that faint; but in a book of much greater authority, the Ulfter Annals, of which there is a tranflation in the Museum, he is placed in the middle of the ninth century, or year 856, when it is faid, “ Cubal-Fin, with his English-Irish [Hibernice, ut alibi Fingall], (was) put to flight by Ivar." This, if it mean" (continues Mr. Ritfon) "the fame man, is an hiftorical fact which cannot be difputed: but" (he adds) "at all events, he was a native or inhabitant of Ireland." In my reply to the letter whence this extract is taken, I mentioned what difcoveries had been lately made at Edinburgh with regard to ancient MSS. in the Gaëlic language; and likewise sent him a literal tranflation of a paffage from a book printed at Edinburgh A. D. 1567 in that tongue; and to be found in the preface of the abbot of Icolomkill and bishop of the Iles John Carfwell's Book of Common Prayer (by the way, the firft protestant Prayer-book in use north of the Tweed till an unsuccessful attempt was made in the reign of Charles the Martyr). The paffage alluded to is to the following purport. "But there is a great want" (fays this pious prelate)" with us, "and it is a great weight upon us, the Gaël of Scotland and "Ireland*, above the reft of mankind, that our Gaëlic lan guage is not printed, as are the other languages and tongues " of the world: and there is a greater want ftill, that of the "Holy Bible not being printed in the Gaëlic language, as it is *"Gaoidhil Alban agas Eirean." "in the Latin and the English, and every other tongue: and 46 alfo, it is a want, that we have never yet had any account printed of the antiquities of our country, or of our ancestors amongst us. But, although we have fome accounts of the "Gaël of Scotland and Ireland in the manufcript books of chief "bards and hiftoriographers, and others; yet, the labour of writing them over with the hand is great; but the process of printing, be the work how voluminous foever, is speedy and eafily accomplished. And great is the blindness, ignorance, "and finful darkness, and evil design of the teachers and writ 66 ers, and oral confervators †, of the Gaëlic, in as much as they are more defirous and accustomed to compose vain, "tempting, lying hiftories, to gain the idle applaufe of the world, concerning Tuath de Danonds, and Milefians,-concerning champions, and Fin-mac-Cumhal and Fingalians, and a great many more that need not be mentioned in this place ." Here then is a manifest proof, that the Gaëlic language was not only a written, but also a printed language, more than two hundred years ago,-a ftriking fact, in direct contradiction of Dr. Johnson's hafty affertion, that "the Earfe" (he means Irish, or Gaëlic) "never was a written language; and there 64 *Filcadh agas Ollamhan." "Lucht deachtaidh agas fgriobhtha chumhdaigh.” キ "Cumadh ar Thuath de dhanond agas mhacaibh milead agas arna curadhaigbh agas fhind mac cumhail gona fhianoibh agas ar mhoran eile nach airbim agas nach , indifim andfo do chumadhach." "is not in the world an Earfe manufcript a hundred years "old *." These additional notices refpecting Gaëlic antiquities I have thought proper to give without any comment whatever; and as it fell to my lot, after a filence of nearly eighteen years, to revive the celebrated controverfy refpecting the authenticity of Offian, and having discovered and brought before the literary world, "The Highlander," a juvenile performance of the ingenious tranflator of our Celtic Homer, I truft, my apology is made, in thus having stated what will fo materially contribute to the further inveftigation of this interefting fubject. In writing the various obfervations contained in these volumes, I had often occafion to notice perfons then living, who are fince dead, circumftances relative to whom will feem greatly altered in their application ;-this, however, in fome instances, was not foreseen. The venerable father of General Abercromby, greatly advanced in years, paid the debt of nature while that hero was on his expedition in the Mediterranean; he himself too is numbered among the illuftrious dead, having nobly fallen in wrefting Egypt from the hands of the French. The renowned conqueror of that diftant region of the earth never appeared fo truly great, as on that day when Learning beheld him, on his return, with dignified modefty, feated See Johnfon's Journey to the Western Islands. among his fellow-citizens in the hall of l'Inflitute Nationale de France. Nor did Abercromby, in my opinion, fhine more in the midst of his moft fplendid military achievements, than when seen by few fave his own family and immediate neighbours,. while in the noiseless tenor of ferene retirement fuperintending, his rural affairs, and encouraging by his prefence the indigent young ones in the school which his private bounty had founded for their inftruction. The fame of Abercromby it belongs to history to record; his domeftic virtues, till latest ages, to mankind to imitate. TABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS THE FIRST VOLUME. DEPARTURE LINLITHGOW, an ancient Burgh-faid to have been first founded by Edward I. A. D. 1301.-Palace-Church, in the Aifle of which James IV. was warned by an Apparition previous to his Fall in the Field of Floden, A. D. 1513. — Linlithgow formerly the Verfailles of Scotland-The Birth-Place of Mary Queen of Scots-Religious Houses of Linlithgow, previous to the Reforma- tion-Affaflination of the Regent Murray-The Solemn League and Co- venant burnt in Linligthow, A. D. 1622.-This Town populous and thriving -Manufacture, Trade, &c.-Agriculture, Minerals, &c. in the Vicinity of Linlithgow-Departure weftward from Linlithgow-Pafs the River Aven -Battle of Linlithgow Bridge, in the Minority of James V.-Enter Stirling- fhire-Village of Lauriston-Grime's Dyke-Roman Antiquities-Cal- |