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THE SCOTTISH GAEL; 
 
 OK, 
 
 Celtic q^anner^* 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
I l^(}ganDfl. 
 
 C^ 
 
 /7 '^ yf 
 
THE 
 
 SCOTTISH GAEL; 
 
 on, 
 
 Celtic ^anner0, 
 
 AS PEESERVED AMOXG THE HIGHLANDEEh' : 
 
 BEING AN HISTORICAL AND BESCRIPTIVK ACCOUNT OF TilE 
 
 INHABITANTS, ANTIQUITIES, AND NATIONAL PECULIARITIES 
 
 OF SCOTLAND; 
 
 More particularly of the Northern, or Gaelic parts of the Country, where 
 
 THE Singular Habits of the Aboriginal Celts are most 
 
 tenaciously retained. . 
 
 By the late JAMES LOGAN, F.S.A.S. .--^^i^rjj 
 
 EDITED, WITH MEMOIR AND NOTES, 
 
 By the EEV. ALEX. STEWAET, 
 
 OF EALLACHULISH AND ARDGOUR, "NETHER LOCHABER." 
 
 ' The most interesting and important of all history is the history of manners."— Warton. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 INVEENESS: 
 HUGH MACKENZIE, BANK LANE. 
 
 EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN & STEWART, SOUTH BRIDGE. 
 
TO 
 
 JOHN STUART BLACKIE, F.R.S., 
 
 PROFESSOR OF GREEK IN THE UNIVERSITY OP EDINBURGH, 
 THIS ANNOTATED REPRINT 
 
 OF 
 
 LOGAN'S "SCOTTISH GAEL" 
 
 IS INSCRIBED, 
 
 WiTK THE Friendly Eegarbs and Best Wishes 
 
 OF THE 
 
 EDITOR. 
 
 Nether Lochaber, 
 May, 1S76. 
 
 8 492(;> 
 
{DEDICATION OF FIRST EDITION). 
 
 TO 
 HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, 
 
 WILLIAM IV, 
 
 KING OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, &c, &c, &c. 
 
 SIRE, 
 
 It is with the deepest gratitude for so distinguished an 
 honour, that I presume to lay these Researches at Your Majesty's feet. 
 
 The Work relates to a people who have greatly contrihuted 
 to raise the renown of Your Majesty's arms to the pre-eminence they 
 have attained. The history and character of that people, therefore, de- 
 serve the attention of every patriot ; and your subjects. Sire, feel a just 
 pride in being able to call your Majesty a Patriot Kixg. 
 
 That Your Majesty's reign may be long and happy, must be 
 the ardent wish of every Briton ; and I can say for my countrymen, in 
 particular, that none ar^ more devotedly attached to Your Majest3''s 
 Person and Family ; and that no portion of Your Majesty's subjects would 
 more cheerfully venture their lives for the honour and defence of their 
 beloved Sovereign, and for the support of the Constitution under Avhich 
 they enjoy so many blessings. For myself, I rejoice in being so highly 
 favoured as to be graciously permitted this jiublic opportunity of express- 
 ng the profound respect with which 
 
 I am, 
 
 SIRE, 
 
 Your Majesty's 
 
 Most devoted and most humble 
 Subject and Servant, 
 
 JAMES LOGAN. 
 
CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 Page 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, ix. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 OBJECT OF THE niESENT WORK AND ACCOUNT OF ITS FORMATION, 
 
 ■WITH SOME NOTICE OF ANCIENT HISTORICAL ANNALS, &C., ... xxi. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OF THE CELTIC RACE, COMPOSING THE VARIOUS NATIONS THAT 
 
 FORMERLY INHABITED EUROPE, ... ... ... ... ... 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BRITAIN — THE ORIGIN OF ITS ANCIENT INHABITANTS HISTORI- 
 CALLY DEDUCED, 33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY — EXTENT AND PRODUCTIONS OF 
 
 THE ABORIGINAL FORESTS, ... ... ... 74 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CELTIC POPULATION — PERSONS AND DISPOSITIONS OF THE CELTS 
 • — THEIR MILITARY EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONS — ANECDOTES 
 OF THEIR BRAVERY AND HEROISM — EXPLOITS OF THE ANCIENT 
 CALEDONIANS AND PRESENT SCOTS, 90 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CU.STOMS IN WAR AND MILITARY TACTICS, 139 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON THE DRESS OF THE ANCIENT CELTS, AND COSTUME OF THE 
 
 PRESENT GAEL, 221 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF THE ARMS AND MILITARY ACCOUTREMENTS OF THE CELTS, ... 280 
 
5ist ot SmbcUishmmts. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 1. Highland Chiefs, ... ... ... ... ... ... Frontispiece. 
 
 2. Ensign of Scotland (Vignette), ... ... ... ... Title-page. 
 
 3. Bas Relief, from Trajan's Column, ... ... ... Page 1 
 
 4. An Ancient Briton, ... ... ... ... ... ... 33 
 
 5. A curious inscribed Obelisk, ... ... ... ... ... 73 
 
 6. A remarkable Cromleach, ■ ... ... ... ... ... 74 
 
 7. Various Stone and Metal Implements, ... ... ... 89 
 
 8 to 12. Figures illustrating the various ancient modes of dressing 
 
 the Hair, 32, 90, 108, 110, 138 
 
 13. Tinwald, in the Isle of Man, 
 
 14. The Bass of Inverury, 
 
 15. Stone Circle at Tyrebachar, 
 
 16. A Gallic Female and Celtiberian, 
 
 17. Fragment of a Gallic Mercurjr, 
 
 18. Bonnets and Purses, 
 
 19. A Silver ornamented Brooch, 
 
 20. Small Antique ditto, 
 
 21. Target, Helmet, and various Weapons, 
 
 22. Helmets of different forms, 
 
 23. Highland Targets, 
 
 24. Shields of various Celtic Auxiliaries in the Roman 
 
 25. Clubs used in war by the old Britons, ... 
 
 26. Stone Weapons, 
 27,28. Lochaber Axes, 
 
 29. Spears and other Weapons, 
 
 30. Ancient British Sword, 
 
 31. Two-handed, and Broad Sword, ... 
 
 32. An Ancient Dirk, and Sheath with Knife and Fork, 
 
 33. A Curious Belt, 
 
 34. A Highland Pistol, 
 
 35. Plan of a Caledonian Fortress, 
 
 36. Trophy, composed of Highland Arms and Dress, 
 
 Service, 
 
 139 
 213 
 220 
 221 
 222 
 265 
 271 
 279 
 280 
 284 
 289 
 297 
 308 
 310 
 313 
 317 
 319 
 328 
 337 
 ib. 
 368 
 379 
 393 
 
M E M O IE. 
 
 Notwithstanding our many inquiries in every likely 
 
 direction, we regret to say that our materials for anything 
 
 like a full or satisfactory memoir of James Logan are all 
 
 too scanty. He seems, upon the whole, to have led a 
 
 quiet, uneventful, and, latterly, rather obscure life; in 
 
 which the biographer, how diligent soever his inquiries, 
 
 meets with less matter worth the chronicling than we 
 
 should expect in connection with a man who, in his day, 
 
 occupied so prominent a position as an antiquary and 
 
 litterateur. 
 
 James Logan was born in the City of Aberdeen about 
 
 the year 1V94; so that, at the time of his death, in April, 
 
 1872, he must have been 78, or, rather, in the 79th year 
 
 of his age. For many years before our author's birth, his 
 
 father had been a merchant of considerable standing in 
 
 the " granite city "; a position which he continued to 
 
 occupy till his death, always respectable, and tolerably 
 
 well to do, though never wealthy. His family consisted 
 
 of two sons and a daughter. The elder son entered the 
 
 army, and became captain in" a dragoon regiment. The 
 
 a 
 
X MEMOIR. . • 
 
 daughter was married to a Captain Kynocli, of the 
 Cameron Highlanders. James, the subject of our memoir, 
 after the usual attendance at the grammar school of his 
 native city, entered Marischal College, with the intention, 
 after the usual curriculum at the Arts classes, of studying 
 for the law. From following out his intention, however, 
 he was diverted by a sad and almost fatal accident, to 
 which, not improbably, much of the instability and way- 
 wardness of his future career is to be attributed. During 
 the currency of his third session, while engaged in playing 
 quoits with some fellow-students in a corner of the college 
 quadrangle, a quoit thrown out of line struck him on the 
 head, inflicting so serious a wound, with fracture of the 
 skull, that for a long time his recovery was considered 
 hopeless. Such is one version of the accident to Logan 
 while a student at college. Dr. Charles Winchester, of 
 Aberdeen, however, himself a literary man of considerable 
 reputation, who knew Logan all his life long, and 
 frequently befriended him, tells the story somewhat 
 differently. "Logan," says Mr. Winchester, "had gone 
 to the links to witness a competition in athletic sports 
 amongst the officers and men of a Highland regiment then 
 stationed here. One of the officers, when throv/ing the 
 hammer, most unfortunately sent it in a direction where 
 Logan was standing ; and the hammer, striking the young 
 lad with great force on the head, nearly killed him. 
 Through the eminent skill, however, of Dr. Charles Skene, 
 the broken bones were removed from Logan's head, and 
 
MEMOIR. XI 
 
 we understand are still to be seen in tlie museum of 
 Marischal College." From the date of his accident Logan 
 ceased to attend college, though, as he slowly recovered 
 his health, he still continued to study hard ; reading, in a 
 desultory sort of way, everything he could lay his hands 
 upon, but delighting chiefly in ancient history, and in 
 books of archaeological and antiquarian research. Even as 
 a schoolboy he had manifested a taste for drawing, and 
 any of the learned professions being now out of the 
 question, his friends agreed with him in thinking that if 
 he were now to give his attention to the subject in good 
 earnest, he might earn his living as an artist. Having 
 thus decided, so rapid was Logan's progress in correct 
 drawing and colouring, that some sketches of his, executed 
 when only partially recovered from the effects of his 
 accident, attracted the notice of the late Lord Aberdeen, 
 the " Premier Earl." The result was, that by the advice 
 of his friends, and under the patronage of Lord Aberdeen, 
 Logan soon afterwards went to London, and became a 
 student of the Eoyal Academy. What position as an 
 artist he might have attained to had he steadily pursued 
 his studies, it is impossible to say ; but, unfortunately, 
 pursue his studies steadily he did not, perhaps could 
 not — ceased, in fact, to pursue them at all : he threw 
 down the pencil and took up tlie pen, — earning a pre- 
 carious livelihood for the remainder of his life as a 
 litterateur and antiquary, a profession which brought him 
 some well-deserved fame, and but little besides. On 
 
xil MEMOIK. 
 
 finally giving up his Eoyal Academy studies, we find 
 Logan for a year or two a clerk in an architect's office, 
 occupying his leisure hours, and slightly adding to his 
 income, by writing for the newspapers. Of this, too, 
 however, he soon got tired. He turned his back on the 
 architect's office as he had already turned his back on the 
 Academy; and knowing that he could renew his news- 
 papers connection, if necessary, at any time, he started for 
 Scotland; and with staff in hand and knapsack on his 
 shoulders, he wandered leisurely over it all, from the Mull 
 of Galloway to John o' Groat's, crossing and re-crossing its 
 breadth repeatedly from the German to the Atlantic 
 ocean, visiting, too, the Hebrides, carefully examining and 
 sketching its antiquities of every kind, and collecting 
 materials for his magnum opus, " The Scottish Gaiil," a 
 work already in contemplation. This was about the year 
 1826. 
 
 After thoroughly perambulating Scotland, Logan re- 
 turned to London, and at once began to write the " Scottish 
 Gael "; providing, meanwhile for the wants of the passing 
 day by writing for the newspapers and magazines. The 
 work, however, seems to have proceeded but slowly, for it 
 was not until 1831 that "The Scottish Gael" was pub- 
 lished in two volumes. The publishers were Smith, 
 Elder, & Co., of London. The work, which was dedicated 
 to King George IV., was richly illustrated with vignettes, 
 figures, and sketches of various kmds, all executed by the 
 author's own hand. The copyright was disposed of to the 
 
MEMOIR. XUl 
 
 publishers for a very moderate sum — a hundred guineas, 
 we believe, and it must have proved a profitable transac- 
 tion to the purchasers ; for although the publishing price 
 was no less than fourteen guineas, " The 8cottisli Gael " 
 met with what may be called a large sale for so high- 
 priced a book. Even making all allowance for the 
 interest and excellence of the illustrations, the handsome 
 form in which the volumes were published, and the fact 
 that the whole was under Eoyal patronage, fourteen 
 guineas seemed to us at first sight so exorbitantly large a 
 sum for the work, that we had some hesitation in admitting 
 the statement into our narrative. We had some idea that 
 fourteen guineas might perhaps be a mistake — four guineas 
 being more probably meant. We have it, however, on the 
 most undoubted authority that fourteen guineas, and no 
 less, really was the publishing price ; and that, even at 
 that money, several hundred copies were sold within tliree 
 months of the date of publication. Whether Logan received 
 anything more besides the first payment of a hundred 
 guineas, we have been unable, after the most diligent 
 inquiry, to ascertain. It may be stated that the work met 
 with a very favourable reception at the hands of the 
 reviewers. 
 
 " The Scottish Gael " at last fairly off his hands, Logan 
 devoted almost the whole of his after-life to writing for 
 the periodicals. He became a regular contributor for a 
 number of years to the " Gentleman's Magazine," a con- 
 nection which he often declared to be the most pleasant 
 
XIV MEMOIK. 
 
 and proj&table he ever formed. In the pages of this 
 magazine was foiight a philological dviel, famous in its 
 day, between Logan and Dr. Davies, the distinguished 
 "Welsh scholar, the subject matter in dispute being the 
 comparative merits and superiority of the Cymric and 
 Gaelic branches of the great Celtic language. Logan, of 
 course, maintained the superiority of the Gaelic, and 
 fought the battle so stoutly, and with such a will, that he 
 was generally allowed to have fairly floored his doughty 
 antagonist. Congratulations on his success in this fight 
 poured in upon him from all quarters. The eminent 
 Lamartine, amongst others, sent him a very friendly letter 
 on this occasion, praising the learning and skill with which 
 he had encountered the irate Welshman, and congratu- 
 lating him on " The Scottish Gael," which the distinguished 
 Frenchman had just read, and which he declared to be 
 "a very valuable and interesting work." Shortly after 
 this, the secretaryship of the Highland Society of London 
 happening to become vacant, and being in those days, as 
 it is still, considered an office of no little distinction, and 
 one that was generally filled by gentlemen of some literary 
 -standing, it was offered to Logan in the most handsome 
 manner, and at once accepted by him. He acknowledges 
 that on this occasion he was mainly indebted to his always 
 steadfast friend, the celebrated Sir John Sinclair. The 
 secretaryship of the Highland Society, however, he only 
 held for two or three years ; he tired of it as he had tired 
 of other tilings, although he alleged, as the main reason of 
 
:memoir. XV 
 
 his retirement from the office, that the Society had fallen 
 away from the aim and object of its original constitution, 
 its grand raison d'etre, which ^^'as or professed to be, Logan 
 averred, the suj)port and encouragement of the Celtic 
 tongue and of Celtic literature in every shape and form. 
 Soon after leaving the Highland Society, w*iTnd him an 
 active member of the kindred Gaelic Society of London ; 
 attending its meetings regularly, taking part in all its 
 proceedings and deliberations, and occasionally reading- 
 essays, in the mountain tongue as well as in English, on 
 antiquarian and literary subjects, at its quarterly gather- 
 ings. When Mr. John Mackenzie, of Gairloch, was pre- 
 paring his " Beauties of Gaelic Poetry " for publication — a 
 book which will always be popular, and which no educated 
 Highlander should be without — he applied to Logan to 
 write an introduction to the work. This Logan at once 
 agreed to do, on what terms we do not know, but he 
 accomplished his task in a very adnurable manner; the 
 " Introduction " being every way worthy of the splendid 
 selections from the works of the Bards which follow; and 
 on Logan's share of the work probably no higlier praise 
 than this could well be bestowed. 
 
 His next work of any importance was in connection 
 with Maclan's " Highland Costumes." To this splendid 
 work Logan supplied the necessary letterpress ; and the 
 literary part of the undertaking was on all hands allowed 
 to be cpiite equal to the artistic. Logan had already been 
 favourably known to the late Prince Consort, at that time 
 
XVI MEMOIR. 
 
 better known as Prince Albert, by his "Scottisli Gael"; 
 and through his connection with Maclan's book, which 
 the Prince patronised, Logan received some kindly notice, 
 and on one occasion at least, something more substantial 
 than mere notice from His Eoyal Highness. Logan was 
 now advancing in years, and, never of robust frame, was 
 already so fast and prematurely becoming an old man, that 
 no one would have believed it possible that he could live, 
 as he really did, until his eightieth year. He still con- 
 tinued to write for the press ; a source of income, however, 
 in many ways so precarious and uncertain, that his friends 
 became anxious about him, and desirous of making some 
 provision, if possible, for the quiet and comfort of his 
 declining years. Luckily for himself, he had never 
 married. He had no one dependent on him. He stood 
 apart and alone, James Logan, F.S.A., author of the 
 " Scottish Gael " and other works ; and the question was^ 
 what was to be done with him ? Captain Porbes MacNeill, 
 brother of Lord Colonsay, who had already shown Logan 
 much kindness, brought his case under the notice of 
 Prince Albert; and the happy result was, that at last 
 Logan found what promised to be a permanent and 
 pleasant home. He was presented with a brotherhood in 
 the Charter House. One would have thought that Logan 
 was now at length suitably provided for, that upon the 
 whole his lines had fallen in pleasant places. The Charter 
 House, however, was too much for Logan. He was too 
 wayward of disposition to settle down easily into the 
 
mi;moie. xvii 
 
 quiet and comfort it provided. Hitherto he h.ad led a life 
 so free and unrestrained, not to say irregular ; always his 
 own master, and jealous of his perfect independence in 
 word and act, that the restraints of the Charter House, 
 witli its tight-fitting and somewhat monastical rules and 
 regulations, soon became irksome and distasteful to him. 
 His frequent irregularities and breaches of the rules of the 
 College once and again brought him under the censure of 
 the authorities, and finally became so flagrant, that he was 
 "rusticated," expelled the house in fact, in 1866. Not 
 only was Logan a disobedient " brother " so far as frequent 
 breaches of rule were concerned, he also freely criticised 
 the conduct of the governors — the bench of Bishops, we 
 believe — as to the manner in which they discharged their 
 trust. This was of course unpleasant to the authorities, 
 and probably contributed quite as much as his irregularity 
 and insubordinate conduct to his final expulsion. De- 
 prived of the shelter and comforts of the Charter House, 
 and thrust out upon the world in his old age, Logan's 
 prospects were gloomy enough. He had many " good 
 friends, however, who did not, as too often happens, 
 forsake him now when he most required their aid. The 
 late Dr. Halley, Mr. Thos. Macgregor, Mr. John Cameron 
 McPliee, Mr. Lawson, Mr. William Grant, Captain Suther- 
 land, and many others, most of them members of the 
 Highland and Gaelic Societies of London, once more took 
 the old man kindly by the hand, and dealt so bountifully 
 with him, and treated him so considerately and kindly, 
 
XVlll MEMOIR. 
 
 that the last teu years were not perhaps the most unhappy 
 or least comfortable of a life that will probably remind the 
 reader of that of Eichard Savage, so admirably told by 
 Johnson. 
 
 We are indebted to a correspondent in London for the 
 following. He writes to say that for five or six years he 
 knew Logan intimately, and frequently dined with him at an 
 eating-house in the city. " He was," continues our corres- 
 pondent, " a most pleasant companion ; his fund of informa- 
 tion on many matters was very great, and he was always 
 ready to pour fortli his great wealth of knowledge if you 
 only sat and listened with the necessary attention. He 
 was, however, rather quick-tempered, and any signs of 
 weariness or indifference on your part as a listener always 
 made him angry; and he would often, in such circum- 
 stances, rise and leave you there and tlien, without as 
 much as saying ' good day.' I can recollect that he was 
 extremely fond of oysters, which were then more plentiful 
 and cheaper of course than they are at the present day, or 
 are ever likely to be again. He was, indeed, fond of all 
 sorts of fish and shell fish, and if he got enough of these, 
 he would rarely ask for anything else. Lie was at times 
 very absent-minded ; he would sit for five or ten minutes 
 quite absorbed in thought, without speaking a word, and it 
 was sometimes difficult to rouse him from such reveries ; 
 but when you did manage to fairly rouse him up, he could 
 be exceedingly pleasant, and would keep the company for 
 an hour, or even hours together, if need were, ' in a roar.' 
 
MEMOIK, XIX 
 
 ]\Iy own opinion is, that the accident to his head in early 
 life sometimes affected liis mind. At all events, I can 
 recollect many odd sayings and doings of his not to be 
 accounted for except on some such supposition of partial 
 mental derangement, if not of actual insanity. He was 
 very liberal and kind-hearted. I have known him give 
 his last sixpence to a beggar man or woman that did not 
 too loudly or pertinaciously importune him. Latterly, his 
 eyesight was bad. This seemed to annoy him much. 
 ' Give me my eyesight as it once was,' I have heard him 
 say, ' and take away this terrible pain in my temples, and 
 I could still be very happy among my books, even here in 
 London.' I have heard it said that Logan frequently gave 
 way to fits of intemperance, but it is only justice to his 
 memory to say that in all my intercourse with him I never 
 saw him in a worse state than what one might call mellow 
 and merry. It is most likely, however, that at certain 
 times, owing to the weakness of his head, a very little 
 would suffice to overcome him. I think it not unlikely 
 that this is the way in which poor Logan's shortcomings in 
 the matter of sobriety can best be accounted for. I may 
 state, that one who saw him a few days before his death, 
 and when there could no longer be any doubt that the 
 dread messenger was already at the door, told me that he 
 fully believed that Logan died as a sinner ought to die, 
 penitent as to his many transgressions, and a firm belief in 
 the mercy of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 
 And now the reader has before him all that, by the 
 
XX MEMOIR. 
 
 most diligent inquiry, we could discover of tlie life and 
 labours of eJames Logan. Of his works, the most important 
 beyond measure is his " Scottish Gael." In supervising 
 and annotating this edition, we thought it best to let the 
 original work remain as much as possible as Logan left it. 
 Beyond a few verbal corrections, therefore, this may be 
 considered an exact reprint of the first edition. All that 
 we had to say in connection with the subject matter of the 
 work will be found in our notes. Nearer to libraries, and 
 with readier access to books than was possible in this out 
 of the way place, and with a little more time than was 
 allowed us in the execution of our task, we might, perhaps, 
 have done our author and his subject a little more service. 
 Such as it is, however, we now present it to the reader 
 with every confidence that, in giving him this edition of 
 the " Scottish Gael," we give him the best work that has 
 ever yet been written on the origin, antiquities, traditions, 
 and national peculiarities of the Caledonian Celts. 
 
 Nether Lochaber, 
 April, 1S76. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 OBJECT OF THE PRESENT WORK, AND ACCOUNT OF ITS 
 FORMATION, WITH SOME NOTICE OF ANCIENT HISTO- 
 RICAL ANNALS, &c. 
 
 The Scots' Highlanders are the unmixed descendants of 
 the Celts, who were the aboriginal inhabitants of Europe, 
 and the first known colonists of Britain. Slowly following 
 the progress of refinement, and assimilating with their 
 neighbours, it may soon be matter of unavailing regret, 
 that their language, their singular manners, and peculiar 
 customs, will have become extinct and unknown, save in 
 the traditions of the people, or the partial records of the 
 historian. 
 
 This race, which for so many ages preserved inviolate 
 its Celtic principles and original habits, has already yielded 
 to the powerful advance of modern civilization, and has 
 apparently lost more of its distinctive features within the 
 last century, than during all the previous lapse of time, 
 from its first settlement in Britain. Tenaciously retaining 
 their primitive language, social institutions, and established 
 usages, and inhabiting a romantic and picturesque country, 
 in which they so long preserved their independence, the 
 Gael and their territories have become the objects of much 
 curiosity, and the prominent place which they occupy in 
 the national annals, heightens the interest which Scotland 
 has so much excited. 
 
XXn IXTRODUCTIOX. 
 
 After the union of the two kmgdoms there Avas, in- 
 deed, a long period of indifference towards this country, 
 and of consequent ignorance of its moral and political 
 state, but emerging from this situation of apparent insig- 
 nificance, it was destined to attract peculiar regard, and 
 everything relating to it became the object of the liveliest 
 attention. Various causes contributed to effect this change. 
 The rebellions of 1715 and 1745 forced on government 
 the necessity of paying more attention to this part of the 
 kingdom, more particularly to the Highlands, where the 
 consequences of the battle of Culloden proved that, even 
 at that late period, the Gael were deemed unworthy of re- 
 gard, as members of the empire, no laws being thought 
 applicable to them on the suppression of the rebellion, but 
 those which were given by a brigade." It was soon, how- 
 ever, perceived, that from the mountains of Scotland could 
 be drawn an inexhaustible supply of the best soldiers in 
 Europe, and government quickly availed itself of a resource 
 so invaluable. Those who represented the exiled chiefs 
 from the period of the forfeiture of their estates, until the 
 act of grace restored their lands, and permitted them to re- 
 turn to their country, with that hereditary authority, which 
 could not, while the spirit of clanship animated the people, 
 be dissolved or impaired, many of them, without any other 
 income than what was supplied by the benevolence of the 
 clan, were able to raise numerous battalions, with whom 
 they gloriously fought in support of that constitution which 
 a principle of honour, mistaken loyalty, and the intrigues 
 of France, had so lately led them to endeavour to subvert. 
 
 The most interesting part of the Scots' nation is the 
 Highlanders, the descendants of the aboriginal Celts, who 
 signalised themselves by a determined and effectual resist- 
 ance, to the utmost efforts of the Romans, who had sub- 
 " Culloden Papers. 
 
INTEODUCTIOX. XXlll 
 
 dued the inhabitants of the Southern provinces. The na- 
 ture of their country, wild and mountainous, protected by- 
 natural bulwarks, within which, fear and prudence would 
 equally prevent intrusion, and which opposing a barrier to 
 free communication with other parts, served to preserve 
 them for so many ages as a distinct and independent people. 
 Their simple patriarchal manners and government did not 
 lead to much intercourse witli strangers, and, except cattle, 
 there was little produce of their country, the disposal of 
 which would have brought them into contact with others. 
 Their habits led to no wants which could not be supplied 
 within themselves. The sea, and numerous lakes and rivers, 
 afforded an abundance of fish, the woods and mountains a 
 variety of fowl and venison, and those who attempted agri- 
 culture found the valleys highly productive. Thus secluded, 
 their traditions and songs celebrated the exploits of their 
 own nation, and the locality of description fostered the 
 spirit of independence, the lofty notions of their own un- 
 conquered race, and jealous pride of ancestry, so remark- 
 able in the Highlanders. Hence they tenaciously preserved 
 their primitive institutions, their costume, language, poetry, 
 music, &c., and remained for many ages little known to the 
 rest of the kingdom. The more Southern Scots were, in- 
 deed, aware of their existence. The troops and hosts of 
 hardy warriors that often swelled the armies of the king, 
 and were sometimes brought down in hostility to his autho- 
 rity, apprised their countrymen that they were a consider- 
 able people. The fierce and overwhelming forays that 
 necessity or revenge impelled them to make on the plains, 
 informed their Lowland neighbours, in a more unpleasant 
 way, of their vicinity to powerful tribes of different habits, 
 and living under peculiar laws. The civil wars which they 
 had at different times maintained on behalf of the Stewarts, 
 kept alive the recollection of their existence, but it was not 
 
XXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 until after the remarkalile events of 1745-6, that the Nor- 
 thern part of Britain became an object of serious attention 
 to the ministry, and of much curiosity to all. This interest 
 at first chiefly arising from political causes, and the situation 
 of the country, was not at that time well calculated to pro- 
 duce a favourable or unprejudiced view. The Highlanders 
 were even at this period deemed little better than savages. 
 Tlie moderation and orderly conduct of the army of Prince 
 Charles during its success, and the bravery and humanity 
 displayed throughout the affair, that might have vindicated 
 their character from such injustice, were forgotten in the 
 stigma of audacious rebellion. The consequent abolition 
 of the system of government so conducive to their indepen- 
 dence, brought them under more particular notice and ob- 
 servation. The suppression of heritable jurisdictions, the 
 previous formation of the military roads, and acts for dis- 
 arming the people and discharging the services of watching, 
 warding, hosting, and hunting, opened the Highlands to 
 the investigation of the curious, and broke down the chief 
 obstacle to the mixture of the inhabitants in other society — 
 the safeguard against the intrusion of strangers, and the 
 great protection for their primitive simplicity of cha- 
 racter. 
 
 The Gaul, who had before this time been so little known, 
 even to many of the more Southern Lowlanders, leaving 
 their native hills, diffused a more intimate knowledge of 
 themselves and their country, and by their abilities dis- 
 played in the various situations of life, have shewn them- 
 selves equal to the natives of any portion of the kingdom, 
 and worthy of the respectable station which they have ac- 
 quired in. society. With the loss of much of their distinc- 
 tive character, they have had but too many opportunities 
 of shewing that their military ardour and prowess are yet 
 unimpaired. All Europe has admired the achievements of 
 
INTRODUCTION". XXV 
 
 the Scots' troops, and in the late war they " covered them- 
 selves with gjory." 
 
 The history and antiquities of so singular a people opened 
 a coj)ious source of speculation and literary discussion, and 
 tlie subject could not fail to be generally interesting. The 
 publication of several works gave a stimulus to research, 
 and excited the critical acumen of many writers. The 
 proud and high-minded Highlanders repe^ed witli indigna- 
 tion the slights they received, and the attacks that were so 
 unceremoniously made upon almost everything which they 
 valued as national. Unfortunately, an acrimonious spirit 
 in wliicli some writers indulged, begat an animosity but ill 
 suited to calm inquiry. Abuse and recrimination took the 
 place of serious investigation. The elucidation of histori- 
 cal truth was either altogether put aside, or made subser- 
 vient to the defeat of an opponent, by turning his cause 
 into ridicule ; and thus both parties have sacrificed much 
 of the weight that would otherwise have attached to their 
 arguments. While facts were obscured or perverted, error 
 and fiction accumulated, and impartial judgment and un- 
 biased decision were thereby prevented. Those works were 
 more fitted for the perusal of the antiquary than the amuse- 
 ment of the general reader ; but a powerful stimulus to the 
 curiosity concerning Scotland has been given by the writ- 
 ings of Sir Walter Scott, one of the most illustrious of her 
 sons, whose works have indeed produced a new era in litera- 
 ture. Caledonia has offered an ample field for the crea- 
 tions of poetry and romance, and by interweaving historical 
 personages and events with the details of fictitious narrative, 
 the gifted author has, in his combinations, preserved with 
 much fidelity the truth of nature, and the people, thus pouri 
 trayed by the magic pencil of genius, are presented under 
 that view which most strikingly displays their national 
 character. Whilst those and other volumes almost equally 
 
XXVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fascinating, illnstrate Scotish life and history, exhibit the 
 influence of peculiar institutions, and delineate the manners 
 of the inhabitants, they are tlie most amusing compositions 
 of the age, and by the varied beauties of their recitals, 
 have charmed civilized society throughout the globe. The 
 sublime and patlietic remains of Ossian and other bards 
 display the ancient Gael in the most imposing colours, and 
 draw forth our admiration by the dignity of their style, 
 and the grandeur of their imagery. Eamsay, Burns, and 
 other poets, embellish rural life, and raise our ideas of the 
 talents and intelligence of the Scotish peasantry, but " the 
 wizard of the north " has environed his subjects with a halo 
 of romantic glory, brightening the page of history, and 
 rousing an enthusiastic attention to all that relates to this 
 part of the island. In thus, however, expressing what all 
 must feel, it is necessary to observe that novels of this class 
 are not to be received as genuine history ; they are not 
 meant for the communication of strict truth, and the re- 
 mark is only excited by noticing the authority which has 
 been conceded to this class of composition. Highly as their 
 authors, especially the writer above-mentioned, are to be 
 admired, and deeply versed as they undoubtedly are, in all 
 departments of Scotish history, they are, nevertheless, 
 obliged to sacrifice truth for the sake of eifect, for whicli, 
 at the same time, they are not to be censured. Sir Walter, 
 in his various publications, has brought into view many of 
 the ancient customs of the Scots, several of which have long 
 been peculiar to the Highlanders ; and the notes to his poeti- 
 cal works, and the recent illustrations of his prose writings, 
 contain the history and description of many curious obser- 
 vances, as well as authentic details of interesting trans- 
 actions. The present volumes, by elucidating in the sober 
 language of history those manners so beautifully blended 
 with fiction by the novelists, and those circumstances which 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXVll 
 
 are introduced with so much effect, and so materially add 
 to the interest with which their works are read, afford 
 some claim to the consideration of the puhlic. 
 
 The numerous volumes extant on Scotish history and 
 antiquities may appear to render the present undertaking- 
 superfluous, but no publication on the same extensive plan 
 has yet appeared. In a general history particular infor- 
 mation cannot be given, and should not be expected — topo- 
 graphical works are partial — tours and essays are super- 
 ficial — and controversial writings, of which the Northern 
 part of the island has been a fertile source, are still less 
 popular, and are often less satisfactory in every respect 
 than the others. 
 
 Dr. Mac Pherson, in his " Dissertations," had a similar 
 view to that which led to the production of this work ; but 
 his labours are limited, and he chiefly compares the Gaelic 
 customs with those of the Germans. My endeavour has been 
 to illustrate, with impartiality, the manners of the Celtic 
 race, to trace the language, the religion, form of govern- 
 ment, and peculiar usages of the Scots to their origin ; to 
 shew their identity with those of the aborigines of Britain, 
 and their resemblance to those of the remaining branches 
 of the Celtic race, and thence to prove their own descent, 
 and the derivation of the singular manners which so long 
 distinguished them, and to which they yet fondly cling. 
 That all these emanated from the primitive inhabitants of 
 Europe, I trust will be satisfactorily shewn. It is justly 
 observed by Dr. Henry, of the Gauls and Britons, that 
 " whatever is said of the persons, manners, and customs of 
 the one, may be applied to the other with little variation 
 and few exceptions." 
 
