animated oration of Lord Lansdowne, on the neceffity of retaining the Teft and Corporation Acts : "This nobleman declared, That he always understood the A& of Toleration to be meant as an indulgence for tender confciences, not a licenfe for hardened ores-and that the Act to prevent occafional conformity was defigned only to correct a particular crime of particular men, in which none were included but thofe followers of Judas who came to the Lord's Supper for no other end but to fell and betray him. It is to me (faid his Lordship) a matter of aftonishment, to hear the merit of Diffenters fo highly extolled and magnified within thefe walls. Who is there among us, but can tell of fome ancestor either fequeftered or murdered by them? Who voted the Lords ufelefs? The Diffenters. Who abolished Epifcopacy? The Diffenters. Who deftroyed freedom of Parliament? The Diffenters. Who in. troduced government by ftanding armies? The Diffenters. Who washed their hands in the blood of their martyred Sovereign? The Diffenters. Have they repented? No-they glory in their wickednefs at this day. That they have remained not only quiet, but have appeared zealous in the fupport of the prefent establishment, is no wonder: for who but themfelves, or their favourers, have been thought worthy of countenance? If univerfal difcontent pervades, at this time, all ranks of people throughout the nation, the reafon is plain, flagrant, and notorious. It arifes from the infolence and the prefumption of the Diffenters-from their open infults of the Clergy -from their public vindication of the murder of King Charles I. and their vile reflections upon the memory of Queen Anne, ever dear to the people of England; befides other indecent and arrogant provocations, too many to enumerate, too grievous to endure. And if all this is done, not only with impunity, but with authority and reward, is there not more than fufficient reafon for jealousy? a jealoufy, which this new attempt to break down all the fences and boundaries of the church at once will certainly have no tendency to extinguifh. If, indeed, (concluded his Lordship,) there are individuals amongst them who pretend to peculiar merit, let them ftand forth, and clearly and explicitly ftate their claims--for God forbid but that all of them should have their deserts!" VOL. I. P. 181-183. Of the judgement difplayed in the felection of fpeeches of Members in the Houfe of Commons we extract a portion of Mr. Carew's fpeech in favour of Parliamentary Reform: "Such was the degraded and corrupt ftate into which the national reprefentation had fallen, fince the eftablishment of Septennial Parlia-· ments, that there were Gentlemen in that House who never faw the borough which fent them thither; who, perhaps, would be at a lofs even to recollect its name; and who were obliged to have recourse to the Court Calendar to inform them of whom they were the reprefentatives." VOL. II. P. 145. Mr. Mr. B. fays, in a note on fuch mifreprefentations and falfehoods "The speech of Mr. Carew does not contain words of empty found, intended for the mere purpose of embarrafling the adminiftration, but that it exhibits the real fentiments of his understanding, and the genuine feelings of his heart. And it may be remarked, that the value and utility of exertions of this nature are not to be estimated by the advantage they immediately produce. Mr. Carew and Mr. Sy denham yet peak in hiftory; nor will it ultimately be found that fuch men fpeak in vain. In our own times, the orations of Mr. Fox, in fupport of his several motions for the repeal of the Teft and Penal Statutes, were negatived by great majorities; but are these generous efforts in the caufe of truth and liberty therefore loft? No-doubtlefs they will produce their effect at the deftined period on minds more fufceptible of improvement, and lefs under the dominion of preju dice • When Statesmen, Heroes, Kings, in duft repofe, Whofe fons fhall blufh their fathers were his foes.' (P. 143-) If the reader is defirous of being acquainted with Mr. B's opinions relative to historic compofition he will find them thus detailed: "Taking it for all in all, Hume's Hiftory of England may per haps be juftly regarded as the greatest effort of hiftoric genius which the world ever faw. His philofophic impartiality, approaching, indeed, occafionally, the confines of indifference, his profound fagacity, his diligence of refearch, his felicity of felection and arrangement, the dignified elegance of his ftyle, which yet rarely afpires to elevation or energy-all combine to ftamp upon this work the characteristics of high and indifputable excellence. With fuch happiness, and with touches fo masterly, are the