Can I quell your feudal jar, Or restore your ancient name, Patriot love, and love of fame? [The vision closes, MARCIUS. AN APPEAL TO THE SPIRIT OF THE LAND. BY WILLIAM THOMAS FITZGERALD, ESQ. HOUGH Russia yield the well contested day, England shall stand, amidst each ruin'd state shall bless our shore, wrong, ain, In strong fraternal bands, when marshall'd there, This and the six concluding lines, the author takes from two of his addresses to the Literary-Fund Society. 998 Account of Books for 1807. Caledonia: or, an Account, Historical and Topographical, of North, Britain; from the most Antient, to the Present Times; with a Dictionary of Places, Chronographical and Philological. In 4 Vols. 4to. Vol. I. pp. 908. By George Chalmers, F. R. S. and S. A; with a Map, and other Engravings. Price Three Gui neas. OF F inquiries into the aborigines, and early history of North Britain, there seems to be no end. The very imagination sickens at the mention of the immense volumes relating chiefly to what the Scotish antiquaries call the Pictish Question. A subject of controversy less inviting cannot well be imagined; except, perhaps, the eternal question, concerning the authenticity or spuriousness of Ossian. Nor has Mr. Chalmers brought to light much that is new, and at the same time interesting; nor enlivened his subject by any sallies of imagination, charms of style, or sublimity of genius. Nevertheless, we could not pass by unnoticed, in the literature of 1807, a work of such magnitude, so long aud so loudly announced; and to which, we understand, the indefatigable industry and extensive correspondence of the author had called a very general attention and expectation. But of the subject and design, and merit too of his work, let Mr. Chalmers speak for himself. "The northern parts of our island, as well as the southern, were settled by the same British tribes who imposed their significant names on the promontories, harbours, and hills, and on the rivers, rivulets, and waters, whose appropriate appellations are all significant in the British language. The Picts of the third century were merely the descendants of the Britons during the first. The names of the Pictish kings are not significant either in the Teutonic or Irish, but only in the British speech. The most antient repertory of the Pictish language is the topography of *Author of Political Annals of the Revolted Colonies; An Estimate of the Comparative Strength of Great Britain, during the present, and four preceding Reigns; Opin ions on Public Law and Commercial Policy, arising from American Independence; A Letter to Dr. Jones Currie, of Liverpool, the reputed author of a Letter by Jasper Wilson; The Life of Mr. Thomas Ruddiman; containing a chronological list of newspapers, from the epoch of the civil wars, to the end of 1792; during which the precise number of single newspapers printed is exactly ascertained. of North Britain; in which may even changes, the Saxon colonists and now be traced the copious and dis- their descendents have not been able, criminating speech of that antient with the aid of religious prejudice, people. In process of time the Scots and the influence of predominating mixed with the Picts throughout policy, to annihilate the Celtic peoPictinia, and as they overspread the ple, to silence the Gaelic tongue country, gave new names to almost within proper Scotland, nor to obevery place which they acquired by literate ihe Celtic topography, which their address in arms. It was from all remain the constant reproach of this epoch, when the Scots became the Gothic system, as well as the the predominating people, that the indubitable vouchers of the genuine Gaelic language became also the history of North Britain. As to the common speech, in proper Scotland, Scandinavian race, their settlements that is, Scotland northward of the in North Britain. were confined to two Firths. Their polity was prac- the counties of Caithness and Sutised as the universal law; their therland, and the Hebrides. Here manners prevailed as the general too history and tradition are supusage: and their representations, ported and verified by topography. with regard to those successive set- Many names of places in those parts tlements, are attested by the united are Scandinavian. In the 'exterior voice of history, tradition, and to- range of the Hebrides,' or such of pograplıy. those isles as lie farthest out in the « Towards the close of the eleventh western ocean, though a large procentury, English, Anglo-Normans, portion of the names of places be and Flemings were gradually intro- Gaelic, the greatest number are duced into proper Scotland by the Scandinavian. But in the interior marriages