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SCO 



tribes, into which the inhabitants of the northern region of 

 Caledonia was divided, as early as the reign of Conftantine ; 

 Pifts being the denomination of the other. The name and 

 almoil the memory of the Pitts have been extinguifhed by 

 their fucccfsfiil rivals ; and the Scots, after maintaining for 

 ages the dignity of an independent kingdom, have mul- 

 tiplied, by an equal and voluntary union, as Gibbon ex- 

 prelTes it, the honours of the Englilh name. The hand of 

 iiature hath contributed to mark the ancient diftmftion of 

 the Scots and Pidls : the former were the men of the hills, 

 and the latter thofe of the plain. The eaitern coaft of Cale- 

 donia was a level and fertile country, and produced, in a 

 rude ftate of tillage, a confiderable quantity of corn ; fo 

 that the epithet of cruilnich, or wheat-eaters, exprefied the 

 contempt or envy of the carnivorous hiG;hlanders. Never- 

 thelefs, the love of arms and rapine was ilill the univerfal 

 paflion of the Pifts ; and their warriors, llripped for a day 

 of battle, were diftinguilhed, in the eyes of the Romans, by 

 the ftrange fafhion of painting their naked bodies with gaudy 

 colours and fantaftic figures. (See PiCTs.) The weftern 

 part of Caledonia irregularly rifes into wild and barren hills, 

 which fcarcely repay the toil of the hufbandnien, and are 

 moit profitably ufed for the pafture of cattle. Accordingly 

 the highlanders were condemned to the occupations of Hiep- 

 herds and hunters ; and as they were feldom fixed to any 

 permanent habitation, they acquired the expreilive irarae of 

 Scots, which, in the Celtic tongue, is faid to be equivalent 

 to that of luanderers or •vagrants. That the Irilh dcfcent 

 of the Scots, though lately revived by Mr. Whitaker, is a 

 fable, has been fatisfaCtorily evinced by Mr. Gibbon ; and 

 he has traced the foundation upon which this fabulous fuper- 

 ftrufture has been gradually reared by the bards and the 

 monks, two orders of men, who equally abufcd the privilege 

 of fidtion. It is probable, fays this fagacious and elegant 

 hidorian, that in fome remote period of antiquity, the fertile 

 plains of UHler received a colony of hungry Scots ; and that 

 the llrangers of the North, who had dared to encounter the 

 arms of the legions, fpread their conquells over the favage 

 and unwarlike natives of a folitary ifland. It is certain, 

 that in the declining age of the Roman empire, Caledonia, 

 Ireland, and the Kle of Man, were inhabited by the Scots ; 

 and that the kindred tribes, who were often alTociated in 

 military enterprifes, were deeply afledled by the various ac- 

 cidents of their mutual fortunes. They long chenlhed the 

 lively tradition of their common name and origin ; and the 

 miffionaries of the Ifle of Saints, who diflufed the light of 

 Chriftianity over North Britain, eflablifhed the vain opinion, 

 that their Irifh countrymen were the natural, as well as 

 fjiiritual, fathers of the Scottifh race. The Scottifli na- 

 tion, with miitaken pride, adopted their Iriih genealogy ; 

 and the annals of a long line of imaginary kings have been 

 adorned by the fancy of Boethius, and the clnfTic elegance 

 of Buchanan. Gibbon's Hift. vol. iv. See Scotland. 



Scots Zr/ni-j. In February 1 722, the ncwfpapers of the 

 times inform us, that there was a concert for the benefit of 

 Mr. Thomfon, the firlt colleftor and publifher of Scots 

 tunes in England. To this coUeilion, for which there was 

 a very large fubfcription, may be afcribed the fubfequent 

 favour of thefe national melodies fouth of the Tweed. 



After this " confort, at the defire of feveral perfons of 

 quality, was performed a Scottifh fong." 



