992 
caricatured Scotland and the Scots; 
and the latter endeavouring to vindicate 
themselves, have been rather free in egot- 
ism and praise. Either extreme is equal- 
ly disgusting. 
Under the heads of education and li- 
terature, we find some particulars, which 
account for the prevalence of school 
learning among the Caledonians. “The 
attention of the Scottish legislature 
was, at a very early period of history, 
called to the means of extending the views, 
and increasing the knowledge of the in- 
habitants ; but the intentions of the go- 
vernment were greatly retarded by the 
influenceof Romish clergy. When the re- 
formation emancipated them from papal 
subjection, the inhabitants were soon dis- 
tinguished by their enlightened senti- 
ments and growing knowledge. The 
civil revolution, which took place shortly 
after, contributed to the same happy end. 
By these events, the means of instruction 
were laid open; many institutions were 
established for the improvement of the 
poor; and many benefactions were be- 
stowed to reward the teachers, and to 
support the scholar.’”’ In the second ses- 
sion of William and Mary, an act of par- 
liament was passed, “that there be a 
school and schoolmaster in every parish; 
his fee not under an hundred marks, nor 
above two hundred.” ‘These plans pro- 
duced very beneficial consequences, and 
civilization and knowledge spread their 
benign influence through the country; 
schools became numérous, and the sala- 
ries tempted many to become masters. 
« The parochial schools, academies, and 
universities of Scotland, are compari- 
tively cheaper than those of England,” 
and learning and literature are mcre ge- 
nerally cultivated. This is a pleasing 
theme to the editor, who boastingly re- 
cords a lone list of eminent writers, all of 
Scottish origin. * Previous to 1763, li- 
terary property, or authors acquiring 
money by their writings, was hardly 
known in Scotland; but of late, the value 
of literary property has been carried 
higher by the Scots, than was ever known 
among any other people. David Hume 
received 50001. for the six last. volumes 
of his History-of Britain; and Dr. Ro- 
bertson received 4500). for his Charle 
Vv. Dr, Blair received the highest price 
for his sermons, ever known to be paid 
for that kind of writing, the merit of 
which produced him a pension from inis 
majesty of 2001. per annum. Even 
among the lower ranks, literature is not 
BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES, 
a stranger; the cheapness of the fees in 
the parochial schools, and the facility 
with which education can be had in 
Scotland, give the peasantry a manifest 
advantage over the peasantry of Eng- 
land.” 
In describing the commerce, fisheries, and 
manufactures of Scotland, the author says, 
“they have for many years been in an 
improving state.” To elucidate this, he 
gives a concise history of the Scottish 
commerce, from the union to the present 
time. The constitution and civil BoxerDe 
ment are more fully detailed, and the “ In- 
troduction” is terminated with notices of 
some of the most considerable military 
and religious antiquities in that country. 
Among them Antoninus’s wall, and nu- 
merous Roman camps are specified.— 
The latter, says this writer, are ‘* gener- 
ally distinguished from those of the 
Danes and Saxons, by being rectangu- 
lar’? This opinion, we believe, to be 
one of the common errors of antiquaries, 
It appears to us very improbable, that 
the Romans would occupy their time, in 
the midst of war, to form a square en- 
campment, if a circular or oval one was 
already prepared to their hands. But 
some antient writers have said, it was the 
usual practice of these warriors to throw 
up their earthworks in a certain form; and 
later authors made that a uniform system, 
which must evidently be governed by 
circumstances. ‘The concluding sentence 
-of the introduction has our warmest 
wishes, for a speedy accomplishment.— 
“ The intercourse between England and 
Scotland, is every day growing more 
frequent, to the mutual advantage of 
both. This has the effect of rendering 
the manners, dress, language, and, in- 
deed, every particular alike; and of 
course we may anticipate, at no very dis 
tant period, the time when national dis- 
tinctions and prejudices shall be known 
no more, and Briratin will form, as it 
ought to be,—only onE NATION.” 
Having, in the preceding passages, 
given an abstract. of the historical mtro- 
duction to this volume, it will besufficient 
to observe, that under the respective 
alphabetical heads, will be found a pret- 
ty circumstantial account of all the sub- 
jects enumerated in the title. Some of 
the articles indéed, we think are rather 
too minute for a work of this nature; 
and in describing objects of British, Ro- 
man, and archirectural antiquity, we re- 
mark a want of discrimination and pres 
cision. At the end of the volume, is an 