 I am aware that some of the subjects on which I have 
 ventured to write have been bones of contention between 
 the learned ; I have no wish to increase the list of dispu- 
 
XXVlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tants, and should not have obtruded my opinions, opposed, 
 as they sometimes are, to those of others, if I could have 
 withheld them with justice to my design. My reasoning 
 may not always be satisfactory, but I hope it is not intem- 
 perate, and can aver that it is the result of long considera- 
 tion and careful investigation. Most of the Scots' writers 
 have unfortunately used their pens under feelings of heat 
 and indignation, either as the prejudiced but zealous cham- 
 pions of Celtic, Gothic, Irish, or Saxon colonization, — the 
 strenuous advocates and pertinacious opponents of royal 
 and noble genealogies, or the redoubted vindicators and 
 assailants of national independence and ancient glory: yet, 
 whatever warmth may be displayed by individuals, tlie 
 researches of many in different departments have brouglit 
 forward and preserved much matter, both curious and 
 important. Numerous local historians, poets, and tourists, 
 have recorded interesting facts, and many literary societies 
 have elucidated national history by their own labours, 
 and by their exertions to promote all kinds of research. 
 Of these, and all other accessible sources of information, 
 I have availed myself; in doing which, and in making 
 personal investigations and inspections of existing remains 
 in both countries, I have spent some years of unwearied 
 labour, and I have been enabled to accomplish this under- 
 taking, if not in a manner so complete as I could wish, yet 
 in a style which may evince my desire to be as correct 
 and satisfactory as possible." 
 
 The labour attending the research necessary for the 
 proper execution of a work of so comprehensive a nature as 
 
 '• Many drawings of Scotish antii|uities and accompanying observations 
 liave been honoured by the notice of difi'erent Societies, who have, in 
 several cases, published them in the volumes of their Transactions, the 
 fidelity of the sketches having been acknowledged by members who had 
 themselves seen the objects. 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXIX 
 
 this, can only be appreciated by those who have been en- 
 gaged in a similar pursuit. The variety of authorities 
 which I have consulted is indicated by the quotations and 
 references, but numerous works were necessarily perused 
 without obtaining anything to repay the trouble. 
 
 The Celtic race were scarcely less celebrated for their 
 acquirements in arts than for proficiency in military tactics. 
 The studies of all laudable sciences, says Marcellinus, 
 nourished highly in Gaul, being strictly cultivated by 
 the sacred order of Eubages, Bards, and Druids. The 
 former, searching into nature's highest altitude, endea- 
 voured to explain its operations ; and the Druids, of a more 
 refined imagination, were addicted wholly to questions of 
 deep and hidden matters. The Celts, as will be seen 
 throughout the present work, were by no means barbarous, 
 in the common acceptation of the word, but were the in- 
 ventors of numerous useful and ingenious contrivances, for 
 which surrounding nations were indebted to them. " I am 
 tired," says a learned writer on the language of this 
 people," of always hearing the Romans quoted, when the 
 commencement of our civilization is spoken of; while 
 nothing is said of our obligations to the Celts. It was not 
 the Latins, it was the Gauls who were our first instruc- 
 tors."" Some of the ancients had the candour to make the 
 same confession. Aristotle declared that philosophy was 
 derived by the Greeks from the Gauls, and not imparted 
 to them. 
 
 So far is it from true that the Celtse were " totally un- 
 able to raise themselves in the scale of society," as the 
 author of the " Enquiry " boldly asserts, that numerous in- 
 dividuals obtained high and well deserved honours in the 
 Eoman Empire. The race was, in fact, remarkable for 
 
 " Julius Liechtlen. 
 
XXX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 superiority of mental endowments, vvliicli is proved by the 
 list of celebrated individuals of Celtic origin. Spain alone 
 produced Seneca, Lucan, CoUumella, Martial, Quintillian, 
 &c., whilst the Egyptians and other people, subjected by 
 the Eomans, furnished none of any note. The Gauls were 
 truly " of sharp wit and apt to learn," and they were even 
 excelled by the Britons,*^ the knowledge of whose priest- 
 hood was so profound, that the youth of the continent came 
 liither to study and complete their education, by a course 
 of no less than twenty years' probation. This learning was 
 not confined to the Southern tribes, but equally pervaded 
 those of the North. Coil, surnamed Sylvius Bonus, main- 
 tained a poetical correspondence with Ausonius. Celestius, 
 Pelagius, St. Patrick, and others, who flourished in the 
 fourth and fifth centuries, were Scotsmen, not to mention 
 those who are believed to have lived about the period of 
 the Roman invasion, and even before that event, if we can 
 credit Bale, Leland, Dempster, &c. 
 
 In the reign of Charlemagne the Scots were renowned 
 on the continent, their learning and probity recommending 
 them to situations of trust and honour. Hericus, in his 
 Life of St. Csesar, dedicated to this prince, says, the whole 
 Scotish nation, almost " despising the dangers of the sea, 
 resort to our country with a numerous train of philo- 
 sophers." The professors of Paris and Padua were then 
 Scotsmen, and Charles's preceptor, Alcuin is also believed to 
 have been one. Paulus vEmilius, speaking of Charlemagne, 
 says he bestowed the honours and magistracies of the na- 
 tion especially upon the Scots, whom he greatly esteemed 
 for their fidelity and valour ; and Eginhart writes, that the 
 kings of Scotland were much devoted to him, which their 
 letters to him, then extant, confirmed." Whether he sent to 
 
 ^ Tacitus' Life of Agricola, c. xxi. 
 
 <= Vita et Gestie Karoli Mngui, p. 138, eJ Francofurti. 
 
INTHODUCTIOX. XXXI 
 
 King Acliadli, or Acliaius, requesting the assistance of 
 learned men, as some affirm, it may be immaterial to inquire, 
 but that a friendship subsisted between the two nations is 
 certain ; and Charles himself, in a mandate concerning the 
 Scots' church of Honaugia, speaks of them as having ob- 
 tained the particular favour and protection of the kings of 
 France before his reign. The Scots were indeed most zeal- 
 ous and indefatigable missionaries, and taught the Christian 
 religion to several nations, founding many churches and 
 religious houses in Germany, France, and Italy itself, 
 distinguishing themselves by their piety, and a strict ad- 
 herence to the primitive rites from which the church of 
 Eome had departed. 
 
 Lest I should be classed with those vain and prejudiced 
 Scotsmen, who are represented as maintaining what is called 
 the national honour, against all reason and historical facts, 
 fable and conjecture being thought the only support for their 
 assertions, it may be well to adduce some proofs, in order 
 to shew that Scotland must have possessed very ancient 
 documents, and men well qualified, as well as solicitous, to 
 frame and preserve such records. The violent heat — nay, 
 rage, with which many Scots' antiquaries have vindicated 
 the former glories of their country, has often subjected 
 them to reproach and ridicule, and has unfortunately de- 
 tracted from the merit of their works. 
 
 It is generally believed that the Druids committed no- 
 thing to writing, and that, in fact, their profession forbade 
 the use of letters ; but while this is true, as far as respects 
 their mythology and religious rites, there is every reason to 
 believe that they composed books or tracts on other sub- 
 jects. The bards, wdio were the professors and conserva- 
 tors of history, appear to have been under no restraint in 
 committing their particular knowledge to writing ; and it 
 is reported that collections of the Brelion laws of high anti- 
 
XXXll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 quity, and in their peculiar law language, still exist. At li, 
 or lona, the chief seat of the Druidical order in Scotland, 
 Coluniba is said to have burned a heap of their books ; and 
 in Ireland, St. Patrick was no less severe, committing, 
 according to the Leccan records, no less than 180 tracts to 
 the flames. The ass'ertion so often repeated in the Ossianic 
 controversy, that no Gaelic MSS. were in existence, was 
 generally believed until the investigations of the Highland 
 Society proved its falsity. If the reader consult the last 
 Chapter of this Avork, he will be satisfied that the Scots 
 had the use of letters in the most early ages, but as it 
 seems here necessary, to shew what reliance may be placed 
 on the statements which are subsequently introduced, and 
 to vindicate the authenticity of several of the authorities 
 which it has been necessary to quote, some account of the 
 early state of literature in the British Isles shall be given. 
 
 The Bards occasionally wrote in the first ages of Chris- 
 tianity, but we are told they did not make it a practice to 
 commit their poems to literary record before the fifth cen- 
 tury, and the distractions which so long afflicted the coun- 
 try occasioned the loss, either by destruction or removal, of 
 most of their productions ; and hence Gildas, who wrote in 
 the middle of the sixth century, for want of those " records 
 left by his own countrymen, which were either destroyed 
 by the enemy at home, or carried by exiles into other 
 parts," was obliged to apply for the most part to foreign 
 writers. N"ennius, who flourished in 858, tells us he com- 
 piled his history " from the Eoman annals, the chronicles 
 of the holy fathers, and the writings of the Scots and Eng- 
 lish ; also from the traditions of the elders, which, by many 
 learned men and librarians, had been reduced to writing, 
 but either from frequent deaths, or the devastations of war, 
 were then left in a decayed and confused condition." 
 
 The remains of British history were collected by Walter 
 
INTEODUCTION. XXXlll 
 
 Calenius, Archdeacon of Oxford, and were finally trans- 
 lated, interpolated, and published by Geoffry of Mon- 
 mouth. The author of the Life of Ninian, Bishop of Gal- 
 loway, says he made use of a book, " De vita et miraculis 
 ejus, barbaria Scriptus ;" and the Chronicon Ehythmicum, 
 a Scotish Eecord, was copied from " Chronica Scripta." 
 The ancient tract entitled "De situ Albanise," quotes 
 British histories and chronicles, and acts and annals of the 
 Scots and Picts. The orio-inal res^iister of St. Andrews 
 also quoted Pictish books ; yet Pinkerton maintains that 
 those people did not know the use of letters, his proof 
 being- that all their churchmen and men of learning were 
 either Welsh or Scots. It is sufficient evidence that the 
 Picts were not thus illiterate, could nothing else be ad- 
 vanced, than that Nechtan, one of their kings, wrote to 
 Ceolfrid, Abbat of Wearmouth, in 715, and translated 
 his long letter into the Pictish language ; and he was 
 accustomed, we are told, to peruse and meditate on the 
 Scriptures. A fragment of Strathclyde Gaelic, which Lhuyd 
 found, and pronounced of the sixth century, shews that 
 the people of that district were equally educated with 
 their neighbours. Adomnan's Life of Columba was first 
 written in Gaelic, as were most of the books known to have 
 been preserved at lona, several of which, in 1525, were 
 removed to Aberdeen, but otliers were seen lorn up for 
 snuff paper at Inverary. 
 
 The existence of the historian Veremundus, who has 
 been placed in the list of fabulous authorities by most 
 writers, is ably vindicated in a work by ]Mr. Tytler. That 
 he and others composed tracts on the national history is 
 certain, if quotations from their writings, and allusions to 
 them by early chroniclers, is a valid proof. To find histo- 
 rians, therefore, who wrote 1200 or 1400 years ago refer- 
 ring to old records in the same terms now applied to their 
 
XXXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 own works, surely proves tlie antiquity of writing. To 
 what extent the ancient documents thus referred to may 
 have been, cannot now be ascertained. John Fordun, in 
 the middle of the 14th century, mentions old chronicles 
 and historical annals which he had consulted. It is, indeed, 
 apparent that he transcribed from authentic materials, and 
 the only desideratum is to know their extent and antiquity. 
 
 The general belief has always been tliat our ancient 
 records were destroyed by Edward I. of England, but some 
 late writers have opposed this opinion, denying the exis- 
 tence of such documents, and alleging that all those he 
 carried away were returned after they had been examined 
 for the purpose of supporting that king's pretended claim 
 to the su]3remacy of Scotland. Chalmers says " he did not 
 destroy those documents, but is answerable for all the 
 derangement and loss they sustained ;" but his intentions 
 respecting the Scotish crown, and conduct towards the 
 country, justify a strong suspicion that no record inimical 
 to his object was by any means likely to be preserved or 
 restored. Sir George Mac Kenzie has observed that 
 Edward assuredly did not return all the documents he had 
 carried off, giving an instance in the release granted by 
 Eichard I. to William, which Eymer has published. 
 
 The destruction of national archives by the ravages of 
 war and civil dissensions has been lamentable. The Eefor- 
 mation was peculiarly fatal to those preserved in religious 
 houses. Duplicates of the renunciation by Edward III. of 
 all claim to the sovereignty of Scotland, were deposited in 
 each of the cathedrals, and of those only the one kept at 
 Glasgow was saved. 
 
 The picturesque and singular dress of the Highlanders 
 has been an object of particular remark. To those who 
 seem to have assailed the antiquity of everything peculiar 
 to this people, more from sentiments of individual aversion 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXXV 
 
 than from a spirit of candour or love of truth, it has 
 offered a prominent mark for the display of anti-Celtic feel- 
 ing. The garb is, in the following pages, described and 
 illustrated in all its varieties, as now and formerly worn ; 
 and while the arguments of those who assert its recent 
 adoption are overthrown, the constant use of the Breacan- 
 feile and Feile-beag will be proved from documents of un- 
 rpiestionable authenticity. It will be shewn that the ambi- 
 guous terms in which this unique and graceful costume has 
 been spoken of, cannot be applied to any other habit, and 
 that the writers were at a loss to describe a dress so different 
 from all others, and so ditticult to be comprehended by 
 those who only saw it at a distance, and were ignorant of 
 its arrangement. This will appear the less strange when 
 so few in the present day after it has become in some 
 degree familiar even to the inhabitants of " Cockaigne," 
 understand its proper composition ; and this not excepting 
 many of the natives of Scotland itself. While, however, 
 some authors have written in ignorance, many have done 
 so from a feeling of prejudice and silly jealousy of the 
 Scotish mountaineers ; but it will be proved that this primi- 
 tive costume, so well suited to the warrior, so well adapted 
 for the avocations of the hunter and shepherd, has not only 
 been the invariable dress of the Highlanders from time im- 
 memorial, but is to be derived from the most remote an- 
 ti(|uity ; and that neither their clothing, arms, language, 
 poetry, nor music, has been adopted from any nation 
 whatever, but received from the primaeval people whence 
 they sprang. Their country and pursuits rendering the 
 belted plaid and kilt the most convenient apparel, they 
 were not likely to lay it aside for any other. It is still less 
 probable, that had the Trius been worn before the adoption 
 of the Feile-beag, the inhabitants of a cold climate would 
 have denuded themselves of so essential a part of the dress 
 
XXXVl - ■' INTRODUCTION. 
 
 uf all other nations. Nor would a people so strongly at- 
 tached to their primitive customs, and opposed to change, 
 have become so partial to a dress introduced by strangers. 
 All who ever settled in the Highlands, as far as we can as- 
 certain, conformed to the manners of their adopted country. 
 
 I trust that I shall be found to have fulfilled all that was 
 promised in the Prospectus. If any part has been treated 
 superficially, it is the " genealogical dissertations," a subject 
 to which incidental allusions only could be made in such a 
 work. The materials I have, however, collected, are abun- 
 dant and interesting, and will enable me, should such an 
 undertaking meet with encouragement, to elucidate Clan 
 History in a novel and interesting manner. The ignorance 
 of heralds and genealogists has woefully mystified family 
 antiquities ; but my plan is not to derive families from the 
 individual whose name is first found in a charter, or other 
 document, as the laborious author of " Caledonia " has done, 
 imagining he had settled their origin by this proof, as if 
 persons of certain names, or even tribes, did not exist be- 
 fore the formation of certain parchment documents ! I 
 would, for instance, submit whether the Grants, a clan of 
 equal antiquity with the Mac Alpins, who are traditionally 
 considered to be coeval with their native hills, did not more 
 probably take their name from the well-known district in 
 Strathspey, called Griantaclid, the country of Grannus, or 
 the sun, than from a certain person called Le grand. The 
 clan Chattan do indeed say that they are sprung from, or 
 were connected with, the Cattans of the continent ; but the 
 Gordons, the Frasers, the Menzies, and the Euthvens, have 
 no tradition of their descent from the Gorduni, the Frisii, 
 the Menapii, or the Eutheni, of Gaul, although the simila- 
 rity of names seems of itself to infer a connnon origin. 
 
 I have endeavoured to relieve the tedium of the antiqua- 
 rian and descriptive parts with anecdotes, many of them 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXXVll 
 
 original, illustrative of the different subjects, and I liope 
 my selections may be thought judicious. I have, however, 
 forborne to infuse humour into my recitals, notwithstand- 
 ing it might have enlivened the drier parts of the narration. 
 
 The variety of matters which are discussed at lengtli, or 
 briefly alluded to in these volumes, %yill be seen from the 
 Index, in preparing which I have bestowed much care, con- 
 fident that to no work could it be more necessary. He who, 
 for want of this useful appendage, has been compelled to go 
 over a book in search of something, wdiich perhaps after his 
 trouble he may not find, will be able to appreciate this 
 part of the work. The reader will find the Index a faith- 
 ful assistant to almost every subject. 
 
 The gracious permission to dedicate this work to his 
 present Most Excellent Majesty, is a renewal of the distin- 
 guished honour intended me by his lamented predecessor. 
 
 I might, by individual application, have increased the 
 list of Subscribers. Small as it is, and inadequate to the 
 expense incurred, I feel proud in publishing the names of 
 those, who, on first hearing of the undertaking, expressed 
 their desire to patronise it. To several of those persons I 
 am also indebted for valuable information, which I thank- 
 fully acknowledge. 
 
 The Highland Society of London, every ready to pro- 
 mote objects of national importance, promptly declared 
 their resolution to encourage my design. 
 
 In addition to what has been said on some subjects, the 
 few farther observations which follow may not be inappro- 
 priate. 
 
 In page 98 are some remarks on the population of the 
 Highlands and Isles. The whole population of Scotland 
 will be ascertained by the census of May, 1831. It having 
 appeared to me desirable to obtain an accurate statement 
 
XXXviii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of the number of the Highlanders, dividing them into 
 clans or districts, I had the honour of corresponding with 
 Sir John Sinclair and others, who entered into my views 
 on the subject. Convinced that a census taken in this 
 manner would be of national utility, in putting govern- 
 ment in possession of the real strength of each clan, and 
 thus enabling it to determine what regiments could, in 
 case of emergency, be raised in certain parts, and recruited 
 from the same district, I took the liberty of communicating 
 my sentiments to Mr. Eickman, who was charged with the 
 execution of the Population Acts of 1801, 1811, and 1831. 
 My object was not deemed capable of being accomplished ; 
 but the following letter from a gentleman long in the army, 
 and on the recruiting service, will perhaps, show that its 
 adoption might have been attended with advantage. 
 
 " 2,1st August, 1830. 
 "Dear Sin, 
 
 "With respect to taking the cens\is by clans in the Highlands of Scot- 
 land, I think it wonld be of importance in many points of view, but 
 particularly with respect to military levies and national defence. When a 
 regiment is raised from one clan, the men consider themselves as much at 
 home wherever they serve, as though they had not left their native valley. 
 The youth enlist into such regiment with alacrity, and the more it dis- 
 tinguishes itself, and the harder its services, the more eager will they be to 
 gain a name among their kindred. Had the 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, and 
 75th regiments been the clan regiments of the Mac Donalds, the Mac 
 Intoshes, the Grants, the Mac Phersons, &c., the government had never 
 found it necessary to change their dress, and wrap their thighs in a 
 blanket, as the few Highlanders we had then in the 75th emphatically 
 called breeches of white coarse cloth. I conceive, that although heritable 
 jurisdictions have very properly been abolished, it would be advantageous 
 to government to keep up among the Gael as much of the spirit of clanship 
 as possible. If they have sacrificed so much to mistaken loyalty, what 
 may not be expected from their devotedness to a better cause, if in the 
 course of events it should require their support. In short, if the clan 
 system had been more fully adopted during last war, I have no doubt 
 
IXTRODUCTIOX. XXXIX 
 
 there would liave been at Waterloo, for every Higklauder who fought 
 there, at least two, and his Grace of Welliugtou can best tell what would 
 have been their value on such an occasion. The plan alluded to would 
 put the government in possession of the number of each clan, and in the 
 case of raising local forces, or troops for general service, they would fix 
 upon those clans whose numbers would enable them to complete their 
 levies in the shortest time. Upon this point it would create a useful feel- 
 ing among the chiefs, of retaining the tenantry upon their estates, for he 
 that has nothing but sheep on his grounds could never expect a colonelcy. 
 I have been a great part of my life a diligent observer of the character 
 and manners of the Highlanders, and I have uniformly found, that jire- 
 serving them in a liody is the only means of preserving their character 
 from degenerating. The reason of this is clear ; if a man commit an 
 unworthy action while serving abroad, his friends at home are sure to be 
 informed of it, and he looks upon himself as a banished man, who must 
 never revisit his native land. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, 
 
 ' ' Yours sincerely, 
 
 "Donald Mac Pherson." 
 To Mr. James Logan. 
 
 In support of the opinions here stated, it may be ob- 
 served, that at Waterloo, of 454 Scotsmen in the 42nd re- 
 giment, there were only 17 men of tlie name of Campbell, 
 and not one Gordon. The former join their friends in t]ie 
 79th and 91st. The latter serve in their own clan corps, 
 where also the Mac Phersons chiefly enrol themselves: In 
 like manner the Macraes, Munroes, Eosses, &c., join the 
 Mac Kenzies in the 78th, and the Mackays go into the 
 Sutherland regiment ; this, however, is no proof of the in- 
 difference of individuals to the feelings of clanship ; they 
 only, when entering the army, select the regiment where 
 they can associate with those who are from the same parts 
 of the country. The inference is, that were Highlanders 
 able to serve in a battalion of their own clan, they would 
 enter the service with more alacrity. 
 
xl . INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In stating, Volume I., page 323, that the sword which 
 belonged to Gordon, of Bncky, is believed to be the oldest 
 specimen of the basket hilt, I had not seen a weapon 
 which has been an heirloom in the family of Sir Charles 
 Porbes, of New, and Edinglassie, in Aberdeenshire. This 
 curions sword is very broad, but not of great length, and 
 bears an inscription " The Cuttie of New. Alex' Forbes. 
 1513." If the cliabli, or basket, is an original part, it 
 appears to be the most early specimen. 
 
 The names of the letters given in the Gaelic Alphabet, 
 in Volume II., are chiefly from the Dictionary published 
 under the sanction of the Highland Society, and I have 
 stated that the Irish idiom has been adopted. It is to be 
 regretted that the learned gentlemen employed in tins 
 great work did not give the native appellations of the 
 letters, several of which differ from those in the sister 
 dialect. The compilers had not the same object in view 
 which I have in speaking of the Tree system in the above 
 place, but some more attention to the letters, the materials 
 of which their whole work is composed, might have been 
 more satisfactory. The subject of Letters and Language, 
 discussed in the Introduction and last chapter, deserves a 
 more extended dissertation than the present design could 
 admit of " There is room," says Gibbon, " for a very 
 interesting work, — to lay open the connexion between the 
 lanouase and manners of nations." 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 OF THE CELTIC EACE, COMPOSING THE VARIOUS 
 NATIONS THAT FORMERLY INHABITED EUROPE. 
 
 Europe, in the most early ages, was inliabited by one race 
 of men, whose antiquity is enveloped in inscrutable dark- 
 ness. From the first memorial of their existence, they are 
 distinguished by the name of Celt^e, but the origin of 
 this remarkable people was utterly unknown to them- 
 selves. They had no idea of having ever occupied any 
 other country than that in which they found themselves; 
 and the Druids, the depositaries of their traditional 
 knowledge, maintained that they were aborigines.* This 
 belief was not singular, no'r more extraordinary than that 
 
 « Ammianus Marcellinus, on the authority of Timogenes. 
 
 B 
 
2 THE CELTS. 
 
 of many other nations, equally ignorant and credulous, 
 but more polished and refined. The Celtse, on the autho- 
 rity of their priests, declared themselves descended from 
 the god Dis, a being identified with the Pluto of Greek 
 and Eoman mythology,'' but more probably meant for the 
 Earth. 
 
 This derivation cannot be admitted : the inhabitants of 
 the west must have proceeded from Asia, the parent 
 country of all mankind, at a period which neither histo- 
 rical research nor popular tradition has been able to 
 approach. All history, both sacred and profane, proves 
 this quarter of the globe to have been the original seat of 
 mankind. 
 
 In migrating from the east, the human race successively 
 occupied Greece and Italy, and extended themselves from 
 the Euxine to the Atlantic. As their numbers increased, 
 they gradually took possession of the whole country from 
 the Mediterranean to the Baltic, and a scanty population 
 sought the means of subsistence, among the less inviting 
 wastes, from thence to the Frozen Sea. Europe and Cel- 
 tica were indeed synonymous :" the sole inhabitants, from 
 tlie Pillars of Hercules to Archangel, and from the banks 
 of the Euxine to the German Ocean, being Celts, how- 
 ever distinguished by particular names, applied at various 
 times to different tribes and independent communities. 
 The appellation Celtse, which this primitive people acknow- 
 ledged as their only proper name,*^ and which at first they 
 received from others, in subsequent times underwent several 
 changes. The ancient Greeks used this term in speaking 
 of them, but it afterwards became transformed into Calatse 
 
 b Caesar, cle Bello Gallico, lib. vi. c. 17. The Germans derived their 
 origin from Tuisto, apparently the same being as the Celtic Dis or Tis. 
 Tacitus, de Mor. Germanomm. 
 
 * Ortelliiis, " Geo^raphia vetus. " •* Caesar, ut sup. 
 
THE CELTS. O 
 
 and Galatse,* and the Eoman Galli was itself latterly 
 adopted by some Greek writers/ 
 
 Numeroiis etymologies have been offered for the solution 
 of this word. In all its variations it may, with probability, 
 be traced through the Greek KeXrou to some corresponding 
 term in the Celtic language that no longer exists. It 
 would be a waste of time to enumerate all the conjectures 
 which have been given, and the result would be unsatis- 
 factory. From various circumstances one people may 
 become distinguished from another ; but if enquirers were 
 to reflect, that original names cannot arise from national 
 manners, and that it is more natural for nations to become 
 denominated from the country they inhabit, than that it 
 should receive a name from its possessors, it would serve to 
 check many romantic and fanciful conceits. An appella- 
 tion so very ancient, and so extensively bestowed, must 
 have arisen from something independent of comitry, and 
 appropriate to a numerous race. 
 
 To derive the term Celtse from " Hills," or " Woods," 
 or " Waters," or from western or northern position, when 
 the people so designated occupied all parts of an extensive 
 continent, and filled its islands, is manifestly absurd. 
 How much more likely it is to have arisen from peculiar 
 personal appearance, the first and natural origin of names. 
 It has been supposed that the Greeks applied the term to 
 denote the milky lohiteness of the skin; but in this point 
 the difference between the two people seems insufficient to 
 give rise to a designation, which the Celts retained as their 
 
 ^ Pausanias, who wrote about 165, says they were but lately denomi- 
 nated Gauls, for they had always called themselves Celtte. Descriptio 
 GrjEcise, lib. i. c. 3. The term Gauls seems to have been at first applied 
 to those who had obtained a settlement in Asia, and were long known as 
 Galatians. 
 
 Appian first uses it in the beginning of the second century. 
 
4 THE CELTS. 
 
 owu proper name. A striking and a permanent dissimi- 
 larity has always existed between the European and the 
 Ethiopian, both in complexion and personal conformation. 
 Amid conjectures so various, may we not suppose, that in 
 the infancy of mankind, if I can so speak, perhaps before 
 they had visited Europe, a name arose expressive of the 
 fair complexion of the white man, compared with the sable 
 negro.^ From the primitive language of those who first 
 peopled the country, the Greek Galactoi has been undoubt- 
 edly derived, and was afterwards given as the origin of the 
 term, when the most ancient Celtic had become unknown. ^ 
 
 The practice of distinguishing individuals by personal 
 appearance and qualifications, is still retained by the Scots 
 Highlanders, the Irish, and the Welsh; and, in support 
 of the etymology I have above given, it is worthy of 
 observation, that "Gaelic" has been, by good antiquaries, 
 translated the language of white men. Gealta signifies 
 whitened, and comes from Geal, white.'' The similarity 
 of this word to the term CeltiB is striking; from it, in all 
 probability, came the Eoman Gallus. 
 
 As the Celtee jnoved westward, either from choice or the 
 pressure of an increasing jDopulation in the east, they car- 
 ried with them a simple language and mode of life ; and 
 as they met with no inhabitants in the land they took pos- 
 session of, their primitive manners could at first suffer no 
 farther change than what the difference of country and 
 climate would naturally produce. It may be inferred, 
 
 sSo the native Americans call themselves the red men, in contradis- 
 tinction to the whites. 
 
 •^ Gaelic Dictionaries. The Pictish Chronicle says, the Albani, who 
 had their names from their white hair, were the people from whom both 
 Scots and Picts were derived. Those who deduced Celtae from flaxen or 
 reddish coloured hair, give a plausible etymon: C was often used for G, 
 and seems to have been the most ancient letter. Hence we find the Ga- 
 latians were also called Calatians ; GaUicia was anciently Callacia, &c. 
 
THE CELTS. 5 
 
 ■with probability, that they continued for a considerable 
 time less warlike than nations who obtain a settlement by 
 force of arms, and must of necessity protect their acquisi- 
 tion by sunilar means. The disconnexion of their tribes, 
 a striking characteristic of the race, had an apparent ten- 
 dency to enfeeble the Celts, and seems to have prevented 
 the formation of any great empire, as among other nations; 
 but the peace in which they lived was favourable to popu- 
 lation. Their mode of life, while it cherished a love of 
 freedom, was highly conducive to bodily strength and 
 hardihood ; and the principle of division, which separated 
 the people into so many distinct and independent tribes, 
 did not prevent them from unituig in enterprises, by which 
 their power was often felt in various parts of the world. 
 They invaded Asia, they overspread Thrace, and enriched 
 themselves with the plunder of the temples of Greece. In 
 the reign of Tarquin the elder, nearly six centuries before 
 the incarnation,' a numerous body of Celtte, both horse 
 and foot, accompanied by multitudes of women and child- 
 ren, left their native seats in search of new settlements. 
 One part of this army followed Belovesus, and surmount- 
 ing the Alps, which, till then, it was believed, had never 
 been crossed, established themselves near the river Po; 
 while the other division, conducted by his brother, Sigo- 
 vesus, passed into Germany, where these emigrants settled, 
 in the vicinity of the Hyrcinian, now the Black Forest.^ 
 The numerous armies which the Celtse at times sent abroad, 
 filled with alarm the most warlike and civilized nations of 
 Europe. Their irresistible inroads, and the terror of their 
 name, procured j)eaceful settlements, and even the payment 
 
 • About 570, Bossuet, Histoire Uuiverselle, vol. i. p. 33. Ed. 1706. 
 Livius, Histoiia Komaua. lib. v. c. 34. 35. Appian, of the Gallic 
 War, c. 1. 
 
b THE CELTS. 
 
 of heavy annual tribute from powerful states. An army 
 of Gauls under the command of Brennus, went into 
 Italy against the Hetrusci, 390 years before the advent 
 of Christ. The Eomans thought proper to interfere in 
 the quarrel, and killed one of the Gallic princes; upon 
 which their army, marching to Eome, defeated the troops 
 who opposed them, laid the city in ashes, and finally 
 received one thousand pounds weight of gold to purchase 
 their retreat, and save the capital from inevitable destruc- 
 tion. CamHlus was fortunately able to repulse them, as 
 they lingered in the country, unapprehensive of attack ; 
 but they were not deterred by defeat from renewing their 
 overwhelming and destructive invasions.'' 
 
 About 270, A. C., in three great divisions, they 
 made inroads on Pannonia, Thrace, Macedonia, and Illy- 
 ria. Those who entered Macedonia routed the army by 
 which they were opposed, and slew Ptolemy the king. 
 Passing into Asia, they filled the inhabitants with terror 
 and dismay, and received from the suffering Bythinians a 
 free settlement in the country, where they were afterwards- 
 known as the Galatians, or Gallo-Greeks. The other divi- 
 sions were less fortunate ; but they retreated only to invade 
 Greece with redoubled fury, and a more numerous ar- 
 mament.' 
 
 The Celtas, notwithstanding the frequent demonstrations 
 of their warlike powers, were for a long period, but little 
 known to the more polished nations of Europe, who were 
 able to transmit authentic information concerning so sin- 
 gular a people. Their history and their religion were 
 preserved among themselves ; but their rigid adherence to- 
 traditional poetry, as the sole vehicle of record, has left 
 
 ^ Plutarch, in vita Camilla. Strabo, iv. p. 195, v. p. 213. 
 ' Pausauias, x. 19. 
 
THE CELTS. 7 
 
 posterity in much ignorance concerning the state of the 
 Celtic nations in early ages. Their ferocious invasions too, 
 however they might excite curiosity, were not calculated 
 to induce a personal visit to their territories, or a quiet in- 
 vestigation of their manners and antiquities. When there 
 "was, therefore, scarcely any communication with the north 
 and west parts of the continent, it was impossible to 
 acquire accurate information respecting these parts of 
 Europe, or the inhabitants ; hence the obscure and contra- 
 dictory intimations we find concerning both. 
 
 A people who are spread over a vast continent, cannot 
 long remain an entire nation. Boundaries, marked out by 
 nature, will divide the inhabitants into separate commu- 
 nities, and local situation will procure an appropriate 
 name, and create a difference in manners. In the lapse of 
 time the dissimilarity is increased, and when, from an 
 obvious and inherent principle, every community aspires to 
 an independent existence, the most powerful will acquire 
 and retain an ascendancy over the others, who, ultimately, 
 become confederates, and are classed as branches or subdi- 
 visions of a numerous association. Thus arises a variety 
 of nations or tribes that long continue to be regulated 
 by similar laws and customs, and retain their original 
 language, but eventually alter their dialect, and lose the 
 remembrance of a common origin. 
 
 The Celts, who were the sole inhabitants of Europe in 
 the infancy of time, were at last formed into a number of 
 divisions, distinguished by peculiar names, but retaining, 
 with their national affinity, the general appellation of 
 Celtse, 
 
 The apparent diversity of the ancient people of Europe 
 arising, as it should seem, from the confused and indefinite 
 ideas that existed respecting the regions of the north and 
 west, has been a prolific source for polemical discussion 
 
8 ' THE HYPERBOREI. 
 
 and has afforded ample matter for the disquisitions of 
 those who have applied themselves to investigate the origin 
 of nations. An ignorance, so favourable to the indulgence 
 of fancy, has given opportunity for the introduction of 
 fictitious narration. The Greeks were extremely credulous, 
 and it is often very difficult to understand what people 
 were meant in their dark and traditional relations. 
 
 The Hyperborej, or those who lived beyond the north 
 wind, appear the most singular of the people of antiquity. 
 So dark are the intimations that are handed down con- 
 cerning them, that we are inclined to consider the whole 
 as the fables or allegories of an obscure theology. Ac- 
 cording to some historians, si credimus, as Pliny very 
 considerately adds, they dwelt beyond the Eiphoean moun- 
 tains, which were always covered with snow, and from 
 whence the north wind arose: a latitude by no means 
 suitable to the descriptions given by others, of the genial 
 clunate, the fruitful soil, and the happy lives of the inha- 
 bitants." The situation of the Sauromatse, with whom 
 the Hyperborei have been identified, does not better justify 
 the appellation. Strabo speaks of the Hyperborei as 
 those people, whose geographical position could scarcely 
 give propriety to the name. Diodorus Siculus, on the 
 authority of Hecatfeus, a very ancient historian, who wrote, 
 as Herodotus informs us, a volume on the Hyperborei, 
 describes them as inhabiting an island opposite to Gaul, 
 and as large as Sicily ; but he does not appear to give 
 much credit to the relation." These islanders had of 
 long and ancient time a particular esteem for the Greeks, 
 arising from certain religious connexions, to be hereafter 
 noticed. This description appears applicable to Britain, 
 
 ™ Herodotus, lib. iv. Pliny, Hist. Nat. iv. 12. Pomp. Mela, i. 1, &c. 
 Strabo, i. p. 61. ° Diod. Sic. ii. 3. 
 
