in part adduced. When the different arguments for the conclufion we have drawn are brought together, they will be found to compose a ftrong body of evidence, which it is not easy to elude. Mr. Pinkerton has in part folved the difficulty: he has fhewn that the language of the Piks was unformed, not capable of being expreffed in writing, and probably fcanty and irregular. That of the Celts we know, though not copious, was expreffive, capable of being greatly varied, musical, and pleafing. The first Piks feem to have yielded to their conquered fubjects in this refpect, and to have learnt the language which they afterwards retained. The Erfe, the Irish Celtic, of courfe became the language of the Highlands, while the Saxon invaders introduced a purer Gothic to the other parts of the island. It is neceffary, however, to notice Mr. Pinkerton's reafons for the opinion which he has adopted.

• What feems totally to negative the queftion (whether any Scandinavian Goths feized on the north of Ireland) at first is, that there is no mention of the Scandinavians, of any Danes or Norwegians in Ireland, before the eighth century, in Tighernac, the annals of Ulfter, or other authentic documents of real Irish history. In Cumineus, Adomnan, writers of the seventh century, not a trace of Scandinavian invafion can be found. The prophecies of Columba could hardly pafs fuch an evil had he forefeen what had never happened. Gildas, Nennius, Beda, are alfo quite filent. Sir James Ware, therefore, rightly says, that in 795, primum, for the first time, the northern nations infefted Ireland, as the Irish annals bear. It may be thought that as the Piks came from Norway to the Hebudes, and entered upon their conqueft of prefent Scotland on that fide, about 300 years before Chrift; their Gothic brethren of Norway and Denmark might naturally be imagined to have made other incurfions that way. But history does not bear fuch analogical reasoning; and human affairs proceed not upon mechanical or upon theoretic principles. In fact, the effect was in this inftance destructive of the caufe. For the Pikih and Danish colonies were fo large, that they may well be inferred to have exhaufted the Scandinavian population fo much, as to leave no occafion for emigration for a long time. This was the cafe with the Angli, Saxons, &c. In ancient times, the Lydians, as Herodotus ftates, formed an emigration of one half of the nation; but no more Lydians went to Hetruria afterward. The Danes were themselves but a late Scandinavian colony; and their population must have been a long time only fufficient for their own territory. The Vite and Angli seem the first colony they fent out; and that only in the fitth and fixth centuries. They are therefore out of the question, The Scandinavians were exhausted by the Pikish and Danish colonies. The former, they might alfo, in thefe dark ages, regard as poffeft of all the iles on the west, and have, of course, no temptation to invade their

Cc 4

own

On countrymen. Certain it is, that no trace can be found of Danes or Norwegions invading Scotland till the ninth century, Nor a fingle trace in all the Irish annals of any northern nations, by any name whatever, affailing Ireland till 795. About 210 years after Christ, as appears from the Pikifh chronicle, a large colony of Piks fettled in the north of Ireland; and they are remarkable to a late period in Irish annals, &c. by the name of Cruthneans, the Irish term for the Piks. They had their own kings, and are a marked people till the ninth century. Had any Scandinavians been in that tract, there is reason to question if the Piks could have effected a fettlement. It is indeed no wonder that the Scandinavian fagas and historics, filent about the Piks, Vitæ, and Angli, fhould be filent about this; and if any faga fhould fpeak of invafions of Ireland or Scotland prior to the eighth century, no credit can be paid to those pieces written many centuries after, and in which early chronology is quite confounded. Concerning Ptolemy's names of nations in the north of Ireland, Darnii (or Damnii, as Richard from older and better MSS. reads), Venicnii, Robogdii, Nagnati, Erdini, i have confulted a learned northern antiquary, who informs me that they are not Scandinavian names. Had the Scandinavians made any invafions on Ireland, they would also, as in later times, have attacked the western fhores of Britain; while there is not a hint of this to be found in Roman writers, who only mention the Scots of Ireland as invading the western fhore, and Saxons the east. It may fluctuate in the minds of fome, that as the Piks, 300 years before Chrift, came from Scandinavia to the Hebudes, and thence conquered and peopled prefent Scotland; fo it seems probable that other invaders would follow that tract to the north of Ireland, long before the year 795 after Chrift. But the fact is, that this fame large colony of Piks would be of neceffity the very caufe of preventing fimilar invafions in that courfe, till the memory of it had expired. For Caledonia and the north of Ireland were filled with Piks, or, in other words, with Scandinavians, which no doubt the Scandinavians perfectly knew from the intercourfe of fingle fhips or trading veffels. So that they would never think of attacking their countrymen till length of time had extinguifhed all fuch confiderations.'

