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following, and committed to the tolbooth of Edinburgh, where he lay till within a few days before his trial, when he made his efcape.

Extract of a Letter from Aberdeen, Féb. 22.

"The death of Dr. John Gregory is matter of unfeigned and univerfal concern in this country. The mufical fociety of Aberdeen, of which this excellent perfon was a zealous patron, and one of the firft projectors, appointed a mourning concert to his memory, which was held in the Concert-hall on Friday laft. The mufic, both vocal and inftrumental, was judiciously chofen and well executed. The words of the first fong compofed for the occafion, and adapted to one of Handel's fineft airs, were

O ye who melt at human woe,
Whose breafts with love of virtue
glow,

Attend and weep:
In endless fleep,
The good, the wife,
The friend of man and virtue lies!

A commiffion is come down, appointing William Baillie, Efq; Advocate, Sheriff fabftitute for the fhire of Linlithgow, in the room of J. Gillon, Efq; who has refigned.

Premium on bills upon London at fight 1-half per cent. From 30 to 40 days par.

Exchange 'twixt Dublin and London 11.

We hear from Kippen, that yefterday fe'ennight, a man genteelly dreft, was found by a carrier lying drunk in the muir of Campfie, who had humanity enough to carry him to a houfe at Gonnachan:-) And that on Tuesday laft, the fame perfon was found hang ing on a tree in the glen of Broich at Kippen. A note was found in his pocket, defiring the proprietor of the ground to fee him decently interred, and the furplus of the money on him,

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Another Letter from London, dated February 26.

"This day the Commons refolved, that the charge of pay and cloathing for the militia, be defrayed out of the land-tax for 1773. Ordered a congratulatory addrefs to her Majesty, on her fafe delivery of another Prince: paffed feveral road bills."

We hear from Greenock, that on Friday laft fome failors and foldiers having quarrelled on the road betwixt Port-Glasgow and that place, two of the foldiers went to fetch their mufkets; but before they returned the failors had gone off; and that as one of the foldiers was carrying his piece carelessly behind him, it unluckily went off and fhot him in the back, by which accident he died in a few hours after.

the following veffels were driven ashore By the hurricane of the zoth ult. from Lochindaal:

The Ranger floop of Londonderry, William Hannah, mafter, put afhòre near half a mile on dry ground.

The White Oak, of ditto, Donald Smith, mafter, afhore, and moftly wrecked.

The Highland Queen, of Ilay, Robert M'Kay mafter, from the ifles fifhing, afhore and broke, at Loch neock.

The- floop, from Maryland, for Liverpool, laden with tobacco, Lewis Farquharfon, mafter, is put afhore, but fafe; and it is expected will be got off."

Yefterday council was heard at great length before the High Court of Jufticiary in the cafe of Baillie, formerly mentioned. The court ordered minutes to be made of the debate, and delayed proceeding there upon, till the 12th inf.

The

The appeal of Murdiefon and Miller, condemned to be hanged for fheepftealing, is referred to a committee of the houfe of Peers, who are to report whether or not the appeal is competent.

We hear from the island of Lewis, that in the great ftorm which happen ed on the 20. of Jan. laft, the herring Buffes have fuffered confiderably over all the north-weit coaft. Eighteen fmall veffels are faid to have been loft on this occafion, befides 15. men.

On Tuesday laft, being the Candlemas fair of Thornhill, feveral perfons on their return from the fair, in the hurry they were in to get over the river of Nith, at that time very much flooded, crouded into a small boat, and over-loaded her, by which means the unhappily overfet, and of fixteen perfons who were in her, nine unfortunately perished.

There is now a fine plant of the coffee-tree, loaded with about two hundred ripe berries, in the Lord Chief Baron's hot-houfe, in the New Town. This plant is about nine years old, near five feet high.---The coffee-tree is a native of Turkey, and grows to the height of between 30 and 40 feet high in that country.

Yefterday Mr Gregory, fon to the late Profeffor, began to continue his father's lectures on the practice of phyfic.

The Captain of a veffel, which arrived on Monday fe'ennight at Whitehaven from Dublin, fays, that on Saturday morning he failed from Dublin Bay, in company with the Polly of Whitehaven, Palmer, mafter; and the Active, of Mary Port, Downs, mafter; about fix o'clock on Saturday evening, in the midst of a violent ftorm, endea vouring to weather Langness point, in the Isle of Man, he loft fight of the two veffels, and with great difficulty cleared the point, and run into Doug las. He was apprehenfive,they would be embayed between Langness and the Calf of man, which, it is much to be

feared was really the cafe, as an account was brought to Douglas next morning of two veffels being loft that night in Caftle town bay, and that all the hands perished. the hands perifhed. The Catharine, Dunn, from Whiteheaven to Dublin; and the Wolf, Bratney, from Belfast to Whiteheaven, are both miffing.From the fituation of the winds, &c. bad accounts of them and many others are expected. Several veffels, which arrived on Tuesday from Dublin, report that many wrecks have fallen on the Irish coaft within these few days. . Richard Roberfon failor from Dundee, accused of breaking into a house in Weftmuir of Fintray, and carrying off about 7 bolls of meal, and of breaking into the houfe of Mr. Mylne of Mylnfield, and deftroying and carrying off his furniture, is ferved with an indictment to ftand trial before the High Court of Jufticiary, on Monday he 15th of March next.