THE CIMMEEn. ^ 
 
 if there were not, as Bryant conjectures, a mysterious 
 signification in tlie name. It was certainly suited to 
 vague and unintelligible ideas respecting some remote 
 people. "VVTien Rome was taken by the Gauls under 
 Brennus, it was reported in the east that his troops were 
 an army of H}'p)erborei.'' These conflicting accounts 
 prove how little was really known of those who dwelt 
 beyond the snowy regions and the north wind. 
 
 The CiMMEKii, who are placed by Homer " at old 
 Ocean's utmost bounds," and are otherwise believed to 
 have lived in Italy, near the lake Avernus," inhabited the 
 country in the vicinity of the Cimmerian Bosphorus, to 
 which, either this j)eople, or an ancient city gave name. *• 
 Eusebius mentions an incursion of the Cimmerii into 
 Greece, 1076 years before Christ. Subsequently, they 
 made inroads on Ionia and Lydia, and took the city of 
 Sardes.' About 600 years before the Christian era they 
 were driven into Asia by the Scyths, where they are all 
 supposed to have perished. They sometimes were called 
 Trerones, from one of their tribes, the Treres, who bor- 
 dered on Macedonia ; ' a considerable distance, certainly, 
 from the position which the Cimmerians are generally 
 supposed to have occupied. Although the Cimmerii would 
 appear, from the above account, to have been extinct nearly 
 J2500 years, Dionysius Periegetes and Pliny speak of some 
 of them as still remaiuing in their original situation ; and 
 Plutarch says, that the greater and more warlike part took 
 
 "^ Heraclides of Pontus, de anima, quoted by Eitson. Plutarch, in 
 Vita Camilli, ibid. p Strabo, v. p. 244. 
 
 1 Strabo, xi. p. 494. Mela. James Gronovius says, the city itself 
 received its name from the Cimmerians, p. 137, ed. 1697. The Bos- 
 phorus is now known as the Straits of CafFa. 
 
 ' Strabo, Callisthenes, apud Gronovium in Animad. ed. 1739, &c. 
 Strabo. i. p. 61. Pliny, iv. 10. 
 
10 THE CIMBRI. 
 
 up their residence " in the remotest regions upon the 
 northern ocean.'" 
 
 It was a prevalent opinion, that they were the same 
 people as the Cimbei, who inhabited Jutland, Holstein, 
 &c., in Denmark, formerly denominated the Cunbrica 
 Chersonesus, and who introduced themselves to the notice 
 of the Eomans 113 years A. C." 
 
 Diodorus, from the resemblance which the two people 
 bore to each other in warlike renown, says the Cimbrians 
 were believed by many to be descended from the ancient 
 Cuumerians, and Possidonius thinks the former were the 
 original people, who, extending their arms eastward, gave 
 their name to the Bosphorus, an opinion in which Strabo 
 seems to acquiesce/ The memorials of the ancient Cim- 
 merii, who were so great and powerful, appear to have 
 been chiefly records of their military enterprises. Those 
 
 * In Bello Cimbrico. Pliny, vi. 12. 
 
 ^ The name of these people has received different etj^mological solu- 
 tions, it is said to arise from the Greek Kimeros, mist or darkness, the 
 origin of the Latin Cimmerius. Beloe, on Herodotus. Sheringham, and 
 Bryant, in his Analysis of Ancient Mythology, iii. 498, coincide in this 
 derivation. Others have deduced Cimbri from a word which signifies rob- 
 bers in German to this day. Festus, Plutarch, &c. Kimper or Kimber,, 
 a warrior, is also given as the origin. Whittaker, alluding to the name, 
 which the "Welch still retain, calls Cymri and Gael, equally the general 
 designations of the Celtse, being the hereditary name of the Gauls, from 
 Gomer, the son of Japhet, an opinion that is embraced by others, and 
 seems founded on the conjecture of Josephus, Antiq. 1. 6. It is an 
 origin of the "grand generic term," much easier admitted than that 
 they "were produced from the elements of their own proper soil and 
 climate." — O'Conner. Clelland, Voc. p. 202, says the appellation comes 
 from the ancient Celtic Kym, a mountain. "We find the island of Cim- 
 brei, now Cumray, the Kingdom of Cumbria, &c. In the Commentaries 
 of Caesar we also find Cimber a proper name. 
 
 The Bretons are said to assume the name Cumero. 
 
 'Lib. vii. p. 293. 
 
THE CIMBEI. 11 
 
 people, who afterwards were found on tlie shores of the 
 Baltic, although bearing a name so much alike, excited 
 little notice until they burst on the astonished nations, and 
 threatened the subversion of the Eoman empire. It was 
 then natural to enquire what they were, and .whence they 
 came, and it was not strange that the warlike Cimbri 
 should be derived from the anciently renowned Cimmerii. 
 Such a descent, notwithstanding the distance between their 
 respective situations," is not impossible; but a similarity 
 of name is not a decisive proof of national identity: it 
 demonstrates the existence at some period of a universal 
 language. In the want of certain information, and from 
 the ambiguity of the ancient historians, much diversity of 
 opinion has arisen concerning these people. Some authors 
 positively affirm, that the Cimbrians must have been Celts; 
 and others, with equal pertinacity, assert that they were 
 Germans; and both parties are provided with authorities 
 in vindication of their belief. The expressions of several 
 ancient writers, perhaps, leave it doubtful which nation 
 they understood the Cunbri to be most nearly related to ; 
 but others are sufficiently explicit. Plutarch says, that by 
 theu' grey eyes and large stature, they were thought by 
 some to be Germans, dwelling on the north sea;" and 
 Pomponius Mela says, the Cimbri and Teutones are situ- 
 ated in the Codan bay, " beyond the Hermiones and the 
 last of Germany."^ Pliny, ^ Strabo, Velleius Paterculus, 
 Tacitus, and others agree m calling them Germans. On 
 the other hand, Cicero, Sallust, Dio, Sextus Eufus, &c., 
 uniformly denominate them Celts or Gauls. Valerius 
 Maximus, speaking of their invasion of Italy, says, 
 Sertorius qualified himself for a spy, by assuming the 
 
 " Nearly 1400 miles. " In vita Camilla. 
 
 y De orbis situ, iii. c. 3. ' Lib. iv. c. 14. 
 
12 THE CIMBEI. 
 
 Gallic habit, and learning that language.* Florus, on the 
 same subject, says, the Cimbri, Theutoni, and Tigurini, 
 came from the most remote parts of Gaul -.^ out of the 
 hidden parts of the ocean, as Ammianus expresses it." 
 Diodorus states, that it was the opinion of many, that the 
 Celts were themselves descended of the ancient Cumnerii, 
 who, by a corrupt pronunciation, were then called Cimbri,^ 
 The Gauls who overran all Asia, he also says, were deno- 
 minated Cimmerii, and in his account of the Lusitanians, 
 he calls them the most valiant of all the Cimbri. " Celtae 
 sive Galli quos Cimbros vocant," are the striking words of 
 Appian.* 
 
 Some have reconciled these different and contradictory 
 passages by the consideration, that several tribes of Gauls 
 joined in the expedition to Italy. If, however, the two 
 people had been entirely distinct, the dissimilarity would 
 most probably have been noticed; but the manners of the 
 Cimbri, as they were disj)layed to the Eomans, do not 
 appear to have differed materially from those of the other 
 inhabitants of Gaul. The terror inspired by the over- 
 whelming invasion, through which their name first became 
 known, 113 years before the Christian era, seems to have 
 prevented a calm survey of visitors so alarming and so 
 unexpected. 
 
 An army of these people, so numerous, that, marching 
 without intermission, six days elapsed before it had wholly 
 passed, burst from the Alps like an irresistible torrent, 
 
 * Vita Sertorii. Cpesar says, tlie Aduatici, a tribe of Belgic Gauls, were 
 Cimbri, lib. ii. c. 29. Dio. Cassius repeats this, lib. xxxix. 4, and Appian 
 says the Nervii, a most powerful Belgian nation, were descended of the 
 Cimbri and Teutones, lib. vi. 2. See the ojiinions of various authors in 
 Kitson's Memoirs of the Celts. 
 
 b Lib. iii. 3. Strabo ii. p. 102. = Lib. xxxi. 6. 
 
 *> Lib. V. 2. « In Illyricis, c. 2. 
 
THE SCYTIIS. 16 
 
 resolved not to stop until the city of Eome had been razed 
 to its foundations. After several successful battles, this 
 vast multitude were indeed finally routed, with incredible 
 carnage;' but the magnitude of the enterprise, and the 
 desperate valour of the troops, made the strongest impres- 
 sion. 
 
 The Cimbri remained long after this in their ancient 
 seats, and obtained the friendship of the Eomans, but never 
 regained their former military renown. 
 
 The history of the people denominated Scyths, who, 
 from their various achievements, appear to have been a 
 numerous and powerful race, is involved in singidar ob- 
 scurity. It has excited much interest, but the labours of 
 those who have investigated the subject, notwithstanding 
 their care in the pursuit, have not produced a very satis- 
 factory result. Great learning, assisted by ingenious con- 
 jecture, has been exerted to ascertain whether the Celtse 
 or the Scythfe are the most ancient peojDle. The latter 
 appear in a period the most remote, and they are men- 
 tioned with so much ambiguity, that it seems impossible 
 to unravel the intricacy of their history. They are repre- 
 sented as conquering Asia 3660 years before the epoch of 
 redemption, and effecting various other important revolu- 
 tions in succeeding ages, until the seventh century before 
 our era, when they appear in Medea, whither they had 
 pursued the Cimmerians.^ They are supposed by many to 
 have been those who are now called Tartars, and by some 
 they are identified with the Celtse. Bryant, observing 
 that there were Scyths in Asia and Africa, as well as in 
 Europe, thinks the name was given to mixed and wander- 
 ing tribes in different parts of the world;'' in which 
 
 ^ See Plutarch's account of the Cinihrian war. 
 
 s Herodotus, iv. 1. 
 
 ^ Analysis of Ancient Mythology, 
 
14 THE SCYTHS. 
 
 opinion Gibbon concurs, calling it " a vague but familiar 
 appellation."' 
 
 Strabo says, that, as Homer lias intimated, all nations 
 were originally called Scytlire or Nomades; and afterwards, 
 in the countries of the west, they began to acquire the 
 appellations of Celt?e, Celto-Scythse, and Iberi ; but all the 
 nations had at first one nameJ 
 
 The Scythians were certainly not recent settlers among 
 the Aborigines; for, like the Celtse, they had no idea of 
 having ever possessed other lands, but believed themselves 
 more ancient than the Egyptians, who called themselves 
 the most ancient of men. The term 2KY9AS, a word, that 
 has, like others, received an abundant share of different 
 etymologies, was probably first used among the Greeks 
 by ^schylus, 625 years anterior to the Christian era.' 
 Amongst the Persians, Sacse was a general name for all 
 Scythians;" but in Europe, it seems to have been limited 
 
 • Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 
 
 3 Lib. 1. p. 33. Falconer, in his edition, i. p. 48, remarks on Nv/xaSag, 
 " apud Homerum non memini me legere hoc vocabulum." Xylander had 
 done the same. Casaubon thinks the word Used was different, but of the 
 same signification. Nomades is expressive of the shepherd state of 
 society. Nomades and Georgians appear to signify pastoral and agricul- 
 tural people. Pliny, iv. 12. The Greeks, according to Wachter, placed 
 the Scyths towards the north, the Celts to the west, and the Celto-Scythae 
 in a middle situation. Newton says all Europe was peopled with Cim- 
 merii and Scythians, before the time of Samuel. Chronology. 
 
 ^ Justin, quoted in a note on Beloe's Herodotus, 
 
 1 Pinkerton's Dissertation on the Goths. Scyth comes from Scytan ; 
 which, in the eastern language, signifies a dart. — Wachter. Sciot, is in 
 old Gaelic, a dart or arrow. — "Ogygia." Clelland says, Scuyt, is a man 
 of the north. The Scyths were called Aerpata, "ab aeor vir, et pata, 
 "csedere," sic. Herodotus, ii. 12. See the etymologies of the name 
 Scot. 
 
 " Herodotus, yii. c. 60. Sacse appears a corruption of Scythae, 
 Appiau, iii. 
 
THE GOTHS. ' 15 
 
 to the most celebrated nation amongst tliese people." The 
 Greeks long retamed the name of Scythse, which they 
 applied to those nations known to the Eomans, at first as 
 Get.e or Getians, latterly as Goths. Zosimus and other 
 late Greek writers, always denominate those Scythians, 
 who were called Getes by the Eomans; and Dexippus, who 
 wrote in the third century, entitles his history of their 
 wars with the empu'e, Scythica." 
 
 When Darius made his famous expedition against the 
 European Scythse, 514 years before Christ, he found the 
 Getse a warlike people, situated on the western shores of 
 the Euxine, and having subdued them, he went in pursuit 
 of the Scyths, who studiously avoided a collision with his 
 forces. One hundred and eighty years afterwards, Alex- 
 ander led his troops on a similar expedition, and found the 
 same inhabitants. 
 
 From these invasions, the Greeks appear to have ac- 
 quired their first knowledge of the Scythic nations. 
 
 Pliny says, these people inhabited from the mouth of 
 the Danube, inland, and that their tribes acquired various 
 names, the ancient denomination being retained by those 
 only who lived in the most remote and unknown j^arts.' 
 Priscus, Theophanes, and others, speak of this people 
 under both the Greek and Roman appellations ; and the 
 philosopher Anacharsis, celebrated as a learned Scythian, 
 was related to the royal princes of Getia. The two names 
 were, therefore, certainly applied to the same people. 
 
 " To the left (of the Danube) are the Scythse nomade 
 
 " Pliny. Diod. Sic. " "Even until the 14th century." Pinkerton. 
 
 P It has been supposed, that Scythie, Skutaa, Kutse, are but different 
 readings of Getse. Beloe, ut sup. Get, or Got, according to Torfeus, 
 anciently signified a soldier. i Herodotus, iv. 
 
 >■ Lib. iv. [12. The term Gothi began, in his time, to supplant the 
 ancient name of Getse. 
 
16 THE SCYTIIS. 
 
 towards tlie west, who are spread even to the east sea and 
 India," are the words of Strabo ; * who elsewhere says, the 
 most considerable river which flows through Scythia, is the 
 Danube: and this river is placed by Diodorus among those 
 of Gaul,* where it certainly arose, and discharged itself in 
 the Euxine, in the territories of the Getse, who lived on 
 the north bank of the stream. Pliny speaks of the Scy- 
 thians inhabiting a part of Moesia, towards Pontus ; and 
 those who lived in that country were afterwards classed 
 among the Gothic nations. Herodotus says, where Thrace 
 ends, Scythia begins, and extends westwards to the city 
 Carcinitis." 
 
 From this indefinite application of the term Scythse, it 
 appears to have been suitable to various tribes, and most 
 probably was used to designate those who remained in the 
 state of Nomades, while others, who were settled, became 
 distinguished by peculiar names, as Pliny seems to have 
 understood." It is otherwise scarcely possible to account 
 for the remote and disconnected situations in which this 
 people are found. 
 
 Their vagrant habits were proverbial. Herodotus says, 
 they had neither towns nor fortified places, but carried 
 their habitations along with them, so that their constant 
 abode might be said to be in their waggons;'' and these 
 habits characterized them in the time of Ammianus, who 
 describes them as wandering over the wilds in their carts, 
 whensoever and whither they pleased:" a mode of life 
 which Horace seems to envy.' 
 
 » Lib. xi. p. 507. * Lib. v. 2. " Lib. iv. 96. 
 
 ' Lib. iv. 12. The Scholiast of AppoUoniiis Khodius, wlio floiuislied 
 230 years A.c, speaks of 50 nations of Scytlis. ^ Lib. iv. 
 
 " Lib. xxii. 8. 
 
 y " Campestres melius Scythte 
 
 Quomm plaustra vagas rite traliuut domes 
 Vivunt, et rigidi Getse." Lib. iii. 23. 9. 
 
THE DACLiNS. 17 
 
 The Daci, wlio lived contiguous to the Getse, are often 
 confounded with tliem, which evidently shews that little 
 difference could exist between the two j)eople. They are, 
 it is true, frequently mentioned distinctively, but we have 
 Strabo's authority, that the terms were indiscruninately 
 used;'' and Pliny tells us, that the Romans called the 
 people by either name, " Getse, Daci, Eomanis dicti." 
 Strabo says, the Daci " ab antiquo" lived towards Ger- 
 many, around the sources of the Danube,* which is con- 
 siderably to the west of the situation which is afterwards 
 assigned them; but it is apparent that the Celts themselves 
 have been considered Scyths. Plutarch says, " the Celtae 
 " extend from the Western Ocean to the part of Scythia 
 " on the Euxine ; that the two nations mmgle together ; 
 " and that, notwithstanding they are distinguished by 
 " different na,mes, according to their tribes, yet their whole 
 " army is called Celto-Scythae."'' That the Greeks deno- 
 minated the northern nations Celto-Scyths, has been before 
 observed. Anastasius, a writer of tlie ninth century, says 
 the ancients were accustomed to call all the northern region 
 Scythia, where are the Goths and Danes ;" and Ortellius 
 remarks, " Celtas cum Scythis, conjungit Aristoteles de 
 mundo."** A line of demarcation has been drawn between 
 the two people, at the point " where the waters ilow east- 
 ward to the Euxine, and westward to the Atlantic;"^ but 
 they are so little discriminated, that a precise definition of 
 their territories is impossible, and when we speak of the 
 one people, we must " often include an idea of both,"' 
 
 " Lib. vii. p. 304. « Lib. vii. •> In vita Marii. 
 
 •= Pinkertoii's Enquiiy, i. 192. 
 
 ^ Geographia, 1595. He considers all the ancient inhabitants of EiU'ope 
 Celts, and quotes many authorities to i)rove all the northern nations of 
 that race. See his map of Europe, &c. 
 
 ^ Caledonia, i, p. 10. ' Ogygia. 
 
 
 
18 SCYTHIANS. 
 
 The Gotlis, or Scythians, are, therefore, an aboriginal 
 people of Europe, differing in some respects from their pre- 
 decessors the Celts. That they were of the same race, but 
 later in the stream of population that flowed westward, is 
 the clear inference from all that the ancients have left us 
 concerning them. 
 
 Strabo observes, that the Greeks called the Getse, 
 Dacians, and reckoned both Thracians, because they all 
 used the same language. Thrace anciently extended from 
 the Danube to the Gulf of Corinth,^ and when the dispute 
 between Erectheus, and Eumolpus the Thracian, who laid 
 claim to Athens as part of his father's territory, was 
 settled, it was agreed that both people should be consi- 
 dered as one, and that the mysteries celebrated at Eleusis, 
 the capital of Thrace, should be equally revered at 
 Athens.'' Thus, 3000 years ago, the Greeks and Barba- 
 rians were but beginning to consider themselves different 
 people. The cognate marks by which nations of identic 
 origin are recognised, were not effaced among tlie Scythic 
 race long after the unmixed Celts had been confined to 
 the Avest. Wlien Xenophon finished the retreat of the 
 10,000 among the Getse, 398 years A.c, the Greeks were 
 then received as a kindred people.' 
 
 The wisdom, the learning, the justice, and the clemency 
 of the Scythic nations, have been much extolled. So great 
 praise could not have been bestowed without some reason, 
 and we therefore find many illustrious persons of antiquity 
 were connected by birtli with the Getic tribes.^ 
 
 s Thucydides, ii. 29. Hence Pausanias speaks of the Getae obtaining 
 " that part of Thrace which is bej'ond the Ister," i. c. 9. 
 
 ^ See Clarke on Coins, p. 6Q, with his anthorities. 
 
 ' Herodotus, iv. 9S, ap. Caledonia. Strabo Lib. vii. says the Celts and 
 Thracians mingled together. 
 
 J Anacharsis. Menander, the inventor of comedy. Zamalxis, who 
 wrote of a place of happiness in a future state, &c. &c. &c. 
 
THE THREE DIVISIONS OF GAUL. 19 
 
 The Celts, who were " the most remote inhabitants 
 towards the west'" 500 years before the advent of Christ, 
 retained the same position when CVesar commenced the 
 Gallic war, fifty-seven years before that era. At this time 
 they appeared in three great divisions : the Celtse, the 
 Belgie, and the Aquitani; distract from each other, and 
 separated from the Germans by the river Ehine.^ We 
 have here a proof of the gradual formation of several 
 nations, from one numerous and wide-spread race; for the 
 more ancient historians were ignorant of these divisions, 
 and the terms, even at the above period, seem to have been 
 applied more as local distinctions of the same race, than 
 indications of different people. 
 
 Diodorus relates, what he tells us few knew any thing 
 about, that " the Celtse inhabited the inland parts about 
 " the Alps, and on this side the Pyrennean mountains, 
 " called Celtica ; and those who were below this part, 
 " southward to the ocean, and the mountain Hyrcinus, and 
 "all as far as Scythia, were called Gauls, but the Eomans 
 " called all the inhabitants by one and the same name of 
 " Gauls."™ Ctesar, who describes the three nations as 
 differing from each other in customs, language, and laws, 
 at the same time says, that the whole people continued to 
 denominate themselves Celtie, which term was also some- 
 times used by the Eomans with the more familiar appella- 
 tion of Galli, as other writers also notice." 
 
 Armnianus Marcellinus, wdio lived 438 years later than 
 Csesar, thinks it rather a matter of conjecture than of fact, 
 that Gaul was inhabited by three sorts of j)eople, and he 
 as a soldier, had often come in contact with their troops, 
 
 ' Except the Cynetse. Herodotus, iv. c. 3. 
 
 1 Caesar de Bello Gallico, i. 
 
 » Lib. V. c. 2. " De Bello Gallico. Pliny, iv. 
 
20 • THE BELGIANS AND GERMANS. 
 
 and liacl served in Gaul and Germany, along with nume- 
 rous bodies of Celtic auxiliaries. 
 
 An examination of the ancient historians and geogra- 
 phers, will shew the positions of the three nations, and 
 wherein they differed from each other, and from the people 
 who dwelt around them. 
 
 From the Garonne to the Seine and Marne was the pos- 
 session of the CELTiE, who retained their ancient and ap- 
 propriate name, as they did also that of their country, 
 which was called Celtica. From the Seine to the Ehine 
 were the territories of the Belg^e, who were the most cele- 
 brated nation of Gaul. This people believed themselves 
 descended of the Germanni, from whom they were only 
 separated by the Ehine ; but in those ancient times, when 
 the Germans are said to have sent this colony across the 
 river to settle in Belgica, were they not themselves Celtse, 
 with whom they retained the common tradition of being 
 indigenous ?° Dio Nicseus says, that, in the most ancient 
 times, the inhabitants of both sides of the Ehine called 
 themselves by the same name, Celts ; and he himself calls 
 the Belgians, Celtics.^ Josephus calls the German legion, 
 which formed Caligula's body guard, the Celtic ; and 
 Ortellius, who cites many authorities, says the unanimous 
 opinion of all historians is, that •those called Gauls and 
 Germans were Celts." Strabo found the two people closely 
 resembled each other in manners and personal appearance, 
 from which he conceived that the Germans had been 
 rightly named the brethren of the Gauls. His etymology 
 
 ° Tacitus de Moribus Germauorum. Like tlie Celts, they also affected 
 a celestial origin. In their old poems they celebrated Tuisto, a god sprung 
 from the earth, and his son, Mannus, as their first parents. 
 
 5 Quoted in Eitson's Memoirs of the Celts. 
 
 1 Geographia, sub Europa. He also speaks of " Celtica sive Germanica." 
 See also Sheringham, de Anglorum gentis origine. 
 
THE BELGIANS AND GERMANS. 21 
 
 may be MTong/ but the term was certainly imposed by the 
 Eomans, and never acknowledged by themselves." Suidas, 
 in like manner, affirms that the Celts were also called 
 Germans, but Schoepflin understands him to mean other- 
 wise.' Many Gallic nations were settled on the German 
 side of the Ehine, and one of the most considerable was 
 that of the Helvetii, who are described by Caesar as in no 
 respect different from the other inhabitants;" at the same 
 ime he says, they were not enth'ely similar to the Celts,' 
 This is inconsistent with what he has elsewhere observed 
 of these colonies,"' and perhaps implies no greater variation 
 than what is observable between the remote districts of all 
 countries; for throughout his Commentaries, it does net 
 appear that the difference iDctweeu the Celtic nations was 
 very material. Tacitus, finding so many Gauls in Ger- 
 many, endeavours to account for part of them, by saying 
 they were vagabonds, who, being reduced by poverty to 
 the necessity of leaving their own country, settled on the 
 waste lands that appeared to belong to no certain pro- 
 prietor. Csesar says, these Gaulish emigrants established 
 themselves in the most fruitful places ; but even had these 
 tracts been entirely unoccupied, bands of robbers, how- 
 ever desperate they may have become, would have had 
 some difficulty in taking forcible possession of them. The 
 Germans looked sharply after their waste lands, and were 
 by no means inclined to let strangers occupy even the most 
 desert places. The poor Ansibarians, one of then- ovfn 
 tribes, after an unsuccessful revolt, were not permitted to 
 settle any where among them, but were exposed to all the 
 
 ' Lib. iv. p. 195, vii. p. 290, 
 
 ' Mr. Greatheed, in Arcliselogia, xvi. Clarke saj's the word signifies 
 swordsmen or warriors. * " Vindicise Celticse." 
 
 "Bello Gallico, vi. c. 22. ^ Ibid. vi. c. 19. '^Ibid. vi. c. 10, 
 
22 THE ORIGIN OF THE GEEMANS. 
 
 Eoman vengeance for asserting tlieir liberty, and wandered 
 about till tliey were utterly exterminated." The proba- 
 bility is, tliat the Gallic colonies obtained peaceable settle- 
 ments from the claims of national affinity; and it may be 
 proof of a good understanding between the two people, 
 if it goes not farther, that several German tribes made 
 common cause with the Belgic armies in the Gallic war, 
 Tacitus has himseK, in another place, acknowledged the 
 close resemblance of the nations inhabiting both sides of the 
 Ehine ; and the tradition that the Belgians were a colony 
 of Germans, may have arisen from some faint recollection 
 of the progress of the ancient Celtae to the west of Europe. 
 
 It has been much disputed whether the Germans are of 
 Scythic or Sarmatian origin. It is scarcely necessary to 
 add much on a subject which has been treated Avith a 
 greater degree of attention than it perhaps merits.'' Pom- 
 ponius Mela says, the Sermatse and the Germanni were the 
 same people, and Pliny affirms that they were anciently 
 Scyths : the name Scythce, says he, is changed into that 
 of Sarmatians and Germans.^ Pausanias remarks the 
 nomadic state in which the Sauromatte lived," and in 
 which they bore so strong a resemblance to the Scythians, 
 of whom, according to Procopius, they were but a tribe. 
 Some of the Sarmatee appear, from Pliny, to have been m 
 Pannonia, and Diodorus brings them from Medea ; but 
 they may, with some propriety, be said to have perambu- 
 lated rather than inhabited a country.^ 
 
 The extent of Germania in later times seems not to 
 have been very well ascertained. It was called Lochlin, 
 
 ''Tacitus, Annals. 
 
 ySee the works of Dr. and James Macpherson, Piukerton, and many 
 others. 
 
 ^ Lib. iv. c. 12. In lib. ii. c. 13, he expressly says, European Scythia 
 comprehended Germany. * Lib. i. c. 21. '' Macpherson's Introduction. 
 
THE AQUITAIN GAULS AND IBEEIANS. 23 
 
 or Lyclilin, by the British tribes; a name that repeatedly 
 occurs in the works of the bards, and was extended to 
 Scandinavia. A Gaelic MS., of the ninth or tenth cen- 
 tury, describes Gaul and Lochliu as one and the same 
 country, only divided by the Ehine.' 
 
 The Aquitani, the third division of the Celtse, were 
 situated between the river Garonne and the Pyrennean 
 mountains, and they called their country Aremorica.** The 
 most considerable difference between the Gauls was found 
 in the inhabitants of this district, who resembled the 
 Iberians more tlian the other Celts." 
 
 This personal resemblance of the two nations may have 
 arisen from their vicinity to each other, and a different 
 complexion from the northern Gauls appears to have been 
 the effect of a warmer clunate; but a better reason for 
 the similarity may be found m the authorities already 
 quoted, as well as in others, where it appears that the 
 Iberians were themselves originally Celtas, who, crossing 
 the Pyrennees, acquired the name of Celtiberi, or rather 
 Celtse-Iberi ; the inhabitants of both sides of these moun- 
 tains living in amity and friendship, mtermarrying, and 
 wearing the same dress, the Celts inhabiting the accessible 
 parts of the mountain itself.' Ephorus, according to 
 Strabo, extends Gaul to the city of Cadiz. 
 
 The Gauls, after having remained in the west and north 
 of Europe until they had become very numerous, sent 
 back their redundant population to seek for new settle- 
 ments in the countries which were peopled by the first 
 
 •= Report of the Committee of the Highland Society on the Poems of 
 Ossian, Appendix, p. 309. Lychlyn, i. e. the lake of standing water, is 
 the Welsh name for the Baltic. 
 
 ^ Caesar, de B. G. vii. c. 32. Pliny, iv. c. 17. « Strabo, iv. p. 176. 
 
 ' Diod. Sic. V. c. 2. Strabo, iii. p. 162. Appian, in Ibericis, lib. vi. 
 c. 2. " Gallorum Celtte miscentes nomen Iberis." Lucan, iv, 9. 
 
24 • ANCIENT LANGUAGES. ' 
 
 Celtic migrations, but where all recollection of their com- 
 mon origin was apparently lost, and many colonies were 
 established in various places. 
 
 Italy itself was originally peopled by the Celta3, in their 
 progressive advances to the extremities of the west. The 
 Umbrians, "an exceeding great and ancient people," were 
 the first known inhabitants, and were certainly Gauls,^ and 
 the progenitors of the Sabin&s, whom Cicero calls the 
 flower of Italy. LilvC the Aquitani about the Pyrennees, 
 the Celts dwelt on each side of the Alps. Near them 
 were the Turinois, Agoniens, and many other nations of 
 the same race.'' The Ligurians, Hetruscans, Venetians, 
 Insubrians, &c., were undoubtedly Celts; but many Gallic 
 colonies at different periods settled in Italy, where a 
 national relationship, in all probability, assisted them in 
 obtaining favourable possessions. The territories of this 
 people were called by the Eomans Cisalpme Gaul; and 
 when they had been subdued, and had obtained the privi- 
 leges of Eoman citizens, the province was distinguished by 
 the name of Gallia Togata. 
 
 The apparent variety of languages among the ancient 
 inhabitants of Europe, is advanced as a strong argument 
 in proof of a diversity of races. The Celts were the sole 
 people who, after their migrations, settled in the west and 
 north of Europe, and spreading themselves over a large 
 continent, they became separated into cantons or nations, 
 that acquired or assumed distinctive appellations. As the 
 learned Dr. Murray observes, " each horde soon multi- 
 plied into various nations, regulated by similar customs, 
 and loosely connected by language." Various circum- 
 
 s Servius, in Eueid, Soliims. Tzetzes on Lycophron, Pezron, &c. 
 Pliny tells us the Tuscans won 300 cities from them, and Amera, accord- 
 ing to Cato, was founded 964 years before the war with Perseus. 
 
 ^ Polybius, &c. 
 
ANCIENT LANGUAGES. 25 
 
 stances operating on their common speech, gave rise to 
 pecuhar pronunciation or dialect.' The change of old, 
 the substitution of new words, and other causes affecting 
 articulation, produce, in time, great difference between the 
 speech of distant places in an extensive country; but 
 among nations of identic origin, there must long continue 
 a close affinity of language. That the Celtic and Gothic 
 are derived from the same source is evinced by many works 
 of profound learning, and if a resemblance or connexion 
 between them is still to be traced, the sunHarity must have 
 been much more perceptible 2000 years ago. Thucydides 
 says, that before Homer's tune, there was no distinction 
 known between the Greeks and those called Barbarians; 
 that the whole inhabitants closely resembled each other in 
 customs, manners, and language, and lived in a good 
 understanding with each other. 
 
 The language of the Greeks and Thracians was anciently 
 as much alike as their religion; and Orpheus, Musseus, 
 with several other poets, celebrated as Greeks, were 
 certainly Thracians.'' Ovid says that the Getic language, 
 although much altered, still retained evident marks of its 
 Grecian original. Wachter shows that the Celto-Scyths, 
 being the most ancient Germans, and the progenitors of 
 the Goths, Saxons, and other nations, "their tongue, 
 although from the mutations of ages now very much 
 altered," must have origmally been the Celtic language.'' 
 The Anglo-Saxon itself, derived from the Ingevones, "is 
 the maritime daughter of Celtica, and the first-born, from 
 
 ' M. Bullett, Memoir siir la laiigue Celti(|ue, i. c. 4, says the difference 
 of climate will alter a language. 
 
 J Orpheus is represented as a native of Thessaly, but this country was 
 originally part of Thrace. Strabo. 
 
 ^ Glossarium Germannicmu, Prefatio, c. xxviii. 
 
26 ANCIENT LANGUAGES. 
 
 her nativity neither entirely similar nor not altogether 
 unlike.'" Schilter" and Gebelin" also prove this family 
 connexion. "These vastly - learned authors demonstrate, 
 without intending it, that the Celtic and Teutonic lan- 
 guages had a common origin."" The similarity of the 
 Greek and Teutonic has often been observed. This fact 
 first struck Camden, Stephens, and Scaliger; but "Salmasius, 
 Francis Junius, and Meric Casaubon, first inferred that the 
 Greek and Gothic languages, which were so similar in many 
 respects, must have come from a common parent;"'' and 
 this evidence of speaking the same tongue, may be acknow- 
 ledged as one of the surest proofs of original descent." 
 
 The . Latin, which is composed, according to Dr. Smith,' 
 of the Greek and the ancient languages of Italy, affords a 
 less striking resemblance to the Gothic. The dialects of 
 Italy were derived from the Celtic, but from the late for- 
 mation of the Latin the affinity is less obvious: yet 
 Quintillian observes, that among the words derived from 
 other languages, those from the Gallic were most numerous, 
 and gives several instances.' The grammatical construction 
 of the old Latin was exactly similar to the Celtic. Thus, 
 pennai, aulai, for pennse, aulse, in the genitive, is exactly 
 
 * Ibid. Lingua Anglo Saxonica, cum sit ab Ingevonibus orta, filia est 
 Celtics maritima et primogenita, natalibus suis nee omniuo siniilis, nee 
 omnino dissimilis, c. xli. ™ Thesarus Ant. Teutonicum. 
 
