Ex iis negotiis, quæ ingenio exercentur, in primis SALLUST. LONDON: M.DCC.LXX. INTRODUCTION. T HE antiquity of almoft every people is uncertain. National pride and credulity, which characterize mankind in their illiterate ftate, invented and believed the most ridiculous fables. Exaggerated by tradition, they afterward gained faith from antiquaries, and being then recorded by bigotted writers, hiftory, which fhould convey truth and lead to wifdom, has been frequently a channel for error and abfurdity. This was particularly the cafe, with regard to Scottish annals, the first periods of which are extremely dark and fabulous. The Scots have been confidered as the descendants of Scota, the daughter of Pharoah, king of Egypt, co-temporary with Mofes. Some have traced them to Milo, king of Spain; whilst others again have brought them from Scythia and Germany. But the moft popular fiction was, that they were the old inhabitants of Ireland; her antiquaries affuring us, that they lived there many centuries before the Incarnation, in a very flourishing condition, both as to politics and literature. Notwithstanding this pompous and flattering account is more infifted on than the others, it would, Chowever, be easier to prove, (what indeed is now generally believed) that, on the contrary, Ireland was firft peopled from Britain. But be this as it may, it is pretty evident, from analogy of language, and the concurrent teftimony of Greek and Roman authors, much more to be depended on than vague traditions, that the ancient Caledonians were, originally, a colony of Celts from Gaul (now 3 called called France), who themselves wandered thither from the Leffer Afia. Moft probably they named the place that they finally fettled in, Čael-doch, which, in the old Gallic tongue, fignifies, the country of the Celts or Gauls: Hence the Romans, by a tranfpofition of the I in Cael, and changing the harfh ch of Doch into an harmonious termination, formed, Caledonia, the old name of all that land to the north of the Friths of Forth and Clyde. The pofterity of these Caledonians, from a cuftom then among them of painting their bodies, were denominated Picts. But from whence the defcendants of these acquired the prefent name of Scot, "has puzzled, hitherto, the moft diligent antiquaries. One thinks it to be from the Celtic word Scoth, the name of the boats which the Caledonians used; another imagines it may come from the British word Scode, which fignifies a corner; and a third, has a conjecture, not improbable, on the Gallic word Scuta, a wanderer. However, the etymon of the word, is, at this distance of time, of very little fignification. Suffice it to fay, that Scot and Pict appear to have been names, not affumed by the Caledonians themfelves, but imposed on them by the Romans and others from local circumstances; the illiterate Highlander, who ftill calls himfelf Cael, and his country Caeldoch, being an abfolute ftranger to either. Scotland, from whatever accident it received its prefent name, is now however a flourishing country. It is fituated between 1 and 6 degrees of W. Longitude, and 54° and 59° of N. Latitude, is about 300 miles in length, and 150 in breadth; bounded on the N. by the Caledonian ocean; on the E. by the German; by the rivers Tweed and Elk, which divide it from England, on the S. and by the Atlantic ocean, and the Irish fea on the Weft. Scotland thus fituated, and furnifhed with good harbours, is well adapted to commerce, and particularly favour able able to foreign trade. In the neceffaries of life fhe is fufficiently fertile. Her mountains produce copper, iron, and lead, befides coal. Her forefts, fome of which are 20 to 30 miles long, afford plenty of timber; other parts of the country produce hemp and flax, and her rivers teem with myriads of fifh. North and South Britain being now incorporated, the inhabitants are, in moft refpects, pretty fimilar.. As the old Highlanders indeed ftill retain a few ancient customs, a flight view of their more immediate progenitors may not be improper. The Caledonians appear to have been tall, wellmade, and, in general, yellow haired. The skin of beafts wrapt round them, was, at firft, their only cloathing; but afterwards they wore plain and party coloured mantles. A contrivance, not unlike the present breaft-buckle, fastened them at top. This, according to the wearer's fancy, was of either brafs or iron, which metals they greatly efteemed, and, wore in rings round their necks and bodies. The woman's mantle reached down to the ancle, the man's not fo low, and in this confifted the only difference between the drefs of the males and the females. As they moft commonly fought their battles naked, it was the opinion of Roman and other writers that they always went fo. They fed on venifon, milk, and the natural growth of their fields and woods; fome fay that, like the South Britons, they fcrupled to eat fish, hares and poultry. They often had hunting parties. After they had killed their game, they dreffed it by making a pit which they lined with fmooth ftones; on these, properly heated, they put fome venifon, then a layer of ftones over it, and fo alternately till the pit was full, confining the fteam with heath. At these feafts, they drank out of fhells, a ftrong liquor; made of barley, which they called Curmi, and which, fome have thought, was what is now called Ufquebaugh, the favourite liquor of the prefent |