tendants of the camp, whom Bruce had ordered to appear in battle array, with colours flying. Panic-struck at the sight, the English gave way, and soon betook themselves › to flight. The Scots pursued and made a great slaught er. King Edward with difficulty escaped to Dunbar : but the flower of his nobility fell on that day, and the li- : berty of Scotland triumphed.

This memorable day did not however restore peace: continual inroads were made on England, and even an attempt on Ireland, by the warlike followers of Bruce.

But first a parliament was convened at Ayr, where the rights of that hero to the crown were fully acknowledged, and the succession established. The princess Margery, presumptive heir of Robert, was given in marriage to Walter Stewart; and their son Robert was afterwards king, and the first of the Stewart race.

Edward Bruce, chosen chief of the expedition into Ireland, was received as king by the Irish. Reinforced repeatedly by his brother, he had penetrated to the walls of Dublin; famine alone compelled him to retreat, and to risk his all on the fate of one day; he fell a victim to his ardent valour, and was found among the dead at the battle of Dundalk.

Hostilities were still carried on between the Scots and. English with unremitting ardour. The pope thought himself called upon to put a stop to the effusion of human blood: he therefore proclaimed a truce, A. D. 1318, but his proclamation was not attended.to.

Nor was any truce agreed to till. 1328.; Then the papal legates were admitted into Scotland, where they pronounced sentence of excommunication against Bruce and the Scots.

The barons justified their defence of their liberties; their remonstrance had its effect at Rome. The holy father felt that Edward had great share of the blame in the calamities of the war.

It was however again renewed, and the truce of thirteen years was not concluded till after two campaigns more. During this suspension of hostilities, Robert

obtained absolution from the sentence of excommunication, and crushed a conspiracy at home: but on the deposition of king Edward, he renewed the war, wrested at length from England a solemn renunciation of all claims on Scotland, and secured a peace by marrying his son David to Han, sister of Edward III.

Thus ended the glorious conflict of Robert Bruce for the independence of his crown, after a reign of twenty-four years.

A concise view of the principal towns, rivers, and most ancient families, in all the shires or counties in Scotland.

The shire of Merse-principal towns, Dunse and Lauder rivers, the Tweed, Whitter, and Ednem. The most ancient families are, the Humes, Gordons, Spotswoods, and Wedderburns.

Roxburgh-shire.-Towns, Zedburg, Kelso, and Melross rivers, Tweed, Teviot, Zed, and Eal: ancient families, Douglasses, Scotts, Riddles, Elliots, and Turnbulls.

Dumfries.--Towns, Dumfries and Annan: most ancient families, Maxwells and Hunters: rivers, Neth and Loch'ar. This county abounds with excellent timber, particularly the wood of Drumlanick, of good oak, &c.

Wigton, or Galloway-shire.-Chief towns are, Kirkcudbright and Wigton. This county is watered by five rivers, the Ne, Dee, Ken, Cree, and Leffee. The most ancient families here are, the Maxwells, Armstrongs, Clendennings, Irvins, Bells, Christies, Johnstons, Mackees, M'Donalds, and Brodies.

Kyle, or Ayr-shire.-The principal town in this county is Ayr. This town is famous for its antiquities; it is thought to be the same which Ptolomy calls Vidogora. The most ancient families here are, the Campbells, Hyslops, Cunninghams, Wallaces, Dunbars, and Murdochs. The other towns of note here are, Irwin,

and Largis. The latter is famous for the total defeat of the Norwegians by king Alexander III.

Ren frew.-Principal towns are, Renfrew, Paisley, Greenock, and Port-Glasgow. Most ancient families, the Stuarts, Cathcarts, Shaws, and Maxwells. Rivers, Blackcart, Whitecart, and Grise.

Lanerk, or Clydesdale. The principal town here is Glasgow, situated in latitude 55, 52, longitude 4, 51, from London; a populous and elegant city, and for wealth and commerce is the second in the nation; it is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Clyde. The most ancient families in this county are, the Douglasses, Buchanans, Thomsons, Ramsays, and Hunters. Principal river, the Clyde, which is navigable from Glasgow to the ocean.

In

Dunbarton.-The principal town in this county is Dunbarton. The most ancient families are the Campbels, Napiers, Hamiltons, Newlands, and Buchanans. this county the famous poet, historian, and wit, George Buchanan, was born. The town of Kilpatrick here, is famous for being the birth place of St. Patrick, archbishop of Armagh, and the apostle of the Irish nation.