This defence refts on two points, the impropriety of analogical reafoning, and the filence of the Irish annals; but many of these arguments are analogical, and the filence of annals before letters were known, cannot be adduced as a proof. The arrival of Scandinavians to a colony of Scandinavians, where population was not numerous, is not an object to fix the attention, or, to a rude people, deferving of a record. The other arguments are more remotely analogical, and cannot have any force in oppofition to the exprefs teftimony of Bede. That Ireland was peopled from Scotland, is oppofed

by

by every found antiquary, and deferves not the attention with which Mr. Pinkerton has examined it.

We now arrive at the period of the firft colony of Scoti in North Britain. These were led by Reuda, or Riada, about the middle of the third century; and from him came the term Dalriads, of the tribe of Riada, for Bede gives the Gothic inftead of the Celtic interpretation of the word Dal. Mr. Pinkerton allows (p. 67.) that these were Scoti or Scythians, while he fixes the Damnii, or Darnii of Ptolemy on the northeaft, and calls them a Cumraig race driven from Britain; while we think there is no doubt of their being the Danan or Damnan from the lower parts of Scandinavia. These were alfo the Atacotti, the hither Scots; and this was the era of the celebrated Fingal, though the poems which celebrate his actions are undoubtedly of the thirteenth or fourteenth century. As we have them they are certainly mutilated in fome parts, and greatly augmented in others, The groundwork is, however, that of the æras laft mentioned, and the fuperstructure, in general, modern. Many proofs of this are adduced, by Mr. Pinkerton, if it wanted a proof.

The Dalriads were, it feems, driven back to their native country about two hundred years after their arrival, and re turned about the beginning of the fixth century, when they finally established themfelves. The æra Mr. Pinkerton has fixed with great probability to 503, and the first kings, he thinks, were Fergus and Lorn conjointly. Lorn died, and Fergus has, therefore, stood first on the lift of Scottish kings in Britain, Whatever was the origin of the first colony, the numerous acceffions which it must have received in the second attempt, additions which must be more purely Scythian, either from the farther extermination of the Celts, if any remained, or a more peaceful union in confequence of intermarriages, muft, at last, have rendered them ftrictly Scythian; and we çan in all this track, trace only one fmall colony of Cumri, formerly mentioned, in an angle of the kingdom, which feems to have continued, like the Welsh in modern times, perfectly distinct.

The investigation of the territory of the Dalriads, and the lift of Dalriadic kings, afford fome curious circumstances, which we might extract if we had not already extended our articles beyond the proper limits. Mr. Pinkerton thinks it doubtful that the fleur de lys appeared on the French arms before 1260; difbelieves the fuppofed treaty between Achy III. (A. D. 730.) and Charlemagne, who was not then in existence; and thinks the double treffure which

appeared on the Scottish arms in William's time, fymbolic

only

only of a warlike fpirit. The latter part of the lift of Dalriadic kings is obfcure; the monarchy was absorbed in that of the Piks about the time of Kenneth, in the beginning of the eighth century. The point of union and the causes are little known. Either from policy, intermarriage, or fome other caufe, the line of Pikith monarchs was united with the Dalriadic chiefs; and in 811 is the laft intelligence concerning Dalriadic affairs. The two nations had probably coalefced fome time before, and tros tyriufve is not easily distinguished. There are certainly no proofs of conquest on either fide, no oppreffion is complained of, the name is loft infenfibly, and, therefore, probably by the gradual operation of natural causes.

