THE GAZETTEER OF SCOTLAND, Xe. 
here trace the progress of fortification among 
us, from the Roman to the Norman times. 
If the particular enthusiasm with which | 
feel myself inspired, when 
On pilgrimage Time’s traces I pursue 
The relics of these traces for to see.” 
7 will be bold to affirm, that few places 
afford more ample speculation to an English 
antiquary, than this residence of our High 
Constables of England, for four centuries 
from the conquest.” 
Having described, what the author 
calls, the roman fortification ; and stated 
that some “ human bones, a dit of iron, 
a stone coffin, a glass urn with bones in 
it, and some ¢esscle of pavements,”’ have 
been found here: he proceeds to des- 
cribe the proprietors of the manor, to 
William Mandeville, 1180. “ From 
this time,” says our antiquary, “we 
must probably date the Norman fortifica- 
tion of this place. A simple vallum and 
ditch had rendered this station tenable 
against the savage natives in the Roman 
times, when it probably made a part of 
a chain of stations through the heart of 
this county from the sea.” If the 
author knew any thing of this chain, he 
should have pointed out a few links of it, 
_to satisfy the readers curiosity ; instead 
of which, this gentleman, with the gene- 
rality of topographers, principally nar- 
rates a catalogue of names, of marriages, 
and intermarriages, with births, baptisms, and 
deaths. 
Similar matter continues to the tenth 
page, when we take leave of Pleshy; 
and the history of Thomas of Wood- 
stock, sixth son of Edward III. com- 
-mences, and occupies the intervening 
pages, to 155. In delineating the cha- 
‘racter of this nobleman, our author has 
used colours which we presume will not 
stand the test of investigation ; but like 
some of the experimental colouring of 
the great Sir Joshua Reynolds, will eva- 
porate with time. The duke of Gloces- 
ter, though possessing considerable abi- 
389 
lities, and ambitious of popularity, was 
of a turbulent, crafty, haughty disposi- 
tion: Dr. Henry, in his. History of 
England, says, He seldom came to 
court, but to insult his sovereign; not 
to council, but to thwart his measures. 
Though he had received grants of im- 
meuse value from his nephew, (Richard 
Ii.) he was constantly engaged in fac- 
tious machinations, to disturb his govern- 
ment,”’ &c. This character from the Doc- 
tor coinciding nearly with those given by 
other historians, make us suspect, that 
partiality, not judgment, has guided the 
pen of our antiquary. In giving an ace 
count of his murder at Calais, he has 
quoted copiously from Froissart, Bour- 
chier, Sandford, &c., and ‘has had a priat 
engraved, representing the event. Ac- 
cording to Froissart, the Duke was 
strangled with a towel * twisted round 
his neck, and drawn at each end by two 
men.” He was afterwards ** honourably 
embalmed, and put into a lead coffin en- 
closed in another of wood, and thus sent 
by sea to England.’ The corpse was 
landed at Hadleigh Castle,.in Essex, 
and buried, frst in his collegiate church, 
at Pleshy, afterwards removed to West- 
minster, before 1399: for in that year 
his * dutchess, by will, dated August 
the 3d., desired ito lie by him.” Ina 
subsequent page, Mr. Gough says, * the 
dutchess survived her lord about two 
years, and made her will on the 9th day 
of August, 1399.” The latter is the 
date of her will, as recorded in the col- 
lection of royal and noble wills, publish- 
ed by J. Nichols. Our author proceeds 
to relate the marriages, connections, &c., 
of the duke’s children. 
A long appendix of 132 pages, con- 
tains copies of grants, licences, statutes 
of Pleshy college, deeds, and other in- 
struments. The volume “ is embellish- 
ed” with fourteen plates, which for draw- 
ing and engraving, would even disgrace 
Mr. Grose’s Antiquities. 
| Art. V. The Gazetieer of Scotland ; containing a particular and precise Description of 
the Counties, Parishes, Islands, Cities, Towns, Villages, Lakes, Rivers, Mountains, 
Vallies, Fc. of that Kingdom, with an Account of the Political Constiiution, History, Ex- 
tent, Boundaries, State of Agriculture, Population, Natural History, Buildings, Seats of 
the Nobility and Gentry, Roads, Sc. illustrated with an elegant Map. large 8vo. 
_ THIS gazetteer is, without exception, 
the best that has ever come under our 
‘cognizance, and we feel much pleasure 
‘in bearing testimony to its general merits 
and utility. Good gazetteers and good 
dictionaries are among the greatest dest- 
derata of literature; they are the grand 
repositories of collected facts, and regis- 
ters of unequivocal information. Thus 
completed, the learned may resort to 
Cc 
