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REV. JAS. JOHNSTONE TO MR. PINKERTON.

Copenhagen, March 30th, 1786.

Your letter of July 7th, 1785, learned Sir, after a long chace, only reached me about six weeks ago, which I hope will be deemed a sufficient apology for my silence. It gives me extreme satisfaction to observe that a gentleman of your erudition has deigned to cast a pitying look upon the scanty and vanishing remains of Scottish history. Between monkish credulity and refined superficiality, they have hitherto been sadly mangled. I sincerely wish you all the success possible; and, treading in the same field, but "longo intervallo," I will glean up what may escape your notice. With respect to your queries, I have met with no complete chronicle of Scotland in this country: nothing but disjecta membra. To suppose that the Caledonian records were preserved at Iona is a common error: for a, long period it had no dependence upon the crown of Albany, and, besides, it underwent so many catastrophes, (being twice burnt, and the monks and patriarch massacred three other different times,) that it is impossible to conceive how any thing of value should be suffered to remain there. It is much more likely that Kenneth the 2nd, after obtaining the Pictish crown, intrusted his archives

* Rev. James Johnstone, Chaplain to the English Minister at Copenhagen, was author of the Death Song of Lodbroc, Antiquitates Celto-Normanicæ, &c. &c.

to Tuathal M'Fergus, primate of the united kingdoms; but who resided in a part of the nation very remote from Icolmkill, and much less explored.

Neither the Danes nor Norwegians have preserved any written monuments of their history, previous to the 10th century: any thing we know of prior times is from the Icelanders. I am persuaded, if those gentlemen-rovers could only lay their hands upon a few fat cows, they gave themselves little trouble about other matters. Pictavia was incorporated with Albany before Iceland was discovered: consequently, it is not surprising if the Picts are never mentioned by the Scandinavian writers. I find nothing concerning Galloway in them previous to the time of Earl Allan, who made a distinguished figure in those ages. The castle that Pennant alludes to probably contained nothing but the charters of the Norwegian monarchs to the Bishops of Man, and the islands, and to the Hebridean chieftains. They were kept in the palace, or cathedral, of Drontheim, and consumed by fire; but I forget the year. There are no lives of Scots saints to be found at this place: the few extracts I have from them were obtained elsewhere. I can get no intelligence of Bishop Robert's Description of the Orkneys; nor, what is more strange, of Valleius's Prisca Cantilenæ Danicæ.

Thus, Sir, I think I have answered all your queries; and I wish I could have done it more satisfactorily. But, notwithstanding, I now and then pick up an anecdote, which shows me that the northern nations were neither so barbarous,

nor so unconnected as is generally supposed. Several of even Boece's fictions are founded in truth: among these I long reckoned his wars of Macbeth against the Scandinavians; but I find now it is a fact. The traditional character of the Danes is so frightful, that we should be surprised a gentle son of Morven should dare to put his foot in Lochlin. I find, however, that the Earl of Carrick was there; and that his great son, after the defeat at Methuen, retired to the same place. It was, no doubt, by his negociations at that court, that he got Angus of the Isles, and the posterity of the brave Norwegians, to act the manful part they did at the battle of Bannockburn. I am told a Baron Ferguson, in Cowal, is possessed of some charters which nobody can read. I wish they could be copied they are most certainly of the Norwegian princes. I have seen some hundreds of them; and they are generally in Icelandic, the common language of that kingdom till the reformation.

I have more confidence in your friendship than to suppose you would think of publishing this scrawl: you evidently see, Sir, it consists of a few loose thoughts, thrown out in the hurry of business. My collections will make their appearance in due time.

MR. DAVIDSON TO MR. PINKERTON.

Edinburgh, April 2nd, 1786.

Mr. Buchan gave me last day your favor; and I am glad to see that you approve of my ideas about the Regiam Majestatem. Malcolm's laws appear to be not authentic. Spelman is quite in the right: Lord Hailes printed a tract in 1769, which fully demonstrates the thing.

Your ingenuity and labors about the Picts and Scots merit much commendation. I shall be happy to see your work, and beg you will have me set down as a subscriber to all your publications on our Scots antiquities, &c., and for two copies of each, one for myself and another for the writers to the Signet. I think a map of Scotland, Pictish and Scottish, might be a thing prefixed to your work, and which would elucidate it. Caer occurs in the Lothians-Carbery and Cramound, in old writings: I remember to have seen it named Carra mund Scottorum, i. e. the castle on the river. It is also in Fife, Carbery and Cardwan; vide Sibbald, p. 85. These etymologies are perplexing matters: somehow the languages and customs came to mix; but the oldest names every where, as Fife, Scoon, Cupar, Lothian, and Perth, I have found puzzle even our Gaelic etymologists; though they often appear very lucky in that art, aptly expressing the nature of the

John Davidson Esq., Writer to the Signet, author of Observations on the Regiam Majestatem, &c.

place in the name. But we might go far by a complete villare and nomenclature, which I have in vain tried to get done by some of the knowing ones: my friend, Lord Hailes, was deceived by them when he wrote the Dissertation on the Guild in his Annals. I showed him the true etymology; and he by a note corrected the Dissertation, and gave that etymology to the public.

Your intelligence about the first edition of the Detection, &c., I gave notice of to Principal Robertson: I should be glad to see it or hear more about it.

I went with Mr. Buchan to the Advocates' Library, and saw the plays of Sir D. Lindsay in the Hyndford manuscripts. It seems to me there are 94 pages of plays and interludes. If I am not mistaken, the title at the beginning, bearing them to be Lindsay's, though not on the head of the pages, is not succeeded by any other title; and therefore they may be properly all, on the authority of that manuscript, ascribed to that poetic Knight. I got Mr. Buchan into a train by which I hope he will get them copied for you. I notice well what you say about Barbour: I looked at the manuscript: it is more difficult to be read than the other; but yet easily made out by attention. I do not know, however, if there is one to be got here who can do it. I remember well much work was employed to obtain the manuscript to be lent to my worthy friend, the Bishop of Dromore; and I could scarcely prevail, even with the aid of the donor, the Earl of Hyndford. I almost despair of it. But, when the curators meet,

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