account of the flight of Childric and the death of Colgrim, being the continuation of the extract given by Mr. Guest, History of English Rhythms,' vol. ii. pp. 114-123.

FIRST TEXT. MS. COTT.
Calig. A. ix,

Tha zet cleopede Arthur:
athelest kingen.
gurstendæi was Baldulf:
cnihten alre baldest.
nu he stant on hulle:
& Avene bi-haldeth.
hu ligeth i than stræme:
stelene fisces.

mid sweorde bi-georede:
heore sund is awemmed.
heore scalen wleoteth:
swulc gold-faze sceldes.
ther fleoteth heore spiten:
swulc hit spæren weoren.
Efne than worde:
tha the kig seide.
he braid hæze his sceld:
forn to his breosten.

he igrap his spere longe :
his hors he gon spurie.
Neh al swa swi[the] :
swa the fuzel flizeth.
fuleden than kinge :
fif and twenti thusend.
whitere monnen:
wode under wepnen.
Tha iseh Colgrim :

wær Arthur com touward him.
ne mihte Colgri for than wæle:
fleon a nare side.
ther fæht Baldulf:
bi-siden his brother.
tha cleopede Arthur:
ludere stefne.

Her ich cume Colgrim :

to cuththen wit scullen ræchen.
nu wit scullen this lond dalen:
swa the bith alre laththest.
Æfne than worde:
tha the king saide.

his brode sword he up ahof:
and hærdliche adun sloh.
and smat Colgrimes hælm:
that he amidde to-clæf.

and there bure hod:

that hit at the breoste at-stod.

And he sweinde touward Baldulfe:

mid his swithre hōde.

& swipte that hæfved of:

forth mid than helme.
tha loh Arthur:

the althele [athele] king.

SECOND TEXT. MS. COTT.

Otho. C. xiii.

'Zet him speketh Arthur:
baldest alre kinge.
zorstendai was Baldolf:
cniht alre baldest.

nou he stond on hulle:
and Avene bi-holdeth.
hou liggeth in than streme:
stelene fisces.

Efne than worde
that the king saide.
he breid hehze his scelde:
up to his breoste.
he grop his spere longe :
and gan his hors sporie.
Neh al so swithe:
so the fowel flieth.
folwede than kinge:
fif and twenti thousend.

Tho iseh Colgri:

war Arthur com toward him.
ne mihte he fliht makie:
in nevere one side.

tho saide Arthur:
to Colgrim than kene.

Nou we solle this kinelond:
deale ous bi-twine.
Efue than word:
that the kinge saide.

his brode sweord he ut droh :

and uppe Colgrim his helm smot.

and to-cleof thane brunie hod:
that hit at the breoste a-stod.
And he a wither sweyncde:
to Baldolf his brother.
and swipte that heved of
forth mid than helme.
tho loh Arthur the king:

and

Amidst the rudeness of its versification and language, the reader who is capable of picking out the meaning will not fail to discern in this episode-(which is too long for us to give in extenso) — a considerable portion of rough vigour, occasionally enlivened with graphic touches. In the lines now quoted, the comparison of the Saxons submersed in the Avon to dead fishes, though somewhat fanciful, presents a striking picture to the mind's eye. The addresses of Arthur are, as a general's should be, brief and energetic; and the author shows his natural good taste in not dwelling upon minute details of slaughter. In this respect he presents an advantageous contrast to some Italian epic-writers, who are often so long in killing or half-killing a champion that the reader feels tempted to skip a leaf or close the book. Arthur's sarcasm respecting Colgrim's share of the kingdom will remind the classical scholar of Marius's reply to the ambassadors of the Cimbri, and the reader of 'Ivanhoe' of Harold's answer to Tosti. We must also bear in mind that this episode, with many similar ones, is no servile copy. As the editor observes in his note, This long and highly poetic narrative is due to the imagination of our English poet; for in his original, the conclusion of the battle, the death of Baldulf and Colgrim, and the flight of Cheldric, are described in four lines."

A comparison of the two texts will show the numerous liberties taken by the more recent transcriber, in transposing, altering, and abridging those passages which he did not like or could not understand. Several parallel cases might be pointed out; and this shows how unsafe it frequently is to speculate on the original form of a medieval composition from such copies as we happen to possess. Both our existing MSS. of the Brut' are of the same age-the second probably not fifty years later than 2 A

VOL. LXXXII. NO. CLXIV.

the

the first; yet we find a visible change in language, and, what is still worse, a strong propensity to tamper with the integrity of the matter. If the older MS. has undergone a similar ordeal, which is by no means unlikely, it must be difficult indeed to fix the original readings. Each, however, may be taken as an evidence, more or less exact, of the grammar and dialect of the period and locality to which it belongs. The analyses of the grammatical peculiarities of the work, furnished by Mr. Kemble, Mr. Guest, and Sir Frederick Madden, save us the trouble of entering into further detail respecting them; and we cannot do better than refer our readers to what they have said. Those who wish to trace the literary history of the poem, and its connexion with the legends of contemporary and succeeding writers, will find ample satisfaction in the notes of the editor. With a full sense how heavily the task must have pressed on a gentleman not a little burdened already with official duties, we cannot but thank him for his labours, and congratulate him on their successful termination. It would certainly be no charity to wish to bind him again to a similar undertaking: but we cannot refrain from expressing a hope that when the inedited portion of Robert of Brunne's Chronicle makes its way to the press, he may have an opportunity of contributing to its illustration. The value of that work as a monument of language, and a repository of early traditions, is not sufficiently known; and the incidental observations of Sir Frederick Madden, in his notes on Layamon, show that he is fully qualified to do justice to the subject.