 " Monde primitif, ix. 41, 51. ° Caledonia i. p. 12. p Ibid. 
 
 9 Clarke, on Coins, p. 77. The similarity of weights and measures offers 
 to this intelligent writer an additional evidence of identic origin. A Mr. 
 Kuithan recently published a work, to shew that not only were the Greek 
 and German languages alike, but that the people were originally the same. 
 Cluverius thinks the German is the purest relic of the Celtic. 
 
 •■ On the formation of language, 
 
 » Festus calls a Gallic chariot, Petoritum. Pedwar, Welch, is four, 
 Eheda, wheel. This is noticed by Cluver, Dr. Murray, &c. Caterva, a 
 legion ; Cad, Gaelic, an army ; Turva, multitude, &c. 
 
ANCIENT LANGUAGES. 27 
 
 tlie fionnai, malai, of the Gaelic. In like manner the abla- 
 tive was formed by the addition of d: pucnandod, pra:;dad, 
 now pngnando, prseda, precisely resembling the cogadh, 
 creachadh, of the Gaelic,* in which it is to be observed that 
 the final d is not sounded; and this quiescence in the old 
 Latin is the apparent reason of its ultmiate omission. 
 
 If the various languages which ancient authors speak 
 of, were radically different, tlie number of nations and of 
 races will be wonderfully increased. Mithridates, king of 
 Pontus, is said to have learned twenty-two languages, that 
 he might be able to converse with all his subjects ; and 
 Timosthenes says, that in a town of Colchis, three hundred 
 nations, each of a different language, met to traffic;" but 
 these accounts are at variance with the express testimony 
 which we find, of the close affinity of the languages 
 anciently spoken in Europe. We ought, in most cases, to 
 understand dialect only, an inference that is justified by the 
 writers themselves. Strabo, who gives the Alani, an incon- 
 siderable people, twenty-six languages, tells us the Getae 
 and Daci, both very powerful nations, or rather the same 
 people, had but one speech;" and represents the Gauls, 
 whose three divisions, according to Ccesar, had peculiar and 
 distinct languages, as differing little from each other in 
 manners, and still less in speech.'" St. Jerome says, the 
 Galatians, who were undoubtedly Celts, besides the Greek, 
 spoke the saqie language as the Treviri, a people of, or 
 bordering on, Belgic-Gaul." Herodotus says the Scythic 
 nations resembled each other in their manners generally, 
 
 * Eeportjou the poems of Ossiau, Appendix, p. 263. 
 
 "As quoted iu Lewis's History of Britain, fol. 1729. "Wlien Diod. 
 Sic. says of Hannibal's troops, that they differed as mucli in their 
 humours as they did in their languages, are we to understand him 
 literally ? 
 
 ' Lib. viii. " Lib. iv. " Comment on Galatians, ii. 
 
28 ANCIENT LANGUAGES. 
 
 but had particular dialects, and that the Suromatse used 
 the Scythic speech/ If this language had been radically 
 different from that spoken in Western Europe, some traces 
 of it would certainly have remained, but no specimen can 
 be produced. The Gothic tongue undoubtedly sprang from 
 tlie Celtic. Tacitus informs us, that in his time the 
 Gothini spoke the Gallic language, and the Cimbri and 
 JE&tii used the British speech." That it was Celtic, is 
 beyond dispute. Eeinerus Eeineccius, an author of credit, 
 who is quoted by Camden, affirms that both Gauls and 
 Cimbri used the same speech;* which, indeed, appears 
 from those authors who speak of the people as of the 
 same race. 
 
 The Scythians, who were attacked by Darius, either 
 spoke Gothic, or it cannot be admitted that either they or 
 their descendants ever came into Europe. In this part of 
 the world the Celtce first arrived, "and supplied a lan- 
 guage; then, in the course of thousands of years, came 
 different tribes of the same people, the language of each 
 radically the same as the first, but from the lapse of time 
 somewhat changed.'"" 
 
 Nations that are favourably situated for commercial pur- 
 suits suffer a change in their language sooner tlian those 
 who are inland and removed from intercourse with stran- 
 gers. Wlien manufactures and arts begin to excite the 
 attention of mankind, there arises new ideas, and a neces- 
 sity for new expressions. When the productions of one 
 country become objects of desire to the inhabitants of others, 
 the wants which are reciprocally supplied by the exchange 
 of commodities increase with the facility of gratification; 
 and hence, as the arts of civil life begin to be encouraged, 
 
 'Lib. iv. 117. * Camden, Higgins, Lewis, &e. 
 
 ' De moribus German orum. '' Higgins's "Celtic Druids," p. 62. 
 
ANCIENT LANGUAGES. 29 
 
 new words are required, aud language undergoes a gradual 
 and inevitable alteration. Thus the speech of a people 
 who are in a state of progressive improvement becomes 
 much changed in process of time. Polybius writes, that 
 the Latin was then so different from what it had been in 
 the time of Lucius Junius Brutus and Marcus Valerius, 
 who were consuls when the first treaty between the Eomans 
 and Carthaginians was made, that little of that document 
 could be then understood." But when a nation, on the 
 contrary, is stationary in civilization, the language neces- 
 sarily remains the same. 
 
 The Eomans were always studious to introduce their 
 language into all countries which were brought under their 
 dominion/ but they would have been less successful in 
 producing any change among the Gauls, had they not been 
 able, at the same time, to establish a considerable commer- 
 cial intercourse. These nations found a stimulus to their 
 natural ingenuity, and a gratification to their avarice, of 
 which they are said to have had a good share, by the 
 advantages of a friendly intercourse and profitable trade 
 with the luxurious Eomans; and their partiality to the 
 wines of Italy had, no doubt, a tendency to soften their 
 characteristic dislike to innovation. 
 
 It is equally customary, even in these days, to call pecu- 
 liar dialects by the name of languages, as it is to generalize 
 various dialects under one denomination. The Gaelic of 
 Scotland, the Welch, the Irish, and the Manx are consi- 
 derably different from each other, and yet they are but 
 dialects of the same speech, and the term Briton is common 
 to the whole inhabitants of the island; yet the English, 
 
 *Lib. iii. 
 
 d "So sensible were the Eomans of tlie influence of language over 
 national manners, that it was their most serious care to extend, with the 
 progress of their arms, the use of the Latin tongue." Gibbon. 
 
30 LITTLE KXOWN OF THE ANCIENT CELTS. 
 
 the Scots, and tlie Welch are distinct people, and they all 
 nse the English language, (except in the Gaelic parts;) but 
 the dialects are, in some cases, so different, that they 
 scarcely appear the same, and are, indeed, sometimes called 
 different languages.* 
 
 The Yorkshire, and the west country dialects, have no 
 great resemblance to that of Middlesex; nor is the speech 
 of the people in the north like that used by the inhabitants 
 of the southern provinces of Scotland. 
 
 Thus do we find a primaeval race, arriving in Europe 
 at some unknown and remote period, and filling with inha- 
 bitants a vast extent of territory. Different divisions of 
 these aborigines acquired distinct names with appropriate 
 possessions, and, in the lapse of ages, became dissimilar in 
 manners, in colloquial idiom, and pronunciation. A due 
 consideration of these apparently natural and certain effects 
 of separation, may prevent much unsatisfactory argument 
 that bewilders and perplexes the mind, in the vain attempt 
 to find distinct and various races of men, where all must 
 have had a common origin. The Barbarians appeared to 
 the early Greeks and Eomans, who knew little of them, 
 under different lights, and were viewed as consisting of 
 many nations : when they came under more particular 
 observation in later times, there had arisen differences 
 sufficient to justify a national appellation. 
 
 There is, it must be confessed, a gloom around the early 
 history of the Celts, which neither the writings of anti- 
 quity, nor the deepest investigations of modern ages, are 
 able entirely to penetrate. 
 
 The faint light by which the Hyperborei, the Cimbri, 
 the Scythffi, and the Celtte are presented to our view, is 
 
 « "The Scotcli is not to be considered a provincial dialect, — it is the 
 language of a whole country, — the common sj)eech of the whole nation in 
 early life." Edinburgh Eeview, vol. xiii. p. 259. 
 
LITTLE KNOWN OF THE ANCIENT CELTS. SI 
 
 clouded by fable, and obscured by the conjectures of 
 credulity. The polished Greeks and Romans despised and 
 contemned all who were without the pale of their own 
 dominion. It was only when they wished to subjugate 
 those barbarians, or were exposed to their furious inroads, 
 that they deigned to notice them. Then, the savage 
 manners, and strange appearance of these nations made a 
 strong, and perhaps unjust, impression on those Avho were 
 more civilized.^ The desperate exploits of the enemy were 
 related by those who witnessed them, with all the exagge- 
 ration which fear could suggest; and the wonderful recitals 
 were, it may be safely presumed, oftened heightened by a 
 desire to exalt the l^ravery and resolution of soldiers who 
 had ventured to contend with such terrific assailants. The 
 tremendous armies of the Cimbri and Teutones filled the 
 Eomans with _^the utmost terror and dismay, and people 
 from whom they had so narrowly escaped utter destruction 
 were represented as almost supernatural. "N"o man," 
 says Plutarch, "knew what they were, or from whence 
 they came. They were of immense stature, with horrid 
 countenances, speaking a language scarcely human. They 
 advanced with a host that trod down, or swept all before 
 them, and their bowlings and horrid bellowings were like 
 those of wild beasts."^ Such expressions betray the trepi- 
 dation of the Eomans, increased by the boldness of an 
 enemy, that, passing the Alps as if by miracle, presented 
 themselves in the plains of Italy, and, marching towards 
 Eome, threatened the speedy destruction of the empire. 
 
 ^ When the first aLarni had subsided, their numerous hosts were often 
 defeated by very inferior numbers. Their great strength, and native 
 valour gave way to the strict discipline and military tact of the Greeks 
 and Eomans. 
 
 K Plutarch, of the Crimbrian war. Polyainus. Mil. Strat. viii. 10. 
 
52 
 
 FEROCITY OF THE CIMBRIANS. 
 
 Yet it must be confessed, tliat there was abundant cause 
 for terror, after making allowance for considerable over- 
 charge in the picture. 
 
 The Cimbrians, it is further said by Plutarch, like the 
 giants of old, tore up hills and massy rocks, and pulled 
 up trees by the roots, to fill a river which they had to pass. 
 Their women, too, who would rush into the thickest battle, 
 and with their naked arms pull away the shields of the 
 enemy, cutting them down with a sword or battle-axe, 
 were not the least frightful part in the scene. Before such 
 opponents, it is little cause of wonder that the Eoman 
 soldiers should not evince their accustomed bravery. It 
 was with difficulty any man could be kept to his duty, 
 and, as the panic increased, they began to desert their 
 colours, and at last gave way in precipitate retreat. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 BRITAIN— THE ORIGIN OF ITS ANCIENT INHABITANTS 
 HISTORICALLY DEDUCED. 
 
 Various suppositions have been formed respecting the 
 period when Britain first became the residence of human 
 beings. The fact cannot be ascertained, and it is not im- 
 portant to be knowTi. That this island remained for many 
 ages unoccupied by mankind, and perhaps undiscovered, 
 while other parts of the world were teemuig with population, 
 is a reasonable belief. Tradition itself seems unable to 
 reach a period so remote, yet it is alluded to in the works 
 of the Welsh bards. 
 
 The Phoenicians, who were celebrated as maritime ad- 
 venturers, are supposed to have been the discoverers of 
 Britain, and to have traded hither in the most early ages. 
 
 D 
 
34 CASSITERIDES 
 
 It may not have been impossible for these people to esta- 
 blish a commercial intercourse with Britain "perhaps a 
 thousand years before our era,"* but there appears to be no 
 sufficient proof of the existence of so early a communication ; 
 and the Cassiterides, or Isles of Tin, for which metal they 
 are said to have chiefly resorted, seem erroneously to be 
 considered the Scillies off the Cornish coast. " No one 
 writer of any Antiquity," says Eitson, " ever mentions that 
 the Phoenicians traded to Cornwall for Tin." It is main- 
 tained, that they were well acquainted with Britain; but 
 it is also confessed, that subsequent Historians and Geo- 
 graphers appear . ignorant of tliis ancient correspondence. 
 Dio says, the early Greeks and Eomans did not so much 
 as know there was such an island,^ and to account for these 
 inconsistencies, it has been ingeniously conjectured that 
 the trade was given up, and the way to the island lost 
 for a considerable time. 
 
 It has been asserted, that, at the period of this supposed 
 intercourse, no part of the world produced Tin but the 
 islands of Britain. Pliny mentions this metal as plentiful 
 in Lusitania and GaUicia. Diodorus and Possidonius say 
 that much tin was found in different parts of Spain; 
 and Aristotle calls it Celtic, as a distinction from that of 
 India. It was procured in great quantities from the 
 islands which Pliny describes as lying in the ocean over 
 against Celtiberia, and which from this production received 
 the name Cassiterides. Ptolemy places them under " the 
 situation of Tarraconia;" and Mela'' says the islands, which 
 for abundance of lead ^\QTQ, so called, lay in the parts of 
 
 * Whittaker, Pinkerton, &c. M'Plierson and others suppose an earlier 
 colonization. Carte fixes it 450, A. C. 
 
 '' Aristotle, who flom-ished 350 yenrs before Christ, speaks of it Loth as 
 Albium and Brettania. — Buchannan, &c. 
 Lib. iii. c, 6. 
 
SILURA. — MICTIS. 35 
 
 the Celtici, a people of Spain. Strabo also places them 
 opposite to Celtiberia. They appear to have been the 
 Azores or Western Islands, anciently the Hesperides, 
 a term descriptive of their geographical situation ; for 
 that the Scillies were the isles of Tin, certainly appears 
 doubtful. These islands are in number upwards of one 
 hundred and forty, but of the others there are but nine or 
 ten. The expression of Strabo, who says, in his second 
 book, that Britain and these islands are without the pil- 
 lars of Hercules, does not prove nor imply that they 
 were near to each other.* They are, on the contrary, 
 mentioned as perfectly distinct;* and the opinion of the 
 single ioisula Silura of Solinus,^ being the Cassiterides of 
 the ancients, perhaps originated with Eichard of Ciren- 
 cester, who applies the appellation to the Scillies.^ A re- 
 cent visitor says he " could discover no traces of mines or 
 minerals, whether ancient or modern, in them.'"' The liis- 
 torian of Cornwall confesses that the ancient workings which 
 he believes he discovered, were " neither deep, nor many, 
 nor large," and ^adopts the supposition of Ortellius, that the 
 Cassiterides must have included Cornwt. ' and Devonshire. 
 Mictis is supposed to be the Isle of "'wight, where lead 
 was also procured ; but Pliny informs us, on the authority 
 of Timseus, that it lay six day's sail from Britain.' Mictis 
 was not therefore the Ictis of Diodorus, which lay so near 
 to the English Coast that it could, at low tide, be ap- 
 proached by land. Hither, therefore, he says the Britons 
 conveyed the tin which they dug, from whence it was 
 transported to Gaul.^ 
 
 It appears, then, that Herodotus does not call these 
 
 ^ Lib. ii. p. 129. « Pliny, Diod, &c. f C. 22. 
 
 * He calls them Sj'^gdiles. Borlase says the proper name is Sylleh . 
 ^ Campbell, in his ed. of Ossian. ' Lib. iv. 16. ^ Lib. v. 2. 
 
36 BEITAIN, 
 
 islands Cassiterides; bvit it is certain tliat Britain was known 
 to both Greeks and Eomans, some ages before it became an 
 object of conquest to the hitter people, and it may have 
 been visited by adventurers in much more ancient times. '' 
 Little, however, can be elicited concerning the earliest his- 
 tory of European nations, from the dark and mysterious 
 intimations of antiquity, the faint light of which is unable 
 to guide us clearly through the wild dreams and fictions of 
 ignorance, and credulity. If an enterprising navigator, at 
 some distant period, had caught a sight of Britain or Ire- 
 land, the Orkneys, or the Shetland Isles ; the obscure and 
 marvellous recitals of poets, and the inexplicable narrations 
 and allegories of theology, would be conceived to have some 
 illusion to the newly found, or long lost land ; and the in- 
 genuity of succeeding ages, when farther discoveries were 
 made, readily applies the ambiguous descriptions of anti- 
 quity to places of which but an imperfect knowledge has 
 been obtained. The conflicting and indefinite accounts are, 
 consequently, reconciled and applied, as credulity or caprice 
 may suggest. 
 
 The description of that island, which the Hjq^erborei are 
 
 ^ The author of Argonautica, who lived, it is believed, in the time of 
 Pisistratus, alioiit 570, A. C. speaks of Britain, or perhaps Ireland, under 
 the name lernis. From Plutarch, de defect, orac. the Elysium of the 
 ancients appears to have been in the northern part of the island. Homer 
 says, Ulysses, in his passage to the shades, touched at Caledonia, to which 
 Tacitus, in Germania, alludes. — Pinkerton. Solinus says that an altar, 
 inscribed with Greek characters, was to be seen in the north, which 
 proved this, c. 22. The second Brennus, who lead the Gauls into Greece, 
 Avhen Delphos was rifled, is thought by some writers to have been a 
 Briton ; and Lemon, in the preface to his English Etymology, p. xxiii. 
 § 5. seriously relates this as the cause of the ultimate invasion of this 
 island. Joseph de Gorionides, "de Hannibale," says that general con- 
 quered the Britons, iii. 15. ap. Higgins, p. 80. But there were nations 
 so called on the Continent. 
 
ITS DISCOVERY. 37 
 
 said to liaA^e inliabited, can suit no other than Britam. 
 The island lay opposite to Gaul, and was as large as Si- 
 cily. The peoj)le used their own proper language, wor- 
 shipped in groves and circular temples, played on the 
 harp, and led the most happy lives. They had a great 
 esteem for the Greeks, with whom, from the most dis- 
 tant ages, they had maintained a correspondence arising 
 from certain religious connexions, in consequence of which, 
 it is said, some of that nation visited this sequestered land, 
 leaving many presents to the Gods, and Greek inscriptions 
 to commemorate their mission.* 
 
 Pytheas of Massilia, who lived before Aristotle, is said 
 to have first discovered Britain, and Thule or Thyle, con- 
 cerning which there is much uncertainty. This island is 
 represented as some days' sail northwards from Britain, and 
 should hence appear to be Shetland.™ Agricola's fleet, 
 we are told saw Thule as they circumnavigated the 
 island." Mela describes it as opposite to the Belgian 
 coast, a position in which Eichard of Cirencester agrees, 
 but strangely adds, that it lay beyond the Orkneys. Al- 
 fred, in his Saxon version of Orosius, says it lay north- 
 west of Ireland, and was known by few. That island has it- 
 self been taken for Thule, and the term has been applied to 
 the Western Islands of Scotland. Some have also contended 
 that the name was given to the northern parts of that coun- 
 try." That Thule, in any of these situations, could have 
 been "large and copious in continual apples," as Solinus 
 represents, is incredible. Saxo calls Iceland, Thylen, while 
 
 1 Diodorus, who relates this from Hecatreus, a wry ancient author, 
 ■whose veracity, it must be observed, he seems to doubt. 
 
 ™ So d'Anville understands it. Strabo calls it six days' sail from Bri- 
 tain ; Solinus five days and nights from Orkney. 
 
 " Vita Agricolse. 
 Essay concerning the Thule of the ancients, Edinburgh, 1693. 
 
38 BRITAIN, 
 
 Procopius applies the term Tliule to Scandinavia.^ Per- 
 haps the name was given to the land whicli was believed 
 the farthest towards the north, and transferred to the 
 islands successively discovered. It has been, indeed, con- 
 jectured that there were formerly some isles between the 
 continent and Scotland that have been long since lost. 
 The Saxonum Insulas of Pliny are believed to have disap- 
 peared, in consequence of some natural convulsion, and the 
 fact of Heligoland having been several ages ago reduced 
 to half its size, is adduced in support of this hypothesis. ' 
 The Welsh poems record the formation of Anglesea and 
 many other islands by a dreadful inundation, and the 
 island Plada, which seems at no distant period to have be^n 
 disjoined from Arran, carries in its name a proof of this 
 disruption. Bladh, is a part, and Bladham, I break. 
 
 The singidar phenomena produced by the refraction and 
 reflection of light on fogs arising from the sea, lakes, or 
 morasses, are well known. Appearances of this kind have 
 deceived experienced navigators, who confidently believed 
 they saw islands in the distant ocean, and it is by no means 
 improbable that ancient mariners may have had their senses 
 so imposed on. The illusion is sometimes so complete that 
 you may behold, with the most perfect resemblance to na- 
 ture, picturesque landscapes, towns, castles, &c., and that 
 some such appearance gave rise to the idea of a happy and 
 fruitfid. country, the abode of the blessed, can scarcely be 
 doubted. This " fairy land " was situated in the western 
 ocean, and was familiar to the inhabitants of these islands, 
 being denominated Flathinis and Hybrasil by the Scots and 
 Irish.' One of these phenomena was seen, it is said, in the 
 Atlantic, in the ninth century ; and so convinced were sea- 
 
 P Piukertoii's Enq^iiiiy, i. i Ibid. i. 204. 
 
 "■ The Saxon Cockaime seems to have "been the same island which was 
 
ITS DISCOVERY. 39 
 
 men of the existence of one or more fertile and romantic 
 islands, remote from all other land, that they have actually, 
 it appears, been placed on maps.' 
 
 Had so singular an appearance been noticed in ancient 
 times, it might, in some degree, account for the wonderful 
 stories concerning the British islands, and the confusion 
 respecting the Thule of antiquity. 
 
 At what period Britain became inhabited, and from what 
 particular district of the continent the first colonists arrived, 
 are equally unknown and open to conjecture. While some 
 writers beKeve it probable that the first inhabitants arrived 
 a thousand years before Christ, others suppose a much ear- 
 lier migration hither. Parties from the coast of Gaul may 
 have occasionally visited the island for the purpose of hunt- 
 ing, before permanent settlements were formed; and, even 
 after colonies had established themselves, a long thne must 
 have been required to people the whole island. 
 
 Brettania is first mentioned by Aristotle, and Brittia is 
 the term generally used by the ancients. It appears to be 
 the second name, and is derived by Wliittaker from the 
 Welsh, Brython, divided; the Gaelic Breac, striped or che- 
 quered, Brezonec, the appellation of Armorica, the name 
 Brigantes, Allo-Broges, &c., being all related. Mac Pher- 
 son derives the name from Braid, extensive. In, land, Clarke 
 from Braitoin, top of the waves; and the etymology of 
 another writer is equally simple, but less probable: Stack- 
 house gives Bre, a hill. Ton, a dwelling; Bretheim, in an- 
 
 also known to the Freiicli and Spaniards by other names. See "the 
 western wonder, or O'Brazeel, an enchanted island," 4to. 1674. 
 
 " This singular effect of mirage on the sands of the coasts in the west- 
 ern isles is noticed in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal for Dec. 1827. 
 The Highlanders call it Dun na feadhreagh, fairy castles. Some re- 
 markable appearances of this kind were seen near Youghal, in Ireland, 
 in 1796, 1797, 1801, &c. 
 
40 ORIGIN OF THE INHABITANTS. 
 
 cient Celtic and German, is said, by Wolfgang, to signify 
 a residence; but Borlase asserts that no British word be- 
 gins with B as a radical 
 
 The Britons, like the continental Celts, were ignorant of 
 their origin, and believed themselves indigenous, a proof that 
 they could not have recently arrived. Diodorus considered 
 them as natives of the soil; but Tacitus, more correct, was 
 of opinion that the first inhabitants came from the opposite 
 coasts of the Continent. Ceesar represents the inhabitants 
 of the maritime parts as adventurers from Gaul, and those 
 of the interior only as aborigines, according to their own 
 tradition. The Cumri, whom the Welsh Triads make the 
 first colonists, are otherwise believed to have been the second, 
 and of a different race. That they were not, may appear, 
 from what has already been said;* and whether they pro- 
 ceeded from Aquitain, as some conjecture, from Taci- 
 tus," or from Belgic Gaul, the only essential difierence 
 between these nations and the Celts consisted in name and 
 local position. The aboriginal inhabitants of Britain must 
 have been Celtic, for that race anciently possessed the 
 whole of Continental Europe. These Cumri could not 
 have been a very large colony, nor have occupied much 
 greater extent of territory than Wales, for the aj)pella- 
 tion was not applied to other Britons. According to the 
 best Welsh Antiquaries, they came in on the Guydhel, as 
 they term the primitive inhabitants, whose name proves 
 their derivation from the great race who peopled the 
 
 * " No Cimbri ever landed here, except Gauls, so called. Those who 
 broke into Greece appear to have been called Galli, Celtte, Cimmerii, and 
 Cimbri." — Gen. Hist, of the Britons, p. 47. "No one has any right to 
 it (Britain) but the Cumri, for they first took possession, and before that 
 time there were no persons living in it." — Ancient Welsh Laws. Hu 
 Cadarn brought hither the first Cumri. 
 
 " Who perceived a likeness between the SUures and Iberians. 
 
VARIOUS COLONIES. 41 
 
 western world. The period when the Cumri arrived is 
 unlvnown. If the term was " the hereditary name of the 
 Gauls," and "the common appellation of all the tribes 
 of Britain," it is in vain to look for a colony bearing it as 
 a proper and peculiar name. When the island was gra- 
 dually filling Avith inhabitants from the redundant popu- 
 lation of Gaul, various successive arrivals undoubtedly took 
 place. The Triads mention the Lloegrwys, who came from 
 Gwasgwn or Gascony, as the next settlers, from whom the 
 Welsh denominate the English Lloegr; but in less doubt- 
 ful history, the Belgce appear to have succeeded the Cumri, 
 who had been so long in the island that they were consi- 
 dered, as they have styled themselves, the ancient Britons. 
 
 The Belgians are said to have arrived here three centu- 
 ries and a half before the epoch of Christianity, and that 
 about this period there existed a connexion between the two 
 countries, is very probable. Divitiacus, king of the Sues- 
 siones, a Belgic tribe, who was alive in Caesar's time, had a 
 certain sovereignty in Britain," which he visited, enlarging 
 his dominions by the subjection of great part of the south- 
 ern districts of England. 
 
 When Julius Csesar meditated his descent, there subsisted 
 a considerable intercourse between Britain and the conti- 
 nent, by means of which he sought information respecting 
 the country and its inhabitants ; but it does not appear that 
 he obtained very accurate knowledge of either. The mer- 
 chants who traded with the natives were the parties to 
 whom he chiefly addressed himself; but their personal 
 knowledge of the island did not, probably, extend to any 
 considerable distance from the ports to which they resorted, 
 and the natives, we may believe, were not disposed to be 
 very communicative. 
 
 " Bdlo Gal. ii. c. 4. 
 
42 CELTIC AND BELGIC BRITONS. 
 
 Wlien the Eomans landed in Britain they found the ma- 
 ritime parts on tlie south possessed by the Belgse, who were 
 neither a race distinct from the Celta3, nor did tliey speak a 
 language "altogetlier different." A better climate, and a 
 degree of commercial intercourse, produced a melioration 
 of condition; but we have no reason to believe that these 
 advantages had very materially encreased the difference be- 
 tween the southern and inland tribes at the period now under 
 review. Diodorus simply remarks that those who inhabited 
 the promontory of Balerium, (Cornwall,) were more civi- 
 lized and courteous to strangers than the rest of the popu- 
 lation, by reason of their intercourse with foreign merchants. 
 The Britons, like the Gauls their progenitors, bore a gene- 
 ral resemblance in language, religion, manners, and cus- 
 toms, the strong and indubitable proofs of a common origin- 
 The local appellations throughout the territories which 
 they inhabited decidedly evince that " the British Belgte 
 were of Celtic lineage." A Gothic colonization is, never- 
 theless, said to have taken place when the Belgae established 
 themselves on this side of the channel.'' It has been shewn 
 that this people were but a division of the Gauls, and not 
 to be confounded with the nations of Getia. Three hun- 
 dred and thirty-four years before our era, the Scyths were 
 not in western Europe, but remained on the shores of the 
 Euxine, and the Gothic migrations from the east began 
 about two hundred years afterwards. The Goths first 
 came into notice as a fierce and powerful people in A. D. 
 250, before which time they were little known to the Eo- 
 mans, and their empire on the Danube was not formed un- 
 til A. D. 328. Previous to the descent of Ci^esar, these 
 nations were still about the Euxine, at which time Britain 
 had been fully peopled by the Celtte; and the silence of 
 
 " Pinkerton. 
 
THE BELGIANS NOT GOTHS. 43 
 
 history attests that no important migration of the Goths 
 had hitherto taken place. 
 
 It becomes, therefore, certain that the first inhabitants of 
 Britain were alike Celts, resembling those on the opposite 
 coasts of Gaul, for, on the arrival of the Eomans, the lan- 
 guage, the religion, and customs of both countries were 
 similar," Had there, on the contrary, arrived a people, 
 different in then' manners, and so entirely distinct from the 
 Celts, that " no tongues could be more different," some re- 
 mains of that tongue would surely have existed to prove 
 the event. The prevalence of their language seems to de- 
 monstrate that the Goths at some time came into the north 
 and west of Europe; but had they moved in a considerable 
 body, or settled otherwise than by a quiet and amicable 
 migration, some authentic memorial of the circumstance 
 must have remained. The Gothic tribes do not appear to 
 have left their native seats earlier than perhaps a century 
 before the time of Csesar, when Britain was stored with a 
 Celtic population. At this time, the aboriginal race of 
 Gauls were fast yielding to the impressions of civilization — 
 alterations in their language had taken place — the unmixed 
 Celts were gradually confined to the west of Europe, and 
 those to the eastward were becoming Gothicised. 
 
 The Triads bring several other colonies hither at different 
 times — the Brython from Lhydaw or Bretagne being the 
 next in order of time to the Lloegrwys, and both were of 
 Cumraeg origin. It is impossible to ascertain the periods 
 when these tribes established themselves in Britain, but it 
 is certain that the various Colonists were all equally Celtic 
 and similar to the natives of Gaul. Such were the inhabit- 
 ants whom Csesar found fifty-five years before the epoch 
 of Christianity, and the population was still Celtic when 
 
 ^ Ctesar, Tacitus, &c. 
 
44 SCOTLAND. — ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 the Eomans finally left the island five hundred years after- 
 wards.'' 
 
 The BelgiTe, who possessed the whole south coast of Eng- 
 land from Kent to Cornwall, resembled the inhabitants of 
 the continent more strongly than those tribes who lived in 
 the interior, and who were thought by themselves, and be- 
 lieved by others, to have been e terra nati, or indigenous. 
 
 Every succeeding colony obtaining a peaceable settle- 
 ment, or, establishing itself by force of arms, remained in 
 the vicinity of those parts where it first landed ; and the 
 former inhabitants falling back, became confined to the in- 
 terior. The most ancient residents of Britain were thus 
 gradually forced to the west and north by successive ar- 
 rivals from Gaul, and finally rested in Scotland, in Ireland, 
 and in the mountainous regions of Wales. 
 
 When the Eomans penetrated northwards to Scotland, 
 they found the people of the same Celtic race as those of 
 the south, but much more rude and uncivilized, being, in 
 every probability, the remains of the aborigines, who were 
 forced northwards by successive arrivals from the Conti- 
 nent. It is a strong proof in favour of this hypothesis, 
 that the ancient Scots always retained the name of Alba- 
 NICH, inhabitants of Alban, or Albion, the first appel- 
 lation by which Britain was known, and that their de- 
 scendants, the present highlanders, invariably continue its 
 use. Another argument of some weight is found in the 
 fact that there exist in Wales certain words, used not only 
 as local names but in common discourse, which are only 
 referable to the Gaelic of Scotland; and a current tradition 
 is also found among the Welsh, that the Scots or Irish an- 
 ciently inhabited their country. The Welsh call both these 
 
 y " At the Roman abdication in 446, there was only one race of men in 
 Scotland." — Caledonia. 
 
GUYDHEL. — CALEDONIANS. 45 
 
 people Guydhel, or Guidhil, the appellation by which they 
 distinguish the aboriginal inabitants to whom the Cuinri 
 succeeded ; and this word, the dh being quiescent, is evi- 
 dently the same as Gaiil, the term by which the native 
 Scots have been always known, and which is certainly derived 
 from the ancient general name of the whole Celtic race.'' 
 
 It was not until the successful campaign of Agricola that 
 the Eomans discovered the Scottish tribes, or obtained 
 a knowledge of their country. The Imperial troops ad- 
 vanced sufliciently far to arouse the natives to a sense of 
 their danger — to a general confederation — to a sanguinary 
 and protracted, but successful, struggle for their inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 The most powerful tribe at that time, in the northern 
 division of the island, was the Caledonian, which had the 
 leading of the war, and according to the accustomed polity 
 of the Celts, gave name to the whole association. Lucan " 
 is the first who mentions this people, wdiom he places in 
 Kent. Tacitus, the elegant historian of Agricola's life, is 
 the first who shews the situation of the Caledonians of 
 Scotland. If the etymon which identifies this word with 
 Guydliel or Gael, is just, the name may possibly have been 
 applied to different tribes; but Lucan is beheved to be in 
 error, and has apparently misled Eichard of Cirencester, 
 who places Caledonian woods in Kent and Lincolnshire. 
 
 Mr. Whittaker, adducing Florus, who also speaks of tlie 
 Caledonian woods in Kent, Sussex, &c., says, from Guid- 
 hil, a wood, came Gaeldoch, woodlandish, applied to those 
 
 ^ The Welsh do not denominate either nation Cumri. The Irish 
 language is less similar to ancient or modern Welsh than it is to the 
 Gaelic of Scotland. — Dr. M'Pherson. The Irish, however, from Val- 
 lancey, Coll. Eeb. x. lib. iv., seem not inclined to admit that they are 
 Gauls. 
 
 * Pharsalia, iii. v. Q7-B. 
 
46 ETYMOLOGY OF CALEDONIA. 
 
 who inhabit "the precincts of an extensive forest," a terra 
 of which the Eomans made Caledonia. This is ingeni- 
 ous, but it does not appear that " Caledon " hence " be- 
 came the national appellation for all woods of the Galli in 
 Britain." ^ Buchannan's etymology is Calden, Gaelic, a ha- 
 zel tree, and hence the name of the wood from which the 
 country was called Caledonia ; but this great author is 
 corrected by Dr. MTherson, who observes that Caultin, 
 and not Calden, is a hazel. 
 
 The Highlanders have always been known as Gael, and 
 their native country they have always termed Gaeldoch, 
 the land of the Gael." The G has usually the sound of C, 
 which brings it nearer to the primitive Celt, from which it 
 is unquestionably derived; and whether it signifies the fair 
 men,'' the hardy or strong men,* the borderers,' the men of 
 the Avoods,^ the fugitives,'' the hill-dwellers, &c., &c., &c., 
 there appears no room to doubt that the Celtic Gael was 
 the root of the Latin Caledonii. 
 
