in their origin, but highly calculated to blind historical judgment, which were, in his day, almost unalienably attached to the character of the opposite party; while his calm and candid temper secured him from embracing in extravagance the tenets of his own Whig friends. The leisure for a Scottish judge of the Court of Session was not then oppressed with a degree of labour under which the stoutest constitutions have been in later times known to sink, and the strongest minds to give way-the leisure which his office permitted him was sufficient: a noble library of his own, and the full command of the inestimable collection belonging to the Faculty of Advocates, afforded him an ample mine of materials; and habits of accuracy, pushed almost to the verge of prudery, were the warrant at the same time for laborious research and for scrupulous fidelity.

In communicating truths, of which he had to tell many unpleasing to preconceived opinions or prejudices, Lord Hailes's independent and dignified situation obtained for him a credence which might have been refused to a mere literary adventurer. Above all, and far superior in this to future labourers in the same vineyard, Lord Hailes's principles, moral and religious, rendered him incapable of making differences upon abstract questions of history a reason for triumphing over those who might entertain less sound opinions than his own. He at no time rendered a painful truth yet more unacceptable by stating it with bitterness. His aim was to make converts to his opinions by force of argument and persuasion, not by reproach, ridicule and sarcasm.

The Annals of Scotland, by this excellent person, of which the first volume was published in 1776, do not embrace those darker periods of which we have hitherto been treating, and to which we must again return. They commence A. D. 1034, at the well-chosen epoch of the gracious Duncan's ascent to the throne, from which he was precipitated by the treason of his kinsman, Macbeth,-a point of Scottish history which, illuminated by the fire of genius, like some solitary peak in a distant range of mountains touched with the beams of the rising sun, shines with a brilliancy not its own, and seems clear and distinct to the eye, while all around is dark and uncertain. This secures to the first pages of our annalist an attention to which those that follow cannot aspire; for who is not attracted by the

well-known sounds of Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, and Malcolm, and would not willingly listen to the real history of the actors in that immortal drama? As the annals are, in a great measure, a collection of detached facts, recorded under their respective dates, they are, of course, brief, dry notices of insulated occurrences, and possess little interest to the general reader, except that which we have already noticed, till they reach the great events which followed the accession of David I. Lord Hailes here employs language severely conforming to that of the authorities-who afforded him, indeed, information of the events, but no means of arguing on them. As the story advances, the style becomes more animated and interesting, and the author not only details his facts in a clear, precise, and manly manner, but illustrates them by a selection of the most striking details and characteristic expressions collected from old authorities, and also by the shrewd and terse remarks which the progress of the tale suggested to one well acquainted both with books and men. These annals reach from 1034 down to the death of David II, in 1370-1. A better and surer guide through a history which, till his time, was almost totally unknown, will never be supplied, though unquestionably much remains to be discovered, and some things to be corrected. As was the historian's office and duty, Lord Hailes, in the course of his narrative, overthrew or dispersed the various inventions, traditions, and legends with which the adulation of bards, the superstition of monks, and last, not least, the vanity of Boethius and his kindred, had encumbered the fabric of Scottish history. These popular idols were not to be pulled down-these Dalilahs of the public imagination were not to be destroyed, however, without opposition. Scotland was generally surprised and offended at the great innovation upon her antiquities. From occupying a huge portion of the imagination of the natives, that remainder of the favourite legends, which stood the test of Lord Hailes's refining crucible, dwindled into comparatively a matter not worth even thinking on. The feelings of the nation resembled those of the wizard, whose treasure, derived from the father of falsehood, is turned suddenly into trash-or of an over-trading banker, who awakes, and behold! his paper-is paper. No precise answer was made to Lord Hailes. Lord Elibank, who was remarkable

for exercising in paradoxes his very acute understanding, attempted, indeed, a defence of the tradition concerning the supposed league between Charlemagne and the Scottish King Achaius; but this contest of wit and ingenuity with research and learning soon ended; and that precious figment has since slept with its fathers.

With such an impression of Lord Hailes's merits, we are far from asserting his infallibility. With all his talent and industry, he was only a single individual labouring in a difficult task, where the toil of others had hitherto done but little. He may and must have made mistakes and omissions: and, while distrusting the prejudices of others, occasionally was the victim of his own incredulity, and rejected facts which have since been proved to be true, because they seemed improbable. But we contend strenuously, that he who first gave a clue to the labyrinth of Scottish history is entitled to the most profound respect from those whose task he has rendered so easy; and that his errors, when such occur, should be handled with the same affectionate respect as those of a parent.

