known section of his book; but the reader may find more interest in the remarks...

...; the whole is too long to be remembered. Who put it together in its present form ? I believe they never existed in any other form than that which we...incredulity, by refusing evidence, is a degree of insolence trith which the world is not yet acquainted ; and stubborn audacity is the last refuge of guilt." These,...

...Johnson explained: 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...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...

...previous decade. 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...shew the original; nor can it be shewn by any other. . . . [The poems are] too long to be remembered, and the language formerly had nothing written. The...

...manuscripts are indigenous, "other than Irish" (p. ll8). As for the poems of Ossian, I believe they never existed in any other form than that which we...editor, or author, never could shew the original. ... He has doubtless inserted names that circulate in popular stories, and may have translated some...

...Scotland (1773) unequivocally denied the Ossianic poems' authenticity: I believe [the poems ofOssian] never existed in any other form than that which we...editor, or author, never could shew the original; not can it be shewn by any other ... to revenge reasonable incredulity, by refusing evidence, is a...

...Edition, 9:ll8-l9: "I suppose my opinion of the poems of Ossian is already discovered. I believed they never existed in any other form than that which we...editor, or author, never could shew the original. ... I am far from certainty, that some [Erse] translations have not been lately made, that may now...

...about promulgating his own doubts. In the Journey, he writes, "The editor, or author [ie, Macpherson] , never could shew the original; nor can it be shewn...yet acquainted; and stubborn audacity is the last refuge of guilt" (118). His private reasoning on the matter is, however, still more sceptical. In talks...

...with his recognition of the textuality of Macpherson's project "I believe they [the Ossianic poems] never existed in any other form than that which we have seen" (Journey, 118) - effectively name not only the invented, but also the forged nature of the national-historical...