 The Caledonians who led the united Gael to battle at 
 the Grampians, possessed a great extent of territory. It 
 comprised all the country from the firths of Forth and 
 Clyde to the hills of Balnagowan in Ross. 
 
 This powerful nation continued to inhabit the same pro- 
 vince;' but other tribes came afterwards into notice, and, 
 
 ^ Hist. Manch. 415, Hist, of the Britons, and anthorities. Another An- 
 tiquary of some celebrity maintains that no region was called Caledonia 
 but the ISTortheni.— Piukerton. 
 
 « M'Pherson in Ossian. — Dr. M'Pherson's Dissertations, &c. The 
 word is Gaidhealtachd, in Gaelic orthography. 
 
 * Cluverius, Germ. Ant. i. 14. 
 
 « Kaled, British, hard, Kaledion, a hardy, rough people.— Camden, 
 Pasumont de I'origine des mots Celte et Gaul, 1765, says Celt is robur. 
 f Cilydion, British, Borderers, Lhuyd. s Biichannan and Whittaker. 
 ^ Cyliad, profugam. Buxhorn, in Ant. Brit. 
 
 • Dio speaks of them, about 230, as the only nation beyond the walls, 
 
GAEL ALBANICH AND EIRINACH. 47 
 
 from the honour of conducting different campaigns, alter- 
 nately appear in the annals of their country, and engross 
 the praise that various clans were entitled to share. The 
 Caledonians, the Picts, the Scots, and the Meats suc- 
 cessively stood forth to contend for their national liberty, 
 or conduct inroads on the territories of their enemies, and 
 hence the whole coimtry appears to have been divided 
 among a fcAV powerful nations ; but from the Tweed to 
 Caithness, there were no less than twenty-one different 
 tribes of Celtse; and when the Eomans abandoned the island, 
 Scotland was occupied solely by this primeval race. 
 
 This division of Britain had not, however, at this epoch, 
 received that appellation by which it has been since known. 
 The term was imposed by others, but has never been re- 
 cognised by the native inhabitants, in whose language the 
 original name of the country has been always retained. 
 They disown the name of Scots, — they disclaim foreign ex- 
 traction, — they acknowledge themselves Albanich, inhabit- 
 ants of Albion, — an appellation which to this day is given 
 them by the Irish, who receive and appropriate, with justice, 
 the designation Gael Eirinach, Irish Celts.'' 
 
 Every probability is in favour of the opinion that the 
 first colonies from Gaul were settled m Britain. The world 
 might have rested satisfied with the rational belief that Ire- 
 land, appearing, ever since it came under the notice of the 
 Historian, in a state of civilization, much inferior to its 
 sister island, could not have been peopled by a more refined 
 or polished race than the Celts; but Phoenician records, 
 and other indubitable proofs of Milesian and Heremonian 
 dynasties of glorious splendour, impart very different ideas 
 of its ancient condition. 
 
 in the vicinity of whicli dwelt the Meats, who were only inferior to the 
 Caledonians in power. Lib. Ixxvi. c. 12. 
 ^ Caledonia. Critical Diss. &c. 
 
48 THE SCOTS. 
 
 It does not appear to me that the honour of both coun- 
 tries is so deeply miplicated in the simple fact of earhest 
 inhabitation. If the people who first took possession of 
 Ireland passed over from Scotland, they are yet to be 
 ranked with the most ancient, and therefore the most noble 
 Celts, as Galgacus called the Caledonians, who had indig- 
 nantly retired, to protect their independence in the extremity 
 of the land ; for, in consequence of successive invasions 
 from the Continent, the Irish were, probably, at first com- 
 pelled to cross the channel. The Highlanders are justly 
 proud of being descended of the unconquered tribes; but, 
 honourable as this is, others may think that little credit is 
 to be derived from having left their native seats and allowed 
 themselves to be confined to the mountains. 
 
 The Scots are first mentioned towards the end of the third 
 century, by Porphyry. They are noticed by Ammianus 
 MarceUinus in 360 ; are spoken of by Claudian about 
 390, and are generally supposed to have been first settled 
 in Ireland. As the northern part of Britain did not an- 
 ciently bear the name of Scotland, but was certainly 
 called Hibernia, an inveterate, and apparently interminable 
 war, between the Scots and Irish Antiquaries has long sub- 
 sisted, and the disputants have advanced so much in defence 
 of their respective systems, that any farther investigation 
 of the subject is peculiarly uninviting. It appears from 
 Strabo,^ Pomponius Mela,"" Ptolemy," &a, that the northern 
 division of Britain was considered as a separate island, a 
 belief that long continued, and has proved a copious source 
 of national controversy. 
 
 The early accounts of Hibernia are suitable to Scotland, 
 but cannot with any propriety be applied to Ireland: at 
 the same time, that island was not unknown, as is apparent 
 
 ' Lib. ii. iv. v. &c. ™ De orbis situ. ° Syntaxis, ii. 6. 
 
INHABITANTS OF BRITAIN. 49 
 
 from Ciesar, Diodorus, and others. It has been attempted 
 to restrict the first writer's description to the Scottish Hi- 
 bernia, but apparently without reason. The ancients had 
 certainly a very inaccurate knowledge of these islands, and 
 great confusion arose upon the full discovery that Britain 
 was an entire island, from which Ireland, situated towards 
 the west, was perfectly distinct." When this had become 
 well known, whatever had been said concerning Hibernia, 
 or North Britain as an island, was naturally appropriated 
 to Ireland, to which alone it appeared applicable, the more 
 so, from the similarity of the native word lern,' or accord- 
 ing to the Greek form Juverna, to the appellation Hiber- 
 nia, which appears to have been bestowed on Scotland from 
 its wintry clunate, for Strabo describes it as "north of Bri- 
 tain, and the boundary of the habitable part of the globe, 
 where the savage inhabitants could scarcely live for cold." 
 He also says its distance from Gaul is upwards of 600 miles, 
 an error that he could hardly have committed if his Hiber- 
 nia was Ireland, for it is not 100 miles from the conti- 
 nent. It is evident that Ptolemy had once the same idea 
 concerning these islands which he was able latterly to cor- 
 rect. In Scotland, a noted station of the Eomans called 
 Hierua,'' and locally situated in Strath Erne, added to the 
 misunderstanding, that was yet farther increased by the 
 erection of the walls, which being drawn across the country 
 
 " See Goodall, in prefat. ad Fordun, i. ii. iii. &c. 
 
 P It was called lern, lernis, and Iris by the most ancient wi'iters, and 
 does not appear to have been called Hibernia before the time of Cassar. 
 The former is evidently the original word, which, according to Bochart, 
 is Phoenician, and implies the farthest land. This agrees with the Gaelic 
 lar-in, western island, and it is known that these two languages were 
 anciently much alike. Lemon, in his Etymology, says from Ibh, west, 
 comes Iber, Iberia, &c., applied to those counti'ies situated towards the 
 setting sun, or in the direction of that luminary, when it is ev&. 
 
 1 Now Strageth. Eoy's Military Antiquities, p. 128. 
 
 E 
 
50 THE SCOTS. 
 
 from sea to sea, as the boundaries of the provinciated and 
 unsubdued Britons, kept alive the idea of two islands ; the 
 first division being called Brittania Eomana, and the other 
 Brittania Barbaria. 
 
 Gildas, who calls the first " the Island," and " the Eoman 
 Island," terms the Scots and Picts " transmarini; " which 
 Bede, who also speaks of " the Island " and " Britannica," 
 as the southern part explains : " I have called them foreign 
 nations," says he, " not because they live beyond Britain, 
 but because they are remote from that part possessed by 
 the Britons; two gulphs intervening, though they do not 
 unite," ' and thus he continues to speak as if there were two 
 islands, when it was well known there was but one. Foreign 
 Avriters, who only consulted the ancient authors, propagated 
 the error from their o"svn ignorance, and those in subsequent 
 times, who were better informed, have been consequently 
 astonished to read of the island of Scotland. 
 
 Fordun, Buchannan, and various other historians, have 
 remarked that the term Britannia was applied to the Eo- 
 man j)art only, for the Picts and Caledonians are not de- 
 nominated Britons, but are called their enemies.' Those 
 enemies lived in "the barbarous island," an appellation, 
 which it may be presumed the Irish Antiquaries will with 
 little reluctance allow the Scots to appropriate to their own 
 country, which was that part not subject to the Eomans, 
 the inhabitants of which were reckoned " foreign nations," 
 or those beyond the province. From a supposition that the 
 Friths on the west and east coasts intersected the country, 
 the idea of two islands first arose. It was the enterprising 
 Agricola Avho ascertained that "the tide of both seas 
 stretched an immense way to the interior, but were pre- 
 vented from joining by a narrow neck of land." 
 
 "^Hist. Eccles. * Eumenius, Panegyr. ad Constant, xvi. 
 
INHABITANTS OF BRITAIN. 51 
 
 Abraham Peritsol repeatedly mentions the island Scot- 
 land, believing, as Hide his translator remarks, that the 
 Tweed made two separate islands." In the British ]\Iu- 
 senm is a map, originally constructed in 1479, which re- 
 presents Scotland as completely insulated from the osstua- 
 ries of the Forth and Clyde; and it is so represented in the 
 cosmography of Peter Apianus, published at Antwerp in 
 1545, although "expurgated" from error. Ptichard of Ci- 
 rencester, better informed respecting this part of the king- 
 dom, but still impressed with a belief in two islands, 
 separates the country at the chain of lakes where the great 
 Canal now is, carrying the Varar quite through from sea to 
 sea, and placing the Caledonians in the farther division, 
 that they might remain, as the ancients described them, in 
 a distinct island.'' 
 
 The name Hibernia was therefore originally applied to 
 North Britain, and subsequently transferred to Ireland, or 
 restricted to it, when the former country began to be called 
 by it^ proper name, Albany, although it continued at the 
 same time occasionally to receive the former appellation. 
 In the Eoman Martyrology, Saint Bean, who died in 1015, 
 is styled "Episcopus Abredonipe in Hybernia;" and this 
 prelate was most assuredly a Scotsman, for it cannot affect 
 the question that the Bishop's seat was first established at 
 Mortlach, and subsequently removed to Aberdeen. 
 
 In the age of Alfred, the northern parts of Britain were 
 called Ireland by mariners,"* and the Highlanders were 
 termed Hybernenses even in 1180. From this mutation of 
 names, the Scandinavian writers are supposed by Pinkerton 
 to have confounded Scotland Avith Ireland. 
 
 " Itiner Mimdi, c. 7 & 12. 
 
 ' See tlie engraved maps in Henry's Hist, of Britain, Pinkerton's 
 Enqiiiry, &c. 
 
 ''Barrington's Orosius, in Caledonia, i. 338. 
 
52 THE SCOTS IN BRITAIN, 
 
 That the Scots were the primeval people of the island, 
 and not recent settlers does not seem to admit of dispute, 
 and the appellation by which they were known must have 
 originated with others, for it has never been acknowledged 
 by those who are the remains of the ancient inhabitants. 
 Albanach and Clan n' Alban are the terms, as has been 
 observed, which they appropriate, and derive from the ori- 
 ginal name of the whole island, but which afterwards 
 became restricted to a part only, and is now confined to 
 the district of Braidalban." 
 
 The Descriptio Albanite informs us that the region 
 which was corruptly called Scotia, formerly bore the name 
 of Albania, Argyle being part of it; and the Bishops of St. 
 Andrews, it is known, were formerly styled Bishops of Al- 
 bany. About the end of the sixth century the term Scotia 
 began to supersede the ancient appellation, but the inhabit- 
 ants continued to use Albany in their own language, and 
 in Latin. In the work of Hegesippus on the destruction 
 of Jerusalem, which Sir G-eorge Mackenzie thinks is of the 
 time of Hadrian, about 127, but John F. Gronovius asserts 
 to be of the age of Theodosius, 395, Josephus tells the Jews 
 that the mountains of Scotland tremble at the Eoman name, 
 which seems to be the first time the word is used. 
 
 Bede states that Aidan and his successors. Bishops of 
 lona, who preached the gospel to the Northumbrians, came 
 from Scotland, in which country that island was certainly 
 then as it is now. Alcuin and Eginhart, who wrote in the 
 end of the eighth century, use this name, but the Irish 
 apply all these passages to their own country ; and Pin- 
 kerton, with his usual [confidence, maintains that " there 
 is not one authority for the name of Scotland before the 
 eleventh century." 
 
 '^The Albani of the Romans inhabited Braidalban, the west parts of 
 Perth, and east parts of Argyleshire. 
 
AND IN IRELAND. 53 
 
 Uslier made a siinilar'"assertion, contending that Prosper 
 and others, who distinguish the country of the Scots from 
 Britain, speak of Ireland. Palladius, Avho was ordained 
 by Pope Ccelestine as the first Bishop of the Scots, is said 
 by the Irish to have been sent to them. This missionary 
 came into Scotland and was buried at Fordun in the Merns, ^ 
 where Paldy fair is still held, and where his shrine conti- 
 nued an object of pilgrimage till the Picformation. The 
 "reges Scottorum," with whom Charlemagne corresponded, ' 
 are asserted to have been kings of Ireland; and those who 
 admit the authenticity of the celebrated League, affirm that 
 it was made with the Irish reguli, for which I believe no 
 authentic proof has ever been produced.* Two or three 
 Scots Kings lived in the long reign of Charles; and if these 
 are not the princes from whom he received letters, which of 
 the Irish regalities did he honour by his alliance ? The an- 
 nals of that country do not appear to recognise any such 
 correspondence, but successive treaties between Scotland 
 and France, alluding to leagues ratified in the most distant 
 times,*" and the Scottish iiuard which remained until a 
 recent period, prove the ancient connexion of the two 
 countries; nay. Sir George Mackenzie says the original 
 league, formed in 791, was discovered in an old register at 
 Paris. 
 
 Scoti and Albani were anciently synonimous, and Scoti 
 and Hiberni were indiscriminately used ; but that this last 
 term was exclusively applied to the Irish is certainly false. 
 Wlien Ammianus speaks of the Eomans defeating the 
 Scots in lerne, must Ave not understand Caledonia, with 
 the inhabitants of which the Eomans fought, but had nei- 
 
 y Brev. Abredonensis. 
 
 • Egiuliart, vita et gestae Karoli magni, p. 138, ed. Francofurti. 
 
 'Irish Histories. Chalmers, in Caledonia, i. 463, &c., &c. 
 
 b Letter of the Scots Nobility to the King of France in 1308, &c. 
 
54 THE SCOTS 
 
 ther wars with the Irish, nor ever invaded their country. " 
 We must in the same way explain the passage in Gorio- 
 nides where the Eomans are said to have reduced the 
 Hiberni to subjection.'* 
 
 Gildas, in relating the devastation of Eomanized Britain 
 by the Scots and Picts, uses an expression which, however 
 translated, does not fix tlie residence of these nations in Ire- 
 land. " Eevertuntur ergo impudentes grassatores Hyberni 
 domum," is usually rendered, "the impudent Hybernian 
 robbers therefore return home ; " and this home, if it is 
 proved that Scotland formerly received the appellation, 
 must have been the "icy Hibernia," whence they had 
 advanced. But if the passage should be, as Gale, Ber- 
 tram, and others, read from ancient MSS., "ad hibernas 
 domos," to their winter habitations, it is a more satisfac- 
 tory proof that the Scots Avho invaded the province were 
 not Irish. 
 
 Henry of Huntingdon says, that Csesar sent his legions 
 " in Hiberniam," but as this cannot mean Ireland, where 
 neither that commander nor his troops ever were, hiberna, 
 winter quarters, is substituted by Antiquaries as the proper 
 word. So the "hibernique Geto3" of Propertius, instead of 
 alluding to the people of Ireland, is believed merely to cha- 
 racterise the Getians as living in a wintry latitude. If 
 Bede uses Hiberni and Scoti for Irish only, how can it be 
 reconciled with his explanation of " transmarini" ? 
 
 The name of Scots was common to the Irish Gael as well 
 as to those of Albany;^ and this general application of the 
 term has greatly perplexed the ancient history of Scotland, 
 — "the confusion which it has introduced is eternal and 
 irremediable." It seems, however, certain that Ireland re- 
 ceived its first population from Albion. Diodorus says, 
 
 * See an article in tlie Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of 
 Scotland. ^Lib. vi. 17. « Gir. Cambrensis. 
 
OF DALRIADA OR ARGYLE. 55 
 
 Iris was inhabited by Britons; and Pdcliard of Cirencester 
 informs us that the Scots of that island were those who 
 were forced, on the arrival of the Belgs, to leave their 
 native country. Most of these emigrants, it is probable, 
 passed over from Scotland, where the two islands approxi- 
 mate so closely; and of which the similarity in dialect, and 
 some other circumstances, according to Sir William Petty ,^ 
 are evidence. 
 
 An intimate connection has existed from the most remote 
 times between the people of both countries, who were re- 
 lated by intermarriages, and whose language and customs 
 were, for ages, perfectly alihe; but the intercourse which 
 has always continued between the adjacent parts of Scotland 
 and Ireland, affords no proof that Albany received its inha- 
 bitants from " the western land." 
 
 The Irish extract of the Scots is, notwithstanding, very 
 keenly contended for by many able writers, and the argu- 
 ments are chiefly founded on the ambiguous use of the term 
 Hiberni, and the History of the Kingdom of DaMada, or 
 that of the Scots before the seat of government was trans- 
 ferred from Argyle to the Low Country. Bede tells us the 
 Scots arrived from Ireland in that part of the West High- 
 lands now called Argyle, where they settled under Eeuda 
 or Eiada, and were from him denominated Dalreudini, 
 being the first Scots who ever were in Britain. This is the 
 venerable ecclesiastic's account, in which he is not corrobo- 
 rated by any authorities equally respectable. Tighear- 
 nach, the Ulster _ Annals, Flan of Bute, and other ancient 
 historians and documents, are silent respecting this expedi- 
 tion. The district where the colony established itseK was 
 denominated Ergadia, or Argathel, a word apparently 
 
 ^ Political Anatomy of Ireland. 
 
56 THE SCOTS 
 
 derived from lar Gael, the western Celts.* The Irish call 
 the inhabitants simply the Gael of the hills, or high coun- 
 try, which they designate as Ard na n' Gaodhal, the heights 
 of the Gaedlielians, and have never applied to these people 
 their own appellation Eirinach, which Dr. M'Pherson has 
 well remarked no Highlander has ever yet called himself.-f" 
 The Scots are represented by Eumenius and Sidonius 
 AppoUinaris as one of the nations with whom Csesar con- 
 tended. Alfred, in his version of Orosius, says, Severus 
 often fought with Picts and Scots; and Eabius Ethelwerd 
 says, that Cladius was opposed by these nations, a suffi- 
 cient proof of their antiquity in this country. The Irish 
 were called both Scoti and Gaidheli; but the Scots of 
 Ireland are distinguished from those of Britain, who were 
 otherwise denominated Hiberni, a term that was also com- 
 mon to the people of Ulster. Andrew, Bishop of Caith- 
 ness, from whom Cambrensis had his information, told him 
 that the people of Argyle were called Hybernenses, and 
 their country Arregathel " quasi margo Scottorum seu Hy- 
 bernensium."^ Bede calls this part of the country " the 
 province of the Northern Scots," from which it may appear 
 that these people were to be found elsewhere. Orosius 
 calls the inhabitants of Angiesea, Scots, which Buchannan 
 notices. All the Irish were not Scoti, but the Dalriads are 
 
 * Argyleshire is called Aireghael not from lar West and Gael, Celt, but 
 from Air, airidh, or aireamh, lot, possession, holding ; Aircghael is there- 
 fore th.Q possession or holding of the Gael. — Ed. 
 
 + Whether the native Irish are of Scottish extraction, or whether the 
 Gaels of Argyle and the Hebrides came originally from Ireland, there seems 
 to be no preponderating amount of evidence for anything like an authori- 
 tative decision in either way. That they were the same peoi^le, living in 
 constant intercourse with each other, is certain, as the older and unques- 
 tionably genuine "Ossianic" poems and heroic ballads abundantly testify. 
 See Campbell's " Leabhar na Feinne " passim. — Ed. 
 s Descriptio Albauise. 
 
OF DALEIADA OR AEGYLE. 57 
 
 SO called by Bede, Adamnan, and others; and Giraldiis 
 Cambrensis informs us it was applied as a special name : 
 from other authorities, we find that these people were 
 also known as Albanach. 
 
 The first arrival of the Scots in Argyle is said to have 
 taken place in 258,"" but it is more generally believed to 
 have happened later. We find that, about 210, a settlement 
 was formed by the Picts in the North of Ireland, which 
 Bede considers as their original seat; and in this part of the 
 island there was a little kingdom called Dalriada, which 
 comprised the present county of Antrim and some neigh- 
 bouring districts, and is allowed to have been subject to the 
 British Scots until it was at last annexed to the kingdom of 
 Ulster. 
 
 It is acknowledged that Caledonii, Picti, Albani, and Scoti 
 were synonimous aj)pellations, or nearly so. It is not, 
 therefore, very evident that " in the time of Bede only the 
 Dalriads were properly Scots;" it is still less apparent that 
 they were Irish. The Picts of Ireland, and it should seem 
 of Scotland also, were termed Crutheni, or Cruithnich, a 
 word implying corn, or wheat eaters, in allusion to their 
 practice of agriculture. The former were established in a 
 little principality, between which and the kingdom in Scot- 
 land there was kept up a friendly intercourse. O'Conner 
 says that the connexions between the Crutheni of Scotland 
 and Cairbre Eiada being renewed, he obtained a settle- 
 ment among them. Bede says the Dalriads took possession 
 partly through force, partly through favour. The Alba- 
 nic Duan intimates that it was by "a high hand," that 
 they established themselves, but other authorities inform 
 us that they were invited over. 
 
 Prom the name of the leader of the first colony, the ter- 
 
 ^ Piukeiton's Enquiry. 
 
58 THE SCOTS, 
 
 ritories wliere it settled are said to have acquired the name 
 Dal-Eiada, the tribe of Eiada, an etymology that does not 
 very well agree with the idiom of the Gaelic language, and 
 that otherwise is objectionable. We find it in the ancient 
 annals WTitten Dalaroidh, &c. 
 
 Loarn, the name of one of the kinglets into which Argyle 
 was divided by Fergus Mac Eire, is said to have been de- 
 rived from that of his brother; but it appears under the 
 form of Lora or Lori, which otherwise occurs as an ancient 
 local name.* 
 
 It is evident from both Scots and Irish records, that those 
 who were known as Dalriads, and had been long settled in 
 Argyle, were driven to Ireland on some occasion, about 
 440 or 446 ; and this circumstance, coinciding with the 
 supposed entire expulsion of the Scots, has increased the 
 confusion in this part of our history, and strengthened 
 the belief in the Irish extract of the Scots nation. 
 
 That the Scots were utterly expelled from North Britain, 
 as represented, is certainly untrue. The Eomau Historians, 
 and the national Chronicles, instead of showing that the 
 Picts and Scots were at variance, or that the one nation had 
 been expatriated, prove that they continued faithful allies, 
 acting in confederation against the Eomans and provinci- 
 ated Britons, during the period of this pretended banish- 
 ment. And here again appears a proof that the Dalriads 
 were not the only Scots in Britain. Those, however, who 
 sent them out of the country were obliged to bring them 
 back at some period, and, if the national annals are allowed 
 to be authentic, the return and accession of Fergus to the 
 throne took place in the year 403; but those who have 
 critically investigated Scots' history reject this epoch, and 
 contend that this prince and his brother Loarn returned 
 
 * It appears under the name of an important district of Argjde — Upper 
 and Nether Lome. — Ed. 
 
ORIGIN OF THE NAME. 59 
 
 from Ireland an hundred years later, and reigned jointly, 
 until the death of the latter left Fergus sole long of the 
 province. 
 
 The Scots appear neither as exiles nor a subjugated peo- 
 ple, during the period when they are said to have been in 
 banishment. When Vortigern invited the Saxons to assist 
 him with their forces, it was chiefly to protect him from the 
 Scots/ but the Dalriadae were certainly at first an insignifi- 
 cant community, although they afterwards became of more 
 note, and, by their connexion with the Pictish royal family, 
 they finally perpetuated the race of their own princes in the 
 line of Scots' Kings. The Highlanders called Achaius, or 
 Achadh, who reigned more than fifty years before the sub- 
 version of the Pictish kingdom, the king of Albany.'* 
 
 Numerous etymologies have been given of the name Scot, 
 which is thus seen to have been borne by the inhabitants of 
 both countries. Its similarity to that of the Scythee is 
 striking, and has determined many to derive the Scots di- 
 rect from Scythia, It is rather probable that those people, 
 so remote from each other, bore a name which was expres- 
 sive in the primitive language of Europe, but was some- 
 what varied in the prunitive dialects. Florus writes to 
 Hadrian, who was in Caledonia, that he would not wish to 
 suffer Scythic frosts ; and JSTennius uses both Scythee and 
 Scotti indifferently : Porphyry also, in some old editions, 
 has Scithica gentes. 
 
 The name of the numerous people on the continent who 
 were known as Skythse, has been, with the appearance of 
 certainty, deduced from the Nomadic state in which they 
 lived, and the similarity of tliis appellation to the Scuite 
 of the Seanacliies is apparent. 
 
 In the extensive regions which the former people inha- 
 
 ' Neiinius, J Stewart's Sketches of the Highlanders. 
 
60 THE ATTICOTS, 
 
 bitecl, pasturage was the sole occupation.'^ There were no 
 towns; but the people moved about continually with their 
 cattle, having no settled residence. Herodotus says, " they 
 do not cultivate the ground, but lead a pastoral life;" nay, 
 some of them, he declares, were destitute even of tents, 
 duelling in summer "each man under his own tree.'"' He 
 afterwards observes, that the Calipidse, one of their na- 
 tions, did raise corn, but it was not to eat, but sell. Strabo 
 considers Scyth?e and Nomades synonimous terms.^ 
 
 In the time of Ammianus IMarcellinus, they remained 
 in the same vagrant state of existence, when the Scots of 
 these islands had become well known. " Some few of the 
 Scyths," says this author, " feed onTcorn and fruits, but 
 all in general wander over the wilds. Their wives, their 
 children, their furniture and houses, if they can be so 
 termed, are on waggons, covered with bark, and they 
 remove them at their pleasure, whithersoever they think 
 fit." The Scots, in like manner, are characterized by the 
 same Ammianus, as wandering up and down, without any 
 fixed place of abode; and the description is agreeable 
 to the account that Nicteus gives of them. Hence the 
 propriety of the name Scuite, "the wandering nation," 
 by which the Senachies distinguish those Gaedhelians 
 who had no fixed residence, for they made use of both 
 appellations."" The original word in Ossian is^Scuta, which 
 literally signifies, " restless wanderer." ° * 
 
 '' Lib. ii. 
 
 1 " Gentes uno prius nomine omnes vel Scythse vel Nomades (ut ab 
 Homero) appellabantur, " i. 48. Falconer's ed. Choeriliis, celebrating 
 Alexander's expedition, characterizes the Sacfe as " fond of pastoral life." 
 Brj^ant's Analysis of Ancient Mythology, iii. 547. 
 
 " Ogygia. " Carthon. 
 
 * Curiously enough, although M 'Pherson in a note makes reference to 
 "Scuta," and translates it "restless wanderer," the word itself, Scuta, is 
 not found in the Ossianic text. M 'Pherson says, "The word in the 
 
THE ATTICOTS. 61 
 
 That tliese people were not a particular tribe or nation 
 is evinced from the expression "Scotticce gentes;" and they 
 ranged about at times with the Atticots,° or Attascots, as 
 some read, who appear from the annals of Ireland to have 
 been also in that country, and who are supposed to have 
 been the Dalriads. 
 
 The name of Scot was apparently given to that part of 
 the population of both Scotland and Ireland, which re- 
 mained pastoral and unsettled, and was not a term of 
 reproach, as some conceive, but an honourable appellation. 
 It was only those who possessed numerous flocks, and were 
 able to traverse the country without restraint, who de- 
 original here rendered by "restless wanderer " is Scuta, which is the true 
 origin of the Scoti of the Romans, an opprobrious name imposed by the 
 Britons on the Caledonians, on account of their continual incursions into 
 their country." On this the Rev. Dr. Clarice, the latest and best editor of 
 "Ossian," observes as follows: "In the Gaelic no such word as Scuta 
 occurs." "Fear astair nan gleann gun raon," is literally as I have 
 rendered it. 
 
 " The traveller of the glens without a plain," i.e., ruggisd glens. It is 
 obvious, then, that M 'Pherson either had two different copies of the poem 
 before him, or that here, as in so many other instances, he took an unwar- 
 rantable liberty with the original. Much learning and ingenuity have been 
 expended in tracing the etymology of Scotce, Scuta, &c. In all probability 
 it is the same word as the old Scythus or Skuthos, the well-known 
 "Scythian." (Clarke. Note to " Carthon. ") 
 
 M 'Pherson evidently connected *ScMto with /S'g'aiA, Sgathadh, Scait, Scuit, 
 &c., the idea being a breaking off, a spreading out, ramiiied, &c. Scait is 
 a skate, a fish, broad and flattened out. Scuii is the platform, level and 
 spread out, on which you stand in the stern of a boat. The English 
 scatter is probably from the same root. Ed. 
 
 " Porphyry, whose observation gives no reason to believe they were 
 considered a recent nation in the third century. " The Attacots," says 
 Marcellinus, a "warlike band, and the Scots, wandering up and down, 
 committed great depredations." xxvii. c. 7. The name seems derived 
 from Attich, inhabitants, coed, of the woods. Those who live in the 
 woods are at this day called, by the Highlanders, dwellers of the 
 woods. Dr. M 'Pherson, 
 
62 SCOTS AND IRISH, 
 
 served it. Their riches gave them influence, and Scoti 
 and reguli were synonimous.^ 
 
 The Scots of both countries are distinguished by Nen- 
 nius, for they were certainly peculiar to neither. Ulster 
 was the proper country of the Irish-Scots; between whom 
 and those of the West of Scotland, there long continued 
 so intimate a connexion, that the people may be said to 
 have anciently been the same ; but the terms Scoti and 
 Hiberni appear rather confounded than synonimous. The 
 transfer of name from a supposed island to a real one, and 
 the misapplication of passages relating to these different 
 countries, have been productive of much confusion and 
 obscurity. 
 
 A great part of the population of Scotland and Ireland 
 continued for uiany ages to move about for the pasturage 
 of their flocks. In the latter country, the practice Avas 
 remarkable even until recent times. Spenser informs us, 
 it was a general occupation for the inhabitants to traverse 
 the country, " driving their cattle continually with them, 
 and feeding only on their milk and white meates.'"' In 
 allusion to this custom, Gildas observes, that Britain, 
 abounded with hiUs that were very convenient for the 
 alternate pasture of flocks and herds. The Scots have 
 been, and, from the nature of their country, a great pro- 
 portion of the inhabitants must continue a pastoral people; 
 but their wanderings have long ceased to extend farther 
 than from the homesteading in the glen, to the shealings in 
 the mountains, during the months of summer. 
 
 The Meat^ were those who lived withiu the Walls, and 
 their name was expressive of their local situation, being 
 derived from ]\Ioi, plain, and Aitich, inhabitants,'" al- 
 
 P Bede. See also Innes's Crit. Essay. *• View of Ireland, 1596. 
 
 ' Mac Pherson, in Ossian. "VVhittaker says from msean, middle, or 
 
M^ATS. b6 
 
 though within the Eoman pale they were scarcely sub- 
 dued ; and it was only about 368, that tliis part of the 
 island was formed into the province of Valentia. The 
 Meatse were of the same Celtic race as the 'other nations; 
 and the Walenses, or people of Galloway, are their re- 
 mains. 
 
 They are supposed, by General Eoy, to have become 
 known as PiCTS, a name which appears to have been of 
 wide application, and first occurs in an oration of the pane- 
 gyrist Eumenius, to Constantius, on his victory over Alec- 
 tus, in 296, and they are not spoken of as a recent people, 
 but as having, like the Scots, been in the island before 
 the arrival of Caesar. It was, indeed, an established tradi- 
 tion in Bede's time, that the Picts were the original inha- 
 bitants of Scotland; and, agreeably to this opinion, it is 
 said that Pictland was afterwards corruptly called Scotia. 
 
 The same Eumenius terms all the extra provincials 
 Picts, and plainly shews that they were the same people as 
 the Caledonians. Wlien the Emperor Constantius came 
 into Britain, he proceeded to repel the " Caledonii et alii 
 Picti." 
 
 Giraldus Cambrensis says that some assigned a period 
 of 1070 years for the duration of the Pictish kingdom, 
 which, reckoning from its subversion in 841, will carry it 
 to the year 229 before the Christian era. 
 
 Herodian calls the Caledonians Picti; ^ and Ammianus, 
 says they were divided into two nations, the Deu Ca- 
 ledonii and Vecturiones, names which appear apj)ropriate 
 to their different situations. An dua or tua, north, Chtel- 
 doch or GhaBldoch, Caledonian, an aj)pellation some west 
 
 nioi, plain. Innes translates it Midland Britons. The ancient pro- 
 vince of Meath, in Ireknd, seems to have received its name from the 
 same cause. 
 
 ' D'Anville says they are not to be distinguished from each other. 
 
64 CALEDONIANS AND PICTS. 
 
 Higiilanclers, as Dr. Mac Plierson avers, continued to give 
 to the people of Ross and Sutherland. A part of Drumalban 
 is still called Drum-Uachter, and Uachturich, which has 
 the same signification as Highlanders, is supposed, with the 
 appearance of probability, to be the origm of Vecturiones, 
 which has otherwise been written Venricones;' and, per- 
 haps, Venicontes.'* 
 
 In the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth it appears the 
 Scots were called Picts generally. A passage in an ancient 
 poem by Ossian, or some other bard, shews that the Cale- 
 donians did not reject the term. "Alas! that it was not in 
 the land of Picts, of the bloody and fierce Fingalians that 
 thou didst fall." 
 
 It is believed that this name was appKed to all the inha- 
 bitants of the North." The similarity of interments in the 
 Highlands and Lowlands, affords a proof of the identity of 
 the ancient inhabitants, who were undoubtedly Celts. In- 
 deed, Innes is of opinion that the Caledonians were but a 
 part of the Pictish nation,'^ which was subdued by Kenneth 
 Mac Alpin, and is supposed to have been then utterly exter- 
 mmated. On the contrary, however, this prince was styled, 
 as his successors long continued to be. King of the Picts." 
 He was, in fact, one of their own monarchs, and had a legi- 
 timate claun to the throne, being the son of Urguist, 
 daughter of Huugus, King of the Picts, who was married 
 to Achaius, King of the Scots.^ 
 
 * Mac Plierson's Critical Dissertations. Another very plausible ety- 
 mology of Deu Caledonii is from dubh, black. It is said the Irish, called 
 the west Highlanders "Duffe Alibawn." Maule's Hist, of the Picts. 
 Buchannan thinks Den Caledonii ought to be Dun Caledones. See also 
 Grant's Thoughts on the Gael. 
 
