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a thin quarto in Latin, entitled " Ordo Inftitutionum 

 Phyficarum in privatis Ledtionibus," of which the fecond 

 edition was publifhed at Cambridge in 1 756 ; alfo of " A 

 Syftem of Natural Philofophy," in z vols. 4-to., which for 

 many years was held in high eftimation ; " Inftitutes of Na- 

 tural and Political Law," being the fubftance of a courfe of 

 le&ures on Grotius, read in St. John's college in Cam- 

 bridge, in 2 vols. 8vo. 1756; " A Letter to Dr. Middle- 

 ton, in defence of Bifhop Sherlock's Difcourfe on Pro- 

 phecy," and divers other theological works. Dr. Ruther- 

 forth communicated to a philofophical fociety at Spalding, 

 a curious corre&ion of Plutarch's defcription of the inltru- 

 ment ufed to renew the veftal fire, as relating to the tri- 

 angle with which the inftrument was formed. 



RUTHERGLEN, or Ruglen, in Geography, a royal 

 borough and market-town in the lower ward of the county 

 of Lanark, Scotland, is fituated on the fouth bank of the 

 river Clyde, at the diftance of 2\ miles S.E. from Glafgow, 

 and 9 miles W. from Hamilton. It is a town of high anti- 

 quity, and was conftituted a royal borough by king 

 David I., whofe charter was fubfequently confirmed by his 

 fucceffors, king Robert Bruce, James V., and James VI. 

 At that period the river Clyde was much deeper in the lower 

 part of its courfe t'han at prefent, and Rutherglen was not 

 only a coniiderable fea-port, but was in faft the iirft mer- 

 cantile town in the valley of Clyde. When the city of 

 Glafgow, now the emporium of Scottilh commerce and 

 manufactures, confifted but of a few private houfes attached 

 to the cathedral, this town was comparatively a bufy fpot, 

 ivhofe inhabitants devoted therafelves to civil and com- 

 mercial employments. Glafgow, indeed, appears even to 

 have been within the bounds, over which the corporation of 

 Rutherglen claimed jurifdi&ion ; for a charter is yet extant, 

 bearing date in 1226, whereby a grant is made to the bilhop 

 of Glafgow, and his fucceflors, that no toll nor cuttom (hall 

 be levied in that city by the inhabitants of Rutherglen. 

 All the mercantile importance of this place, however, is 

 now loft, and it is alfo reduced in extent and population. 

 It flill retaiHS, neverthelefs, all the privileges of a royal 

 burgh, and is governed by a provoft, two baillies, a dean of 

 guild, and fifteen counfellors, who are elefted annually at 

 Michaelmas. The principal branch of trade carried on here 

 is the weaving of muflins for the Glafgow manufacturers. 

 The market-day is Wednefday, weekly ; and there are, be- 

 fides, fix annual fairs, famous tor the fale of horfes. Since 

 the union, this burgh has joined with Glafgow, Renfrew, 

 and Dumbarton, in fending a reprefentative to the Britilh 

 fenate. 



The town of Rutherglen confifts chiefly of one principal 

 ftreet, and a lane, called the Back-Row, both lying pa- 

 rallel in a direftion nearly eaft and weft. The main itreet, 

 which is very ftraight and well paved, extends about half a 

 mile in length, and is about ico feet in breadth. From 

 both fides of it, feveral lanes go off; and at the diftance of 

 about 150 yards to the fouthward is another lane, known 

 by the name of Din's-Dykes, which is charac+- 'ized with 

 an indelible mark of opprobrium from the following cir- 

 cumftance. The unfortunate Mary, queen of Scots, having 

 viewed the battle of Langfide from an eminence near this 

 town, no fooner faw her army defeated than fhe fled to the 

 fouth. Din's-Dykes unfortunately lay in her way. Two 

 nifties, who were at that inftant cutting grafs clofe by, 

 feeing her majefty flying in liafte, rudely attempted to ftop 

 her, and threatened to cut her to pieces with their fey the s 

 if ihe prefumed to proceed a ftep further. Neither beauty, 

 nor even royalty itfelf, can at all times fecure the unfor- 

 tunate, when they are afiailed by the unfeeling or re- 



11 ITT 



vengeful. Relief, however, was luckily it hand, and b 

 majefty was refcued from her barbarian oppofera. 



