664 



HEBRIDES. 



These writings are, for the most part, later col lections 

 of their actions, discourses, and prophecies, the un- 

 equal extent of which has given occasion to the dis- 

 tinction of the great prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, 

 K>kiel, and Daniel) and the minor prophets. We 

 luivo not even the works of the former complete, and 

 evidently but fragments of the latter. 



The period of the restitution of the Mosaic institu- 

 tion after the return from the captivity, was of the 

 highest importance to the Hebrew literature, as 

 Ezra established the great synagogue a college of 

 120 learned men, to collect the ancient treasures ; 

 and Nehemiah, soon after him, preserved this or a 

 new collection in the temple. (See Jews.) The 

 design of these reformers, to give the Jews a religious 

 canon in their old national writings, induces us to 

 believe that they engaged in the work with the 

 greatest fidelity to the old Mosaic institution ; and 

 it is certain, that the canon of the Old Testament, in 

 the time of the Maccabees, was the same, as to the 

 number and order of the books, as at present, and 

 that the present division into historical, poetical, and 

 prophetic, was then observable. To the historical 

 belong, besides those collected in the time of David 

 and Solomon, the books of the Kings and the Chroni- 

 cles, which were compiled after the captivity, from 

 the old annals of the kings, and the books of Ezra 

 and Nehemiah. To the poetical belong Job, the 

 Psalms, Solomon's Proverbs, Song and Ecclesiastes, 

 the elegies called the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the 

 book of Esther and the idyl of Ruth. 'The prophetic 

 embraces therwritings of the above named four great 

 and twelve minor prophets. 



The Mosaic religion is the all-prevailing soul of 

 this literature. As, in the historical books, the 

 selection and arrangement of the matter seem to 

 depend upon the theocratic nature of the religion, 

 and the religious feeling breathes throughout the 

 poetical ; so, likewise, anger and grief for the 

 degeneracy of the people, threats against their apos- 

 tasy, and consolations for the pious, are mingled 

 in the prophetic writings. The promise of an 

 anointed Messiah, who should raise the nation from 

 its degradation, and restore the happy age of David, 

 spreads through the productions of the prophets. 

 But in the prophets who flourished during and after 

 the Babylonish captivity, the influence of Chaldaean 

 dogmas, which were derived from the precepts of 

 Zoroaster, and many alterations, which the peculiar 

 notions of the Jews underwent in consequence of 

 their destiny and their intercourse with foreign 

 nations are perceptible. (See Gesenius, Geschichte 

 der Hebr. Sprache und Schrift, Leipsic, 1815.) The 

 best German grammars of the Hebrew language are 

 those of Michaelis, Gute, Hezel, Pfeiffer, Jahn, 

 Wezel, Vater, Wekherlin, Hartmann and Gesenius 

 (q. v.) ; the best in English is by professor Moses 

 Stuart. There are Hebrew and German lexicons by 

 Castelli, Coccejus, Simonis, Michaelis, Schulz, and a 

 later and more excellent one by Gesenius (translated 

 by J. W. Gibbs, Andover, 1824). The translation 

 has been reprinted in London. An abridgment by 

 Mr Gibbs, was printed at Andover, 1858. See Jews, 

 Hellenists, Septuagint, Rabbinical Language and 

 Literature, and Cabala. 



HEBRIDES, or WESTERN ISLANDS ; a cluster 

 of islands situated on the western coast of Scotland, 

 in the Atlantic ocean. These islands in early times 

 were successively overrun by different tribes from the 

 continents of Scotland and Ireland, and by the 

 northern rovers of Scandinavia. The ancient tales 

 and traditions of the natives, which constitute the 

 existing historical documents of this district, con- 

 stantly refer to these irruptions ; but they yield little 

 that can lie relied upon. The natives are evidently 



of the same stock with the inhabitants of Ireland and 

 of the Highlands, of Scotland: their language, man- 

 ners, superstitions, and customs are the same. The 

 tribes who settled among them in consequence of the 

 Scandinavian conquests, between the ninth and 

 twelfth centuries, were few in number in compari- 

 son with the population of the country, and were 

 speedily absorbed by the native race. 



The first written accounts which we have of the 

 Hebridians, occur in the Chronicle of Mann ; and 

 these are scanty and confused ; nor indeed is the loss 

 of their history of much consequence during the 

 latter periods, (or even from the reign of Alexander 

 III.) when they were finally annexed, by a specific 

 agreement, with the Scottish crown. What we 

 regret most is the loss of their annals during the 

 era of the introduction of Christianity and the age 

 which preceded it, as well as that of their connexion 

 with the Roman transactions in Britain. 



That these extensive regions were at some former 

 epoch possessed of a considerable population, and of 

 resources far beyond what is commonly supposed, we 

 may learn from the monuments of antiquity still visi- 

 ble in them. Castles built with astonishing skill in 

 the midst of deep lakes ; immense pillars of stone, 

 plainly indicating the aid of mechanical powers to 

 raise them, and the command of great numbers of 

 men to carry them over ground impervious to cattle 

 used for draught ; watch-towers erected in places 

 which, in point of judgment of selection, astonish the 

 ablest engineers of modern times, and formed a 

 regular chain of telegraphic communication ; ruins of 

 houses and of temples discovered deep under the pre- 

 sent surface of the soil, or within the sea mark in 

 some of the lower isles, and referring consequently to 

 a remote antiquity ; all these announce a degree of 

 power, of wealth, and of civilization totally incompa- 

 tible with the ideas usually adopted with respect to 

 the ancient history of the Hebrides. But this is not 

 all. The language, superstitions, proverbs, and 

 modes of thinking, general throughout these isles, 

 evince ancient eminence. Their poetry is lofty and 

 pathetic, replete with noble sentiments, and founded 

 upon the historical associations of an illustrious 

 race. 



In consequence of the removal of the seat of gov- 

 ernment from Dunstaffnage, Inverlochy, and the 

 western coast of Scotland, to the eastern counties of 

 Perth, Fife, and Mid-Lothian, the Hebrides were 

 deprived of the immediate protection of their princes, 

 and left to the capricious and arbitrary despotism of 

 their chiefs. The chiefs carried on perpetual wars 

 against one another, and these too of the most ran- 

 corous kind, being frequently founded on family or 

 personal feuds. Neither the sanctity of religion, nor 

 the claims of humanity were respected. The Scottish 

 monarchs, too feeble and too distant to punish the 

 more powerful chiefs, adopted the miserable policy 

 of managing them by setting one of themselves 

 against the other, and of offering the property of the 

 vanquished to his more successful antagonist. To 

 this antagonist another chief was soon opposed, who 

 in his turn, whether victorious or unsuccessful in the 

 first instance, seldom escaped the violent fate of his 

 neighbouring chief. This was the state of the 

 Hebrides from the accession of Alexander III. till 

 the beginning of the eighteenth century, when, in 

 consequence of the union of England and Scotland, 

 and some circumstances favourable to the admission 

 of the young Hebridians of influence into the British 

 army and navy, the blessings of a regular government, 

 and the refinements of civilized society were gradu- 

 ally introduced. 



It was not, however, until the year 1748, that the, 

 Hebrides could be said to enjoy the complete secu- 



