king, however, was not able, I suppose, to pay that sum; and he contracted some debts at Perth, which are unpaid at this moment. When Cromwell arrived at the fullness of his power, he sent two hundred pounds to the University, and there is below the king's subscription "Solvit Dominus Protector." One of the magistrates of Perth, hearing of this, thought it entitled him to ask payment of the sum which the king had borrowed, when in that town. But Cromwell did not listen to his petition; and, when it was urged again and again, said with vehemence, "Have done, Sir, I am not the heir of Charles Stuart !" To which the other replied with equal warmth, "I wot well, then, you are his intromitter-shall I say a vicious intromitter?" In the law of Scotland, intromitter signifies one who takes upon himself to manage the estate of a deceased person, and who, by that act, renders himself liable for all his debts; and vicious is, when it is done. without any right, any right, and therefore is a vice or iniquity. Cromwell, though absolute, did not even chide him for this freedom, but declared, that he would never pay that money; because," said he, "I will do things for a learned society, which I will not do for other societies, and I would have you know this!"

Such facts mark the temper and genius of celebrated men more distinctly, perhaps, than the labored character of many elegant historians; and the above I have heard, with some variations, from many persons as well as from Mr. James

Anderson, of Stockwell-street Sugar-house in Glasgow, who was not in the least degree connected with any of my kindred.

DR. JOHN ANDERSON TO MR. PARKER.

Glasgow College, May 24, 1788.

I trouble you with this packet, that you may be my advocate with Mr. Pinkerton, who must think me very negligent. I believe, however, that I could fully justify my delays, by a great variety of business in which I have been for some time engaged; but they would cost a page of writing, and therefore I think it will be better for me to plead guilty, if you will be my apologist. Trusting, then, to your defence, I beg of you to request Mr. Pinkerton to present the inclosed anecdotes of Oliver Cromwell to Mr. Walpole, with my most respectful compliments.

Be pleased to send the inclosed remarks on Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs to the Gentleman's Magazine, after Mr. Pinkerton has seen them. In the Edinburgh Magazine, which is sold by Murray in London, Sir John has got a trimming for what he has said of the great Earl of Stair; and it is said that more remarks of the same kind are waiting him. The articles that I have animadverted upon are such as either I myself, or some of my friends are interested in, particularly the Carronades; for the report by the Glasgow professor was given by me, above seven

VOL. I.

N

years ago, to the Commander-in-Chief in Scotland. Sir John is so merciless in his two volumes to some of the greatest men who lived about the beginning of this century, that he deserves no mercy; but truth, not revenge, is my object.

Whitaker is rioting so much in the victory which, he thinks, his three volumes concerning the Bonny Queen have procured him, that he is preparing, it is said, a fourth,* as a coup de grace, and as a Te Deum. It is expected, however, that Mr. Pinkerton will give him a coup de main-I mean with his pen, and without delay.

You must have seen the account of Robert Bruce's watch in the newspapers and in the Memoirs of the London Antiquarian Society.† Reports say that the King gave two hundred pounds for that watch. Does Mr. Pinkerton know that it is an absolute imposition by a pedlar and an engraver in this place, about fifteen years ago?

In the next edition of the Ancient Scottish Poems, perhaps (observe I say "perhaps") I will give Mr. Pinkerton a few notes upon some of them. Take the two following as a specimen :

* It was in the course of this year that the Rev. John Whitaker published his Vindication of Mary Queen of Scots, which he afterwards reprinted with additions and corrections in 1790; but both editions are equally confined to three volumes.

What is here referred to, forms part of a Memoir entitled Observations on Clocks, by the Hon. Daines Barrington, printed in the 5th volume of the Archæologia. What was supposed to have been Robert Bruce's watch, passed into the possession of our late king.

In volume first, page cxxxviii-The author, Mr. Blair, was a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, and minister of the parish of Atholstonford, in the presbytery of Haddington. He was succeeded, if I mistake not, by the author of the tragedy of Douglas. His eldest son, Robert, is, at present, at the head of the Scotch bar. Another son is a merchant in Edinburgh: a third is professor of astronomy in the University of Edinburgh; and a fourth, who was a merchant in America, lives within a few miles of Mr. Pinkerton, at Turnham Green, if I mistake not; but he must be known to some of the loyalists of Mr. Parker's acquaintance, from whom Mr. Pinkerton may get exact information. I I agree with Mr. Pinkerton as to the great merit of the poem; though it is undervalued by some scribblers in this country.

In volume second, page 418-The allegory is kept up from beginning to end, and with so much accuracy, that its beauty is marred by technical words, which none but seafaring people can understand. Scheittis, which in modern spelling is shytes, is the name of the ropes at the lower end of a sail; and, when a square sail is at right angles to the keel, the ship is then between the shytes, and sails with a stern wind, or, as it is called, before the wind. Sole is a mistake for sale. Bolwyn is the name of a rope which, at present, is called a bowling; and the three words which follow it are at present in use, with a different spelling; being all parts of the apparatus belonging to the sails of ships that have old-fashioned riggings. Sale ouir strek, that is, sail over straight;

that is, the shytes hauled too tight, in order to lose none of the wind. Bubbis is the striking of the sail against the mast by back winds. Lek is a leak. Pres, a press of sail, is still in use, for using every sail that will draw wind. Sloggis is a squall, or gust of wind, such as are commonly met with at St. Abb's Head, and Buchanness, in the north of Scotland. Mr. Pinkerton will not be surprised at my knowledge in these things, when he is informed that I have seen the rage of a storm in the Bay of Biscay, in a clear night, with thunder at intervals: the most magnificent scene, I imagine, that can be seen in this globe.

Various societies in Scotland, political, religious, and irreligious, are to celebrate, on the 5th of November next, the revolution which was effected by the Prince of Orange, an hundred years ago. I wish Mr. Pinkerton would write a song for the Revolution Club, of which I will make one on that day. Nobody will do it better. It must be to a tune that every body can sing, such as Purcell's "God save the King," or Thomson's When Britain first at Heaven's command." If Mr. Pinkerton will undertake it, his health will be drunk in a bumper by the Revolution Club; and I will send him a memorandum of the chief grievances from which the Scots were delivered by that great event.

I have troubled you with so many remarks and queries, that it will be a labor to answer them, unless you shall receive help from Mr. Pinkerton, or from the hand of one of Mr. Elmsley's young

men.