SCOTLAND. 



celdon, commonl7 called Thomas the Rhymer, who wrote a 

 metrical romance, called Sir Triftram, lately republifhed by 

 Mr. Scott. The next writer of confequence is John Bar- 

 bour, archdeacon of Aberdeen, who wrote a poem in com- 

 memoration of the heroic aftions of Robert Bruce, in the 

 year 1375, not lefs celebrated for its hiftorical fidehty than 

 for its poetical merit. About this time flourifhcd John 

 Fordun, defignated the father of Scottifh hidory. In the 

 fifteenth century, James I. of Scotland wrote fome poems 

 of great merit, and he was fucceeded by Holland, and Henry 

 the Rhymer. Next arofe Dunbar, whofe merit has entitled 

 him to be placed at the head of the ancient Scottilh poets, 

 [n the bet^inniiig of the fixteenth century flourirtied Gawin 

 Douglas, and fir David Lindfay. Thefe were followed by 

 many others of various merit, till the middle of the feventeenth 

 century, when the unhappy events of that turbulent period 

 checked the career of the arts and fciences. Before thi;;, 

 however, the illullrious Drummond had configned to the 

 world his exquifite poems. In modern times, the field of 

 poetical merit has been more luxuriant. The names of 

 Thomfon, Ramfay, Blair, Armltrong, Beattie, Burns, Camp- 

 bell, and Scott, with many others, are held in univerfal eiti- 

 mation. 



In the other departments of fcience, though of later cul- 

 tivation, the Scots have made rapid progrefs. In hiftory, 

 the names of Boethius and Buchanan arc every where revered. 

 The claffic elegance and purity of the llyle of the latter, 

 has entitled him to rank with the firll authors of antiquity. 

 In our own age, among other hiilorians of great merit, 

 have arifen Hume and Robcrtlon, whofe works will ever be 

 read with enthufiailic delight by the admirers of talte and 

 genius. In the mathematical department, lord Napier, the 

 celebrated inventor of the logarithms ; Maclanrin, no lefs 

 celebrated for his ailronomical works ; and Dr. Simpfon, 

 noted for his knowledge of ancient geometry, have acquired 

 a lalUng reputation. In medicine, the names of Pitcairn, 

 Monro, and Cullen, may be mentioned as lioldiug tlie highell 

 rank ; and in the department of metaphyfical and moral 

 fciences fhe perhaps Hands unrivalled. The labours of 

 Hume, Hutchinfon, Rcid, Campbell, Beattie, Monboddo, 

 Kaimes, Smith, and Fergufon, will be regarded with admi- 

 ration, fo long a; the philofophy of the mind continues to be 

 a fubjeft of intereft, and the Englifh language is underftood. 

 Scotland has alio attained the praife of fuperior excellence 

 in other departments of fcience, particularly in political eco- 

 nomy and in chemillry. 



Univeijities. — The univerfities in Scotland are four in 

 number ; St. Andrews, Glafgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh. 

 The firil was founded by bifnop Wardlaw, in 141 2 ; the fe- 

 cond by bifliop Turnbull, in 1453 ; the third by billiop 

 Elphiniione, in 1500 ; and the lall by James VI. in 15S0. 

 As the reader will find each of them defcribed under their 

 refpeftive names, we (liall only obferve farther concerning 

 them in this place, that the univerfity of Edinburgh is the 

 moft celebrated medical fchool in Europe, and is annually 

 attended by from 1200 to 1500 ftudcnt;. 



Education. — The mode of education adopted in this country 

 is highly laudable, and is probably the beft praftieable 

 fyitem eflabhihed in any kingdom. The plan followed in the 

 cities and large town? is nearly fimilar to that of England ; 

 that is, by private feminaries and great public fchools, of 

 which the High School of Edinburgh is the moit emi- 

 nent. But the cliief advantage of the Scottifli education 

 arifes from the circumftance of every country parifh having 

 a fchoolmaftcr, regularly appointed by the heritors, in the 

 fame way as the clergyman, who receives a fmail falary, u hich 

 enables him to educate the children of tlic pariiliioners at a 



rate eafy and convenient even to the moft mdigeat parents. 