principal perfonages of his hiftory deline ated, that a more clear and perfect idea is frequently conveyed by Mr. Hume, in a few lines, than we are able to derive from the elaborate amplifications of Lord Clarendon, whofe hiftorical portraits, though drawn certainly with great accuracy and clofenefs of obfervation, are finished rather in the style of the Flemish than the Roman school,” VOL II. P 380. It may appear ftrange that genius is a more effential requifite to form an able hiftorian, in the ideas of this writer, than a knowledge of facts, a faithful narration, and undeviating adherence to truth. But accuracy and facts are facrificed by both thefe writers, to the delufive harlot, refined elegance. Neither Hume nor Belfham was ever "diligent in research," their " philofophic impartiality approaching, indeed, occafionally, the confines of indifference," is nearly allied to theif tical fcepticism, and an unconfcientious misrepresentation of events: events: if Hume gives a "clear and perfect idea," it is generally a delufive one; if Belfham pourtrays a face, it is merely a varnished skin, without a mufcle, a line, or expreffion, in the countenance. The "great accuracy and clofenefs of obfervation" difplayed by Lord Clarendon, will be studied by pofterity, when the hiftoric fummer-flies, Hume and Belham, will be no more, and their "unelevated dignity" be reduced to athes. Every man of taste or feeling will form just con ceptions of Mr. B.'s abilities, as a connoiffeur in sculpture, when fpeaking of the Arts and Sciences, at the conclusion of the reign of George II. he ftates, that Wilton began to rife into fame. What, has Roubiliac no merit? Are the monuments of Sir Peter Warrea, Handel, Hargreaves, Nightingale, to yield the palm to the accurately chizzeled pen of a Wilton? No-Roubiliac's fame will be as durable as his marble, and the ftatutes of this artift will be admired, when thofe of a Bacon, a Banks, a Noilekens, a Flaxman, and a Damer, fhall be neglected. The ftyle of this writer is frequently affected and verbose. Thus fpeaking of the earthquake at Lisbon, the "fhocks were not of the horizontal but vorticofe fpecies;" for schedules, he ufes Spanish "Cedula's of inftruction;" for colour, color; for contemporary, cotemporary, in the language of Bentley, a downright barbarifm: for the Latins never ufe co for con, except before a vowel-as co-equal, co-eternal; but before a confonant they either retain the N, as contemporary, conftitution, or melt it into another letter, as collection, comprehenfion; so that we may fay of cotemporary, that it is a word of fuch a copofition that the adopter of it is not entitled to the cogratulations of the learned world. He has " concife epitome," and frequent Latin phrases, "experimentum crucis” --"re infectâ, &c. &c." but fat fapienti. ART. VI. Pinkerton's Hiftory of Scotland. (Continued from P. 122.) HE wife ordinances paffed at this period of the Scottifh hiftory, however ufeful in themselves, were by no means pleafing to him, whofe exceffes of encroachment it was their immediate object to restrain. Douglas las proceeded in his diforderly and treasonable practices, and entered into combinations with other chieftains. As Douglas was, by far, the moft powerful noble of the fouth of Scotland, or rather a petty fovereign in that department, fo Alexander * Alexander Lindfay, Earl of Crawford, and John, Earl of Rofs, Lord of the Ifles, held the highest authority in the North. As the paffage that follows this, very clearly illuftrates the mischievous power which turbulent individuals, whether Thanes, or demagogues, may attain, in a state not properly balanced, we fhall tranfcribe the whole of it : "The policy and vengeance of Douglas conciliated a league with thefe potent nobles, ftrictly obliging all the parties to mutual defence against every injury; and to fuch a conjunction the laws themselves were injuries. The Monarch trembled at this confederacy, the power of which was, in fact, fuperior to the royal authority; but he was refolved to diffemble for a season, though the nation, in just alarm, already beheld the King dethroned, and the country paffing from aristocratic tyranny and difcord into a fubjection to foreign dominion. "An incident, however, foon occurred, which haftened the execution of the royal vengeance. Douglas had perfuaded, or overawed, many of his vaffals, especially thofe in Galloway, Kyle, Carrick, Cunningham, and the diftricts adjacent, into an engagement of attendance, and aid, even against the Sovereign himfelf. But a few of the more moderate and prudent were averfe from fuch illegal ties; and, among thefe, was diftinguished Maclelan, guardian of the heir of Bomby, and a