L'Ecosse Françoise par Houston, and L'Histoire des Papes, Princes, &c. par Chambre d'Ormond vers l'an 1400, are the books which treat of the subject; but General Stuart cannot find them in England. Mr. Pinkerton, being well known to him by reputation as an antiquary much further back, is requested for his assistance in this family object, if it lies in his way, which the General will thankfully acknowledge any time he is pleased to call here. MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Knightsbridge, Dec. 5th, 1787. I am much obliged to your lordship for the facsimile, and for the information of your last could Lord Hailes be prevailed on to proceed with his Annals, it would be happier, than for that valuable writer to waste his time in confuting Mr. Gibbon. Scotland has few accurate historians, while Christianity has defenders in duty bound, all over Europe. He is angry with me, because he suspects my Christianism: but, if I were a Chinese or a Jew, he would not quarrel: such contradictions are found in the wisest of us. By a singular fate, I preserve the friendship of English churchmen, and yet lose that of a Scotish Judge. Yet I shall speak and write of him with respect, as he deserves. Your lordship's information concerning the Morisons is too true. I promised to endeavor to get English booksellers to take 500, but find they are averse to any work printed out of London. The Morisons modestly insist on my taking 500, and allowing them to print 500 more for their own sale! Thus I am not only to give them my labor gratis, but give them 1007. for accepting it! I have told them at once to draw upon George Nicol for their expenses; and I shall keep the transcript. As your lordship kindly says that the transcript was directed and revised by you to do me a pleasure, for which I shall ever be grateful, I hope this resolution will meet with your approbation. My notes are scattered on the blank pages of the transcript; and, rather than give them to the Morisons, I would destroy it, cost what it would. Their conduct to me is ungenerous and unjust; and I leave to your lordship to judge if I deserved it. MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN, Knightsbridge, Dec. 15th, 1787. I am afraid of being quite troublesome to your lordship by such constant correspondence; but hope your love for our old literature will once more excuse me. Your lordship mentioned in a late letter, that you would cause Jamieson, who copied Barbour, to transcribe Lindsay's Play for me. But, in your last, Mr. Buchan's bond is spoken of for the ma nuscript; and, my lord, it seems one Mr. Tytler, an advocate, son of Queen-Mary-Tytler, has taken it into his head that I have spoken ill of his father's book, which presumption he punishes by withstanding my application to the curators! He does not see that he is only struggling to save me trouble, and is injuring only the old poetry of his country. If I find it not beneath me, I shall certainly brand him as he deserves. But, my lord, this opposition may render the borrowing of the manuscript on bond a matter of delay; and I had agreed with a printer to publish six old poems, under the title of "Scarce Scottish Poems, reprinted," which, if your lordship permits, shall be dedicated to you, as the only return I can make for your attentions. Bishop Percy sent me at once the "Palais of Honour," from Ireland; but I find my own countrymen will ever be like dogs in the manger: Lindsay's Play" is the only piece I want to complete the work: it is not long; and if your lordship will cause Jamieson to copy it, I shall take it as a great favor. When I reflect with how much ease your lordship procured a copy of Barbour for the Morisons, and that it could not be had upon my application a year before, I cannot think that your lordship could prefer their publishing to mine, but impute this to some fault of my factor. He has money in his hands, and ought not to have hesitated to pay those trifles for me: as yet I can impute my want of success to no other cause. It will be extremely kind if your lordship will mention whether this fault was his. The expense of transcribing" Lindsay's Play" he shall pay instantly to the copier. The subscribers in England have consented to double their subscriptions for my Vita Sanctorum Scotia, so that the work will proceed. I have not yet heard concerning those in Scotland. THE BISHOP OF DROMORE TO MR. Dromore House, Jan. 16th, 1788. My copy of the Hibernia Dominicana is at your service; and I will send it by the first convenient opportunity to London. I will also make inquiry for Colgani Trias Thaumaturga when I go to Dublin, which I shall probably do about March, being detained in the country till that time. I do not yet want Gawin Douglas' Palais of Honour, which I purchased merely for the use of some good antiquary like you, and therefore desire you will keep it two or three years longer, if necessary. I desire I may be a standing subscriber to any thing you may publish upon Hearne's plan; and, upon mentioning it to a very learned and ingenious countryman of yours, the Rev. Dr. William Trail, nephew to the late Bishop of Downe, who was some time a Professor at Aberdeen, and who is my near neighbour here, he desired I would procure him the favor of being a subscriber also. He is reading with great pleasure your late book, which you sent me; and we both join in wishing we could prevail upon you to abstain from dropping any thing to the discredit of a book, which we highly venerate, the Old Testament; especially when it is not necessary to your subject. If it should be, attack it in a regular and formal discussion and then we doubt not to defend it at large. But, till this is done, it seems neither fair nor candid to step aside from other topics, to throw out insinuations on this subject, which must be very offensive to many readers as well as to me. In the new evening paper, called the Dublin Chronicle, appeared lately some strictures on the Ancient Ecclesiastical History of Ireland (Scotia Antiqua) which you should by all means see. They first appeared under the signature of Jerneus in the Dublin Chronicle for December 24th, and again December 27th. In the Grecian Coffee-house in Devereux Court, they formerly took in the Irish papers; if not now, there are other coffee-houses, where, upon inquiry, you might find them, and where they are regularly filed. MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Knightsbridge, Feb. 2d, 1788. I hope your lordship will forgive my troubling you about a literary matter, which your lordship condescended to promote. Mr. Cardonnel, some months since, informed me that, upon calling at |