In 1744, in tlie opera of " Rolelinda," fet by Veracini, 

 at that time the leader of the opera band, the firfl air that 

 prefents itfelt, in the printed copy of the favourite fongs, 

 is " The Lafs of Patie's Mill ;" which Monticelli con- 

 defcended to fing, and to wliich Veracini added parts and 

 ritornelli, in order, as tliey imagined, to flatter the Britifh 



nation. But as few of the North Britons, or admirers of 

 this national and natural mufic, frequent the opera, or mean 

 to give half a guinea to hear a Scots tune, which perhaps 

 their cook-maid, Peggy, can fing better than any foreigner, 

 this expedient failed of its intended efleft. See Palma. 



Scots, or Scott, in Geography, a county of Kentucky, 

 containing 12,419 inhabitants. Its chief town is Geurge- 

 town, containing 529 inhabitants. 



Scot's Bay, a bay on the S.W. coaft of the ifland of 

 Dominica, towards the S. extremity of the ifland ; 4 miles 

 S. of Charlotte-town. — Alfo, a bay of the North Pacific 

 ocean, on the W. coaft of America ; 10 miles S. of Ouecu 

 Charlotte's found. 



Scot's Ccve, a bay on the S. \V. coall of Jamaica. 



Scot's Head, a cape at tiie fouthern cxtieraity of Do- 

 minica. N. lat. 15- 20'. AV. long. 61° 24'. 



Scot's IJlands, a clutter of iflands in the North Pacific 

 ocean, near the N.W. coall of the ifland of Quadra and 

 Vancouver. N. lat. 50'^ 57'. E. long. 231° 2'. 



SCOTT, John, in Biography, a clergyman of the church 

 of England, was born in 10^8, at Chippenham, in Wilt- 

 fhire. He was firlt apprenticed to a trade in London, 

 which not being congenial to his tatte, he quitted, and en- 

 tered himfelf as a commoner of New Inn, Oxford. After 

 receiving orders, he obtained a reclory in London, and a 

 prebend in St. Paul's cathedral. In 1685 he took his 

 degree of D.D. ; and in 1691 he was appointed to the 

 reftory of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and was made canon of 

 Windfor. " The Cliriftian Life," which was publifhed at 

 different times, and finifhed in 1686, acquired for him fo 

 high a reputation, that, after the revolution, he was offered 

 the bifhopric of Clielter ; which, however, he refufed, be- 

 caufe he could not conicicntioufly take the oaths required. 

 He was afterwards offered the bilhopric of Worcelter, and 

 a prebend of Windlor, which he likewife declined, becaufe 

 they were the places of perfons who had been deprived for 

 an adherence to thofe principles, which he himfelf fecrctly 

 cherifhed. Neverthelefs he had llienuonfly oppofed the pro- 

 grefs of Popery in the reigns of Charles II. and James II., 

 and publiPned fome works in controverfy with the Papifls, 

 while the latter prince was fliU on the throne. Dr. Scott 

 died in 1694, leaving the charafler of an excellent man and 

 worthy parifli-prieft. Befides the work already mentioned, 

 he wrote " Cafes of Confcience refolved, concerning the 

 Lawfulnefs of joining in Forms of Prayer in public Wor- 

 (hip ;" and " Twelve Sermons," preached on different oc- 

 cafions. His " Chrillian Life" is a book very generally 

 read in the religious world. 



Scott, Michael, a celebrated Scotfman of the 13th 

 century, was born at Balwearie, in Fife, about the begin- 

 ning of the reign of Alexander TI. At a very early period 

 he made great progrefs in language, as well as the roatlie- 

 matics ; and having finifhed his Ihidies at home, he went 

 over into France, where he remained fome years; but hear- 

 ing that the emperor Frederic II. was a great patron of 

 learning and learned men, he repaired to the court of that 

 prince, and applied himfelf clofcly to all the branthes of 

 philofophy then fludied. After refiding fome time in Ger- 

 many, he proceeded to England, and was high in the favour 

 of Edward II. ; b\it it is not at all known how long he 

 continued here. Upon his return to Scotland he received 

 the honour of knighthood from Alexander III., and was 

 afterwards fent, with Michael de Wemys, to bring to Scot- 

 land the Maid of Norway, who, being taken ill at fea, was 

 landed on one of the Orkney ilands, where fhe died in the 

 year 1290. At this time fir Michael was probably far ad- 

 vanced in life : he died in 1291. He was elleemed u man 



of 