 " Ptolemy, lib. xxvii. c. 7. " "Whittaker. 
 
 '^Critical Essay. ^ Tighearnach. Caradoc of Llaucarvon, &c. 
 
 y See Pinkerton's Enq^uiry, 
 
THE GALWEGIANS. 65" 
 
 Xennius declares that the Picts remained in his days ; 
 and the Bard of Malcohn tlie Third gives no intimation of 
 their pretended extirpation. Their chief seat, about the 
 year 8Y5, was Galloway, a district which remained to a 
 late period in a state of comparative independence, go- 
 verned by its native princes, and regulated by its peculiar 
 customs/ 
 
 The last mention of the inhabitants of this provmce by 
 the ancient name, is in 1138, when they fought at the bat- 
 tle of the Standard. Eichard of Hexham says the Picts 
 of David's army were vulgarly called Galleweiexses. 
 Gallovid, says Buchannan, in old Scots, is a. Gaul ; and 
 what the Scots call Gallowithia, the Welsh pronounce 
 Wallowithia. So Talliesen calls the Principality, Wallia, 
 and the Saxons called the inhabitants Bryt wealas, which 
 they latinized Gauli.* The inhabitants were also called 
 what, in fact, they were, Scoti,'' and this division of Scot- 
 land was anciently of much greater extent than it is now. 
 It comprehended all the tract of land from the Solway 
 Firth to the Clyde. From charters of David I., the town 
 of Irwine, with Kyle, Cunningham, Pienfrew, &c., consti- 
 tuted part of this extensive district ; and hence Galloway 
 was able to offer so much as tAvo thousand marks, with five 
 hundred cows, and as many hogs yearly, for the King of 
 England's protection, when, hi 1174, they attempted to 
 assert their independence on the Scots' crown.*^ Nor were 
 the Picts confined to Galloway, but about the beginning 
 of the twelfth century inhabited Lothian.*^ 
 
 « The princes are styled Eegiili by Foixlim, sub. an. 1159, &c. In 
 1308. " GalwiJe was not parcel of the crown." MS. in Brit. Mus. 
 
 * Whittaker, Dr. Mac Pherson, &c. Walsb, in German, is the name 
 for a Gaul. ^ Isodorus, Origines, ix. 2. = Guthrie, &c. 
 
 * Alexander Nechamus, quoted by Goodall, in pret. ut sup. 
 
66 DIFFEKEXCE IN MANNERS AND LANGUAGE. 
 
 Tlie conjectures of etymologists are often as unsatisfac- 
 tory as they are numerous. Investigations of tliis kind are 
 both useful and instructive when judiciously pursued, but 
 they are often absurd or frivolous. The impropriety of 
 deriving this word from the Latin Picti, painted, has been 
 often noticed. These people could not be solely entitled 
 to the appellation, when the other tribes equally practised 
 the custom of staining their bodies. 
 
 It is easy to perceive that the nature of the country 
 inhabited by the Picts, must have in time produced a 
 difference between them and the Caledonians, altliou2;h 
 both of the same race. There were natural boundaries 
 by which the two nations were separated, and which must 
 for some months in the year have precluded all inter- 
 course. It is not, therefore, singular, that people ori- 
 ginally the same, should become distinguished from each 
 other, and acquire peculiar names. The nature of their 
 territories must have produced a change in national man- 
 ners, and rendered their avocations different. A native of 
 the flat country of Idoray or Buchan was not likely to be 
 expert in those pursuits that were the favourite recrea- 
 tions of the people of the high countries of Mar or Bade- 
 noch ; nor could a Highlander easily accomodate him- 
 self to a residence on the plain. It is the opinion of 
 General Eoy, that the Picts and Caledonians were the 
 same people, who acquired different names from their local 
 situation.* 
 
 The Language, from the same causes, must undergo a 
 change, which in process of time will become very percep- 
 tible. It has already been shewn that . the languages of 
 Gaul Avere but different dialects of the same speech ; it ap- 
 pears equally certain that those of Britain were at one time 
 
 * Military Autifj[uities, p. 129. 
 
GAELIC THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE. 67 
 
 tlie same. When ^\e find the Gaelic, as used in Scotland 
 and Ireland, the Welsh, the Cornish, which is but lately 
 lost, and the Manx, all variations of the Celtic, spoken in 
 the British islands, we can readily admit the observation of 
 Bede, that the language of the Picts differed from that 
 of the Britons of Wales, and the Scots of Ireland, with- 
 out giving up our belief in their national identity. Cam- 
 den shews that the British and Pictish tongues were alike,' 
 and the different languages of Bede could only have been 
 dialects, a conclusion to which Buchannan came, for this 
 reason chiefly, that none of these nations appeared to have 
 required an interpreter. 
 
 It is asserted that the original Celts were expelled from 
 the low country of Scotland upwards of 2000 years ago, by 
 a people who spoke a different language, and who are said 
 to have been of Cumraeg extract;^ if so, there ought to be 
 some remains of their speech ; but the local names in the 
 east and south of Scotland are not Welsh, but Scotisli 
 Gaelic, and are "far too numerous to be the relics of a 
 language, which has been expelled from those parts of the 
 country for 2000 years." 
 
 It has been attempted to prove that the Picts were 
 Goths from Scandinavia, by whom the Saxon language 
 was introduced, and fixed along the south and east coasts, 
 and to support this system the public have been favoured 
 with etymologies " altogether imaginary and ill founded." ^ 
 Those who maintain the opinion and cite the languages of 
 Bede, ought not to forget that he expressly says the Pict- 
 ish was different from the Saxon; but the whole argument 
 
 ^ Dr. ilac Phersou. 
 * Pinkerton. 
 
 ^ Dr. Murray's remarks on the history and language of the Pehts 
 in Trans, of the Society of Autic[uaries of Scotland, vol. ii. part 1. 
 
68 GAELIC THE ORIGINAL LAXGUAGE. 
 
 founded on the Saxon language of the low country, I appre- 
 hend, is overthrown by the fact, that in Galloway,* the last 
 sovereignty of the Picts, the native tongue Avhicli continued 
 to 1)0 spoken in the time of Queen Mary, was Gaelic, for 
 which Buchannan, l^eing conversant with that language, 
 is an unexceptionable authority.' Pinkerton himself ac- 
 knowledges that it was spoken until lately in Carrick. 
 
 The dreary forests, the sterile and forbidding Avastes of 
 Scandinavia, so far from having been the ofiicina gentium, 
 whence nations were sent forth to overspread and people 
 Europe, and from which fecund storehouse is said to have 
 issued, that Gothic colony from which the Picts were 
 descended, must have remained desert and unoccupied by 
 mankind until comparatively recent times. 
 
 Adam of Bremen, who Avi-ote in the eleventh century, 
 says, that even in his time, the shores only of Denmark 
 were inhabited, the interior being an impenetrable forest;^ 
 and Gibbon asserts that Scandinavia, twenty centuries ago, 
 must in all the low parts have been covered by the sea: 
 the liigh lands only rismg above the water, like islands.'' 
 
 That Scotland, in the time of the Ptomans, and long 
 after, was inhabited by Caledonians and Picts, as it has 
 been since by Highlanders and Lowlanders, is perfectly 
 clear; that both were of Celtic origin seems absolutely 
 certain. Differences existed between the inhabitants of 
 certain districts, either arising from local position and pe- 
 culiar circumstances, or produced by the intermixture of 
 colonies subsequently arriving. The parts possessed by 
 the Picts were better adapted for agriculture and com- 
 
 * That a Gaelic speaking race anciently inliabited Galloway and tlie 
 g:-eater part of the south-western counties is clear from their topography ; 
 the names of mountains, rivers, towns, and farmsteads being in nine cases 
 out of ten of pure Gaelic origin. Ed. 
 
 ' Lib. i. 11. i Diss, on the Scyths, p. 23. ^ c. ix. 
 
INTRODUCTIOX OF THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE. 69 
 
 merce than the ragged Avikls of Caledonia; and it is from 
 their settled lives and attention to manufactures, that tlie 
 Highland traditions represent them as an ingenious, ra- 
 ther than a warlilve people. An early change, therefore, 
 took place among the inhabitants of the low country, for 
 those pursuits invariably lead to mutations in language 
 and manners; and the observation of a learned gentleman 
 respecting the Gaelic is perfectly just, — " Eocks, seas, and 
 deserts, ignorance, sterility, and want of commerce, are its 
 best preservatives."' 
 
 It has been shewn that the language of the eastern Celts 
 on the continent, became first corrupted by the Gothic, 
 which was itself derived from the primitive Celtic.™ " The 
 most ancient remains of the German or Teutonic approach 
 very near to the Mo3sa Gothic,"" and the Anglo Saxon 
 was immediately derived from the old Saxon of Germany. ° 
 
 The Gothic was long established among the Northern 
 nations, and in England, before it was introduced into 
 Scotland or Ireland; and in those early ages, it was so pure 
 that the people of remote countries found no difficulty in 
 understanding each other. In the tune of Ethelred, 979, 
 an Englishman could converse with a Scandinavian, and 
 €Ould not, from his tongue, know him to be a foreigner.^ 
 
 The inhabitants of the south and east of Scotland, ad- 
 vancing into a state of civilization, in consequence of an 
 intercourse with England and other parts, were prepared, 
 and, as it were, forced, gradually, to admit the Saxon 
 language; but the vernacular tongue of the Picts con- 
 
 1 "Next to valuable books and permanent records." — Dr. IM'Pherson. 
 ™Seep. 25. 
 
 ° Jamieson's observations on Dr. Mnn-aj^'s remarks, nt sup. 
 ° De Mm-r's Conspectus Bibliotb. Glot. Univers. ap. Jamieson, nt 
 sup. 
 
 P Gunlaug Saga. Heimskringla, ap. Jamieson. 
 
70 INTRODUCTION OF THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE. 
 
 tinned, to predominate. In the reign of Malcolm- Ceau- 
 more, towards the end of the eleventh century, none of the 
 clergy cor.M understand the Saxon without an interpreter. 
 
 Improvements in commerce and agriculture induced the 
 settlement of strangers; — the progress of refinement, occa- 
 sioned the introduction of many new terms, and paved the 
 way for fixing, in the lowlands, the Saxon language, to 
 which several circumstances greatly conduced. 
 
 In 547, Ida, King of Northumberland, with an army of 
 Anglo Saxons, took possession of the lower part of Eox- 
 burgh, and seized Lothian, a term which there is reason 
 to believe was then applied to the south as well as north 
 side of the Tweed. This invasion is, however, not likely 
 to have made that alteration in the language" which is 
 supposed, even although the invaders had settled in the 
 conquered provinces, for they must, as it is admitted the 
 colonies from Germany and Scandinavia did, have even- 
 tually merged in the Celtic tribes. Oswy, King of the 
 Nordanhymbri, or peojjle of N'ortliumberland, about 650, 
 reduced the Scots and Picts, who lived between the Tweed 
 and Forth, and exacted tribute from them until 685, vrhen 
 the Picts recovered their possessions. During this period, 
 the Saxon language, it is believed, first began to be used in 
 the south; but on the ISTorman invasion, the Eoyal family 
 of England, the principal nobility, with their attendants 
 and others, who would not submit to the conquerors, took 
 refuge in Scotland; and Malcolm married the princess 
 Margaret, sister to Edgar Atheling, and harassed the 
 borders with fire and sw^ord. So many refugees on this 
 occasion accepted the protection of the . Scotish King, that 
 Simeon of Durham tells us the kingdom was "stocked 
 with EngEsh men and maid servants, so that, to this day, 
 
 1 Bonier Antir|inties. 
 
ITS LATE KECEPTIOX IN SOME PAETS. 71 
 
 there is not a farm house, or even a cottage, where they 
 are not to be foimd.'"" On the death of the Conqueror, 
 and defeat of the rebellion against his successors, many 
 Normans also retired to Scotland, and Malcolm, with much 
 policy, settled them chiefly on the borders of his kingdom, 
 and in the towns on the east coast that were exposed to 
 the frequent invasions of the Danes. "The towns and 
 boroughs of Scotland," says WilHam of Newburgh, " are 
 known to be inhabited by the English;" but when an op- 
 portunity offered, he adds, "the Scots, from an innate 
 hatred towards them, which they dissembled from a fear 
 of offending the king, destroyed all whom they found." 
 The Celts were averse to live in towns and submit to seden- 
 tary occupations, or apply themselves to commercial pur- 
 suits; hence the Saxons, Normans, Flemings, and others, 
 were generally the inhabitants of the Boroughs, and ad- 
 vantageously pursued those trades which the natives had 
 little inclination to acquire." Through their means, chiefly, 
 the Saxon was propagated, for it had become the language 
 most generally understood in Europe. It was, as it were, 
 the court language during the reign of Malcolm, and the 
 influence, which this must have had even in those days, is 
 easily conceived. Besides, all our kings, from Malcolm- 
 Cean-more to Alexander II., lived some time m England, 
 learned the language and married English princesses. 
 
 To those who maintain that the Gothic was the language 
 of the Picts, or who assert that the limits of the two lan- 
 guages have always continued the same, or nearly so, it is 
 to be mentioned that, so late as the reign of Queen Mary, 
 the Gaelic was spoken in the Gariach, Aberdeenshire, 
 where it is now entirely unknown, and was even taught in 
 the schools of Aberdeen. In Ireland, the nobility and 
 
 f Lib. ii. c. 34. « Sea all ancient Charters, £incl other documents. 
 
72 INTEODUCTION OF THE IRISH DIALECT. 
 
 gentry continued to use this language until the time of 
 Elizabeth, or James the First.* The Saxon has continued 
 to gain ground in both countries, and must inevitaljly, at 
 no very distant period, AvhoUy supplant the Gaelic. 
 
 It is not the Saxon language alone that has excited the 
 investigation of antiquaries; the Dalriads are said to have 
 brought over their native tongue, which, according to some 
 writers, they disseminated all over Scotland, a proof not 
 only that the Scots' Monarchy was derived from Ireland, 
 luit that the people spoke a different language. Chal- 
 mers, who allows the Gaelic of North Britain to be the 
 purest, believes he has proved the introduction of the 
 Irish dialect, by citing a charter which refers to "Inverin 
 cjui fuit Aberin." This is anything but satisfactory; he 
 means to show that the Irish Inbhear supplanted the Scot- 
 tish Abar or Aber. Inver, here used with in, an island 
 or country, signifies the land which lies between the con- 
 tinence of two rivers, and Aber, which seems to be the ori- 
 ginal word, is generally applied in the same sense. Aber, 
 however, properly denotes marsh and boggy ground, but 
 as this place lay on the east coast, it had been probably 
 drained by the industrious Picts, and could no longer, with 
 propriety, be called Aber-in. Abar is a compound word, 
 from Ab, an obsolete Gaelic term for water, which, as may 
 be seen in many names still existing, became softened into 
 Av. Bar, is a heap, a height, or point. Now the Cale- 
 donians generally chose marshes as the sites of their en- 
 trenchments, and many Highlanders I have found yet un- 
 derstand by abar, a work, as of an earthen mound, a 
 trench, &c. If, however, the language of the Eirinich dif- 
 fered from that of the Scotish Gael, which it is said to 
 
 * Higliland Society's ed. of Ossian. About 1619, tlie use of the Irish 
 language, iu deeds, was discontinued. Trans, of Jr. Acad. 
 
THE SCOTS AN UNMIXED RACE. 
 
 73 
 
 have supplanted, no tradition or valid proof remains to at- 
 test it; and if the Dalriads brought over their language, 
 they did so effectually, for they have left no In vers behind 
 them. 
 
 At the Eoman Abdication of Britain, in 44G, there was 
 only one race of men in Scotland, the sixteen tribes north 
 of Antonine's wall, and the five between the prretentures, 
 who were in some degree civilized by the Romans." 
 
 The Caledonians and Picts were, therefore, from all<that 
 is related by the ancients, from the investigations of mo- 
 dern writers, and from the undeniable identity of language, 
 two divisions of one and the same Celtic people; and I see 
 no objection to our believing, mtli Innes, that the Picts 
 were " the first known people of the North," although it 
 is not so ai^parent that they were, as he says, " the second 
 in order of time." 
 
 " Caledonia. 
 
 
 ^^- 
 
 3^,^: 
 
^"^.-^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 APPEARAE'CE OF THE COUNTRY— EXTENT AND PRO- 
 DUCTIONS or THE ABORIGINAL FORESTS. 
 
 The Western side of Britain is mountainous, the east and 
 south parts are champaign. These different characters are 
 striking, and have long marked the territories of the an- 
 cient inhabitants and those who are mingled \vitli later 
 colonists. The sam^e, in some degree, is the case with Ire- 
 land. 
 
 It will not ]:'3 here attempted to account for the alluvial 
 discoveries made throughout these islands, or hazard an 
 explanation of various remarkable appearances. Y/hether 
 the flood of E"oah, or any other deluge or convulsion, has 
 produced the difference between the former and present 
 face of the earth, is not easy to be ascertained, but a singu- 
 lar change has certainly taken place.'' Traditions, indeed, do 
 
 a See Brognir.rf 3 Worlcs, &c. 
 
rOEJIER APPEARAXCE OF BPJTAIX. tO 
 
 exist, that the Scillies, and many other islands, were for- 
 merly connected with the mainland; hut the fact appears as 
 unsusceptible of positive proof, as the shock that is pre- 
 simied to hare rent Britain from the continent.* 
 
 Throughout the Western Isles, the Orkneys, and eA'-en in 
 Shetland, the discovery of large trees that are dug from the 
 mosses or bogs, has led to an opinion, that the woods must 
 have existed at a time when these islands were dissevered 
 from Britain, either by the Avorkings of the ocean, or a sud- 
 den disraption; and without some such hypothesis, "it is not 
 easy to comprehend, how trees could grow on these sj)ots, 
 of which the extent is so small, and under circumstances 
 in which heath will scarcely now attain its full gTOwth." '' 
 Eemains of woods have often been perceived at a distance 
 from the shores. The encroachments of the ocean v/ere very 
 remarkably proved, by the discovery of a thick forest in 
 the bay of Pulvash, in Man, where the trees were exposed 
 after a violent storm. Those dug up on land shew that 
 the woods of that island have been at a subsequent period 
 overthrown by a north-east Avind. At ISTiwegal, near St. 
 David's, in Wales, Gir. Cambrensis says, a furious tempest 
 which blew away the sands on the beach, opened to view a 
 forest, and on tlie trunks of many of the trees the mark of 
 the axe v^as visible. If the Triads can be received as 
 authority, they attest the formation of Anglesea, and many 
 other islands on the Avestern coast, by the bursting of the 
 lake Llion, and allude to a period when the Orkneys Avere 
 but fcAv in number. 
 
 At the period of the Eoman invasion, from Avhich Ave 
 must date all certain information respecting Britain, the 
 
 * That all the British Islauels at one time fonneJ part of a large continent, 
 very different in size and confirmation from our modern "Europe" is on 
 reliable geological daia now rmiversally admitted. Ed. 
 
 ''M'CuUoch's Description of the AVcstern Islands, ii. p. 288. 
 
76 OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 face of tlie country was very different from what it has 
 since appeared. The small tracts which had been cleared 
 of wood, in the vicinity of the towns or strongholds, and 
 the very limited patches of gromid appropriated to raise a 
 portion of corn, were insufficient to materially affect the 
 general appearance of nature throughout the island. 
 
 We do not possess so satisfactory data respecting the 
 country, or inhabitants of Scotland, as illustrate the ancient 
 state of South Britain; for the partial knowledge which 
 the Eomans and others obtained, respecting the regions of 
 Caledonia, did not enable them to transmit much informa- 
 tion concerning tliis distant boundary of the emph-e, 
 
 A better climate, a less rugged country, and some com- 
 mercial advantages, produced a certain territorial improve- 
 ment, and consequent melioration in the state of the South- 
 ern tribes. A greater attention to agriculture, in a latitude 
 more favourable to the operations of husbandry, constituted 
 the chief difference between the maritime nations of South 
 Britam, and the aborigines of the interior, who retained 
 their primitive rudeness, and occupied districts where the 
 face of nature was less changed by the labours of human 
 industry. 
 
 Where the dense forests spread in natural wildness, and 
 undisturbed luxuriance; where lakes and morasses are un- 
 drained, the land uncultivated, and surrounded by vast 
 seas ; a clouded sky and a moist climate are tlie natural 
 effects, and are very unpleasantly felt by those who have 
 lived under the azure sky, and genial climate of Italy. 
 The frequent and heavy showers that fall on the Western 
 coasts are most remarkable, and occasioned a facetious gen- 
 tleman who had resided several weeks in the country, durmg 
 which he never experienced a dry day, to ask a person whom 
 he met some years afterwards on the continent, " whether it 
 had yet ceased to rain in Scotland?" These sudden showers 
 
FORMER APPEAR AXCE AND 77 
 
 bring doM'ii the mountain floods with a velocity that often 
 occasions the loss of flocks, and sometimes of human life. 
 
 The Eoman historians in general speak of Britain as 
 extremely unpleasant, " damp with continual showers, and 
 overcast with clouds," " but Ca3sar describes the climate as 
 milder than that of Gaul. Scotland is represented as of a 
 most forbiddmg aspect, deluged with incessant rains, and 
 clouded with exhalations from unwholesome fens ; sur- 
 rounded by seas that raged with tremendous fury, and 
 forcing their billows to the centre of the country, foamed 
 among the inland mountains.*^ The numerous lochs, or 
 arms of the sea, with which the ]S[ortliern part of the island 
 is indented, give some propriety to this description; but we 
 must regard these accounts as given by a people, who had 
 an imperfect knowledge of a country, in which they never 
 made any permanent settlement, and who exaggerated the 
 details to magnify their military exploits ; yet the scenery 
 of Caledonia was too romantic and singular to escajDe ob- 
 servation. Its grandeur struck the ancients with wonder 
 and has always been the admiration of the lovers of the 
 romantic picturesque. 
 
 The Grampians, that appear an iiii23enetrable barrier, 
 have long been considered the line of separation between 
 the well known divisions of Highlands and Lowlands; but 
 there are other remarkable features that have excited par- 
 ticular notice. 
 
 The Muir of Eannach, a district in Perthshire, extend- 
 ing from the hills of Glen Lyon to Ben Nevis, is a flat 
 desert plain, about twenty miles square, surrounded by the 
 highest mountains in Scotland. So well secured by nature 
 is this district, that it was wholly inaccessible to the civil 
 power, until after the events of 1745. 
 
 = Vita Agricolae, c. xiii. ^ Ibid. 
 
Y8 CLIMATE OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Part of Assynt, and Edderacliyllis in Sutherland, form- 
 ing a tract of about twenty-four miles by eight or ten, is no 
 less remarkable. Although in a very mountainous coun- 
 try, it is comparatively Llain, but rugged and broken in a 
 most extraordinary manner, and may be described, as if 
 hundreds of great mountains had been spoilt and scattered 
 about by some violent convulsion of nature.^ In certain 
 parts of the Highlands the mountains have the singular 
 appearance of being composed of loose blocks of stone, 
 resembling an immense cairn. Some of the woods also are 
 not unworthy of observation, where the fir is seen growing 
 on the side of precipices, where no soil can apparently exist. 
 
 In the fissures of the rock, this hardy tree fixes its roots, 
 where it seems impossible either to take hold, or derive the 
 requisite nourishment; yet the remains of ancient forests 
 are seen in these situations, and owe their preservation to 
 the inaccessible heights on which they are placed. The 
 mountain of Ben Lair, in Eoss, affords a remarkable exam- 
 ple, and the rugged hills of Mar, in Aberdeenshire, display 
 many similar appearances. 
 
 Britain is described by the ancients, as " horrida sylvis." 
 The name of Caledonia, if a plausible etymology before 
 stated^ is deemed conclusive, proves the former wooded 
 state of the country, vrhich is more strongly attested by 
 the remains dug from numerous mosses, and various local 
 names derived from woods that have now disappeared. 
 Scotland has so long been denuded of its ancient forests, 
 that their existence has been doubted, when a thousand 
 proofs from vestigia met with iii almost every district 
 evince the fallacy of such a supposition. It is true the 
 Sylva Caledonia has disappeared, except the remains that 
 are seen in Eannach, in Mv.v, in Abernethy, and Laggan, 
 
 = Eoy's MiL Ant. p. 59. ^ Page 16 
 
ANCIENT FORESTS OF SCOTLAND, 79 
 
 in wliich last place it still retains the appropriate name of 
 Coilmore,* or tlie great wood, and in part of Eoss ; but al- 
 though some of these tracts are still more than thirty miles 
 in length, they are but a small proportion of a wood, vfhich 
 once covered the whole central highlands. 
 
 Many forests that no longer remain, or are reduced to a 
 stunted copse wood, are mentioned in ancient records. 
 From these we ascertain the existence of woods that for- 
 merly covered heaths, Avhich beyond all memory of man 
 liave presented the most bleak and barren aspect.^ The 
 forests that were around Stirling, Forfar, Inverness, Elgin, 
 Banff, Aberdeen, and Kintore, that overspread Buchan, 
 Crimond, Cabrach, &c., &c., are often noticed in ancient 
 deeds. The great wood of Drumselch was in the vicinity 
 of Edinburgh, and Etterick forest has long given name to a 
 sheriffdom. Nor was South Britain much less encumbered 
 with Avoods; from Kent to Somers.et, was one continued 
 forest, and a dense wood extended over the present counties 
 of Lincohi, ISTottingham, Derby, Leicester, Eutland, and 
 part of Northampton.'' Ireland was overrun with woods; 
 and the first employment of the colonists is said to have 
 been clearing the land, and making room for themselves ; 
 and those who were distinguished by their activity in so 
 laudable a work are celebrated in the national histories.' 
 In that country three distinct growths of timber, under 
 three distinct strata of moss, are discovered.^ In the time 
 of Cambrensis, it appears to have been still full of thick 
 Avoods, some of Avhich, at a later period, exceeded tv^enty 
 miles in length.'' 
 
 * Gaelic : Coille-mMr, tlie great wood or extensive forest. Ed. 
 
 s See the Chartularies. Eymer's Fcedera. Chalmer's Caledonia, &c. 
 ^ See Y/hittaker's Hist, of Manchester, and authorities. 
 ' Leabhar Gabhala. Keating's MSS. Ogygia, &c. &c. 
 J Keport of the Commissioners on the Bogs of Ireland. 
 
 * Denick's Image of Ireland, 15S1. 
 
80 raODUCED THE BEECH AND THE FIR. 
 
 The British woods appear to have contained nearly all 
 the varieties of trees to be found in Gaul. Tacitus says 
 that the island did not produce the vine and the olive/ but 
 Csesar excepts the fir and beech also,™ and his authority, 
 that these were not to be found in Britain, would almost 
 repress scepticism. 
 
 The beech is believed to have been unknown before the 
 Eomans had established themselves; but from its British or 
 Celtic names, Faighe or Faghe, the Latin Fagus, is appa- 
 rently derived.* 
 
 That the fir must have grown plentifully in the aborigi- 
 nal woods, tliere is abundant proof: fir cones are dug up 
 from great depths, as well as the immense trunks of the 
 trees on which they grew; and the bogs in which they are 
 found, being in some cases traversed by Eoman roads, 
 were certainly formed before the arrival of that people. 
 The remains of this hardy tree are found in great quantity 
 on each side of these roads; to make which, they were cut 
 down, and have even been employed in their construction. ° 
 But Cresar has been vindicated by a very intelligent writer, 
 in the Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland, 
 who maintains that it was the pitch tree, the pinus abies of 
 Linnaeus, which Csesar speaks of, and by no means the 
 Scots fir, which is really a pine.° 
 
 The Celtic names of this tree bear no analogy to the 
 Latin word, from which they could not therefore be de- 
 rived, affording a proof that the fir was indigenous. In the 
 
 1 Vit. Agiic. c. xii. 
 
 ™ "Prffiter Fagum atque Abietem," not Ficum, as some read. 
 
 " Wliittaker, ut sup. 
 
 o Dr. Walker on Peat, Trans, ii. p. 7. The Picea, or pitch tree, the 
 Gauls termed pades. Pliny, xvi. 40. 
 
 * Is it not quite as probable that the British or Celtic names are derived 
 from the Latin ? Ed. 
 
THE YEW AND THE OAK. 81 
 
 Gaelic, the fir and the pine are called Gius, or Giumhus, 
 and in the Irish idiom the term Finniduydh is also used. 
 The fir was the natural production of this country, and 
 formerly grew spontaneously in Scotland, and the Northern 
 parts of England. The ancient forests of North Britain 
 appear to have consisted chiefly of this tree, and it has been 
 but recently lost in some parts. It is now generally repre- 
 sented by the Highland or planted fir, in the opinion of the 
 late Mr. Farquharson, a good authority on this subject, — 
 his estate of Invercauld comprising many thousand acres 
 covered with this tree, the remains of the Caledonian forest. 
 It is a curious fact, that the native fir is much deteriorated 
 by transplantation, and that, to preserve its quality, nature 
 should be followed, and the seed sown where the tree is to 
 grow. Some of this natural wood formed the roof of Kil- 
 churn castle, in Argyleshire; and when taken down, after it 
 had stood above three hundred years, it was found as fresh 
 and full of sap, as newly imported Memel.^ The great 
 woods of Glenmore and Abernethy, the property of the 
 Duke of Gordon and the Laird of Grant, are reckoned the 
 oldest and best in quality of any in Scotland. 
 
 The yew, in Gaelic, lubliar, or luthar, grew in the 
 woods of Britain, where the names of many places are pre- 
 sumptive proof that it is indigenous. 
 
 The oak, called Darach by the Highlanders, has been 
 held in almost universal estimation, and besides its import- 
 ance in religion, it must have been valued as affording a 
 coarse food to the primitive barbarians. The respect with 
 which the Druids regarded it, is well known ; even the Eo- 
 mans retained that veneration, which they derived from 
 their remote ancestors. Pliny attests that mast trees were 
 always held in the highest repute by that peoiple.' 
 
 P Smitli's View of the Agriciiltiu-e of Argyle, p. 156. 
 9 Lib. xvi. c. 3. 
 
 G 
 
82 THE ELM, THE BIRCH, AND THE POPLAR. 
 
 It is said that tlie oak was confined to tlie south of Perth- 
 shire, the fir being the tree which prevailed northwards of 
 that division; but oaks must have formerly grown plenti- 
 fully all over Scotland, and even in the Hebrides, there 
 being scarcely a district where the remains of the trees 
 are not to be found. The extensive moss of Flanders, in 
 Stirlingshire, was once the site of a considerable forest 
 of this wood, over which the soil has accumulated to a 
 depth of twenty feet. A rivulet that bounds this tract 
 on the north east, has exposed on its banks, trees of very 
 large dimensions.' Its usefulness for strength and durabi- 
 lity preserved the estimation which this tree acquired from 
 its sacred character. The Triads inform us, the birch, the 
 oak, and the buckthorn, were not to be cut down without 
 permission of the lord of the country. The oak most fre- 
 quently appears in Scotish grants, for the erection or 
 repair of buildings, the wooden work of all public and pri- 
 vate edifices of consequence, being composed of it. In the 
 reign of Edward the First are many donations of oak 
 trees, which, in his assumed character of lord paramount 
 of Scotland, he bestowed to repair the damage occasioned 
 by his cruel wars. Longmorgan, now a barren heath 
 near Elgin, was then covered with the " monarch of the 
 wood," and at the head of Loch Etive are stiU to be seen 
 some of these trees, whose trunks measure from twenty to 
 twenty-five feet in circumference, although growing in a 
 thin, arid, rocky soil. The elm is said, by the historian 
 of Manchester, to have been introduced by the Eomans, 
 but it rather appears to have been indigenous ; and from 
 its Celtic name Leamhan, the Latin Ulmus is probably 
 derived. In the form of Ailm, so closely resembling its 
 English name, it is the first letter of the Gaelic alphabet. 
 
 ' Stat. Account of Doune, vol. xx, p. 19. 
 
WILLOW, HAZEL, ASH, ALDER, 83 
 
 The broad-leaved sort is a native of Scotland ; but from a 
 belief that the bark is a useful application for burns, it is 
 now seldom seen of a large size.* 
 
 The birch, Beithe, in Gaelic, is reckoned a native, and 
 its name is given to the letter B. The Komans are said to 
 have introduced the poplar, the plane, the box, &c. Mal- 
 colm Laing, in his attempt to refute the poems of Ossian, 
 asserts that the first was not anciently known in Scotland. 
 It is certainly found all over the Highlands, and grows in 
 places inaccessible to human footsteps, and from its name, 
 Crithean, derived from Crith, a shaking or trembling, so 
 unlike the latin Popidus, it may be reasonably considered 
 as a native production. The same may be said of the ash, 
 Uinseann having no resemblance to Fraxinus, and so of 
 others, as the holly, Cuileann, &c. 
 
 In the lower parts of Caithness, a county that does not 
 seem ever ' to have contained much wood, the vegetable 
 remains usually dug up, are willow, hazel, and alder, or 
 aller. The first was, most likely, a natural product. The 
 Celtic willow was small and tender,* and both Gauls and Bri- 
 tons were celebrated for the manufacture of wicker or basket 
 work. Its name in the Highlands, Seileach, is not very dif- 
 ferent from the Latin Salix, or the French Saule. The 
 second was also, there is no doubt, a native of Britain; from 
 its Gaelic name Caltuin, little resembling the Eoman Cory- 
 lus, Buchannan thought the term Caledonia arose. From 
 the third, Fearn, the names of many places in Scotland are 
 certainly derived. The juniper, found in almost all coun- 
 tries, could not have anciently been unknown in this. In 
 the Celtic tongue it is called Aitin. 
 
 Apple trees, if not indigenous in Britain, were very 
 early imported by the colonies from Gaul, where they bore 
 
 * Smith's View of the Agric. of Argyle, &c. * Pliny, xvi. 87. 
 
84 APPLE, CHERRY, AND VINE TREES. 
 
 excellent fruit." Tlie Htediii of Somerset are supposed to 
 have been particularly attentive to tlieir culture; and Ava- 
 lonia, the ancient name of Glastonbury, called Awfallach, 
 or the Orchard, in Welch," is derived from the British Aval, 
 an apple, which is likewise the origin of Avalana, the name 
 of a place in the north of England, and Avalon in France. 
 
