Address of the Vice-President. 35 



A very interesting question has arisen as to the first in- 

 habitants. They have been reckoned Celts, but an examina- 

 tion of the names of hills and rivers and other permanent 

 objects of nature may afford good means for determining who 

 the first inhabitants were, and, from their language, the 

 nation to which they belonged. 



The examination of such names is therefore of great 

 interest and importance, and a prosecution of Mr Shaw's 

 pursuits may lead to valuable results. 



With regard to the language of Scotland, it is an interest- 

 ing question, and one which we very much ^vish to see 

 investigated, namely — how, or at what time, its present form 

 and character were determined. 



When we peruse Chaucer and other early writers of both 

 countries, we see plainly a language common to both. 



But immediately we perceive also that the English has 

 started off in a career of improvement in which the Scotch 

 does not participate, but, on the contrary, that the Scotch 

 remains stationary, in so much that it is composed in great 

 part of the old English. 



The question therefore is — What made the difference 1 

 And it would, accordingly, be interesting to hear a paper on 

 the subject from some member of our Society. 



The subject is especially interesting, because it would 

 seem to have been at this time also the Scotch proverbs and 

 the Scottish viusic had their origin. 



The Rev. Mr Hogg has given a paper on clerical customs 

 in the olden times. 



This is veiy amusing and interesting ; and were the paper 

 limited to the Society's district, it would be highly charac- 

 teristic. 



We have also been favoured with extracts from the records 

 of the Town Council on matters of interest and importance. 

 This is a valuable source of supply. And perhaps, also, 

 the Trades' Records might be examined with advantage. 

 The Kirk Session and Presbytery Records would also affoid 

 information of gi-eat interest, as well as extracts from legal 