The church of this town, which is the only public 

 worthy of notice, is very ancient, and is in a ftyle of archi- 

 tecture fuperior to molt churches in Scotland. But uli.it 

 renders it particularly interefting is the circuir.ftance of its 

 having been the fceuc of two tranfadtions, in which the 

 of fir William Wallace, and of the kingdom of Scotland, 

 were deeply concerned. It was within the walls of thii. 

 church that peace was concluded between England and 

 Scotland in the year 1297, and it was here alfo that fir John 

 Monteith contracted with the Englilh to betray the greatelt 

 of Scottifti heroes. 



Rutherglen, in ancient times, was a place of ftrength, 

 and had a caille attached to it, which was confidered to be 

 one of the molt important Scottilh fortrelies. In the dif- 

 pute between Bruce and Baliol for the poffeffion of the 

 throne, it fell, with many others, into the hands of the 

 Englilh. It was befieged by Robert Bruce in 1309 ; but 

 he appears to have been compelled to abandon the enter- 

 prife by the approach of an Englilh army. In 1313, how- 

 ever, it was taken by Edward Bruce, the king's brother ; and 

 feems ever after to have belonged to the Scotch. This caille 

 was kept in good repair till a Ihort time after the battle of 

 Langfide, when it was burnt by the orders of the regent, 

 Murray, out of revenge againlt the Hamilton family, in 

 whofe cuftody it then was. One of the principal towers 

 was, however, afterwards repaired, and having been en- 

 larged by fome modern improvements, became the feat of 

 the Hamiltons of Ellifton, lairds of Shawfield. At length, on 

 the decline of that family, it was for about a century wholly 

 neglefted, and, by frequent dilapidations, was foon levelled 

 with the ground. Its fcite is now converted into a kitchen- 

 garden ; but many of its fculptured ftones may be feen 

 built into the walls adjoining the town. 



In Rutherglen the cuftom of riding the marches of the 

 borough is ftill obferved. On the day appropriated to this 

 purpofe, the magiftrates and council afiemble at the crofs, 

 whence they proceed, in martial order, with drums beating, 

 &c. round the boundaries of the royalty, to fee if any En- 

 croachment has been made. Thefe boundaries are diftin- 

 guifhed by march-ftone6 fet up at fmall diftances from each 

 other, which are fliaped at the top in the form of a man's 

 head ; but the lower part is fquare. This peculiar form 

 was originally defigned to reprefent the god Terminus, of 

 whom they are fo many rude images. Every new burgefs 

 is bound to provide a march-ftone at his own expence, and 

 to cut upon it the initials of his name, and the year in which 

 it is fet up. It has been a cuftom, time out of memory, 

 for the riders of the marches to decii their hats and drums 

 with broom, and to combat with one another at the newly- 

 erefted ftone, out of refpeft perhaps to the deity whofe 

 image they had fet up, or that they might the more firmly 

 imprefs on their minds the precife boundary of that place. 

 This ceremony has of late been deferred till the company 

 return to the crofs, when the broom engagement com- 

 mences with great fury, and lafts as long as the weapons 

 will endure. Rutherglen is likewife famous for the An- 

 gular cuftom of baking, what are called, four cakes, pre- 

 vious to St. Luke's fair. The operators are women only, 

 and they feldom begin till after funfet, and a night or 

 two before the fair. A large fpace ot the houfe is marked 

 out by a line drawn upon it. The area is confidered as 

 facred, and if paffed by any of the bye-ftanders, he or Ihe 

 incurs the penalty of a fine, which is expended in drink for 

 the ufe of the company. This hallowed fpot is occupied 

 by fix or eight women, all of whom, except the toafter, 



feat 