 It would appear from a passage in Ossian, that this fruit 
 was well known to the Caledonians, but it is not credible 
 that Thule should abound in apple trees, as Solinus writes, 
 m the third century, if by the appellation is to be under- 
 stood the Orkney or Shetland Islands. This term is, how- 
 ever, applied by many to the north east part of Scotland, and 
 the county of Moray has long been celebrated for its mild cli- 
 mate and fruitful soil. Buchannan says it surpassed all the 
 other counties of Scotland in its excellent fruit trees, and 
 although not now so famous on this account, it still retains 
 much of its ancient celebrity. It may be reasonably pre- 
 sumed, that those trees which the natural woods of Britain did 
 not contain, were brought from the continent by the early 
 colonists. L. Lucullus was the first who brought cherries 
 from Pontus, about seventy-two years before Christ; and 
 twenty-six years afterwards they were carried to Britain." 
 Geen trees abound in some parts of Banffshire, where they 
 are said to be of natural growth.^ 
 
 The vine was cultivated by the Gauls, who possessed 
 several peculiar sorts,'' at a very early period; but before the 
 arrival of the Komans, it seems to have been unknown in 
 Britain. Although there were numerous vineyards in 
 England, even until lately, the early inhabitants do not 
 appear to have valued this fruit, and the Scots were pre- 
 cluded by their climate from rearing it. The eleventh 
 
 « Ibid. XV. 20. Whittaker. '' Roberts, Wliittaker, &c. 
 
 " Pliny, XV. 25. " Agiicultural Report. ^ Pliny, lib. xiv. 23. 
 
HIGHLANDS ADAPTED FOR OECHARDS. 85 
 
 letter, M, is called Muin, a word that is indeed translated, 
 a vine, but is, properly, a bramble, or tliorn.^ 
 
 The Northern latitude of Scotland does not allow the 
 production of many fruits, to be found in more favoured 
 countries, yet the climate is not inimical to their culti- 
 vation. The remains of aged woods are found in various 
 places much nearer the sea, and on more arid and exposed 
 situations, than where they can now be reared, but the 
 difficulty seems to arise, at present, from the want of 
 shelter for the young plantations; the Highland valleys 
 are represented as peculiarly congenial to the raising and 
 perfection of fruit trees. Mr. Leitch, a gardener, who 
 writes in 1793, from Richmond, in Surrey, declares that 
 wood strawberries, blackberries," &c., &c., ripen more early 
 in these valleys, than in the mildest parts of the Low Coun- 
 try, and assures the nobility and gentry, that " there are 
 vast numbers of tracts in the West Highlands, that would 
 ripen apples and pears better than any in the Low Countries 
 of the kingdom." " These Highland glens," he maintains, 
 " are the very places adapted by nature to raise orchards 
 in.'"* At Dunrobin, in Sutherland, apricot, peach, and 
 other fruit trees thrive well. Walnuts have ripened at 
 Skibo; and at Morvich, in the same county, are many very 
 old pear trees, that still bear good crops, of excellent qua- 
 lity.'' We learn that David the First, about 1140, used to 
 employ his leisure time in cultivating a garden, and in 
 grafting and training trees.* 
 
 The monks, who always paid particular attention to the 
 
 ^ Armstrong's Gaelic Dictionary. 
 
 « The blackberries in the Highlands are much superior to those found 
 in the hedges of England. 
 
 '' Smith's View of the Agric. of Argyle. 
 
 •= Agric. Eeport for Sutherland. 
 
 * Fordun's Scotichronicon, lib. v. c. 59. 
 
86 DESTl^UCTION OF THE ANCIENT FORESTS. 
 
 good things of this life, while preparing themselves for the 
 enjoyment of the next, had usually a good garden stocked 
 with fruit trees attached to their monasteries, and their 
 peaceful life enabled them to cultivate their grounds \yith 
 much success. So early as the ninth century, the clergy 
 of lona had prosperous orchards, which were destroyed by 
 the barbarous Norwegian invaders.^ 
 
 Ireland presents many instances of the horticultural 
 spirit of these societies ; but in that country their labours 
 were assisted by a fine climate and fruitful land, Caledonia 
 never enjoyed the advantages of a fertile soil ; but as the 
 late much respected Sir Alexander MacDonald, Chief 
 Baron of the Exchequer, said on a public occasion, " its 
 harvest is inferior to none in the rich produce of a manly 
 race, and the fruits of talents, genius, and heroic virtue." ' 
 
 The British forests have disappeared from various causes. 
 In the progressive advance of civilization, and perhaps 
 from the increase of population, considerable tracts must 
 have been from time to time cleared for the purposes of 
 pasturage, and for the raising of corn, which the country 
 produced abundantly.^ Sir H. Davy's opinion is, that the 
 trees on the outside of the woods, which, from a free 
 exposure to the sun and air, were much stronger than 
 those in the interior, being first cut downi, the rest from 
 exposure to the wind were overthrown, and hence occa- 
 sioned the formation of the bogs ; but to the Eoman 
 operations in this island may be attributed the destruc- 
 tion of great part of its woods. It was a settled maxim 
 with that people to construct roads, and thereby lay open 
 all countries which they attempted to conquer, or that 
 had been brought under their subjection; and in eradicating 
 
 « Smith, iu Stot. Account, x. p. 543. 
 
 ^ Observations on the Highlands. 1814. s Vit. Agri. xii. 
 
DESTRUCTION OF THE FOEESTS. 87 
 
 the Britisli woods they had an additional and weighty argu- 
 ment for its expediency — the shelter which they afforded 
 to the natives, and the facilities they gave for the exercise 
 of that desultory and destructive mode of attack, for 
 which the people were so celebrated. The trunks of the 
 trees which they felled, were found useful in the construc- 
 tion of their Iters, where they were carried across soft and 
 boggy ground, and they are often found to have formed 
 the ground work of these ways, by the sides of which the 
 logs they did not require are often discovered. 
 
 So early as the age of Agricola, the industry of the 
 Romans in clearing the country of its woods was well 
 known, and was bitterly complained of by the natives, 
 who were themselves compelled to the work.'' From this 
 policy, wise indeed, but almost as inefficient as the erection 
 of their vast ramparts, tlie aboriginal woods of Caledonia 
 suffered material encroachments. The Emperor Severus, 
 in his progress northwards, was particularly active in 
 demolishing the forests which protected the enemies of 
 Rome, and laboured with such diligence in clearing them 
 away, that it is believed he lost a considerable number of 
 his troops from the fatigue occasioned thereby. Numerous 
 remains are found, which, as they lie in his line of march, 
 and as both roots and trunks remain on the ground, and 
 evince that the trees could not have been cut down for sake 
 of the land, are clearly referable to this expedition. 
 
 In the moss of Logan, in the parish of Kippen, a road 
 was discovered twelve feet wide, and formed by the trunks 
 of trees regularly laid across each other; and north of the 
 river Forth, in the moss of Kincardine, a road, apparently 
 a continuation of the same line, has also been discovered, of 
 a similar width and construction.' 
 
 Many extensive bogs in Perthshire are found to have 
 
 ^ Vit. Agri. xxxi. ' Stat. Account, xviii. 
 
88 DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS. 
 
 originated from tlie labours of tlie Eomans in denuding 
 the country of its primaeval woods. The clay surface 
 underneath the moss, which bore the ancient forest, is 
 found to be thickly strewed with the trunks of huge trees 
 lying in all directions, beside their roots, which still remain 
 firmly fixed in their original positions, exhibiting visible 
 marks of the axe by which they fell.'' 
 
 The forests of Caledonia, that escaped destruction from 
 the Eomans, suffered from the English armies in sub- 
 sequent ages. Partly actuated by a similar policy, and 
 partly from the spirit of rancour attendant on civil and 
 predatory warfare, the troops of King Edward were accus- 
 tomed to set fire to the woods. In Fife, they were de- 
 stroyed, to deprive robbers of the shelter they afforded; 
 and those in the north that belonged to the Cumins, were 
 burned on the defeat of their faction by King Eobert Bruce.'' 
 
 In Dumfries, most of the woods appear from their 
 remains to have been consumed by fire, and in Caithness 
 they all appear to have shared the same fate.' It is be- 
 lieved, in the Western Islands, that the forests were set fire 
 to by the Norwegians when leaving these possessions." 
 Indeed, a general tradition prevails throughout the coun- 
 try, that the woods were burnt in an extremely hot sum- 
 mer; and this is recorded in the Welch Traids, as the third 
 calamity which befel Britain. 
 
 In Sutherland, they have also been destroyed by confla- 
 gration; and, according to a tradition, it was occasioned by 
 a witch, or magician, from Denmark, which may probably 
 allude to some descent of the eastern marauders, who fre- 
 quently paid unwelcome visits to that part of the country. 
 The trunk of a fir tree, dug up in the higher part of 
 Kildonan, measured seventy-two feet in length, and was of 
 
 i Stat. Account xxi. 154. ^ Aberdeenshire Agric. Eep. 
 
 ^ Caithness Agric. Kep. ™ Buchunnan's Western Isles, p. 24. 
 
DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS. 89 
 
 proportional tliickness. The appearance of the root, en- 
 crusted with charcoal, proved by what means it had been 
 levelled with the earth." 
 
 It is probable, that conflagrations occasionally took 
 place in the most remote times. From the wandering and 
 unsettled life of mankind, the woods were in danger from 
 the fires of the houseless natives. Ossian compares the 
 sons of Erin after a defeat, to " a grove through which 
 the flame had rushed, hurried on by the winds of the 
 stormy night, &c." 
 
 The preservation of the ancient forests was scarcely con- 
 sidered of national importance; and the acts of the Scots' 
 parliament that were at last promulgated for planting 
 trees, seem to have had little effect. So late as the com- 
 mencement of last century, an extensive fir wood in Argyle 
 was considered of so little value, that an Irish company 
 is said to have purchased it for a sum amounting to no 
 more than a plack, or one-third of a penny per tree." 
 
 The increase of sheep is thought to be a chief reason of 
 the decay of the ancient forests. Trees do not now 
 gTow without the protection of fences, and it is a fact 
 that the pasture has suffered materially where the woods 
 have been destroyed. From these various causes, in 
 many districts the landscape is destitute of this valuable 
 and pleasing ornament. 
 
 ° Sutlierland Agiic. Eex^ ° Smith's View of Agric. of Argyle. 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 CELTIC POPULATION.— PERSOl^rS AND DISPOSITIONS OF 
 THE CELTS. —THEIR MILITARY EDUCATION AND IN- 
 STITUTIONS. —ANECDOTES OF THEIR BRAVERY AND 
 HEROISM.— EXPLOITS OF THE ANCIENT CALEDONIANS 
 AND PRESENT SCOTS. 
 
 Many writers of distingiiislied reputation have maintained, 
 that the inhabitants of the north of Europe were much 
 more numerous formerly than they are now, the cold of 
 these regions being thought more favorable to generation 
 and conducive to robust old age, than the warm and enervat- 
 ing climates of the south. There appears considerable force 
 in this argument, which is supported by the numerous 
 armies which we find those people successively pouring 
 forth ; but the inquiries of modern philosoj)hers into the 
 causes affecting population tend to an opposite conclusion. 
 It seems impossible to make any accurate estimate of the 
 numbers of ancient nations, for "the innumerable swarms 
 
POPULATION OF 91 
 
 that issued, or seemed to issue, from the great storehouse 
 of nations, were multipKed by the fears of the vanquished 
 and by the credulity of succeeding ages."* It is also to 
 be borne in mind, that on emergencies, every man able to 
 carry arms was called into the field, and on all occasions, 
 where military glory was to be earned, or national liberty 
 and independence asserted, the Gauls were strikingly 
 impatient for the combat. 
 
 The precarious supply of food in those rude ages, is 
 advanced as an argument of some weight against the proba- 
 bility of there being anciently so dense a population as we 
 might be led to suppose; but there was then an abimdance 
 of game to supply the want of extensive cultivation, and 
 numerous herds of domestic cattle afforded a plentiful 
 subsistence to tlie wandering tribes. 
 
 The sumptuous repasts, and variety of flesh meats, 
 among the Gauls were subjects of remark, even to the 
 luxurious Eomans,*" for they had " the fountains of do- 
 mestic felicity within themselves, and sent out plentiful 
 streams of happiness over almost all the world."" Whether 
 the Celta3 were more or less numerous than has been repre- 
 sented, the means of subsistence were abundant in Gaul ; 
 and if the Britons led a less pleasant life than the tribes 
 on the continent, they will not be found, on examination, 
 to have been so low in the scale of civilization as many are 
 disposed to believe. The Celtic nations have been always 
 strongly attached to their primitive mode of life, and 
 averse to the admission of any change, even of obvious 
 advantage, especially if they conceived it had the least 
 tendency to effeminate their bodies or lessen the temerity 
 and contempt of death, on which they valued themselves; 
 
 * Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Pioman Empire. 
 
 ^ Diodorus Sic, &c. = Josex^lius, Je^vish Wars, ii. c. 16. § 4. 
 
92 ANCIENT EUROPE. 
 
 but they were not certainly either "unable to raise them- 
 selves in the scale of society, or incapable of industry or 
 civilization.'"^ Their various attainments, and progress in 
 arts and sciences, will be elucidated in the respective 
 sections, where it will be seen that from these "radical 
 savages,"*^ the Greeks and Eomans learned many useful 
 and ingenious arts. 
 
 The Celts were neither " a feeble people,'"^ nor was 
 their population scanty. Pausanias says, that Thrace 
 alone was more populous than Gaul,® and Herodotus had 
 affirmed, that the Thracians were the most numerous 
 people, save the Indians alone. The ancient historians 
 represent the Celtic migrations as occasioned by an excess 
 of population. We learn from Ctesar,* that the Helvetians 
 made war from this cause; and both he and Diodorus say, 
 that the population of Britain was innumerable. Tacitus 
 informs us, that Anglesea was particularly powerful in the 
 number of its inhabitants.^ From marks of cultivation on 
 the mountains, and that have been discovered at some depth 
 underground, it is believed that Ireland also was formerly 
 well inhabited,'' but this is doubtful. Similar indications 
 are observed in Scotland, and the Eomans deemed a single 
 legion sufficient for the subjugation of that island. 
 
 " Who among you," says Titus to the Jews, " hath not 
 heard of the great number of the Germans.'" It was the 
 chief pride of these nations to be surrounded by a nume- 
 rous company of relations. To restrain generation and 
 increase of children, or to kill new born infants, crimes 
 of common occurrence amongst more civilized nations, 
 were by these people "reckoned an abominable sin."^ The 
 
 d Pinkerton. ^ Lii_,. 1.9. f Bello Gall. v. 10. s Aiiuals, xiv, 
 
 •» Molyneux, ap, Luckombe, &c. ' Josephus in the Jewish "Wars. 
 
 J Gordon's Translation of Tacitus, de Mor. Germ. 
 
CELTIC AKMIES. 93 
 
 more numerous one's cliildreu and. relations were, the more 
 he was reverenced and esteemed; among the Scandinavians, 
 however, it was lawful to expose infants, until the eleventh 
 century, a practice little calculated to make this country 
 " the great storehouse of nations." 
 
 Without asserting that Europe was more populous 2000 
 years ago than it is in these days, which, indeed, does not 
 appear likely, it can be confidently maintained, that the 
 inhabitants were not thinly spread along the valleys or dis- 
 persed among the mountains. Dense forests, it must be 
 allowed, overspread great tracts of country, but a sufficient 
 space was left uncovered, in which numerous tribes lived 
 in all the comfort of barbarous enjoyment. 
 
 In the works of the ancients may be found statements of 
 the numbers of the Celtic armies at particular times. The 
 various legions of auxiliaries which appear in the Notitia 
 Imperii, prove that, by the Eoman conquest, neither Gaul 
 nor Germany were depopulated, notwithstanding the long 
 and sanguinary struggles which the natives made for their 
 independence. 
 
 When Brennus invaded Greece, he carried with him 
 140,000 targeteers, 10,000 horse, 2000 carriages, many 
 merchants, and a great multitude of other followers, all of 
 whom perished :'' yet he led an army of 152,000 to a se- 
 cond invasion, and 61,000 horsemen.' .^milius routed the 
 Gauls and Celtse, killing 40,000, and ravaged their coun- 
 try, after they had, with an army of 200,000 men, twice 
 defeated the Eomans." The Cimbri invaded Italy, with 
 a body of 3, or, according to some, 500,000 men, besides 
 women and children." 
 
 When the Helvetii endeavoured to establish themselves 
 
 ^ Fragment. Diod. xxii. i Pausanias, x. 19. ■" Frag. Diod. xxv. 
 
 " Plutarch, &c. Chatfield's View of the Middle Ages. 
 
94 CELTIC ARMIES. 
 
 in Gaul, tliey had 192,000 men in arms, the whole number 
 that set out on the expedition, accordiag to a census found 
 in their camp, amounting to 368,000." 
 
 The Suevi, a single German nation, was divided into 
 100 cantons, and could bring 200,000 men into the field.^ 
 
 The Boii, according to Pliny, on the authority of Cato, 
 had 112 tribes: in Spain he enumerates 3G0 cities. Bu- 
 channan, who cites Strabo, says, 300,000 of the Celtae 
 bore arms. Csesar reduced under the Roman obedience 
 400 nations and 800 cities — the whole number in Gaul. *• 
 Josephus gives them 315 nations and 1200 cities.' 
 
 When Caesar was preparing to attack the Belgse, he ap- 
 plied to the Ehemi, a friendly people, for information con- 
 cerning the military power of that division of the Celtse. 
 The Ehemi, being allied " by kindred and aflinity, knew 
 how great a multitude was promised," and gave him the 
 following list. 
 
 The Bellovaci were the most powerful of the Belgic 
 confederates, and could bring into the field 100,000 fight- 
 ing men; on the present occasion they offered but 60,000. 
 The Suessiones were their neighbours, and had formerly 
 been the leading tribe; they now offered 50,000. The 
 Nervii also promised 50,000; the Attrebates 15,000; the 
 Ambiani 10,000; the Morini 25,000; the Menapii 9000; 
 the Caletes 10,000 ; the Velocasses and Veromandui 
 10,000; the Aduatici 29,000; the Condrusi, Eburones, 
 Csercesi, Psenani, who were called by one name, Germans, 
 40,000, making an army of 308,000 picked men. 
 
 At the same time another convocation of the Gauls was 
 held, at which it was resolved to raise a fresh army; but 
 they restricted their force to such a number as might be 
 easily regulated, and find the means of subsistence with 
 
 ° Bello Gall. Pibid. i Appian, in the Celtic "Wars. Plutarch. 
 
 ■■ Jewish Wars, ii. 16. 3. 
 
CELTIC AEMIES, 95 
 
 facility. They accordingly made tlie following levies. — 
 The -^duans and their clients, the Segusians, the Anibi- 
 varets, the Aulerci, the Brannovices, and the Brannovii, 
 35,000. The Arverni also 35,000; the Eleutheri, Cadur- 
 ci, Gabali, Velauni, Senones, Sequani, Bituriges, Xan- 
 tones, Eutheni, and Carnutes, 12,000 ; the Bellovaci 
 10,000; the Lemovices 10,000; the Pictones, including 
 the Turones, Parisii, and Eleutheri Suessiones, 32,000; 
 the Ambiani, Mediomatrici, Petrocorii, Nervii, Morini, 
 and Nitiobriges, 35,000; the Aulerci-Cenomanni 5000; 
 the Atrebates 4000 ; the Bellocassi, Lexovii, Aulerci- 
 Eburovices 9000 ; the Kaurici and Boii 30,000. From 
 the states on the ocean, who, by their custom, are called 
 Armoricje, viz. the Curiosolites, Ehedones, Caletes, Osisi- 
 mii, Lemovices, Veneti, and Unelli, each 6000.° 
 
 Of these, 240,000 foot and 8000 horse were immediately 
 mustered, and the number, we are told, was afterwards in- 
 creased. In the ten years' war which Caesar maintained 
 in Gaul, where he first attacked the Helvetii and Ti- 
 gurise, defeating their army of 200,000,* there were slain 
 more than a million of men, and as many were taken pri- 
 soners." 
 
 In those unsettled times, the population fluctuated ac- 
 cording to the events of the frequent wars. It appears 
 from Strabo,' that before Caesar's time the Belgae had but 
 30,000 fighting men. The Nervii, in their desperate con- 
 tentions, were reduced from 60,000 to 500.' 
 
 The army of Bondiuca or Boadicea, after the destruction 
 of London, amounted to 230,000.^ 
 
 From the ruins of houses throughout the Highlands of 
 Scotland, General Stewart thinks the country must have 
 
 ■ Bello Gal. vii. 69. 70. * Appian in Bello Celt. 
 
 ° Ritson's Mem. of the Celt. ' Lib. iv. 
 
 " Bel. Gal. ii. 3. « Henry, Hist, of Britain. 
 
96 FORCES OF THE HIGHLANDEUS. 
 
 been formerly- very populous. The same has been conjec- 
 tured of the Lowlands, it must be confessed, without satis- 
 factory proof; yet the Scots and Picts must have been nu- 
 merous, for they suffered greatly in mutual slaughters; 
 and, about the beginning of the fourth century, they had to 
 contend with 40,000 Roman troops, besides their auxilia- 
 ries. Alexander II., according to Matthew Paris, was able 
 to raise an army of 1000 horse and 100,000 foot. 
 
 The Celtic muster rolls are exactly smiilar to those 
 of the Clans of Scotland. The following list of the num- 
 bers that were to be raised for King James, in 1704, may 
 not be uninteresting. 
 
 Mac Donalds 1800 
 
 Mac Pliersons 700 
 
 Mac Kenzies of Seaforth 1200 
 
 MacLeods 700 
 
 Erasers 1000 
 
 Roses of Kilravock ... ... ... 500 
 
 Rosses of Balnagowan ... ... ... 300 
 
 Duke of Gordon .... 1000 
 
 Grant of Ballindalisli ... ... ... 300 
 
 * Steuart of Appin 200 
 
 Farquharsons ... ... ... ... 700 
 
 Chisholms * 200 
 
 tMacDulothes 500 
 
 Perth's Highlanders 600 
 
 9700 
 Horse of Inverness and Morayshires ... 1000 
 
 General Wade gives the following statement of the 
 Highland forces in 1715, who were engaged in the rebel- 
 lion: — 
 
 * The Appin clan .spell their name correctly Stewart. +Mac Dougals ? Ed. 
 
MILITARY FOECE 
 
 97 
 
 The Islands and Clans of the late Lord Seaforth 3000 
 
 Mac Donalds of Slate 1000 
 
 Mac Donalds of Glengarry ... ... ... 800 
 
 Mac Donalds of Moidart 800 
 
 Mac Donalds of Keppoch ... ... ... 220 
 
 Lochiel Camerons ... ... ... ... 800 
 
 The Mac Leods, in all, 1000 
 
 Duke of Gordon's followers .. . ... ... 1000 
 
 Stewarts of Appin ... ... ... ... 400 
 
 Robertsons of Struan ... ... ... 800 
 
 Mac Intoshes and Farqnharsons ... ... 800 
 
 Mac Ewens in the Isle of Sky ... ... 150 
 
 The Chisholms of Strathglass ... ... ... 150 
 
 The Mac Phersons 220 
 
 11,140 
 wliicli agrees with the number given by Eae. 
 The following clans, he adds, for the most 
 part, joined the rebellion of 1715, without 
 their superiors: — 
 
 TheAtholmen 2000 
 
 The Braidalban men 1000—3000 
 
 14,140 
 
 The under-written clans belonged to superiors, then 
 believed to be well affected to his Majesty: — 
 
 The Duke of Argyle 4000 
 
 Lord Sutherland and Strathnaver ... 1000 
 
 Lord Lovat's Frasers ... ... ... 800 
 
 The Grants 800 
 
 The Rosses and Munroes ... ... 700 
 
 Forbes of Culloden 200 
 
 Rose of Kilravock ... ... ... 300 
 
 Sir Archibald Campbell of Clunes ... 200 
 
 8000 
 
98 OF THE CLANS. 
 
 It would appear that the number which the disaffected 
 could bring into the field in the last rebellion, was 12,000, ' 
 and the others, it is beKeved, could bring nearly as many. 
 
 The song called the Chevalier's Muster Roll, contains 
 an enumeration of the various chiefs and tribes who were 
 to take the field, and was well calculated to keep up the 
 spirits of the party, by the prospect of numerous reinforce- 
 ments. The following verse is a specimen. 
 " The Laird o' Mac Intosh is cumin', 
 Mac Gregor and an' Mac Donald's cumin', 
 The Mac Kenzies an' Mac Plierson's cumin', 
 A' the wild Mac Ra's are cumin', 
 Little wat ye fa's cumin', 
 Donald Gun an' a's cumin'," *fec. 
 
 The patriarchal state of society in the Highlands of 
 Scotland, where a whole tribe laboured and lived in com- 
 mon, was calculated to increase the population very ra- 
 pidly. A farm was often subdivided among children, 
 grandchildren, and other relations, until it became quite 
 inadequate for the comfortable support of all. The evil 
 was fortunately counteracted by the military spirit which 
 led the young Gael to seek their fortunes in military ser- 
 vice, either at home or abroad. 
 
 The population of the Highlands and Isles is now 
 estimated at about 400,000. It is sometimes stated at 
 200,000 ; but if there are"^ 80,000 families who speak Gae- 
 lic,^ and if 5-| is the average number of individuals in a 
 family," the exact amount will be 420,000. 
 
 In the Gartmore MSS., which give a low estimate of 
 the population, it is stated, that in 1747, nearly 52,000 
 able men from the age of eighteen to fifty-six could be 
 raised, 
 
 y Stuart Papers, ii. p. 117. 
 
 " "The Scotsman " of 12tli January, 1828. » Dr. Mac CuUocli. 
 
PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF THE CELTS. 99 
 
 The STRONG and robust bodies of the Celtse, their come- 
 liness and great strength, have been remarked by all ancient 
 authors who have had occasion to notice them. These 
 qualifications must have been produced by a sufficient 
 supply of food, by their temperance, and by the freedom 
 and activity of their lives: hunting, pasturage, agriculture, 
 and athletic amusements, being almost their sole occupa- 
 tions, when not engaged in warfare. 
 
 Both Celts and Germans were remarkably tall.* * They 
 surpassed all other men in stature ; and the largest, who 
 were called Barenses, inhabited the extreme and most cold 
 parts.** The lowest of the Germans were taller than the 
 tallest Eomans." Hieronymus says, Gaul always abound- 
 ed in great and strong men,* who were wont to ridicule 
 other people on their diminutive size.* The Senones were 
 particularly remarkable, being terrible for their astonish- 
 ing bigness and vast arms. The Insubres are described 
 as more than human.^ The Britons appear to have ex- 
 ceeded even the Gauls in height. Tacitus remarks the 
 large limbs of the Caledonians ; and some prisoners that 
 Csesar carried to Eome, were exhibited as curiosities for 
 their prodigious size. Strabo indeed says, that he had 
 seen British young men at Eome, who stood half-a-foot 
 above the tallest men ; but such giants were not perhaps 
 usually met with for he confesses that they were not par- 
 ticularly well-proportioned. The Celts were, however, ge- 
 
 * In modern times, at least, tlie Highlanders of Scotland have always 
 been rather inferior in size and weight to their Southern neighbour's, and 
 quite as often of a dark or swarthy complexion aS fair. Even the biggest 
 and strongest were remarkable, as they still are, for their small and neat 
 hands and feet, quite "thoroughbred," as Byi'on would say, in this 
 respect. Ed. 
 
 * Amm. Mar. x. 10. Ctesar, &c. *• Pausanias, i. 35, x. 20. 
 •1 Ap. Schoepflin's Alsatia Illustrata, i. 67. '^ Appian. 
 
 * Homines tantulae staturse. ^ Florus, i. 13, ii, 4. 
 
100 THEIR GKEAT STATURE. 
 
 nerally admired for their fine figures, as we learn from 
 Polybius, Arrian, and others. Tacitus notices the advantage 
 which this height gave the enemy on occasion of crossing a 
 river: while the Eomans were in risk of being swept away, 
 the Germans could keep themselves easily above water. ^ 
 These people were celebrated for their strength, their sta- 
 ture, and their huge sinewy bodies,*" the Eomans being cer- 
 tainly of inferior size compared with the barbarians. 
 
 From returns made to the French government, it appears 
 that the stature of the people has suffered a decrease dur- 
 ing the late wars ; and an ingenious train of argument has 
 been deduced to shew, that while war has a tendency to 
 lessen the size of mankind in refined nations, it has a 
 directly contrary effect among tribes of rude barbarians. 
 These people take the field en masse; but in civilized coun- 
 tries, the full sized and able bodied men in the community 
 are sent to fight for the general safety : the army when re- 
 duced being filled up by successive levies of the most 
 robust individuals ; hence the best men are sacrificed, 
 while the unhealthy and diminutive escape. Among pri- 
 mitive nations the combatants encounter hand to hand, 
 where the advantage being evidently on the side of 
 the strong, they will survive, while the weak inevitably 
 perish. This reasoning is specious, but it is not altogether 
 satisfactory. Are we to consider this as the sole cause of 
 the variation of stature in the human race ? So remarkable 
 a difference between the personal appearance of the Celt?e 
 and other nations, could not have been produced by war- 
 fare alone.' A tall man is not always strong, or able to 
 undergo much fatigue^ and even if his strength is propor- 
 tionate to his size, it does not always render him able 
 
 K Annals, v, '' JosepTius Jew. Wars, ii. vi. and vii. 
 
 ' An article on this subject appeared in the "Scotsman," xii. p. 899. 
 
THEIR STATURE AND STRENGTH. 101 
 
 effectually to contend with tlie activity and liardihood of 
 one who may be much inferior in stature. 
 
 Amongst the Celtic nations, military glory was that to 
 which they most ardently aspired, and of their warlike 
 prowess they were excessively vain. To distinguish them- 
 selves by deeds of valour and heroism, it was necessary 
 to possess strength of body, and train themselves by a life 
 of activity and enterprise. ;The peculiar state of society in 
 which they lived, was admirably calculated to promote mili- 
 tary qualifications, and preserve the advantage which na- 
 ture had bestowed on the race, who were so well formed 
 and healthy. Their simple institutions were eminently 
 conducive to the spirit of liberty with which they were 
 animated, and by which their physical strength was as- 
 sisted; and as they coidd only hope for distinction from 
 proofs of valour and fortitude, they did not degenerate as 
 nations who become commerical, or are enervated by a 
 warm climate. As the Celts tenaciously retained their 
 primitive manners, their personal appearance was not altered, 
 but continued to attract the notice of surrounding nations. 
 
 Slow and late were the youth to marry, and when they 
 did, it was requisite that both parties should have the same 
 sprightly dispositions, and the same stature. They were- 
 espoused in the prune of life, and the robustness of the 
 parents was inherited by the children.^ 
 
 The regard which the Highlanders have always paid to 
 the personal appearance and manly qualities of their 
 children, has been often marked. Next to beauty in a 
 female, her health and person is always considered. "A 
 puny delicate girl hardly ever gets a husband in the High- 
 lands, because she neither can be the mother of a vigorous 
 progeny, nor do her part in providing for them." 
 
 i Tacitus de mor. Genu., who elsewhere notices their huge stature. 
 
102 THEIR STATURE AND STRENGTH. 
 
 Tall as the Celtee generally were, the prmces and chief 
 men usually exceecled the common people, both in stature 
 and strength; for beauty and stateliness of person were 
 generally characteristic of nobility in early society, and 
 naturally proceeded from the constitution of a rude com- 
 munity, where superior strength and warlike accomplish- 
 ments are the only recommendations in a chief or leader, and 
 as they intermarry with families enjoymg similar advan- 
 tages, the race does not degenerate. Like the nobility of 
 later times, the principal families in a tribe must have 
 been exempted, in a great measure, unless during war, from 
 those labours and privations which the lower orders endure. 
 In the infancy of society there is little chance of degene- 
 rating from luxury; we consequently find, that most of 
 the Celtic heroes were above the common standard. Nu- 
 merous discoveries in ancient sepulchres prove the gigantic 
 size and strong conformation of individuals." 
 
 Teutabochus, king of the Teutoui, who invaded Italy, 
 with the Cimbrians, being taken prisoner, was conspicuous 
 above the trophies, from his extraordinary tallness. He 
 was also of astonishing strength and agility, being able 
 among other feats, to vault over six horses.* The old kings 
 of Caledonia are described as very superior in stature and 
 strength. Trenmhor, like Fingal, was tall and mighty, 
 and all tradition proves the value in which these qualifica- 
 tions were held. Among the Gaiil, symmetry of form and 
 bodily strength were accounted so indispensable, that as 
 anxious attention was paid to preserve and improve the 
 breed of children, as ever was bestowed, m more refined 
 ages, on less noble animals ; but this object was attained 
 
 ^ Montfaucon gives an account of an interment where the skulls were 
 found to be much thicker than in mankind at the present day. See 
 also the discoveries of Sir Richard Hoare, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 1 Florus, iii. 3. ] 
 
FINE FIGUKES OF THE CELTS PEODUCED 103 
 
 more through the healthfulness and temperance of the 
 parents, than from any particular care in the education of 
 the children, for the son of the chief had no more attention 
 paid hun than was bestowed on his foster-brother. 
 
 The Germans made no distinction between the lords' 
 son and the slave; they were both reared naked, and nou- 
 rished with the milk of their own mothers. 
 
 The wet nurses in the Isles were not allowed to drink 
 ale, from a belief that the milk was thereby deteriorated. 
 
 The Irish children, as soon as born, were wrapt in a 
 blanket, and so continued until they could walk.™ 
 
 The Highlanders bathe their children every morning 
 and evening in cold, or, sometimes, in warm water : and 
 they did so for themselves when they grew up." The cold 
 water rendered them less susceptible of the piercing blasts 
 to which they were exposed. It is customary with those 
 who wear the kilt, to wash their limbs at least every 
 morning, and when one assumes this di-ess only occasion- 
 ally, some recommend, as a preventative from catching 
 cold, that the legs should be anointed with whiskey. The 
 Gaelic youth of the better sort were not accommodated 
 with bonnets, shoes, or stockings, even in the rigour of 
 winter, until they were eight or ten years old, and upwards. 
 
 The Celts were not only tall, but were well formed. 
 Amongst the Highlanders, it has been remarked, that there 
 are hardly any crooked or deformed people, except from 
 accident, and some have asserted that they never saw a 
 naturally mis-shapen person in the Highlands. The peo- 
 ple of Scotland have, generally, an aversion to persons 
 who have any natural defect, believing them unlucky, 
 
 "" Campion. 
 
 " Martin. Memoirs of Donald Macleod. Children among the Goths 
 were dipt in a stream or lake soon after their birth. Pinkerton. 
 
10-4 BY THE MODE OF EEARING CHILDREN. 
 
 and marked out for misfortune;" a prejudice that, if not 
 occasioned; may be strengthened by the rareness of these 
 objects. 
 
 The common Highlanders, from hard, and often scanty 
 fare, are usually inferior in stature to the chief and bet- 
 ter sort. This was more perceptible formerly ; but al- 
 though few have attained the gigantic size of " Big Sam," 
 a native of Sutherland, who was porter to the Prince 
 of Wales, they are by no means diminutive. They are 
 well formed, extremely hardy and active. Their erect 
 and easy gait is striking; and an English resident among 
 them, a hundred years ago, remarked that the common 
 people walked " nimbly and upright, and had a kind 
 of statcliness in their poverty." ^ The Irish were noticed, 
 two centuries since, as being "of good proportion and 
 comely stature ;"'' but the personal appearance is so much 
 afi'ected by the supply of food, and manner of life, that, 
 like the Scots, they have not, latterly, been so remarkable 
 for their size.'' Tyrconnel, at the revolution, raised several 
 regiments, every man of which was six feet high.^ It was 
 accounted handsome by the Irish ladies, to be tall, round, 
 and fat,' but they were also " big and lazy," being suffered 
 from their youth " to gTow at will." The ancient Britons, 
 we are told, excelled both in strength and swiftness." 
 
