James Macpherson Biography

Dromo's Den

MACPHERSON, JAMES (1736-96). "Translator" of the Ossianic poems, born at Ruthven, Inverness-shire, Scotland, Oct. 27, 1736. After finishing his studies at King's College, Aberdeen, he became a schoolmaster in his native village, published a poem entitled The Highlander in 1758, and in the following year, having met Dr. Alexander Carlyle, of Inveresk, and John Home, the author of Douglas, he showed them some fragments of Gaelic verse, of which he also gave them "translations." These "translations," 16 in number, appeared in 1760 under the title Fragments of Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands. They awakened so much attention that the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh raised a subscription to enable Macpherson to make a tour through the Highlands for the purpose of collecting more ancient Gaelic poems. The result was the publication in London of alleged translations of the poems of Ossian, bearing the titles Fingal: An, Epic Poem, in Six Books (1762) and Temora: An Epic Poem, in Eight Books (1763). A storm of controversy arose in regard to their genuineness. Blair defended their authenticity; Dr. Johnson called for the Gaelic manuscripts, which were not forthcoming. Scholars are now agreed that though the so-called Ossianic poems are largely the work of Macpherson, yet, they have a real basis in Gaelic legend. As a substantial result of his fame, Macpherson was appointed secretary to the Governor of Pensacola, West Florida, (1764), and London agent to the Nabob of Arcot (1781). He entered Parliament in 1780 as member for Camelford, sat for 16 years, and there retired to an estate which he had purchased in Inverness-shire, where he died Feb. 17. 1796. He wrote several historical works, notably Original Papers, Containing the Secret History of Great Britain from the Restoration to the Accession of the House of Hanover, etc. (1775). A staunch defender of Lord North's government, he drew a regular salary for his services in that connection. In accordance with his request his body was interred in Westminster Abbey. For the widespread interest in Macpherson`s translations and their immense influence on literature, consult H. A. Beers, English Romanticism (New York, 1898), and Rudolph Tombo, Jr., Ossian in Germany (ib., 1905); for their relation to their originals, Dean of Lismore's Book, edited by MacLaughlan, with introduction by Skene (London, 18 62) , and Poems of Ossian, with translations by Clerk (Edinburgh, 1870). Consult also: Poems, translated by Macpherson, with introduction edited by Todd (London, 1888); Life and Letters, by Saunders (ib., 1894); A. Nutt, Ossian and the Ossianic Literature (ib., 1899), with important bibliographical appendix; J. S. Smart, James Macpherson: An, Episode in Literature (ib., 1905). See OSSIAN.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XIV (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 608.