of Scotish kings with Eng- range the names of places are nearly lish princesses, the civil wars in all Gaelic. England, which drove numbers of “ The earliest disputes touching people to Scotland, the encourage- the Scotish history began with the ment given by the court of Scotland petulent attack of George Buchanan to strangers from more civilized on Humphrey Lluyd, for presuming countries, and other causes. A new to suppose the Britons to be more dynasty of kings was introduced, that antient than the Scots. But a thouinay be called the Scoto-Saxon. sand facts which are now stated, The Teutonic inhabitants of North collaterally attest, that Buchanan Britain are descended, not from was wrong, while the Welch antiremote antiquity,' but from late quary was right. The effluxion of colonization. Mauy children of the a century brought very different poCeltic people have been, no doubt, lemicks on the stage. Sir George converted from their maternal Celti- 'Mackenzie, a scholar of various erucism, to the artificial Gothicism of dition, was so heroic as to come the Saxon settlers: they may have before the public in defence of the been induced by interest to imitate length of the royal line of the Scotish the Saxon manners : they may have kings agamist bishop Lluyd. This been obliged by discipline to speak heroism of the iyid advocate, called the Teutonic language. Yet, at the out ibat able controvertist; bishop end of seven centuries of different Stilligfleet. There are documents 3 S 4 n a NOW the encouragement of arts, sciences,' and manufactures, offered, in 1756, a gold medal, for the best history of the Roman, and afterwards of the Saxon conquests and settlements, to the north of Severus's wall.' But the scholars of Scotland remained sluggish and silent. And I now submit to the reader's judgment a bistory of both those interesting events. The same society offered a gold medal, for the best account of the rise and progress of commerce, arts, and manufactures, in North Britain.' But the scholars of Scotland remained inert, and uncommunicative of what they did not know. And I presume to submit such an account of the origin of commerce, arts, and manufactures, to the curious eye of inquisitive men. I come, however, too late to claim the gold medals; and I fear the last of that society expired with the recent deaths of sir William Pulteney and the earl of Roselin. But I may shelter myself under the authority of the most learned, the most intelligent, and the most accomplished men in Scotland, who offered those prizes, from the sneer of self-sufficiency, for scribbling of events, which merit no particular enquiry*.' now introduced for a very different purpose, which prove, with full conviction, that sir George attempted impossibilities, while Stillingfleet only shewed how much he over-rated his own knowledge. The king's advocale was thus drawn into a dispute with the Irish antiquaries, touching the original country of the Scots. The genuine history of this Gaelic people, which, from satisfactory information, is at length submitted to the reader, demonstrates that the antiquaries were historically right, while the lord advocate was completely fabulous. This success led the Irish writers to claim the family of the Stewarts, as by descent their own. They were encountered by Richard Hay, a professed antiquary, who pointed out their errors, without being able to ascertain the truth. The genuine origin of the Stewart family will be found to be fully discovered, after the researches of learned men had altogether failed. The true descent of the Douglas family had been equally sought for by intelligent zeal, but without success, whatever diligence and learning were employed in the search. Their origin will be seen in the following work, as it was discovered in charters. Thus will it appear, from the perusal of the following account of North Britain, that there has scarcely been a controversy in her annals, which is not therein settled, a difficulty that is not obviated, a knot which is not untied, or an obscurity that is not illustrated, from documents as new as they are decisive, though they are introduced for different purposes. "The society of Edinburgh for "I was ambitious, I will avow, to offer my countrymen the antient history of Scotland, elaborated into detail, and illustrated into lights, without regarding previous opinions, or fearing contentious opposition; without dreading difficulties, or apprehending disappointment. I have divided my work, without regarding fantastical conceits of fabulous epochs, into such periods as were analagous to the genuine history of each suc In the judgment of the late celebrated Dr. Robinson, cessive |