Talking of Biography, he said, he did not think that the life of any literary man in England had been well written[662].  Beside the common incidents of life, it should tell us his studies, his mode of living, the means by which he attained to excellence, and his opinion of his own works.  He told us, he had sent Derrick to Dryden’s relations, to gather materials for his Life[663]; and he believed Derrick[664] had got all that he himself should have got; but it was nothing.  He added, he had a kindness for Derrick, and was sorry he was dead.

His notion as to the poems published by Mr. M’Pherson, as the works of Ossian, was not shaken here.  Mr. M’Queen always evaded the point of authenticity, saying only that Mr. M’Pherson’s pieces fell far short of those he knew in Erse, which were said to be Ossian’s.  JOHNSON.  ’I hope they do.  I am not disputing that you may have poetry of great merit; but that M’Pherson’s is not a translation from ancient poetry.  You do not believe it.  I say before you, you do not believe it, though you are very willing that the world should believe it.’  Mr. M’Queen made no answer to this[665].  Dr. Johnson proceeded.  ’I look upon M’Pherson’s Fingal to be as gross an imposition as ever the world was troubled with.  Had it been really an ancient work, a true specimen how men thought at that time, it would have been a curiosity of the first rate.  As a modern production, it is nothing.’  He said, he could never get the meaning of an Erse song explained to him[666].  They told him, the chorus was generally unmeaning.  ’I take it, (said he,) Erse songs are like a song which I remember:  it was composed in Queen Elizabeth’s time, on the Earl of Essex:  and the burthen was

     “Radaratoo, radarate, radara tadara tandore."’

‘But surely,’ said Mr. M’Queen, ’there were words to it, which had meaning.’  JOHNSON.  ’Why, yes, Sir; I recollect a stanza, and you shall have it:—­

     “O! then bespoke the prentices all,
      Living in London, both proper and tall,
      For Essex’s sake they would fight all. 
        Radaratoo, radarate, radara, tadara, tandore[667]."’

When Mr. M’Queen began again to expatiate on the beauty of Ossian’s poetry, Dr. Johnson entered into no farther controversy, but, with a pleasant smile, only cried, ’Ay, ay; Radaratoo radarate’.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

I took Fingal down to the parlour in the morning, and tried a test proposed by Mr. Roderick M’Leod, son to Ulinish.  Mr. M’Queen had said he had some of the poem in the original.  I desired him to mention any passage in the printed book, of which he could repeat the original.  He pointed out one in page 50 of the quarto edition, and read the Erse, while Mr. Roderick M’Leod and I looked on the English;—­and Mr. M’Leod said, that it was pretty like what Mr. M’Queen had recited.  But when Mr. M’Queen read a description of Cuchullin’s sword in Erse, together with a translation of it in English verse, by Sir James Foulis, Mr. M’Leod said, that was much more like than Mr. M’Pherson’s translation of the former passage.  Mr. M’Queen then repeated in Erse a description of one of the horses in Cuchillin’s car.  Mr. M’Leod said, Mr. M’Pherson’s English was nothing like it.