berkelethus), through a period of 216 years, under the government of seventeen monarchs. After the decease of Ambkellach to the reign of Donall, A. D. 895, the poem has been vitiated. There is a derangement in the succession, and an omission of kings to complete the number required in the concluding lines of that poem. Here is a disorder of 176 years. From the death of Donall, the Irish and Scotch agree, to the end of the Scotish line, A. D. 1689. MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Knightsbridge, July 30th, 1787. I am glad to hear that Barbour is about to be published from the manuscript, and shall with pleasure give a Preface, Life of the Author, Notes and Glossary, as I promised, to Messrs. Morison. The greatest object of this edition must be to print it from the manuscript literatim; so as to say in the title-page, "The First Genuine Edition, printed from a manuscript of the year 1489." Perhaps it would be well if your lordship requested Lord Hailes to inspect the transcript and collate it, if he would take the trouble. He might perhaps also add a few notes, which must of course be sent to me, that I may not repeat what he has said. It will be better not to hurry this work; and Messrs. Morison can go on with Dunbar's Poems in the mean time. There is no necessity for sending the proofs to me; but I should like to see the first proof-sheet. The chief things to be attended to are, complete identity of spelling with the manuscript, that the state of our language on its first appearance in writing may be seen. Good pointing to assist the reader, and especially short sentences: using the full point as often as the sense will bear. Distinct paragraphs; and never using for y, as our old printers and some editors do from ignorance, as zour for your, &c. This last fault, if fallen into, would spoil the sale of the book. What is printed≈, is merely y consonant put ≈ in old manuscripts to distinguish it from y vowel, which is marked y; but of this I mean to speak in the preface. Particularly, my lord, the work not being divided into books, as Wallace is, will confuse the reader by its length, if this be not obviated. Wallace is divided into twelve books; and Barbour's Poem for variety, &c. had best be split into twenty. To each book an argument in old Scotish prose ought to be prefixed, marking the chief contents, which will very much relieve and assist the reader. These arguments any one the least skilled in our old language can easily put; but, if desired, I shall do them and send them to your lordship or Messrs. Morison. The little chapter-titles, now running through the work, must all be omitted; for they are not by Barbour; and many are prose, some verse. The arguments will include their essence. In preparing for my proposed edition, I marked these twenty books as follows, in the common Glasgow edition, 1737, 12mo. Buke I. II. p. 18. "The escaping of the Bruce and death of John Cumin." tane." III. P. 33. "How John of Lorn discomfit King Robert." V. p. 71. "Of the King's hansaling in Carrick." X. P. XI. p. 173. “How Sir Edward withoutens turn "Undertook the battle of Bannock-burn." This alone fully shows that the titles were not written by Barbour; for no battle of Bannockburn occurs here. XII. p. 189. " How the King slew Henry Bohoun." begin book 17 with this "The lords of the land were faire." XVIII. p. 292. close book XVII. with this line "To help his brother that was there." begin book 18 with this "But he that rest annoyed ay." XIX. p. 306. close book XVIII. with this line— "Discomfit had in his own countrie." begin book 19 with this "Thus was the land awhile at peace." XX. p. 326."How king Robert assembled them." Twelve books would be too large, twenty-four too short. The number of lines must be marked on the margin 10, 20, &c. I hope your lordship will agree with me in the propriety of these remarks; but the chief and essential point is exact conformity with the manuscript, so as the title may bear that the work is from the manuscript only. This can never be done by any collation with former editions, but by considering the manuscript as the only copy extant. I depend upon your lordship's word that this shall be the case: and, if it be not, this edition will do no credit, but be open to the detection of any one who inspects the manuscript. DR. THORKELIN TO MR. PINKERTON. Sept. 19th, 1787. Having arrived to the county of Sutherland, after a voyage through the western coast of Scotland, and great part of the Hebrides, not less tedious than lasting, I am happy in being able to pay you my duty, and renew my warmest thanks for your letters to Mr. Buchan, as the last proof of the best friendship. Since I left your house, the seat for hospitality and the muses, I have struggled with great hardship. Through the Hebrides, the wishes and the second sight have followed me wherever I went; nay, the whole has taught me that you, in your Dissertations of the Origin of Nations, have done justice to the Gauls and their posterity in the Western Highlands. This people boast of Ossian and Pictish Houses on both they look as belonging to them selves. About Ossian Mr. Dempster and I have been very particular: we inquired into the secrets of Mr. McPherson's birth. All answers proved dark, indistinct, and perfectly insufficient to make good (the Alder) the age and authenticity of that famous Poem. The Pictish Houses are nothing less than conical heaps of stones, built for the purpose of serving the dead as places of abode. These monuments are still frequent in Denmark, in Norway, and in Iceland: they are called Haugar. You please to see account of them in a Prefation to Snorro's History. The age of the famous vitrified castles is at length found out. One Paul Mactyre built that at Chreech about 1270. Will you be kind enough to tell this to our friend Dr. Lorimer? In letters from Copenhagen I am informed that the books, already the 12th • Pennant, in his Tour in Scotland, vol. i. p. 338, gives two plates and a long account of these buildings, of which he speaks as the only remains of the Picts, who formerly inhabited the northern parts of that country. Of these round buildings he says, "there are numbers over all the north, particularly Sutherland, Caithness, and Orkney. It is observable in them, that there is no mortar of any kind, neither clay nor lime; nor had the Picts any notion of casting an arch. They consist of the best stones they could find, well laid and joined the wall was sometimes fourteen feet thick; and the great room, which was quite round, twenty-two feet in diameter: the perpendicular wall twelve feet high. The roof was carried on round about with long stones, till it ended in an opening at the top, which served both for light and a vent to carry off the smoke of their fire. We found nothing in them but handmills, or what the Highlanders call Querns, which were only eighteen inches. in diameter, and great heaps of deer-bones and horns." VOL. I. L |