can ask him. Are there no modern medals in Dr. Hunter's collection? These are all the answers I am ready to give to your queries at present. THE BISHOP OF DROMORE TO MR. Dromore House, Oct. 22nd, 1788. I received your obliging letter, and beg leave to assure you, that the delay of my sending you the Hibernia Dominicana has been unavoidable. Dr. Campbell lives so remote from this place, that we never see each other but in Dublin, and have no more intercourse than if he were in Cornwall and I in Caithness. I will however contrive, if pos sible, to get it transmitted to you before I go to Dublin to attend Parliament in January next: if not, you may then depend upon it: my present residence is upwards of eighty English miles from our metropolis; and we have not that regular intercourse by stage-waggons, &c., as they have in England. As I shall not see Dublin before the meeting of our Parliament, I fear I shall not have it in my power to see Mr. Professor Thorkelin, if he should visit our metropolis before the time above mentioned; unless he honor me with a visit here, which will make me particularly happy : but, as I should be glad to be of service to him in any of his literary researches, if I were apprised of his arrival there, and favored with his address, I would endeavour to procure him access to the libraries and manuscripts, &c., and procure all the civilities to be shown him in my power. I am much obliged to you for your kind offer of your Inquiry, which I shall gratefully receive, and shall be extremely glad to hear of the progress of your studies, and any literary intelligence, which in this remote region reaches me slowly. GENERAL STUART TO MR. PINKERTON. Lower Grosvenor Street, General Stuart's compliments and best thanks to Mr. Pinkerton for the note just received, and sends a person for "Chambre d'Ormond," which shall be carefully returned. Most of the books in the Museum collection have been consulted and extracted concerning the pedigree and feats of Constable John of Darnley, and his posterity, according to the Catalogue now in General Stuart's possession. Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, knows and approves of the investigation hitherto made. Abercrombie's "Scots Atchievements" have also furnished good matter; but there are some of his authorities cited, which might be of great use, if General Stuart knew Inquiry into the History of Scotland preceding the Reign of Malcolm III. in the year 1056, 2 vols. 8vo. where to find their works: such as "Traitez d'entre les Roys de France et d'Angleterre, &c., Chart. penes Com. de Winton-Extracta a Chronicis Scotia;" but, above all, a third volume of his, Dr. Abercrombie's, own works, which he mentions in his preface to vol. ii. to have ready in manuscript, and which treats of the separate lives of our country worthies; and among whom were those of John, Earl of Buchan, Constable of France, and Sir John Stuart of Darnley, the constable of the Scots army, whose brothers and their families is the present object of General Stuart's inquiry; and he is certain that William, one of them, was killed at Verneuil, and Alexander at the battle des Harengs near Orleans, at the same time with the Constable. This appears in many books; but more particularly in a paper found at the Museum, where this William is precisely ascertained to be of Castle-milk (the immediate ancestor of General Stuart). A copy of this paper shall be sent one of these days for Mr. Pinkerton's information. General Stuart hopes for the pleasure of Mr. Pinkerton's, personal acquaintance, and that he will, meanwhile, excuse the present encroachment upon Mr. Pinkerton's time, so usefully employed. * See p. 171. GENERAL MELVILLE TO MR. PINKERTON. Brewer Street, Feb. 20th, 1789. I was happy to learn from Mr. Fyers, who had met you, that I shall have the pleasure of your company at dinner on Sunday next; and I wish you to come, if you conveniently can, as early as four o'clock, if not earlier; both as I wish to submit to your perusal a small Narrative, with notes relating to the discovery of Agricola's camp in Scotland, which I had been engaged to furnish to Mr. Gough for his new edition of Camden's Britannia, the sheet containing which he has sent to me, and that, being perfectly persuaded of your being better acquainted with the origin and ancient history of the different nations who have either been the residents and possessors, or the occasional invaders of Scotland, than any other of the gentlemen of learning, I am desirous to obtain from you, as soon as your time will permit, the respective dates of these events, as far as you can supply them; or that you will point out what authorities may be resorted to thereon; for I cannot help being of opinion, that much of the * Lieut.-General Robert Melville was author of a paper upon an ancient sword, printed in the 7th volume of the Archæologia; and Mr. Nichols, in his Literary Anecdotes, vol. viii. p. 3, quotes a letter from Mr. Gough, in which he mentions an Essay given to the Society of Antiquaries by Gen. Melville, on Ancient Ships, as "new and entertaining;" but I do not find it was ever printed. darkness, doubts, and difficulties, which perplex our antiquaries about military and other remains, supposed to be Roman, Caledonian, Pictish, Danish, &c., might be better discriminated and understood, were the times when, and the places where, these different kinds of people lived, more exactly known. MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. Knightsbridge, March 16th, 1789. I should have answered your lordship's obliging letter of 10th Nov. long ago, had your lordship mentioned how I was to address to Dryburgh Abbey. Nothing can give me more pleasure than to hear of your lordship's health being re-established; and I hope that health and leisure will excite to further literary labors. I long much to go to Paris and examine the libraries there; but I am so occupied at present, that the journey must be postponed. My book on Scotish History, preceding the year 1056, in 2 vols. 8vo., will be out in a month. The Vita Sanctorum, so long delayed, from the printers here not dealing much in Latin, will be ready in two months. Barbour is in the press,-one volume printed two others remain; and it will not be out till next winter. It is finely printed by Hughes, and to be ornamented with plates. My" Scarce Scotish Poems Reprinted," which your lordship permitted me to dedicate to you, will be in the press this year, I |