Linlithgow, or West-Lothian. The principal town is Linlithgow. The most ancient families are, the Hamiltons, Hays, Seatons, Scotts and Douglasses.

Stirling. The principal city here is Stirling. The principal rivers are, the Forth, Avon, Carron and Bannockburn. The most ancient families are, the Livingstons, Bruces, Murrays, Gardners, Stirlings and Gra

`hams.

Clackmanan shire.-The principal town Clackma

nan.

The shire of Fife.-The principal town here is Saint Andrews, so called from the relicts of the Apostle St. Andrew, whose bones are said to have been brought hither from Patros in Peloponesus, in the year 368.The other towns here are Cooper, Dunfermline, Kinross, Kinghorn and Innerkeithing. The principal rivers here are Eden and Levin. The most ancient fami

Kilmarnock, lies here are the Erskinės, Lyons, Sinclairs, Gibsons, Barclays, Hopes, Forbesses, Woods, Colvils, Bruces, and Lindsays..

Perth. The principal town here is Perth, pleasantly situated on the banks of the river: Tay.. Dunkeld, another town in this county, is thought to have been the principal seat of the ancient-Caledonians. Scoon; in this county also, is the place where the kings of Scotland, were crowned. The principal rivers here are, Tay, Allan, Earn. The most ancient families are the Campbells, Ruthvens, Blairs, Stuarts, and Drummonds...

Angus-shire, or, Fairfax.-The principal towns here are Dundee, Brechin, and Forfax.. The most ancient families, the Erskines, Kings, Mauls, Grays, Ogilvies, and Hunters.

Merns, or Kincardin.-The principal towns are Kincardin and Stonhive. The most ancient families, the Keiths, Duncans, Mavors, Strahans, Burnets, and Smiths.

.

Aberdeen-shire contains Mar, Brise, Glenmick, Strathdee, part of Buchan, &c. It is bounded by Gowry and Merns on the south; by Buchan on the north; Perth and Inverness shire on the west, and the German ocean, on the east. The chief towns are New and Old Aberdeen; the new town, in point of trade, population and elegance, is justly deemed the third town in Scotland. In each of these towns is a well. endowed seminary, the one called King's college, and the other Mareschal college; both are called the University of Aberdeen. Many gentlemen eminent for literary and scientific abilities, have been educated at this university." Among others, now living, might be mentioned, Doctors Kemp and Wilson, and James Hardie, A. M.: the two former have been for some years distinguished professors of mathematics and languages, in Columbia College, in the city of New-York, and the latter author of several useful publications. The principal rivers in Aberdeenshire are the Dee and Don; two of the richest rivers in Britain for salmon.

Abeerdeen-shire abounds with all the necessaries of life;, the mountainous part of it affords good timber and pasturage, and the level part excellent wheat and other small grains. The most ancient families here are the Gordons, Erskines, Hays, Keiths, Ogilvies, Seatons and Abercrombies.

The shire of Inverness formerly contained all the country from Lochleven to the Orkney islands; it comprehends, at present, Lochabar, Badenock, Strathspey, Stratherick; Strathglass and Glenmorrison. It is bounded by the Brae of Mar and Athol on the south; by Argyleshire on the west; by Ross and Murray Firth on the east, and by the western sea on the north. The length, of it from Inverness to Inverloky is 50 miles. Principal town is Inverness, which is situated on the south side of the river Ness, and has a commodious harbour. There was formerly a strong castle here, wherein the kings of Scotland resided. The most ancient families here are the Mackenzies, Frasers,* Mackintoshes, Macdonalds, Grants, M'Leods, M'Phersons and Camerons.

Bamf-shire. The principal towns in this shire are Bamf, Cullen, Frazerburg, and Keith. The most ancient families here are the Cummings, Gordons and Aber. crombies. There is a cave in this county, where the water that drops from it turns into stone, as soon as it reaches the ground..

Murray-shire, or Nearne; the principal towns here are Elgin, Foress, Nearne, and Crommertie; the largest rivers are the Spey, Nearne, and Findorn, the first mentioned is the most rapid river in Europe. The most ancient families, here are, the Brodies, M'Intoshes, Roses, Dunbars, Grants, Stuarts, Frasers and McKenzies.

The Frasers emigrated thither from France nine hundred and sixty

years ago.