Dr. Mac Culloch on the Vitrified Forts ofSeotland. 259 



Work, to show that these forts very probably belong to an age of 

 some talent and improvement, a notion adverse to the suppositions 

 of those who have conceived them to be the efforts of the rudest 

 barbarians. But the ignorance and rudeness attributed to nations 

 of mere warriors and hunters is falsely assigned. 



The histoiy of infant society shows on the contrary instances of 

 acute reasoning, of ready invention, of perseverance and prowess, 

 which would be in vain sought among the enlightened populace of 

 modern times, nay even among those who are far removed above 

 that rank. But this ability and vigour of mind have been neces- 

 sarily directed to those objects only, which were useful or honour- 

 able, or were then in fashion. The abilities of infant nations 

 require to be compared with their necessities, and to be measured 

 by their best works, not by their worst. 



The whole length of ground enclosed beyond the cross wall 

 is about 200 yards, and its breadth is about 60. Within this space 

 are two works, the one containing a perimeter of 153 yards, and 

 the other one of 110. These, according to the modern military 

 computation for the defence of a redoubt, are capable of holding 

 more than 500 men. The perimeter of the external work is 96 

 yards, a space nearly capable of disposing of a hundred more. We 

 are unable, from ignorance of their weapons and modes of warfare, 

 to determine in what way these works were occupied or defended, 

 but on any supposition it appears that this must have been a mili- 

 iary fort of some magnitude and consequence. 



I have entered into the details of the magnitude, and figure, and 

 military importance of this work, for the purpose of setting aside 

 another hypothesis with regard ta the vitrified forts. They have 

 been supposed by some to be merely beacons, and that the vitrifi- 

 cation has been the result of the combustion of those heaps of wood 



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