The fixth chapter is on the manners, languages, antiquities, &c. of the old British Scots. The author's remarks on the languages afford fo ample a teftimony in favour of our opinion, that we cannot refift the temptation of tranfcribing it.

Thofe Scots or Goths who ruled in Ireland, were foon loft among the numerous Celtic natives. In the time of St. Patrick, 440, a great distinction prevailed as above flown; but foon after the term Scots became general to all the inhabitants of Ireland, which was itfelf called Scotia; and the Lingua Scotica, was the Gaelic of Ireland. But in the time of St. Patrick Scotus and Hibernus were by no means fynonymous; and it feems thence certain that they were not fo in the third century, when Riada led his colony of Scots (not Hiberni) to Pikland; nor fo foon after Patrick's time as 503, when Loarn and Fergus re-cflablished the colony, Beda calls Aidan 603, rex Scottorum in Britannia; and it is apparent that the Dalriadic Scots confifted chiefly of Scots or Goths of Ireland, tho ufing the Celtic tongue. From this circumftance may fpring the peculiar Gothic epithet of yellow-haired' given to the Albanach by the poet of the Duan, and the fuperior warlike fpirit of the Highlanders compared to

the wild Irish.'

In the following fentences, Mr. Pinkerton relapfes into his old prejudices. The Highlanders, he fays, were corrupted with Celtic blood, from which their Celtic manners were derived. But if there is any race whofe blood is less corrupted by the Celtic ftain, it must be, we think, the Highlanders, for the clan under Riada were certainly more purely Gothic than the Belge of England, who for a time contended, and gradually mixed with Celts and Cumri. They indeed differ from the Lowlanders, but the difference is in their favour; and they approach more nearly to the Germans, as defcribed by Tacitus, than the Lowlanders. Their virtues are their own, their faults are eafily deducible from natural and political caufes. In their cuftoms, &c. we meet with nothing new or peculiarly interesting.

The

The union of the Piks and Dalriads is refumed in a separate part, chiefly to fhow that the Piks were not conquered by this new colony. As our author has refcued the Piks from the obfcurity which began to hide them, their honour is dear to him. The name of Scotland probably led to the idea of the Scots having extended their dominion; but it seems to have arisen from the literary victory of the Celtic language, which probably gained ground from its fuperior merits, and was established by St. Patrick, who firft taught the Irish the ufe of letters, while the Pikifh faints Ninian and Columba, who perhaps knew only the Celtic tongue, could not raise up a rival dialect. As we do not feel the fame zeal or the fame prejudices, we need not enlarge on this union. We believe that the Piks were not conquered, and that the kingdoms were united under Kenneth, who was of a new Dalriadic line of Pikish extract, and gained the Pikish crown by inheritance.'

Of the kings, from this union to 1056, we can give no very particular account. The admirers of Shakspeare will be pleased with the short account of the life of Macbeth. He is reprefented to have been an able and beneficent prince, who might have reigned longer if he had preferred the ftudy and practice of war to the virtues of a peaceful reign. From Simeon of Durham, it appears probable, that he did not kill Duncan; it is certain that Duncan was not killed in his castle, and that the right of Duncan to the crown was equivocal. Macbeth reigned feventeen years. The territories of the united kingdoms in this period feem to have been extended, by the addition of Cumberland and Northumberland, while they were curtailed on the north by the conqueft of the Orkneys, the northern counties, and the Ebuda, by the Norwegians. The name of Scots is faid to be firft ufed by Ammianus Marcellinus, in the year 360, and is then, as in later ages, the appellation of the Irish: the term was firft applied generally to the inhabitants of the northern part of this island in 1020. The following remarks are worth tranfcribing, for the candour of the confeffion is highly creditable.

• The fecond question is of course answered in the affirma tive, namely, that the later and prefent Scots are quite a different people from the Soti Britannia of Adomnan and Beda: and their name proceeded not from any conqueft or coalefcence with the old Scoti, but from fome other caufe. This cause, in fact, marked them not as the fame, but as a different people, as above fhewn. The name began in North-Britain, on the east, between Forth and Moray, while the old Scots of Argyle were regarded