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he shall have heard from me. I cannot help thinking, that if this institution were established on a liberal footing, it would prove one of the greatest literary improvements that has taken place since the art of printing was discovered. But you will observe, that I have not thought it necessary to embarrass the question at present with the regulations that would be necessary for rendering the institution extensively useful. These could more properly be introduced in a future bill for establishing the repository itself.

I am only afraid of one clause provoking opposition from the fraternity of booksellers. It is one of the least objectionable of the whole; that which requires that every paper should bear the printer's name. You know well enough that half the books printed in Edinburgh and the country towns in England bear to be printed in London. This is at the desire of the booksellers; and,' when a fraudulent practice is once begun, it is difficult to eradicate it. I have written to Mr. Johnes that, should any opposition be apprehended on this account, it were better to omit it entirely.

One other objection, I fear, will start forward, and to none more readily than to men of vigorous minds. They will think it folly to heap up great piles of useless rubbish, as they will call them, of temporary advertisements, current letters, and other things of such a local and temporary nature. I am however not inclined to think these will be useless rubbish. They may be easily so arranged as to occupy little room, and cost little expense;

so as not to give trouble to any one who does not wish to consult them; and to those who may have occasion to examine them they may prove occasionally of great use. But, were they of no

use at all, I should be sorry to see any exception made, because the limits of that exception can never be so accurately defined as not to give room for frauds and evasions, the extent of which it is impossible to foresee. There is a vast difference between a perfect and an imperfect collection; and the last can never be obtained, should any dispensations be given.

I hope you will pardon this freedom in a cause that must interest every literary person. How much trouble would you yourself have been freed of, if such an institution had been made 500 years ago!

MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Kentish Town, Feb. 20th, 1792.

In arranging my materials for the History of Scotland, I find a remarkable deficiency in the reign of James II. Fordun ends with James I.; and the only original author of the history of James II. is Hector Boece, from whom, though a most suspicious authority, and often flatly contradicted by records, all later writers have borrowed this reign. Lindsay of Pitscottie only translates Boece: Lesly and Buchanan merely abridge Boece. At the reign of James III., Lindsay,

Lesly, Buchanan, Ferrerius, are all original writers, very seldom borrowing from each other.

It would therefore be deserving of your lordship's influence and love of literature, to endeavor to recover some original account of the interesting reign of James II. It is certain that Drummond, in his History of James III., quotes Bishop Elphinston's History, to show that Mar was not murdered by his royal brother; and I am in hopes that some copy of Elphinston may be found carried down to James IV. or his own time. The copy in the Bodleian ends with James I.

The other sources from which original accounts of James II. may be expected, are, so far as have come to my knowledge,

Extracta e Chronicis Scotiæ, vel Liber Dunblanensis (Adv. Lib.)

Balfour's Annals of James I. and II. (ibid.)

Rota Temporum, which, in the time of Bishop Nicolson, (Scot. Hist. Lib.) was in Lord Tarbet's Library.

Nicolson, p. 130, mentions a French manuscript History of Scotland in the King of France's library, and, p. 157, a History of the Five Jameses, by William Sinclair, advocate, in the Scotch College at Paris; but the dates are unknown.

The grand object of inquiry is, whether the reign of James II. in these works be copied or abstracted from Boece, which will appear even upon a cursory view of the paragraphs. It will not only be a great favor to me, but a lasting service to Scotish history and literature, if your lordship can recover an original narration of this

period. If you are to be at Edinburgh this winter, it will be a great obligation, if you will look at the Extracta e Chronicis and Balfour's Annals; and, if the accounts of James II. be not taken from Boece, be so good as cause copy what concerns that reign at my expense.

Your lordship's general correspondence will at the same time enable you to discover if any copy of Elphinston be extant carried further than James I., or if any other original account of James II. exist in Scotish or foreign libraries. Original letters, or other documents concerning this reign, would also be very acceptable.

I should be much indebted to your lordship, if you would point out any good books concerning our public law, constitution, history, &c., published in Scotland within these ten years. Such books are little known in London.

Mr. Nicol will, it is believed, publish the portraits in numbers. He desired me to mention his sense of his obligations to your lordship, and his regret that his many avocations prevented his writing as often as he could wish. Of Cardinal Innes, 1412, I recollect nothing, and should be glad to have a hint from your lordship.

I have recovered some more Scotish poetry, which delays my book for some months.

DR. THORKELIN TO MR. PINKERTON.

Copenhagen, Feb. 23rd, 1792.

I have waited for a moment which might enable me to convey my warmest thanks to you for your very obliging letter of January 16th past, and to make it be accompanied by some interesting news. This moment is at length arrived. Indeed I know that nothing will be more welcome to your generous heart than to learn, that yesterday his Danish majesty has been pleased to put an end to the traffic in human blood, as far as it concerns his own subjects. This measure, which is equally honorable to the king, and salutary to the Danish commerce, has been planned and recommended by the Prince Royal and his Excellency the Count Schimmelman, minister of state, finances, and commerce. The policy of this nobleman has always been to place the mercantile profession in an honorable light, to do away those causes which have rendered the union of accumulating money and disinterested patriotism hitherto impracticable; and he has now successfully shown what advantage the merchant may derive from becoming a practical philosopher, whose actions are wholly guided by commutative justice; by self-denial in refusing stained riches, even when they could be got by the most secret ways and means; and by public virtue, in renouncing all traffic which may be injurious, and in forming every connexion which shall be productive of honor and wealth to his country. When the plan shall be published,

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