Malcolm Cameron and Peter Tosh, alias M'Intosh, from Perth, are alfo ferved with indictments to ftand trial on the day following for being cop

cerned in the riots at Perth.

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1

THE

PERTH MAGAZINE

OF

KNOWLEDGE AND PLEASURE.

FRIDAY, MARCH 12. 1773.

Of the Converfion of the Southern Picts by St. Ninian. Of the Miffion of Palladius to the Scots. Of St. Columba.

(Continued from Page 292. Vol. III.)

O

NE of thefe traditional fictions, though fomewhat impious, is ludicrous. Oran, from whom the Cæmitery in the island of Iona was called Ralic-Oran, was a fellow foldier of Columba in the warfare of the gofpel. Columba, understanding in a fupernatural way, that the facred buildings he was about to erect in lona, could never anfwer his purpose, unlefs fome perfon of confequence undertook voluntarily to be buried alive in the ground which was marked out for thofe ftructures: Oran with great spirit undertook this dreadful talk. He was in terred accordingly. At the end of three days the grave was opened before a number of fpectators. No fooner was the brave martyr's face uncovered, than he opened his mouth and cried aloud in the Galic language, Death is no great affair, hell is a mere joke. Columba, who affifted at the ceremony, was greatly fhocked at the dangerous heterodoxy of this doctrine, and with great prefence of mind cried out,Earth on the head of Oran, and prevent his pratling. Thus poor Oran was actually VOL. III.

buried, for pretending to difclofe the fecrets of the other world.

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Our hiftorians are generally agreed that whole kingdoms paid Columba the utmoft deference, and were determined by his advice in matters of high confequence. He became a councellor of ftate to many different fovereigns; and frequently decided the controverfies of contending powers. Aidan, King of Scots, upon receiving fome provocation from Brudius, the Pictish King, declared war againft him. The armies of the two monarchs met near Dunkeld, and fought a battle which produced a great effufion of Chriftian blood. After the action was over, Columba came to the field and interpofed his good offices, but all in vain. Aidan remained inflexible. The faint, fired with a pious indignation, reproved the Scottish King very fharply, and turned his back on him with great wrath. Aidan, fenfible of his error, caught thé garment of the retiring faint, and acknowledging his rafhnefs, begged to know of him how the injury done could be expiated. Columba replied haftily, that the lofs fuftained was irreparable. This drew tears from the penitent monarch. Columba was foftened, wept bitterly, and after he had been filent for fome time, advised Aidan to a peace. The King complied, Brudius acquiefc

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ed in the propofals made, and a pacification immediately enfued.

In Columba's time, the hereditary, indefeasible right of Kings was a doctrine hardly known in any part of Britain or Ireland, in Scotland, the fucceffion of the lineal heir feldom took place, till Kenneth the Third found means to eftablish it by law. Columba was a perfon of the greatest influence in thofe difputes which generally enfued on the throne's becoming vacant. This will appear from the following ftory.

Gabhran, King of Scots, had left two fons, Aidan and Jogenanus. CoJumba had conceived a peculiar affeetion for the latter, and though the younger brother, inclined ftrongly to procure the crown for him. But a very ftrange adventure difconcerted his intention. Adamnan relates it thus. "While the holy man was in the island Kimbria *, he fell on a certain night into a fupernatural dream, and faw an angel of the Lord holding in his hand a transparent book which contained directions for the ordination of Kings +. The angel prefented the book to him; upon perufing it, he found himself commanded to ordain Aidan King. But his attachment to the younger brother made him decline the of fice. Upon this the angel ftretched forth his hand and gave him a stroke on the cheek, which made an impreffion that remained perfectly visible during his life. Columba was then ordered in a very threatning manner, and under the penalty of a much heavier punishment, to comply immediately with the pleasure of Almighty God. He had the fame vifion, faw the fame book, and received the fame orders, three nights fucceffively. At laft the obftinate faint obeyed, and went to the ifland of Iona, where he found Aidan, and laying his hand on his head, he or

dained him King ‡." It may be infer red from this marvellous story, that Columba was a perfon of great way in ftate as well as religious affairs; and that he was artful enough to make the proper ufe of the influence his fanctity gave him among a fuperftitious people.

