Thig le cairdeas a dh’ionsuidh m’aois,
Thoir scriòb eatrom thar mo chraig!
Englished in the same as follows:—
Art thou on the wings of thy swiftness,
O wind, travelling with all thy strength?
Come to my age with kindness;
Brush lightly over my rock!
John Clark was a third-rate imitator, whose imitations were almost parodies. He had neither the learning nor the genius of either Smith or Macpherson, who must henceforth be regarded as great Highland bards. These two, no doubt, caused much confusion among our heroic lays. [James Macpherson] and Dr John Smith helped to give fresh currency to many of the false etymologies and Druidical ideas that have afflicted the Gaelic world for the last century. They have mystified our Ossianic poems and ballads, as well as the pre-Christian religion of the Caledonians. They turned upside down our early history, and placed our relations to the Irish on a false basis, [creating unnecessary] antagonism between the Celts of the two countries. But honour to whom honour is due. If no James Macpherson had ever appeared, our Highland Ossian would have been as obscure, perhaps, as the extant Oisins of Ireland. In some respects he was the greatest genius that the Highlands ever produced, and ought not to be regarded with so much contemptuous indifference. He had a most peculiar gift for executing prose translation, notwithstanding the failure of his Homer. In this one respect he was much superior to Dr Smith, who, however, had the advantage of Macpherson in greater power of sweet Gaelic versification. Smith was a born poet; all his works are evidences. The two did their best to show forth the historic, linguistic, and poetic glories of the Gael and his country; so let us drop a tear on their cairns and pass on.