ART. II.-1. The Statistical Account of Scotland; drawn up from the Communications of the Ministers of the different Parishes. By Sir John Sinclair, Bart. 21 vols. 8vo. Edin. 1791-1799.

2. The New Statistical Account of Scotland; by the Ministers of the respective Parishes. Under the Superintendence of a Committee of the Society for the benefit of the Sons and Daughters of the Clergy. 15 vols. 8vo. Edin. 1835-1845.

THE study of topography is not new in Scotland. The great

English work of Camden was speedily followed in that quarter by the labours of a series of zealous men who worked for a common object-the local illustration of their country-with a unity of purpose and system which it is difficult to account for, by the slender information we possess of any union of their exertions or common head and centre of action.

The

The first of these was Timothy Pont-first in order of time, and holding the first place in most of the accomplishments of a topographer. He was the son of Robert Pont, minister of St. Cuthbert's, provost of the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity at Edinburgh, and a judge of the Court of Session. The person who held this plurality of offices was born about 1526, educated at St. Andrews, and early joined the reforming party. The Act 1584, prohibiting all persons exercising functions of the ministry within the Kirk of God to bear or exerce any office of civil jurisdiction,' deprived him of his seat on the judicial bench; and, three years later, the Assembly refused to ratify his nomination by King James to the bishopric of Caithness. He died in 1606, full of years and honours. Two of his sons were educated for the ministry, and both afterwards beneficed in the northern diocese of which he had been nominated bishop. Timothy, born probably about 1561, was, at least from 1601 to 1608, minister of Dunnet, the extreme northern parish of our mainland.

He early devoted himself to the geography of his country. It does not appear that he had any coadjutors. He certainly had no patron, notwithstanding Bishop Nicolson's assertion to the contrary. Ille enim,' says Straloch in February, 1648, in tenui re, nullo propitio Mæcenate, ante annos quadraginta totum hoc negotii in se suscepit; universum regnum hoc (quod nemo ante eum alius) pedibus peragravit; insulas omnes infestis et barbaris incolis ut plurimum cultas, dissonâ a nobis linguâ, vidit, audiit: a latronibus sævis (ut mihi referre solebat) sæpe exutus, omniaque intuti itineris damna non raro expertus, nunquam tamen difficultatibus victus animum despondit.' * Special attention was naturally given to his own northern and unknown region, and those islands which must fascinate the most insensible eye that looks upon them from the headlands of Dunnet. But he laboured also upon the eastern and southern provinces of Scotland. Aberdeen and Banff-shires he carefully surveyed and mapped; and he penetrated on foot the fastnesses of the Alpine Dee, and observed the singular clearness of the most northerly of the many British Avons. The Maitland Club has lately printed his rough but valuable notes on Cuninghame; and we have the best proof of his careful illustration of the Lothians. We do not know the period of his death, but he certainly did not live to old age: and Straloch informs us that the greediness of printers and the trade' hindered him from bringing his great undertakings to an issue:-' Cum autem redux adornaret laborum suorum editionem, typographorum et librariorum avaritiâ victus, non potuit hæc ad calcem perducere. Meliora tempora expectantem, mors immatura subtraxit.' *Letter prefixed to Blaeu's Atlas of Scotland, 1662. 2A2

Apparently

Apparently but one of his maps was engraved during his own life. It is entitled A New Description of the Shyres Lothian and Linlithquo, be T. Pont.' It has no date, but we conjecture it appeared about the year 1610. It was afterwards introduced into The Newe Atlas,' a large folio published, in 1633, at Amsterdam, by Henry Hondius, being an English translation of the works of Gerard Mercator and Judocus Hondius. Another of the maps of The Newe Atlas,' that of the Orkney and Shetland isles, though without name of author, is evidently from Pont's survey. Both of these maps are re-engraved with slavish fidelity in Blaeu's Atlas of Scotland. In The Newe Atlas,' each of them, as well as the general map of Scotland, is accompanied with a letterpress description. The great body of Pont's notes and drawings were, however, reserved for the later collection of Blaeu, of the Scotch section of which he had been the first designer-Ingeniosus juvenis, hujus operis protoplastes.'

Timothy Pont's maps are drawn with great care, and much minute neatness and beauty of penmanship; but, notwithstanding his mathematical fame, they seem to be laid down rather from the eye, and from noting the relative distances of places, than from a correct triangulation, exact bearings, or any approach to a scientific survey. Such as they are, however, they were quite equal to any earlier or contemporary works. If we would estimate them, let them be compared with those performed by John Speed, and to be sold in Pope's Head Alley by John Sudbury and George Humbell, cum privilegio, 1610.' It is needless to say how valuable they have now become, as the Topographia princeps, after the lapse of two centuries and a half. We have seen that his death was premature. Straloch, and Sibbald following him, inform us that Pont's maps, drawings, and papers fell into the hands of his heirs- homines ad hæc inepti'-who allowed them to be much injured by moths, vermin, and neglect, until King James'munificentissimus princeps'-directed that they should be purchased and published. We greatly doubt, however, that King James's munificence' was in this instance carried into effect. Straloch says the collection fell into the hands of parties who would have kept it hid from the public, had it not been for the exertions of one who acted a distinguished part not only in the public life but also in the literature of Scotland.

6

This was Sir John Scot of Scotstarvet, who might well include his own in the examples he collected of the Staggering State of Scotch Statesmen.' He died in 1670, in his eighty-fourth year. Sir James Balfour characterises him as a busy man in foul weather, whose covetisse far exceidit his honesty;' but we place no great reliance on the gossiping Lord Lyon; and with

out