He was frequently confulted in the perplexities of Government not only at home but abroad. His authority had particular weight in his native country. dodh or Hugh, one of the Irish monarchs, fummoned his Princes, nobility, and dignified ecclefiaftics, to meet in parliament at Dromceat. The principal reafon which induced him to call this great council proceeded from a rery curious caufe.

The Irish nation had been for fome time moft grievously oppreffed by a numerous rabble of Bards, a race of men, idle,avaricious, and infupportably petulant. One of the many ample privileges which thefe formidable fatyrifts had acquired, was, an indifputable right to any boon they were pleafed to afk. This high prerogative joined to the advantage of a facred character, made the Bards fo intolerably audacious, that in King Aodh's time they had the infolence to demand the most valuable jewel belonging to the crown. The jewel thefe mifcreants fought, was the golden bodkin which fastened their fovereign's royal robes under his neck. An outrage fo provoking incensed Hugh or Aodh to fuch a degree, that he formed a design of expelling the whole order out of the island: but as the authority of Irish Kings was circumfcribed within narrow bounds,he was under the neceffity of calling the reprefentatives of the nation together,and of har ing Columba's affent before his will could have the force of a law.

Columba, at the earnest requeft

of

* Cimbrei. + Vitreus ordinationis regum liber. Adamn. Vita Colum. lib. iii. cap. 5.

of the King and the Irish nation, repaired to Dromceat. His retinue confifted of twenty bishops, forty priests, fifty deacons,thirty ftudents in divinity, and if we believe Keating, he was ac companied by Aidan King of Scotland. The faint was received by the affembly with fingular refpect: but fome of the Scottish clergy, by whom he was accompanied, were treated with contempt and infolence. Columba had ample revenge of those who infulted his clergy, and we are firmly affured that the hand of God was vifible in the punishment inflicted on the offenders. Struck by a judgment fo fignal, the King accommodated the affair of the Bards according to Columba's pleasure.

There is no neceffity for entering into any detail of the particulars of this faint's life, as they are related at large, though incorrectly, by his biographer. Upon the whole, we may allow that Columba, notwithstanding of his faults, was a man of refpectable talents, and could use well the afcendancy which his religious reputation gave him over a fuperftitious age.

The boundlefs influence he had over two fucceffive Princes who filled the throne of Scotland; the friendship he had contracted with King Rodoric of Cumberland; the afcendant he had over the great Pictish Monarch and his whole fubjects, together with the fhare be took occafionally in the adminiftration of public affairs in Ireland, feem to furnish convincing proofs of his genius, fpirit and addrefs. He was born a man of high quality, and clofely allied to Princes but preferred the apparent humility of a religious life to the higheft fecular honours. Whether this aufterity was the effect of a defire of power, under a fanctity of character, or from real enthufiafm, is now difficult to fay, though very poffibly it arose from both. Many learned authors have told us pofitively, that Columba wore the epifcopal mitre; but he was no more than

a Prefbyter. Had he been fond of a fuperior rank in the hierarchy,he might have very easily gratified his ambition: but though he was confined within the more narrow limits of the priestly of fice, his authority extended much farther than that of the most exalted dig- nitaries of his time.

Columba is faid to have been a poet and hiftorian. That he poffeffed a talent for rhime and exercised it frequently, is very agreeable to the reported ftrength and vivacity of his imagination, the prevailing humour of the time, and that friendly partiality which the Scottish and Irish bards have entertained for his memory.

We are informed by Mr Lhoyd *, that there is ftill in the Bodleian library at Oxford an Irish manufcript, intituled the works of Columbcille, in verfe, containing fome account of the author's life, together with his prophecies and exhortations to Princes.

The ma

The fame induftrious writer observes, that there is in the library of Trinity College at Dublin, fome other moft curious and wonderfully ancient manufcript, containing the four gospels, and a variety of other matters. nufcript is called, the book of Columbcille, and thought to have been written by Columba's own hand.-Flann, king of Ireland, ordered a very coftly cover to be given this book. On a filver cross, which makes a part of that cover, is ftill to be feen an Irish infcription, of which the literal meaning is. The prayer and bleffing of Columb-cille to Flann, the fon of Mailfheachnail, king of Ireland, who made this cover: and fhould the manufcript be of no greater antiquity than the reign of that Prince, it must be about nine hundred years old t: This ftory, however, carries with it a great degree of improbabilityand it is more than probable that this book of Columb-cille arofe from the pious fraud of a much later age.

Tt 2

Catalog. of Irish Manuscripts. † Lhoyd's Archaol. p.432.

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