577 



SCOTLAND. 



PART I. HISTORY. 



Celti. 





Picts. 



Caledoni- 

 ans. 



Roman in- 

 vasion of 

 Scotland. 



Agricola. 



TUB early history of Scotland, like that of all other 

 countries, and like that of Britain in general, is lost in 

 obscurity. Hence fable has as usual been substituted 

 for reality, and hence we have not been without the 

 appearance at least of an early history. That these 

 fables have received the sanction of Buchanan, is not 

 A reason why they should longer be repeated. It re- 

 mained for Hailes, in our own day, and for Chalmers, 

 ktiU later, to clear up such of these obscurities as ad- 

 mitted of arrangement and illumination, to reject fable, 

 and to add from authentic and new documents, much 

 that had been neglected and forgotten by those who 

 were more desirous to construct a continued narrative, 

 than willing to search for what was difficult of attain- 

 ment. In this narrow sketch we must not only reject 

 much of what used formerly to pass for history, but 

 must even condense into a dry and meagre chronicle, 

 that which, better treated, would be utterly incompa- 

 tible with our limits. 



From the number of our Celtic topographical names, 

 from our possessing a living dialect of this ancient 

 language, and from the general knowledge of the 

 Celtic migration*, we have reason to believe that the 

 first population of Scotland, as of England, was a Cel- 

 tic race, of which we still possess the remains. But, 

 at a very early period, the doubtful and disputed date 

 of which lies probably about the first and second cen- 

 turies before Christ, a Gothic race, known by the name 

 of Pets, or Picts, settled in Scotland, occupying entire- 

 ly the northern islands, and probably establishing them- 

 selves by the conquest of the original Celts, as the 

 Danes and Ostmen in general did, in after-times, in 

 Britain and Ireland generally. That they were, in 

 fact, the very same people, the progenitors of those 

 whose invasions and conquests were so ofttn repeated 

 in after-times, seems almost proved ; and hence did the 

 low country of Scotland derive its Saxon, or rather 

 Dani-h language, the very language which it possesses 

 to this day. 



That these were the Caledonians who so long and 

 successfully resisted the Roman?, is proved, partly by 

 their geographical position, but most unquestionably 

 by the evidence of Tacitus, who describes their tall 

 stature, light hair, and blue eyes, and who adds that 

 their German origin is thus evinced. It is well known 

 that the Celts, on the other hand, were a small and 

 dark people, with black eyes and hair. 



Henceforward we have no knowledge, we cannot 

 even form a conjecture respecting the state and history 

 of Caledonia till the arrival of the Romans; and the 

 little which we thus possess, we must borrow from 

 Roman history. It was in the year 75 A. D. that the 

 Romans, who had originally invaded Britain 130 years 

 before, first prolonged their investigations to Scotland. 

 But it was in 78 that Agricola assumed the command 

 in Britain, and, two years after, he entered the coun- 

 try with an army ; repeating his campaigns for sue 

 cessive years, till, in 84, he extended his attack, and 

 fought against Galgacus, the celebrated battle of the 

 Grampians, on the borders of the mountains, and ap- 

 parently near Stonehaven. 



VOL XVII. PART II. 



Having gained a victory, and accepted hostage*, hit 

 fleet circumnavigated Scotland ; and the result of their 

 discoveries is embodied in the ancient Geography of 

 Pt'ilt my and other*. But, in 85, he was removed and 

 recalled ; and henceforward there is a long period of 

 silence and darkness until the visit of Adrian. 



The Emperor Adrian visited Britain to correct abuses 

 and restore tranquillity. The better to secure the A. D. III. 

 frontiers, he built a rampart between the Firth of 

 Solway and the river Tyne ; providing a security against 

 the attacks of the refractory tribes in the South, who 

 could not be restrained by the military posts between A n i c 

 the Firths of Forth and Clyde. 



Upon the death of Adrian, Antoninus assumed the ADMMSW. 

 purple, and appointed as his lieutenant in Britain, Lol- A.D. 14O. 

 lius Urbicus. It was during the government of Ur- 

 bicus that the second Roman Wall was erected, which 

 extended from Carron on the Forth to Dunglas upon 

 the Clyde. Its total length was sixty-three thousand 

 nine-hundred and eighty-yards, and this stupendous 

 rampart was defended by nineteen forts. This wall 

 was obviously intended to overawe the tribes that lived 

 on the south side, as well as to repel the incursions of 

 the northern Caledonians. The same policy which 

 suggested the expediency of erecting such a formidable 

 barrier along the course of Agricola's military station*, 

 suggested also the necessity of constructing roads nd 

 fixing stations throughout the Roman territories in 

 Britain. 



The whole extent of territory that lay between the 

 walls of Adrian and Antoninu, was everywhere inter- 

 sected by Roman roads. But it is doubtful whether 

 the country between the Northern Wall and the Mur- 

 ray Frith was formally erected into a Roman province; 

 though it was traversed by roads of communication and 

 overawed by military stations. 



Lollius Urbicus was removed from the government A. D. 161. 

 of Britain, in consequence of the death of Antoninus 

 Pius. So effectually had the Caledonians been restrain- 

 ed by his vigorous but beneficent policy, that, during 

 Irs administration, and for several years after his re- 

 moval, no insurrections took place. But the native*, 

 impatient of restraint, began to manifest a disposition to 

 revolt. Calphurnius Agricola, being sent into Britain, 

 enforced submission and restored tranquillity. The 

 Romans finding their conquests in Caledonia burden- 

 some, began to contract the limits of the empire; nnd, 

 during the reign of the Emperor Aurelian. evacu- 

 ated the military stations beyond the Wall of Anto- 

 ninus. 



During the misrule of the Emperor Commodu*, the Coouaedaa. 

 Caledonians passed the Northern Wall, and ravaged the A - D - I7 

 open country ; but being attacked by Marcellus, they 

 retired to the mountains. In repelling these predatory 

 incursions, the Romans derived neither advantage nor 

 glory ; they therefore concluded a treaty with their tur. 

 Indent neighbours, in the be>. r im):r_r <>f the reipn of the 

 Emperor Sevirus but the pe*ce continued only seven 

 Notwithstanding his advanced age, and his 

 bodily infirmities, which obliged him to be transported Scrrru*. 

 in a litter, Severus embarked for Britain, attended by A - p - **- 



