EDINBURGH. 



Antiquarian 



Wemerian 

 Socittjf. 



ciation was formed in the Scotish capital, for the fir-t 

 was not of earlier date than the year 1718. But the in- 

 stitution of the Royal Society, as now established, was 

 postponed until 1782. It consists of many respectable 

 members, and volumes of Transactions are occasionally 

 published, containing papers which reflect high credit 

 on their authors. 



A Society of Antiquarians was constituted by Royal 

 charter in 1781, for the purpose of investigating anti- 

 quities in general, but more particularly those of Scot- 

 land. The number of associates is considerable, and 

 they have a small museum ; but only one volume of 

 Transactions hat been published, and an interval of 

 twenty-four years has not produced another. Although 

 this nation can boast of eminent historians, the genuine 

 study of antiquity is not a popular pursuit at present : 

 indeed it is vain to deny, that works of frivolity, those 

 which engraft an erroneous description of the manners 

 of our forefathers on imaginary events, have vitiated the 

 taste of the public. 



A society for the promotion of natural history was 

 instituted about the same period as the former : ' many 

 valuable compositions were read in it during a series of 

 yean, and a small library was collected for its use. But 

 after having declined for some time, it may be said to 

 be entirely supplanted by the Wernerian Society of re- 

 cent institution, which embraces the same objects. The 

 name, however, is considered as inferring something 

 circumscribed, and is therefore unpopular; for the pub- 

 lic justly consider that they ought not to be fettered to 

 any particular tenets in natural history, and least of all 

 to geological theories, yet of such uncertain foundation, 

 and on which the reputation of Werner is principally 

 founded. Some of the most intelligent naturalists have 

 been deterred by these considerations from joining it. 

 Two volumes of Transactions have been published. 

 There are two extensive societies, the Caledonian Gar- 

 deners Society, chiefly restricted to practical persons, 

 and the Horticultural Society, belonging to this city, 

 both of which award premiums for fruits and flowers at 

 certain seasons. The latter is on a more general scale, 

 in respect to the quality of its members. 



A society for promoting astronomical science was 

 i-l Insmu- lately instituted ; and now consists of many respectable 

 individuals. As yet it has produced no Transactions ; 

 but by means of its exertions, an observatory, erected 

 some years ago on the Calton-hill, a situation particu- 

 larly favourable, has been judiciously repaired, provided 

 with several good instruments, and is likely to be pre- 

 served in such a condition as to prove useful to the 

 public. 



There is another association, on a more comprehen- 

 sive establishment than any of those we have hitherto 

 mentioned, which may be described as a great patriotic 

 economical society. This association was originally form- 

 ^ ^ r P rorn t' n R tne welfare of the Higlilands of Scot- 

 land, and is called the Highland Society ; but its views 

 are at this day greatly extended, and whatever is con- 

 nected with the prosperity of die country at large is 

 brought within the sphere of its patronage. Thus it is 

 occupied in advancing the interests of agriculture, ma- 

 nufacturcs, and the arts, by offering premiums for com- 

 petition ; and all useful inventions and improvements, 

 relative to the same objects, though not originally pro- 

 posed by the society, are also recompensed. To attain 

 an accurate knowledge of the real state of the country, 

 different districts are periodically selected, and premi- 

 ums offered for the test report regarding them ; the 

 culture of certain vegetables, promising utility, is en- 



A'tronomi- 



Hi hland 



" 



couraged ; the adoption of implements of agriculture Edinburgh. 

 and machines, which have come to the knowledge of the s-p "Y"^ i '' 

 MK-iety, is recommended ; and when ingenious mecha- 

 nics, in straitened circumstances, have devised models 

 which apparently might be beneficial, if executed on a 

 sufficient scale, are unable to complete them, sums have 

 been bestowed for that purpose. About L.650 is year- 

 ly distributed in premiums; a gold medal is occasion- 

 ally bestowed, and sometimes pieces of plate to those 

 whose merits seem to entitle them to it. The ample 

 funds of this society, the patriotic spirit of its members, 

 and the countenance which it receives from govern- 

 ment, all contribute to its general utility and import- 

 ance. It now consists of above 1200 members, and vo- 

 lumes of Transactions are occasionally published. 



The diffusion of knowledge is justly deemed an ef- 

 feet tul means of civilizing a nation: the government 

 itself is materially influenced by it, and thence the hap- 

 piness of the people. A literary government is mild, 

 Dot experience proves that a military one is tyrannical 

 and despotic. Thus in the largest and most populous 

 empire of the world, none but men who have under- 

 gone a probation in literature, are admitted to share 

 its administration ; and notwithstanding its unwiel- 

 dy greatness, universal tranquillity prevails : all il- 

 measures are mild and paternal. Edinburgh has been 

 called a hot-bed of genius. It is not to be denied that 

 brilliant talents have shone in it; that it has given birth 

 to many celebrated works in history and philosophy ; 

 yet in appreciating what ought strictly to be denomi- 

 nated learning, much must be rejected that passes for 

 such in the vulgar eye: little originality i- inily -eeii ; 

 the ideas of mankind, always the same, are only re- 

 produced under a different form ; every subject of or. 

 dinary discussion has been exhausted again anil again ; 

 and unless for scientific inventions, and exposing the 

 phenomena of nature to view, scarcely anything new is 

 to be found. The diffusion of knowledge is materially 

 promoted by the facility of access to public libraries, and 

 few cities are more favourably situated in that respect 

 than the Scotish metropolis. In the year 1580, Cle- 

 ment Little, an advocate, bequeathed his library for 

 the use of the citizens at large; and immediately on the 

 institution of the university, the books were transferred 

 thither by an order of the magistrates. This incon- 

 siderable collection, of which a catalogue is still ex- 

 tant ill the records of the KAMI i<mm-il, wa* gradually 

 augmented by the benefactions of Drummond of Ilaw- 

 thornden, and more recent donors, until it now forms 

 a great accumulation, probably exceeding 50,000 vo- 

 lumes. By a statute passed in the reign of Queen Anne, 

 the College Library is entitled to a copy of every book CoU t 

 entered in Stationers-hall, in common with the other Library, 

 universities. The whole collection is preserved in three 

 apartments, one of which is a very fine room, though 

 wanting repair, 83 feet in length, hung with many old 

 portraits of foreign literati, and those of Scotland. 

 Among the latter are King James VI. his preceptor 

 George Buchanan, and the first professor in the uni- 

 versity. Besides the printed books, there are some 

 historical and classical manuscripts, which have been 

 put in good order, and separated from the others. There 

 is a copy of Fordun's Scotichronicon, written on vel- 

 lum, and a protest token against the burning of the 

 early reformers John Huss and Jerome of Prague, by 

 a convention of the Bohemian states, with numerous 

 seals appended. The library likewise possesses a copy 

 of Bellenden's translation of Boetius, printed on vel- 

 lum, of which only three copies besides arc known t 



