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Tour through Scotland, observes, that a small parcel of those books, were, in the year 1525, brought to Aberdeen, and great pains taken to unfold them, but, through age and the tenderness of the parchment, little could be read: from what, however, the learned were able to discover, one of the books appeared, by the style, to be an unpublished book of Sallust. Hence it appears that learning flourished in the monasteries of the Western Islands of Scotland, at a time when by far the greater part of Europe was wrapt in the dark cloud of Gothic ignorance and barbarism.

Mr. Pennant further obesrves, that the records of the island, all written on parchment, and probably other more antique and valuable remains, were destroyed by that worse than Gothic synod, which, at the Reformation, declared war against all science. At that period too, such of the MSS. of Iona, or Icolmkill, as had escaped destruction, were in part carried to Douay and Rome; at least the chartularies, and those others, which, by the monks, were esteemed the most valuable. Of what was carried to Douay, we apprehend that they perished in the French Revolution; but with respect to those carried to Rome, it is still possible that some discovery may be made.*

of Angus, about 1470. After having studied at Dundee and Aberdeen, he was sent to the University of Paris, where, having particularly applied himself to philosophy, he became the professor. Through the patronage of Elphinston, Bishop of Aberdeen, he was afterwards appointed a Principal of the University of Aberdeen.

*The late celebrated Dr. O'Leary had it in contemplation to write

It is moreover said in the Statistical Account of Kilfinichen and Kilviceuen, parishes belonging to Mull, and the Island of Iona forms part of the latter parish, that some of the MSS. alluded to were carried to Inverary; and that one of the Dukes of Montague found fragments of them in the shops of that town used as snuff-paper: and, to complete the catastrophe, the whole of the then records of Scotland, deposited in the Castle of Stirling, fell (anno 1651) into the hands of General Monk, and were by him transmitted to England. Why must we add, to the disgrace of the age in which it happened, that, to avoid trouble and expense, by much the greater part of those records having been shipped for Leith, soon after the Restoration, were lost at sea! Of what still might have remained with private individuals, much must have been lost, and materially injured from the feuds, civil wars, and rebellions in Scotland.

These are the causes why so few Gaelic MSS. and historical works, in that language, are now extant. The records of the other Celtic nations have not been more fortunate; and a melancholy reflection must thence irresistibly obtrude itself on every enlightened mind, when it finds beyond its

an Ancient History of Ireland, and was often heard to say, that to do it effectually, it would be necessary for him to make researches on the continent, and to remain at Rome two or three years, for the purpose of examining the ancient Irish manuscripts carried thither from Ireland, as the best documents for such a history. There too, it may be presumed, the most valuable Gaelic manuscripts and best documents for au Ancient History of Scotland are to be found.

reach nearly all the original monuments of a people, who, as hath been observed, once reigned over Europe. *

Turgot Bishop of St. Andrews, who was preceptor to the children of King Malcolm Kenmore, † mentions, that in the beginning of the eleventh century, the Gaelic was the general language spoken in Scotland; that it was even the prevailing language at court, and that the clergy of those days could speak no other language. It was about the middle, or near the end of the eleventh century, when, by the introduction of the Saxon dialect into Scotland, we may date the decline of the Gaelic, more especially in that part of Scotland known by the name of the Lowlands, in contradistinction to the Highlands. As a proof, however, that the Gaelic tongue was prevalent on public and solemn occasions in Scotland, subsequent to the period just alluded to, it may be proper to mention, that in the year 1249, when Alexander III. then but eight years of age, succeeded his father, there appeared at his coronation, as we are

• La Martiniere in his Geog. and Hist. Dictionary, under the article Celts, says, that " Ortelius a fait une carte de l'Europe ancienne avec ce titre, Europam sive Celticam veterem sic describere conabar Abrahamus Ortelius.

He was of opinion, that the name of Celts had been general to all the people of Europe. Cluvier had nearly the same idea, but more limited, for according to him (Germ. Antiq. L. I. c. 2.) “la Celtique comprenoit l'Illyrie, la Germanie, la Gaule, l'Espagne, et les Isles Britanniques."

+ Turgot's Life of Malcolm III. of Scotland and St. Margaret, written about the close of the eleventh century.

told by Skinner,* an old Highlander, with venerable gray hairs, genteely dressed in a scarlet cloak, who, falling on his knees, addressed the young king with the following salutation in the Gaelic language:

Beannaich a Dhe righ Albainn
Alastair Mac Alastair Mhic
Uilliam Mhic Eanraic Mhic

Dhaibhi Mhic Cholium Mhic
Dhonnachae, &c. &c.

God bless the King of Albion
Alexander Son of Alexander, Son of
William, Son of Henry, Son of
David, Son of Malcolm, Son of
Duncan, &c. &c.

In this blessing, or salutation, we are told by Skinner, that the venerable Highlander traced back the genealogy of the kings of Scotland up to Fergus, son of Fearchard, and throughout to the supposed founder of the first Milesian colony from Spain. It may be worthy of notice, that this happened thirty-five years prior to the destruction of the ancient records by Edward the First. But we cannot discover that this ancient custom was continued at any subsequent coronation of the kings of Scotland, and have incidentally adduced this historical fact to prove, although the Gaelic language had in a great measure ceased to be the fashionable language spoken at the court of Scotland since the days of Malcolm Kenmore,

* Skinner Eccles. Hist. of Scotland, Vol. I. p. 301, referring to ScotiChron. Lib. X. c. 20 Jo. Major, Lib. IV. c. 11.

in the beginning of the eleventh century, that on such public occasions as a coronation, the ancient custom of a salutation in Gaelic, by the royal genealogist, was not disused so late as the middle of the thirteenth century.

It is remarkable, that in England, about the same period, a considerable change was effected in the Anglo-Saxon language by the Norman conquest. William had entertained the difficult project of totally abolishing the English language, and for that purpose he ordered that in all schools throughout the kingdom, the youth should be instructed in the French tongue. By the same authority, the pleadings in the supreme courts of judicature were in French. The deeds were written in the same language; the laws were composed in that idiom;* no other tongue was spoken at court; it became the language of all fashionable company; and the Engglish themselves, ashamed of their own country, affected to excel in that foreign dialect.

At the time William suppressed an insurrection of his Norman barons in England, anno 1074, many of the fugitive Normans are supposed to have fled into Scotland, where they were protected as well as the fugitive English by Malcolm; and thence we may account for many Norman and English families in that country, and the many French and English words introduced into the language of the Lowlands of Scotland.

French was used in pleadings and public deeds until the reign of Edward III. when, in 1377, it was abolished.

+ Hume, Vol. I. p. 259.

+ Ibid. Vol. I. P. 266.

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