of June, were taken on board for Mr. Nichols; but all later accounts I shall be glad to get from you a letter on that subject would exceedingly oblige me. In a few days I go from hence to Dunnichan in Angusshire, near Forfar, from whence a tour is proposed to Glasgow and the Firth of Clyde.

MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Knightsbridge, Sept. 20th, 1787.

Both your favors of 22nd of August and 5th inst. are now before me. I am happy to see that the last concurs with the agreement I made with Messrs. Morisons, that the manuscript should be sent up here and prepared by me for the press. Will not the best way be to send me ten books when transcribed; that I may be getting them ready while the others are transcribing? Many people will now be passing from Edinburgh to London; and I dare say your lordship will agree with me that a private hand would be the safest mode of conveyance.

There shall be no delay on my part in preparing the work for the press; and it shall be all sent back two months after I receive it. The printer must begin with the poetry and notes. The Preface, Life, and Glossary, I shall prepare, but must have the whole work printed off and sent me before I send them; that I may refer to pages, &c. The notes are to be at the bottom of

the page, as in Tyrwhit's Chaucer, to relieve the reader in so long and uniform a poem.

I am happy to concur with your lordship as to Henry's Wallace. But it will be better to defer all thoughts of it till our present labor be done: nor is it so important as Barbour's Poem, which is a whole century older. Winton's Chronicle, my lord, I have a fine manuscript of; but, upon a diligent perusal of that ocean of Scotish Poetry, I find it a crude history of the whole world, and which would not bear printing; as it would not, if printed, bear reading. But extracts of all worth preserving I may publish in time. I was much surprised, when the Morisons informed me that they had sent 1000 copies of James the First's Poems up here: no book of the kind will bear such impressions. Even here seldom above 500 are thrown off in books of old poetry, which few read. But they may venture on 1000 of our classic poets, if ornamented with prints.

I understood from your lordship's of 22d of Aug. that you were at the expense of transcribing; but your last mentions that Morison is at the expense, which is but fair, for the work will certainly pay him well in the end. But, my lord, it is to be regretted that no society can be formed in Scotland for publishing old pieces of history, poetry, &c. The king would certainly allow 2001. a year for that purpose, which would be sufficient; and no greater service could be rendered to the country. In Denmark, private gentlemen, as Mr. Suhen, &c., have been liberal patrons in this

way; and indeed this is the only kind of patronage now known or existing.

I was at Strawberry Hill about a month ago; but have not seen Mr. Walpole since. Next time I see him I shall remember your lordship's compliment.

MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN.

Knightsbridge, Oct. 15th, 1787.

I am happy to inform your lordship that the complete transcript of Barbour is now come to hand in three divisions. The trouble your lordship has taken in this business does you high honor, and shall be mentioned with due applause in the preface. I am convinced from this that there is a patronage independent of expense; and I exult to see that Scotland has at least one man of high rank who thinks her literature worthy of his care.

For the kind expressions in your last, I am infinitely obliged. The differences of opinion hinted at, I believe, are, in literary matters, only two:-1st. Concerning Ossian. 2ndly. Concerning Queen Mary. Neither of them can be discussed in a letter. Of the first I shall only say, that the light in all other countries of Europe is at present much too strong for such matters; and our own countryman, Murray, (Acta Nova Goettingensia, vol. 1.) has fully shown that the oldest parts of Ossian are not older than the thirteenth century.

On the last I believe that both Robertson and Stuart are equally wrong; and that, granting Mary guilty, Regent Murray was a villain. So much for the Hero of one, and Heroine of another; but it is a general remark, that our countrymen never write without taking a side: we are all advocates; and none of us judges. In respect to both questions, my lord, I think, with all deference, that for this end your lordship ought not to have thrown into one scale that weight which you possess from your rank, but, above all, as chief and speaker of a society of antiquaries. Imagine to yourself, my lord, what weight an opinion of a whole society must have; and how dangerous it is for an individual to oppose it, though truth be on his side. So much for these differences of opinion, which are merely literary; and such with me never enter into life, however inimical they may be in speculation. I rather speak of any who differ from me with more respect, that I may not seem uncandid.

I wish very much, my lord, to have a complete literal copy of Sir David Lindsay's Play, to be found in the Bannatyne manuscript, beginning part ii. p. 164. "Heir beginnis the proclama-. tioun," &c., and ending, I believe, p. 221. It is very long; but may be easily copied by the same hand who does Barbour. If your lordship will set him about it, I shall esteem it a great favor; and Mr. Buchan, Writer to the Signet, my factor, will pay the expense.

As your lordship was pleased to encourage my Vita Antique Sanctorum Scotia, and I doubt not

have procured several of the subscriptions in Scotland, I hope you will forgive my sending the inclosed paper. The two years being elapsed, and only thirty-six subscribers having appeared, instead of 100, the number necessary to pay for print and paper, I am forced to give up the work, if the subscribers do not double their sums. But, even then, 147. will be wanted to make up the 501. necessary, which expense I shall myself bear. It will be very kind if your lordship will send them to Mr. Creech, and desire him to forward them to the subscribers; as your interference will have weight both with him and them.

In two months I shall send down ten books of Barbour's, that the Morisons may go on, as I mention to them in the letter inclosed.

SIR JOS. BANKS TO MR. PINKERTON.

Nov. 1st, 1787.

I shall most willingly undertake to solicit subscriptions among my friends for your intended

I have inserted this letter, of no interest in itself, (except as showing the readiness to oblige in one of the most obliging men that ever lived,) for the purpose of attaching to it a portion of Mr. Pinkerton's Prospectus of the work referred to, which is so well written and curious, that it deserves to be preserved. It appears that Mr. Pinkerton was not likely to be very successful in his attempts to find patronage in Scotland; for Mr. Cardonnel, in a letter to him, written some time subscquently, tells him, "I find there are 10 of Maitland's Poems