James Macpherson

<p><i>James Macpherson: An Episode in Literature</i> by John Semple Smart delves into the complex legacy of James Macpherson the Scottish writer collector and politician best known for his purported translations of the ancient Gaelic bard Ossian. Published in 1905 this critical study examines the literary and historical context surrounding Macpherson's work probing the authenticity of the Ossianic poems and their profound impact on the literary landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries.</p><p>Smart meticulously analyzes Macpherson's methods the controversies surrounding his claims and the enduring influence of Ossian on Romanticism and European literature. This book offers valuable insights into the debates about authorship national identity and the construction of literary heritage making it an essential resource for scholars and readers interested in Scottish literature literary forgeries and the cultural history of the Enlightenment.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>