near relation of Sir Patrick Gray, who was fon of Lord Gray, and Captain of the King's guard, an officer of the greateft confidence. The Earl of Douglas, irritated at Maclelan's obitinacy in rectitude, fuddenly befieged his house, took it, conveyed the owner to the caftle of Douglas, and threw him into ftrist durance. Upon hearing this, Sir Patrick Gray laid the affair before the King, and inftantly obtained a mild letter, rather of fupplication than of command, requefting Douglas to deliver the prifoner to Gray. The Earl was fitting at dinner in the caftle of Douglas, when he was told that Gray, a familiar fervant of the King, was at the gate; and with fome furprize arofe to receive him with much apparent civility, and invited him to partake of the repaft. During the enjoyments of the table, Douglas was revolving what Gray's commiffion could be; and, gueffing the truth, gave a fecret order, in confequence of which, the prifoner was led to a green befide the caftle, where his head was ftruck off, and taken away, and a cloth was fpread over the body. The meal ended, Gray produced the royal letter, which was received with all the respect of fraud; and the Earl having perufed it, faid, I am beholden to you for bringing It appears in the fequel of the narrative of James the Second's reign, that whatever might be the authority and power of rebellious Lords, the authority and power of the Huntley family, the ftrenuous friends in those days, as they have been and are in latter, of their country and King, proved ultimately victorious. me me fo gracious a letter from the King, especially confidering how matters ftand between us at prefent. The demand fhall inftantly be granted, and the more favourably for your fake.' He then took Gray by the hand, and led him to the green, where, removing the cloth, Douglas coldly faid, Sir Patrick, you are come a little too late. This is your fifter's fon, but he wants the head. Take his body, and do with it what you will. Gray replied, in anguifh, My Lord, fince you have taken his head, you may difpofe of his body; then calling for his horfe, he mounted, and said to the Earl, My Lord, if I live, you fhall be rewarded for your prefent labour, according to your demerits.' Douglas, enraged at this threat, called for his horfe; but Sir Patrick, by the goodnefs of his fteed, efcaped the purfuit, which extended near to Edinburgh. The King, irritated beyond measure at fuch repeated infults, aggravated by the moft fanguinary cruelty, and the most profligate contempt of the laws, and anxious to prevent the effects of the formidable league formed against his authority, called a chofen, council to deliberate upon the measures to be followed. It was refolved, in order to avoid the horrors of civil war, that Douglas fhould be inveigled into court by flattery, and upon pretence that the King forgave his paft enormities, and only defired him to reform his future conduct. About this time a paffport was obtained from the English King, for Douglas, his brother James, and Lord Hamilton, joined with Crichton, Montgomery, Gray, three Bishops, and others, to go in pilgrimage to Canterbury. This fafe conduct was apparently never ufed; and Douglas, and his enemies, are fo ftrangely blended in it, that there is room to fufpect that, under the pretext of a pilgrimage of mutual repentance and conciliation, a fcheme had been formed to affail Douglas, when in the defenceless garb of a pilgrim. "However this be, the Earl was prevailed upon, towards the beginning of Lent, which this year happened in the end of February, to vifit the court at the caftle of Stirling. After fupper, the King, taking him apart into a fecret chamber, where only fome of the privy council and the guard were in attendance mildly informed him, that he had heard of the league with Crawford, and other nobles, and defired him to break fuch illegal engagements. Douglas proudly refufed, and had the arrogance to upbraid the King with his procedures against him, which had forced him, as he afferted, to form this confederacy. The fenfe of repeated infults, and of an outrageous contempt of his authority, confpired, with the prefent perfonal affront, to kindle a flame of inftantaneous fury; and the Monarch exclaiming, If you will not break this league, by God I fhall,' drew his dagger and stabbed Douglas. Sir Patrick Gray then ftruck the Earl with a battle-axe, and the wound was inftantly mortal. "Enraged at the death of Douglas, his brothers, and their depen dants, proclaimed the King a defpifer of his covenants and good faith. Collecting their force, they returned to Stirling, and burned the Crawford, their affociate, with a confiderable body, was town. completely |