persons of rank and education; and, if your lordship mean to leave your country for a season, this would certainly prove your best residence.

I hope your lordship's wonted goodness will excuse these hints, which flow from the fulness of my heart, and from zeal in your service.

THE BISHOP OF DROMORE TO MR.
PINKERTON.

Dromore, Ireland, Aug. 28th, 1794.

The Bishop of Dromore's compliments to Mr. Pinkerton. He will endeavor to have the book he desired procured for him in Dublin, but must beg to be favored with a repetition of its title, he having unaccountably mislaid the letter which contained it; and also that Mr. Pinkerton will mention some bookseller's shop in London, where it can be left for him. He also sends a sketch of a note in answer to the objections of the Critical Review of November, 1792; but relies on his honor, as a gentleman, that it be communicated to no person living till it appears in print. He should be glad to be favored with any objection or reply to it, should such occur to him.

NOTE FOR THE FOOT OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE ESSAY ON THE MINSTRELS.

66

The terms, " Rymer or Minstrel," are used as synonymous by the English Translator of Favine

in 1623, as will be seen below in section iv.; and the words " Minstrel, Rythmer, or Bard," appear to describe one and the same character, a Welch bard, in a public commission issued out in the ninth of Queen Elizabeth, 1569, of which an account will be found in note Y. In Du Cange's Glossary, the French minstrels are asserted to have been the same as the bards of ancient Gaul, Neque enim alios a minstrellis veterum Gallorum bardos fuisse." (Vid. note C.) The same author produces an ancient French poet, who informs us, that the most renowned heroes of chivalry were celebrated in romances, made by the minstrels ; and the first romances we know were in metre. (See vol. iii. Essay p. 20.) He enumerates the most popular of these, as Roland, the Four sons of Aymon, Charlemagne, Arthur, Lancelot, Tristan, &c. "De quoy vils menęstriers font les nobles Romans." (See the passage at large in note C.) And Pasquier, in his " Recherches de la France," L. 7. c. 5., gives the concluding rhymes of an old French romance, composed by a minstrel, who has thereunto subscribed his name and profession. (See below in note B. towards the end.)

Surely these authorities are sufficient to prove that the French and English minstrels were understood not to be solely musicians, and will certainly vindicate the author of this Essay from the charge of having been the first who had ever applied the name of minstrel to a bard, maker, or poet. (See Crit. Review for Nov. 1792.) A charge the more singular, as the converse of the proposition is apparently the truth; and he will probably

be found the last who has retained the old name of minstrel in the double sense of poet and musician. For now the Provençal name of troubadour is taken up, and become the fashionable term in dissertations on this subject, which had scarce found its way into the English language when this Essay first appeared in 1765, nor, I believe, was even naturalised in French, before the "Histoire des Troubadours," &c. was published at Paris in 1774. But since the publication of that work and of its translation into English, the word troubadour hath become popular, and is by some supposed to have been as current in both languages as it is at present.

MR. A. STUART TO MR. PINKERTON.

London, Tuesday, Oct. 28th, 1794.

Last night I was favored with your letter of the 26th, and with the extract from Winton's Chronicle, for which I return you many thanks. I agree entirely with you, that the accounts thus given by Winton and by the Scotichronicon, put the historical fact to which they relate beyond a doubt; especially as it is perfectly evident, from reading over the two accounts, that the one was not copied from the other.

Is there any evidence of Winton's Chronicle being composed about the year 1418? That would give great force to the facts related, as proceeding

from the pen of a contemporary. I understand that there is soon to be published a printed copy of Winton's Chronicle. If it is published by subscription, I shall be glad to be a subscriber.

Inclosed, I send you an extract from Sir John Beaumont's poem of Bosworth Field, relating to Bernard Stuart. If, in the publication of the portraits of illustrious persons, you are to have any relating to Bernard Stuart, these lines from the poem of Bosworth Field might with propriety be introduced in the biographical notices concerning him.

In answer to your query concerning the designation of Concressault, given in old French writings to Sir John Stuart of Derneley, the constable of the Scotch army in France, it proceeded from this that the first donation he had from Charles VII. of France was of the lands of Concressault in the province of Berry. This was prior to the grant of the lands of Aubigny in the same province of this I have the evidence in my possession, if you wish to see it.

With regard to the date of the death of Alexander, Duke of Albany, who was killed in a tilting in France, I do not find amongst my papers any particular note of it; but, if I should afterwards discover any thing to fix the date, it shall be communicated to you.

The book I mentioned to you, containing the life of Bernard Stuart of Aubigny, was purchased by me some years ago at a sale of books belonging to the Museum; and I gave it to Lady Stuart of Castlemilk. If you are very desirous to see it,

I shall request the favor of her to send it to me to London with a promise of returning it.

I shall not neglect to speak to Lord Bute about the picture of Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. with Angus her second husband. I flatter myself that his lordship, who is an encourager of letters and of the arts, will have the goodness to listen to the request.

MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN.

Hampstead, Nov. 4th, 1794.

I sent the drawing of the parliament of Edward I. to Mr. Taylor; and I hope it has reached your lordship in safety: the delay was solely owing to Mr. Nicol, whom I could never bring to a decision, either to proceed or desist in the portrait plan.

Margaret and Angus are now in Lord Bute's hands, and it would much enrich your collection if you would desire a drawing to be taken. What we want, in the first place, is the kings and royal family; and I should wish to have drawings of David II. and his queen, at Lord Breadalbane's. It will be a great favor if your lordship will let me know if you can procure them. If If you have sketches of the heads at Kensington of James III., &c., I should be obliged by the communication; for at all the royal palaces no less than four guineas are charged for permission to copy every portrait.