The emendations thus introduced by Lord Hailes were far from being readily or cordially adopted by his countrymen; but magna est veritas et prævalebit-they took not the less root that they were considered at first with rather unwilling minds, and only admitted because truth was irrefragable. Still it was only on the middle ages of Scottish history, that Dalrymple's labours had thrown actual light. He had blown, like a destined knight, the trumpet of truth before the enchanted castles which Boethius and Buchanan had established on the debateable ground: but when their portals, towers, and barbicans had dissolved before his summons; the space hitherto filled by these delusive monuments remained-mere space. It was to be expected that others would arise to attempt at least carrying into the dim era of the Caledonians, Picts, Scots, and Dalriads, something of the spirit of Sir David's research. And here, accordingly, there began, erelong, a controversy in which the most violent opinions have been maintained on the slightest authorities, and which may be termed to Scotttsh antiquaries the very slough of despond, whereon much learning has been thrown without mending the path: or, rather, a Serbonian bog, capable of swamping whole armies of commentators.

The first who sounded its depths was the pugnacious John Pinkerton. He was a man of an eager, acute, tenacious temper: a devourer of learning-a very helluo librorum, who, relinquishing the profession of the law, to which he was bred, resolved to force himself into notice by dint of a display of profound learning, inferring an acquaintance with the most uncommon and abtruse authors, and a great degree of contempt for those whose researches had not matched his own. He entertained or affected great respect for, and acquaintance with, the works of foreign literati; and, assuming an enthusiasm for their learning, indulged his own arrogance by employing their uncivil language, and translating the classical vituperation of mentiris impudentissime into the St. Giles's dialect of "you lie, scoundrel." It may puzzle some of our readers who are not familiarly acquainted with the study of antiquities to guess what opportunities that very abstract pursuit can possibly afford for the use of violent language or party spleen. Indeed, a plain man would imagine, à priori, that no more passionless investigation could well be discovered than one touching the language, manners, and fortunes of a nation whose memory is now only preserved by a few brief indications in hoary chronicles, more than a thousand years old, and a dubious chain of popular tradition. Pinkerton, however, contrived to introduce into his argument a deep and peculiar strain of offence. His Essay on the History of Scotland preceding the Reign of Malcolm III, is founded on one wide and sweeping assertion. It pleased Mr. John to divide modern Europe into four classes:-Two of theseand the only two with which we are at present concerned -being first, the Celts, the most ancient inhabitants of Europe, and who were to the others what the savages of America are to the European settlers there;" and, second, the Goths, a mighty and preponderating people, originally Scythians, who coming westward from the wilds of their native country, occupied, conquered, and colonized all the northern parts of Europe. Mr. Pinkerton debates at great length, and with much display of learning, on the history of the Goths, and the conquests which he states them to have obtained over the Celts, in their progress through all Europe. It is not with this general statement that we are called upon to struggle; but he proceeds to lay down the

law, that "The Celts of Ireland, Wales, and the Highlands of Scotland, are savages, have been savages since the world began, while a separate people, that is, while themselves and of unmixed blood ;" and affirms that "the contempt borne by these Celts for the England-Lowland-Scottish and later Irish (who are Irish and Scots), is extreme, and knows no bounds." Elsewhere the same strain is pursued "The Celts of Scotland always are, and continue to be, a dishonoured, timid, filthy, ignorant and degraded

race."

"It is to the lies of our Celtic neighbours that we are indebted for the fables of English history down to within these thirty years, and the almost total perdition of the history of Scotland and Irelaud. Geoffrey of Monmouth, most of the Irish historians, and the Highland bards and seannachies in Scotland, show that falsehood is the natural growth of the Celtic mind; and the case is the same to this day. No reprobation can be too strong for such frontless impudence; and to say that a writer is a Celt, is to say that he is a stranger to truth, modesty, and morality. Diodorus Siculus (lib. v, p. 354) remarks the cloudy speech and intellect, synecdochic phrase, and hyperbolical pride of the old Celts. Their idiotic credulity was derided by the Roman poets-'Et tumidus Gallus credulitate fruar'-'Vaniloquum Celtæ genus.'— Characters of nations change-Characters of savage RACES never." -Dissertation on the Goths.

Such extravagant abuse puts a sober-minded reader in remembrance of a case of supposed possession, and induces him to exclaim with the clown, in Twelfth Night, "O hyperbolical fiend! how wexest thou this man!"

66

The Highlanders of Scotland, Celts or not, for many of them are of Scandinavian or Gothic origin, had long inherited a large share of the kindness and respect of their countrymen. Three centuries had passed away since they were considered as the enemies of the Lowlanders. Their primitive manner and mode of life-their ready and constant use of arms-the unquestionable courage which they had displayed on many occasions, and particularly during the wars of Montrose and Dundee, and in the later insurrections of 1715 and 1745-even the severities inflicted on them-had rendered them interesting to their countrymen; in a word, the whole nation was disposed-we think justly-to consider them the representatives of the ancient Scots, from whom the royal line was unquestionably descended, and who, by the admission of Mr. Pinkerton himself, had given VOL. III.-9