 In the Highlands, the children of the poor are occupied as 

 herds during fummer, and in winter attend fchools. To be 

 unable to read and write is confidered fo difgraceful in Scot- 

 land, that fucli perfons are fcarcely ever to be met with. 



Manners and Cujloms. — In every part of the kingdom, but 

 more efpecially throughout the Lowland?, the higher orders 

 in Scotland are charafterifed by much the lame features as 

 in England. Their drefs, their mode of living, and their 

 amufements, both public and private, are nearly alike. The 

 inferior orders in the Lowlands are likewife much afli.-nilated 

 to their fnuthern neighbours in tiieir ftyle of drefs, but 

 their food and diverfions materially differ. Tlie ordinary 

 diet of the Scottifh peafant h parich, a compofition of oat- 

 meal and water, boiled together till itadiim.es a thick confid- 

 ence. It is eaten with milk twice and fometimes thrice a day, 

 and is feldom varied, except by broafe, which differs from pa- 

 rich only in having the addition of butter, and not being 

 boiled. Butcher's meat is rarely eat, except on Sunday ; but 

 vegetable broths made with butter are not unfrequently ufed 

 for dinner. Pork and eels were formerly held in great abhor- 

 rence, and even yet are I'egarded as impure articles of food, 

 on account of fuperilitious opinions refpcfting them. In 

 the Highlands thefe fentiments are particularly llrong ; and 

 hence the rearing of f'wine is very little attended to in that 

 diftrift. In the lame divifion of the kingdom, the national 

 drefs is flill prevalent ; but the tartan kilt has very generally- 

 given place to pantaloons of the fame material. From the 

 influence of education, and the well-direfted exertions of the 

 clergy, the peafnntry have long been diltinguillied for fo- 

 briety, indultry, and moral reftitude ; and, in point of intelli- 

 gence, are indubitably the firll in the world. Even the arti- 

 fans are entitled to fhare in this eulogy, though it muft be 

 confelled that exceptions to the rule are too numerous, efpe- 

 cially in the great trading towns. Theexiltence of witches, 

 fairies, and gholts, is Hill part of the creed of the Scottifli 

 peafant ; and the Highlander confidently believes in the 

 power of fecond fight, or the capability of perceiving future 

 events. Some relics of the idolatrous worfhip of his remote 

 ancellors are yet difcernible, both in his amufements and his 

 more ferious occupations ; but they are gradually becoming 

 fainter, and will, no doubt, dilappear in the progrefs of 

 refinement and civilization. For information on the amufe- 

 ments, fuperi^itions, and manners of the Scottifh peafantry, 

 the reader cannot confult any works with greater advantage 

 than thofe two exquifite poems, the " Halloween," and 

 " Cottar's Saturday Night," of the celebrated Burns. Re- 

 ferring, therefore, to them, we fliall only further remark 

 under this head, that in their religious ceremonies, con- 

 fiderable variations exilt from the forms in England. Thus, 

 for inllance, in baptifms, godfathers and godmothers are 

 inadmilTible, the parents alone being made anfwerable for 

 the education of their children in the path of morality and 

 religion. 



Antiqu'it'ies. — Monuments of antiquity of every age, from 

 the Celtic colonization of the kingdom, are yet vifible in 

 various diflricls. Thofe of the firll epoch are all of tlie 

 tumular kind, and are only to be difcovered by nice invelli- 

 gation in the more wild and uncultivated tracts. Of the 

 Roman period, the remains are numerous, confilling of vef- 

 tiges of roads, tlations, encampments, foundations of walls, 

 and other minor antiquities. The celebrated wall of Anto- 

 ninus may yet be traced, with perfect accuracy, nearly the 

 whole of its extent from the Forth to the Clyde ; and many 

 interelling infcriptions are frequently dug up from its ruins. 

 Near it was formerly a fmall edifice called Arthur's Oven, 

 which the moll intelligent antiquaries fuppofe to have been 



a temple 