 The Celts were undoubtedly very strong, but they were 
 extremely oppressed by the heat of a warm climate, and 
 suffered much from thirst ; for they were able to endure 
 
 ° Tliis seems to arise from a belief that the fairies have something to 
 do with them. See one of Kelly's proverbs. 
 
 P Birt. 1 Barnaby Eiche. 
 
 ' Luckcombe says, on the authority of a military officer, that Irish 
 recruits were, in general, shorter than those of England. 
 
 » Dalrymple's Mem. of Great Britain. * Campion. 
 
 " Herodian, iii. 47. 
 
HARDINESS OF THE HIGHLANDERS. 105 
 
 a degree of cold that would cliill other troops, but were 
 languid and feeble under the rays of an Italian sun." 
 
 The hardy manner in which the Celts brought up their 
 youth, contributed, in a very material degree, to produce 
 their strong and robust frames, and enabled them, through 
 life, to contend with all sorts of fatigue, and surmount 
 difficulties which others would have sunk under. The 
 Cimbri exposed themselves naked to showers of snow, 
 and amused themselves by sliding down the frozen Alps 
 on their shields. The indifference of the Higlilanders 
 to cold is evinced by their scanty clothing. A less 
 equivocal proof was formerly afforded, in the fact that 
 they frequently slept in the open air, during the severity 
 of winter. Burt, who wrote in 1725, relates, that he has 
 seen the places which they occupied, and which were 
 known by being free from the snow that deeply covered 
 the ground, except where the heat of their bodies had 
 melted it. 
 
 The anecdote which the same writer applies to Keppoch, 
 and others, to a chief of the Camerons, shews how highly 
 they valued themselves on their hardiliood. The chief is 
 represented as giving great offence to his clan, by forming 
 the snow into a pillow before he lay down, a plain indi- 
 cation that he was beo'inning to degenerate. 
 
 The Highlanders were so accustomed to sleep in the 
 open air, that the want of shelter was of little consequence 
 to them. It was usual before they lay down, to dip their 
 plaids in water, by which the cloth was less pervious to 
 the wind, and the heat of their bodies produced a v/armth, 
 which the woollen, if dry, could not afford. An old man 
 informed me, that a favourite place of repose was under 
 a cover of thick over-hanging heath. The Highlanders 
 
 ^ Floras, ii. 4. Plutarch, in vita Crassi. Appian, Partliick's. Livy. 
 
106 THE HAIR OF THE CELTS. 
 
 in 1745 could scarcely be prevailed on to use tents. It 
 is not long since those who frequented La\M.'ence fair, St, 
 Sair's, and other markets in the Garioch of Aberdeenshire, 
 gave up the practice of sleeping in the open fields. The 
 horses being on these occasions left to shift for themselves, 
 the inhabitants no longer have their crops spoiled, by their 
 " upthrough neighbours," with whom they had often bloody 
 contentions, in consequence of these unceremonious visits. 
 
 Strabo and Polybius notice that the Celts and Iberi 
 always slept on the ground, even in their houses, a custom 
 which the Scots and Irish retained. If the Highlanders 
 went into other countries, they preferred wrapj)ing them- 
 selves in their own plaids, to making use of the beds of the 
 people among whom they came, apprehensive that such 
 indulgence would tend to impair their natural hardiness. 
 
 The HAIR of the Celtic race was naturally fair or inclin- 
 ed to red, and they took great pains to deepen the colour. 
 The children, from their birth, were for the most part 
 white or grey headed, but as they grew up the hair became 
 like that of their fathers.'" Among the Britons it was also 
 yellow, but it was less so than that of the Gauls.'' The 
 Welsh called the Irish, Wyddil coch, red-haired.'' In an 
 old poem we find a hero's " body like the white chalk, his 
 hair like the flowing gold;" and an old Cornish song extols 
 a pretty maid for her white face and yellow hair.'' Flowing 
 locks of this colour were praised as most graceful and be- 
 coming, by the bards who addressed the sun as " the golden- 
 haired." This was admired in the Celtic youth of former 
 times, and " the yellow-haired laddie " and " lassie wi' the 
 lint white locks," continue favorites with their descend- 
 ants in the present day. 
 
 'f Diod. Sic. Amm. Mar. xv. 10. Tacitus. Claudian in Rufinum, iii. 
 ^ Lucan. Strabo. Caesar. y Eoberts. 
 
 * Pryce's Archseologia. 
 
OF THE HAIR OF THE CELTS. 107 
 
 The red-liaired Spaniard is noticed by Siliiis," the Getoe 
 plaited their yellow locks, and the Albani glistened with 
 shining hair.*" The Budini, who were a Getic nation, had also 
 the red hair and blue eyes," which characterized the whole 
 Celtic race. They wore their hair long and flowing, from 
 which Gaul received the appellation Comata, or, as Pliny 
 more strongly expresses it, Capillata.'^ They turned it 
 backwards from the forehead to the crown, and thence to 
 their very necks, that their faces might be fully seen. 
 From this manner of wearing it they look, says Diodorus, 
 like Pans and Satyrs. 
 
 The Caledonians were distinguished by " their golden 
 hair flowing over their stately shoulders." ' The long hair 
 of the Britons was turned back on the top of the head, and 
 fell down in a bushy wreath behind.' Bondiuca, or Boadi- 
 cea's hair reached below the middle of her back. 
 
 Long hair was a mark of freedom among many nations, 
 slaves being obliged to cut it close. In France it was long 
 regarded as indicative of nobility.*^ In the old laws of Scot- 
 land is a curious intimation, " Quhen ane frie man to the 
 end he may have themantenance of one greit and potent man, 
 randers himselfe to be his bondman in his court, he the 
 haire of his foreheid," &c. This is surely derived from 
 a more ancient era than that of the regulated feudal 
 system. The act proceeds to say, that if the man should 
 afterwards withdraw, when brought back, and the surrender 
 of his liberty proved, "his maister may take him he the 
 nose, and reduce him to his former slaverie.'"' • 
 
 Lycurgus was accustomed to say, that long hair added 
 
 * Lib. xvi. V. 471. *" Isodore, xix. 23. * Herodotus. 
 
 ^ Lib. iv. c. 17. * " Am foUt oir mu an gu aillean ardo." 
 
 ^ Whittaker's Hist, of Manchester. k Gregory of Tonrs. 
 
 ^ Quoniam Attachianienta, Ivi. Dr. Jamieson has remarked a ves- 
 tige of this singular custom in the amusement of " Tappie tousie," still 
 practised among the Scots' chikben. Etymol. Diet. 
 
108 MODE OF AVEARIN'G THE HAIR. 
 
 grace to handsome men, and made those who were ugly 
 more terrific. The long shaggy hair of the Gauls impart- 
 ed a terrible appearance as they raged about in the field of 
 battle.' 
 
 The Suevi had a mode of wearing their hair, which was 
 imitated by some of the other Germans, but among these 
 the practice was confined to the youth. It was twisted in 
 a peculiar way, and bound up in a knot, and so fond Avere 
 the Suevians of this ornament, that even when grey haired, 
 they continued to raise it back in a stern and imposing 
 manner, but with some it was only tied at the top of the 
 head. The princes paid more attention to this arrangement 
 of their hair than the common people, carefully disposing it 
 when going to war, in order to increase their height, and 
 terrify their enemies.^ Each tribe had perhaps a peculiar 
 fashion of wearing their hair.'' The head which appears at 
 the end of the first chapter, is from a shield of the Brisi- 
 gavian auxiliaries, and the one here shewn is from an anti- 
 que discovered in Holland.' 
 
 The two figures Avhich form the vignette to this chapter 
 are from an ancient sculpture, and illustrate the peculiar 
 mode of dressing the hair, which Martial calls the " Auris 
 
 ' Amm. Mar. xvi. 10. 
 
 J Tacitus, de mor. Germ. 
 
 ^ " Ciiuibus in modum tortis venere Sicambri." Martial, ap, AVolfgang. 
 
 ' Petri Serverii, Tab. Ant. Batavicarum. 
 
MODE OF WEAEING THE HAIR. 109 
 
 Batavonim ;" " and the one at the end represents a figure 
 in ]\Iontfaucon, of unknown antiquity. 
 
 The Catti, who were hardy, robust, and of stern coun- 
 tenance, let their beards and hair grow to a length rarely 
 to be seen amongst other nations. This practice was 
 usually in consequence of a vow, that they should not cut 
 the hair of their heads or beards until they had slain one 
 of their enemies. When they had been fortunately able to 
 do this, they made bare their face over the gory body, and 
 said that now they had acquitted themselves of the debt 
 contracted by their birth, and rendered themselves worthy 
 of their country and their parents." Thus when Civilis 
 who headed an extensive revolt of the Germans, had routed 
 the Eoman legions, we are told that " he cut off his long 
 locks, lank and red."" But many of the Catti presented 
 this terrible aspect when white with age, abating nothing of 
 the grimness and horror of their countenances even in 
 peace. These sturdy veterans always occupied the front of 
 the army, and made the first assault." They were indeed 
 a peculiar band, for, avoiding the trouble of any domestic 
 charge, and possessing no house, they wandered about 
 "sorning" on the other members of the community, on 
 whom they appear to have thought they had a good claim 
 for subsistence as long as they lived. 
 
 The Britons and inhabitants of Ireland wore their hair 
 long, and allowed their beards to grow only on the upper 
 lip. Even until a later period, the Irish strictly adhered 
 to this ancientjpractice, which was at last abolished by Act 
 of Parliament, a statute being passed, ordaining none 
 to wear their beards in that manner.'' "A thicks 
 curled bush of liaire hanging downe over their eyes, 
 
 ■^ Caniegetier's Diss, de Brittenburgo, &c. 1734. 
 
 " Tacitus, de mov. Gemi. ° Tacitus Auual. 
 
 P Spenser's View of Ireland, p. 32. 
 
110 MODE OF WEAEING THE HAIR. 
 
 and monstrously disguising them," was termed " glibes." 
 By cutting off these " writhed giibbes," or letting them 
 fall down on the face, a person was not easily re- 
 cognised. It was surely in consequence of this custom, 
 that Gildas says the Picts " covered their villanous coun- 
 tenances with hair,"' and that the Irish were stigma- 
 tized as "shag-haired villains." Sometimes it would 
 appear, tliat for their safety they denuded themselves of 
 their hair, but necessity alone compelled the adoption of 
 such a measure, for it was otherwise reckoned " notable 
 villany to crop the giibbes in front." ' Cluverius observes 
 that the Irish were the last of the Celtic race who retained 
 the custom of wearing the hair in the ancient manner. * 
 The Scots Highlanders, about a century ago, wore it fas- 
 tened in the peculiar way which is here shewn, and which 
 is a later instance of the ancient mode of hair dressinf?. 
 
 They are yet fond of wearing their hair long ; and many are 
 to be seen who continue to tie it behind, in the same man- 
 ner as represented in the Frontispiece. This fashion of 
 tying the hair Avas called clubbing, a term evidently derived 
 from the Gaelic, and more particularly applied to the form 
 used by the women, and not yet laid aside in the north of 
 Scotland, where it is turned up in a knot before and behind. 
 The practice of encouraging the growth of the hair on 
 
 1 Chaii. 15. § 2. ^ Campion. 
 
 "It \Yas so worn in remote parts, in tlie seventeenth century. Kiche. 
 Indeed, in tlie end of last century, the Irish sailors continued to plait 
 or dress their hair in a peculiar manner. 
 
COMPLEXION OF THE CELTS. Ill 
 
 the upper lip only, was not without occasional exception. 
 Diodorus says, that while some shaved their beards, others 
 did so but in part, which last method was invariably adopt- 
 ed by people of rank. These allowed the mustachios to 
 grow to such a length, that they fell down over their 
 mouths, and in eating, part of the meat occasionally got en- 
 tangled in the hair; and when they were drinking, the liquor 
 would run " through the mustachios, as through a sieve.'" 
 
 Both Gauls and Germans often washed their heads, and, 
 to beautify the hair and increase its brightness, they used a 
 preparation of tallow, and ashes of certain vegetables," into 
 which some colouring matter was probably put. We thus 
 see that the Gauls were the inventors of soap, and by its 
 frequent use, in which the men indulged more than the 
 women, their hair became as hard and strong as a horse's 
 mane." In the time of Yalens, the Eoman troops coming 
 suddenly on the German army, which lay in a valley, 
 beheld some of them washing and bathing in the river, 
 others busy in colouring the hairs of their head, and 
 making it shine lilce gold.'" 
 
 The care with wliich these nations cherished their hair 
 was remarkable. A striking instance of their solicitude 
 respecting it, is afforded by a young warrior who was 
 condemned to be beheaded. His last and most earnest 
 request was, that it might no^ be stained with his 
 blood, or exposed, after his death, to the rude touch 
 of a slave." In some instances, ringlets of auburn hair 
 have been found in the tombs of the early Britons.'' 
 
 The coMPLEliONS of the Celts were fair and succulent, ^ 
 apparently from then' northern climate, but attributed to 
 
 t Diod. Sic. " riiny, xxviii. 12. '' Diod. Sic. 
 
 '^ Amm. Mar. xxvii. 1. "Henry's Hist, of Britain, 
 
 y Douglas's Nennia Britannica. 
 'Diod. Sic. "Clear." "White." Amm. Mar. xv. 10. 
 
112 BEAUTY OF THE CELTIC FEMALES. 
 
 their being always clothed except in battle/ and to their 
 long indulgence in bed during peace. From whatever 
 cause, their bodies were remarkably white, comxDared with 
 other nations.'' 
 
 That the genuine descendants of this race are distin- 
 guished like their ancestors, by a dusky, sallow, sunburnt, 
 hue, has been asserted by those who have shewn more 
 anxiety to maintain a system, than to investigate truth . 
 but it is unquestionable that the " Candida corpora" and 
 " ccerulei oculi," always characterized the Celtaj. There is 
 nothing more clearly expressed by those ancient authors 
 who have described the people ; and these features must 
 have been striking, to be so particularly noticed. The 
 Gauls, the Germans, and the Britons were aUke distin- 
 guished by their fair hair and blue eyes, and the Goths of 
 later ages differed little from their Celtic progenitors. 
 
 Their eyes were blue and large, but when enraged 
 they darted fury, and, having naturally a stern look, it is 
 said to have then been awful." Their aspect must have 
 been remarkable. Ammianus Marcellmus, himself a veteran 
 soldier, who had often fought with these fierce nations, 
 confesses that in the cast of their eyes there was some- 
 thing terrible." 
 
 The women were very beautiful,^ and were as tall and 
 courageous as the men.* The beauty of Claudia Eufina, a 
 British lady,' is celebrated by Martial. Ammianus seems to 
 represent the females as stronger than their husbands, but 
 he probably means in domestic warfare only.* Tliey 
 paid much attention to their joersons, especially in Aqui- 
 
 ^ Livy, xxxviii. 21. '' Isodorns, xix. 23. 
 
 = Amm. Mar. xv. 10, xvi. 10. Tac. de mor. Germ. 
 
 * Athenffius observes "Celtee pulchemmas habent iixores," xiii. 8. 
 
 e Diodorus. *■ Eobert's early History of the CjTnri. 
 
 8 XV. 10. 
 
VOICE AND MANNER OF SPEAKING. 113 
 
 tain, Avhere you coiild not see a woman, however poor, in 
 foul and ragged clothes, as in other places.'' 
 
 Small eyebrows were considered very beautiful among 
 the ancient Caledonians, and some females received their 
 names from this handsome feature. Caol-mhal signifies a 
 woman with small eyebrows. The heroes of Morven 
 were not insensible to the power of female eyes. Darthula 
 was sa called from the beauty of her's; and a common 
 phrase in the Highlands to this day, when extolling the 
 beauty of a woman, is to say, she is lovely as Darthula.* 
 
 The TEETH of the Celtse were sound and of a beautiful 
 whiteness. This is observable in all their interments, 
 where they are found to retain the enamel when every 
 other part has gone to decay. Sir Eichard Hoare, who 
 has probably seen more of their sepulchral remains than 
 any other person, has invariably found the teeth well 
 preserved.^ 
 
 The VOICE of the Celts was loud and terrible ; and 
 although they spoke little even their ordinary words were 
 dreadful.'' The voice of the Cimbri differed from all other 
 men, and their language was scarcely human : they filled 
 the air with bowlings and bellowings, like wild beasts. * 
 Pliny, alluding to their defeat by Marius, says, the disaster 
 made them yell again ;" and the horrid din and clamour 
 which they made the night before the battle, resounded 
 through the woods and mountains, and struck the Eoman 
 soldiers with great terror. 
 
 From some accounts, the Celtic nations appear more 
 than human. It is to be presumed that the terror they 
 
 ^ Amm. Mar. xv. c. 12. 
 
 ' M'Plierson in Ossian, &c. 
 
 J See his interesting work ou ancient Wiltshire. 
 
 ^ Amm. Mar. xv. 10. Livy, vi. 
 
 1 Plutarch in BeUo Cimbrico. ^ xxvi. 4. 
 
114 THEIR MANNER OF SPEAKING. 
 
 inspired, occasioned many exaggerated representations of 
 their personal appearance ; but there is a sufficient unifor- 
 mity in the descrijDtions, to shew that they were a very 
 singular people. They had a terrible aspect, an awful 
 and loud voice ; their stern looks were sufficient to intimi- 
 date most people, and their bare appearance, wlien irri- 
 tated, struck the beholder with terror and dismay. The 
 "loud and sonorous voice" of the ancient Celts was inhe- 
 rited by the Caledonians, and was esteemed a qualification 
 of some importance. When Fingal raised his voice, " Cromla 
 answered around, the sons of the desert stood still, and 
 the fishes of the troubled sea moved to the depths." 
 Columba, when performing service in his church of lona, is 
 said to have been heard at the distance of a mile and a half. 
 The Celtic nations spoke very little, and their language 
 was dark and figurative:" their manner of talking was 
 solemn and mysterious, the ordinary words of most of them, 
 as well when they were at peace, as when they were irri- 
 tated, being dreadful and full of menace." They were 
 hyperbolical in their own praise, and spoke contenptuously 
 of all others. ''My pointed spear, my sharp sword, my 
 glittering shield," said an old Celtic hero, "are my 
 wealth and riches ; with them I plough, with them I sow, 
 and with them I make my wine : — whoever dare not 
 resist my pointed spear, my sharp sword, and my glit- 
 tering shield, prostrates himself before, and adores me as 
 his lord and his king."^ The celebrated Macdonald, of 
 Barisdale, in the last century, had a high opinion of his 
 own merits, although he was considered by others as a very 
 licentious freebooter. On the silver ornaments of his sword 
 
 " Diod. Sic. " Amm. Mar. xv. 10. 
 
 P Atlieiifeus, xv. c. 14. See tlie parabolical speech of the Driiid 
 Sithama, in " the fall of Tura." Smith's Gallic Ant. p. 318. 
 
THEIE lEEITABILITY. 115 
 
 belt, lie displayed liis vanity in a classical address to that 
 weapon.** "The insolency of the Gauls appears to have 
 been notorious." ' They were " most grievously provo- 
 king;" but if they " were apt to menace others/' it was pro- 
 bably most observable towards those who were labouring 
 to subdue them, for most nations are inclined, on such 
 occasions, to utter their defiance in no very pleasing 
 expressions. When Alexander attacked the Scytlis, they 
 threw out the most opprobrious and railing language, after 
 their barbarous manner." 
 
 The Celts were also extremely irascible, being naturally 
 passionate,* managing their affairs more by rage and fury 
 than by reason." Tlie Germans were accustomed to fall 
 upon their enemies, without much consideration, as it ap- 
 peared, of what they were about ; for they did not reason, 
 but went rashly into danger without just hopes." The 
 Gauls were so liable to sudden excitation, thai, in the very 
 midst of eating, they would rise in a heat, and, without 
 regard to their lives, fall to it with their swords." As they 
 were hurried into war by an irresistible impatience, pro- 
 ceeding from a simplicity of feeling that prevented reflec- 
 tion, the same sincerity led them soon to relent and be 
 appeased. Their first heat being spent, they often became 
 disheartened," or rather appeared so, and relinquished the 
 prosecution of a war as suddenly as they had engaged in 
 it. An enterprize was abandoned, when the heat in which 
 they took arms had abated. However creditable this 
 might have been to their subsequent reasoning, it subjected 
 
 9 " Heec tibi erunt artes, pacis compouere mores; 
 
 Parccre subjectis, et debellare siiperbos." 
 ^ Polybius iii. See Tac de Mori. 66, and throughout his works. 
 8 Diodorus. * Josephus, Ant. xix. 1, § 15. Seneca de Ira. iii. 3. 
 
 <* Polybius. 
 ' Josephus Ant. xix. 1. § 15. Ibid. Jew. Wars, vii. 4. § 2. 
 
116 PKONENESS TO WARFARE. 
 
 them to a charge of inconsistency and threw a shade on 
 thek military fame. Hannibal, in his march through Italy, 
 prevented the Gauls in his army from deserting, by placing 
 his cavalry in the rear,'' but he certainly gave them the 
 severest part of the service, for they suffered more than 
 any others of his army. 
 
 They were much given to brawls, and exceedingly insol- 
 ent ; and the women were particularly famous in this sort 
 of wrangling, of which we have a lively description from 
 the pen of honest MarceUinus. " If any of them," says he, 
 "be set a brawling, having the shrew, his wife, (who is com- 
 monly the stronger, by far, of the two, and of a sallow com- 
 plexion,) to take his part, a whole band of strangers is not 
 able to match him; especially when, setting out her big 
 neck, with swollen veins, she falls a grating her teeth 
 and levelling her snow-white arms, of a mighty large size, 
 once beguis to lay about her with fists and heels together, 
 like the bolts and darts discharged with violence from a 
 military engine."* The Celtae, as may be readily believed, 
 from their fiery dispositions, were prone to war. Their 
 propensity to fight led them into hostilities on very slight 
 occasions, and impelled them to undertake the most 
 dangerous expeditions. Athenseus says, they would wage 
 war for meat and drink; but, surely, the want of either was 
 a powerful stimulus. The whole race was warlHie and 
 fierce, and ready to fight with the greatest ardour, in 
 open contention, without malignity, and with the utmost 
 strength and courage, but accompanied with a rashness 
 and temerity not very compatible with military discipline,'' 
 and that often brought disasters wliich their daring and 
 undaunted bravery could not avert. At the same time. 
 
 'Polybius, iii. 
 
 I Lib. XV. c. 10. y Strabo, iv. p. 195. Polybius, &c. 
 
THEIR MILITARY EXPLOITS. 117 
 
 this hot temper enabled them to surmount obstacles 
 and achieve exploits that they were perhaps inadequate to 
 accomplish, if unimpassioned. It was equally true of 
 them as of the Scots' Highlanders, who, when kept passive, 
 were observed to " lose their ardour." The military 
 prowess of the Celts was proverbial. Tacitus says, the 
 Germans thought it more honourable to live by their sword 
 than the labour of any occupation. " The Gauls," he 
 remarks, "were prompted to fight, by liberty; the Ger- 
 mans, by the allurements of spoil; the Batavians, by 
 glory."^ " The Celts carried their rights on the points of 
 their swords, and said aU things belonged to the brave 
 who had courage to seize them."* 
 
 These restless warriors repeatedly invaded Italy with 
 teiTible devastation. In this country, peopled in the most 
 early ages by the Celtte, many of the ancient nations con- 
 tinued to preserve their original manners when the Eoman 
 empire was in its zenith, and they long retained the 
 martial spirit inherent in the race. Those nations of Gaids 
 which dwelt in Italy, in the beginning, not only held the 
 country, but acquired the alliance of most of their neigh- 
 bours, who were terrified at their fury.*" 
 
 The Gauls under Brennus, chief of the Senones, having 
 for some cause attacked the Tp^rhenians, the Eomans sent 
 ambassadors to learn the reason of the war, who, arriving 
 when the two armies were ready to engage, very incon- 
 siderately joined the latter people, and kiUed one of 
 their princes. After the battle, the Gauls sent to Eome 
 to demand that the ambassador should be condemned as 
 one who without cause had done them this injury, and 
 
 » Annals iv. He elsewhere says, the Gaiils had become rich and un- 
 warlike. The Gei-man wars raged with most fury when he wrote. 
 » Livy, V. 35, '' Polybius, ii. 
 
118 THEIK MILITARY EXPLOITS. 
 
 thereby given just provocation for war. The justice of the 
 request was at once admitted by the senate, who ordered 
 the offender to be given up, but the influence of his friends 
 prevailed with the people, who insisted on the decree being 
 reversed. The Gauls were greatly enraged when they 
 learned this decision, and increasing their army to seventy 
 thousand they marched straight to Eome. They were 
 met at Alia, ten miles from the city, by the Eoman troops, 
 who were speedily driven from the heights where they had 
 posted themselves, in disorder to the plain, and routed with 
 dreadful slaughter. 
 
 The victors, according to their custom, spent the first 
 day after the battle in cutting, off the heads of the slain; 
 but on the fourth, they advanced to the walls of Eome, broke 
 down the gates, and laid the whole city in ashes, except 
 a few houses on Mount Palatine. They were frustrated in 
 their attempts on the capitol by the well known alarm that 
 was given by the sacred geese, but were only induced to 
 abandon their design on payment of one thousand pounds 
 of gold, with which they retired, after having occupied 
 Eome seven months. So far, indeed, the Celts had done 
 pretty well; but on their march homewards, they attacked 
 Veascus, partly to revenge the assistance which the inha- 
 bitants had afforded their enemies, and partly to augment 
 their booty by the sack of the place. The Eomans having 
 pursued them under the leading of Camillus, totally 
 overthrew them, and recovered their gold and most of the 
 other plunder." It was only after this repulse of Brennus, 
 that the Eomans appear to have taken courage to attack 
 the Italian Celts.'' 
 
 In the time of Asdrubal, the Gauls descended into Italy 
 with fifty thousand foot, and twenty thousand cars and 
 
 « Diod. Sic. xii. * Polybius, i. 
 
THEIR MILITARY EXPLOITS. 119 
 
 horsemen. The Eomans, at this tmie, thought it impossible 
 long to hold their country, unless they had subdued these 
 nations,^ and, before their final subjection, they were so terri- 
 ble to the Eomans, that, when the Gauls appeared, old age 
 did not excuse any from the war : even the priests, who 
 were exempted from military duty on all other occasions, 
 being obliged to take the field when these formidable 
 enemies were to be opposed,^ and they solemnly cursed 
 all who took money from the treasury, except for the 
 Gallic wars. 
 
 In the account of the Cimbrian invasion, we have a 
 striking picture of these ferocious nations. The magni- 
 tude of the armament filled all Italy with the greatest 
 alarm, and the extraordinary strength and hardihood of 
 these people impressed the Eomans with the utmost terror. 
 When they beheld the Cimbri, of immense stature and 
 horrid countenances, exposing themselves naked to sliowers 
 of snow, climbing to the mountain tops, and sliding down 
 the frozen precipices on their shields, for mere amusement, 
 and tearing up the neighbouring hills to form a passage 
 across a river, &c., the Eoman veterans began to desert 
 their colours, and at last fled.^ Yet by the excellent gene- 
 ralship of Marius, and the military discipline of the Eoman 
 army, they were eventually defeated in two battles, with 
 incredible slaughter. Plutarch tells us, the lands of the 
 Massilians were amply manured by the slain, whose bones 
 were so numerous, as afterwards to be used in enclosing 
 the vineyards ; the few who escaped the disaster retiring to 
 the mountains around Verona and Vincenza, where their 
 descendants still exist. Before they entered Italy, they 
 had been opposed in their march through Gaul by the 
 
 * Ibid. ii. f Appian, Civ. Wars, ii. 
 
 s Polysenus, viii. 10. Plutarch de Bello Cimbrico. 
 
120 THEIR MILITARY EXPLOITS. 
 
 Eomans, who lost sixty thousand men in the attempt.'' 
 From the first mention of the Cimbri, the Eomans had 
 been two hundred and ten years in conquering Germany, 
 where they lost five armies.' Titus, to dissuade the Jews 
 from a war with the Romans, represented to them the mad- 
 ness of contending with those, by whom the strong Ger- 
 mans, who, wherever they went, performed marvellous ex- 
 ploits, had been overcome.^ "Who is there among you 
 that hath not heard of the great number of the Germans ? 
 You have yourselves seen them to be strong and tall :" 
 these " who have minds greater than their bodies, and a 
 soul that despises death, and who are in rage more fierce 
 than wild beasts."^ 
 
 The Gauls, he continues, became tributary to the Eo- 
 mans, not because they were of " effeminate minds, or 
 ignoble, for they bore a war of eighty years, for their 
 liberty.'"' These nations, indeed, fought so desperately, 
 that their fame was spread abroad both far and wide, and 
 it was an object with many powerful States, to retain bodies 
 of them in their service, at much expense. Being held in 
 tliis estunation, and recollecting the daring exploits of 
 their ancestors, it was no wonder that they became so proud 
 of themselves as to despise all other people.^ Polybius 
 declares, that " never until this day were greater wars than 
 the Gallic, either for obstinacy of courage, or the resolu- 
 tion of the combatants; the greatness of armies, or the 
 slaughter of men."" " These are they," says another, 
 "who took Eome; these robbed the temple at Delj^hos; these 
 laid a great part of Europe and Asia under tribute, and 
 took possession of some of the countries they had subdued: 
 
 '^ Diod. Sic. Fragment, xxxvi. 'Tacitus. 
 
 J Josephus Jew. Wars, vi. 6, § 2. * Ibid. ii. 16, § 4. 
 
 1 Diod. Sic. V. 2. " Lib. 11. 
 
THEIR MILITARY RENOWN. 121 
 
 mixing with tlie Greeks, tliey were called Gallo-Grecians. 
 They often routed and cut up many great armies of Eo- 
 mans.'" 
 
 The Gauls Avho had escaped from Delphos, after they 
 had vanquished the Thracians, settled about Byzantium, 
 and built the royal city Tyle. The Byzantines saved 
 themselves from plunder by paying tribute to the Gallic 
 king, Comontoire, sometimes thirty thousand, sometimes 
 fifty thousand, and at other times one hundred thousand 
 crowns. Finally, they were forced to give eighty thousand 
 crowns yearly, until the time of Clyare, Mdien the Celts 
 were extirpated by the Thracians." 
 
 When any of the Eastern States wished to raise an army 
 for some desperate undertaking, they recruited in Gaul; 
 and when a faithful body-guard was wanted, the Celtee 
 were engaged at any price. The Carthaginians, especially, 
 had always numerous bodies of these troops in their armies, 
 which were chiefly furnished by Gaul and Spain." Mith- 
 radates, king of Pontus, boasted that he had in his army 
 those Gauls who had always frightened the Eomans.'' 
 Dionysius, the tyrant, engaged two thousand Gauls and 
 Celtiberians to assist the Lacedemonians, and gave them 
 five months' pay in advance. The Greeks, who had a 
 sufficiently high opinion of their own abilities, in order to 
 try the valour of their new allies, drew them out against 
 the Boeotians and their confederates, whom they very 
 speedily overthrew. During the time they served, we 
 are told they were of great use, and purchased much 
 renown.** 
 
 Apollodorus, king of Cassandria in Macedonia, armed 
 and engaged with large rewards a life-guard of these men. ' 
 
 ' PolyLius, iv. ° Diod. &c. p Justin, xxxvii. 
 
 1 Diod. Sic. XV. 8. ' Diod. Sic. 
 
122 THEIK MILITARY EDUCATION. 
 
 Perseus of Macedonia bargained for 20,000 of them; and 
 Herod, king of the Jews, received, as his body-guard, 400 
 who had served Cleopatra in the same capacity." The 
 Celtic legion, who were the guards of Caligula, hearing of 
 his assassination, instantly drew their swords, and marched 
 to the theatre, determined in their rage to put every soul 
 to the sword,' The Gauls were among the ancients, what 
 the Swiss have been in modern ages. 
 
 The whole education of the Gauls was intended to qua- 
 lify them for the profession of war. They never permitted 
 their children to appear before them in public, until they 
 were able to bear arms ;" and to prevent their young men 
 from becoming fat, they were kept at work, and were ob- 
 liged to wear a girdle, to determine their just size, which 
 if they exceeded, they were fined.'' 
 
 Among the Germans, no one was allowed to bear arms 
 until the community had attested his ability to use them. 
 If found worthy, he was dignified by one of the rulers, or 
 his father, in the midst of a public assembly, with a shield 
 and javeline, and from thenceforward he became a member 
 of the commonwealth. 
 
 There was but one sort of public diversion among these 
 people, and it shows in a strong light the estimation in 
 which military prowess was held. The young men flung 
 themselves naked amongst sharp swords and darts, where 
 they fearlessly danced amid the loud applauses of the 
 spectators : a performance which they executed with much 
 grace, but not for hire. To please their admiring country- 
 men was their sole and highest reward."' 
 
 The Scotish tribes in Ireland, we are told, trained 
 
 » Josephus Jew. "Wars, i. 20, § 3. 
 
 t Joseplius Jew. Ant. xix. i. § 15, " Bello Gall. 
 
 " Strabo, iv. p. 199. ^ Tacitiis de mor. Germ. 
 
THEIR MILITARY EDUCATION'. 123 
 
 up their youth to martial exercises from their seventh year, 
 "and they were honourably rewarded according to their pro- 
 ficiency." The Scots Highlanders practised the same cus- 
 tom ; and as the military character of the Britons closely 
 resembled that of the continental Celts, they had also a 
 public investment of their youth with arms. The remains 
 of this custom existed in the Highlands and Isles almost 
 within memory of man. The principal persons in a clan 
 were obliged to give public proof of their valour and dex- 
 terity in the use of their arms, before assummg any com- 
 mand. 
 
 The first meat which an Irish infant anciently received, 
 was put into its mouth on the point of a sword by the 
 mother, with many imprecations and prayers, that he might 
 not die otherwise than with honour in battle.'' Giraldus 
 Cambrensis notices a custom, which prevailed in some parts 
 even in the sixteenth century : the right arm was left un- 
 christened, so tliat it might be able to give a sure and 
 deadly blow.^ 
 
 The Chief himself was not acknowledged until he had 
 thus proved his right.* With so careful an attention to 
 military education, is it surprising that the nation should 
 be warlike ? To the Caledonians, the Britons of the south 
 said, the Gods themselves were not equal. Herodian de- 
 scribes tliem as insatiably fond of slaughter ; and so little 
 have their pugnacious habits been changed by time, that 
 
 " Harl. MS. 5280 contains an account of the renowned Irish Militia, 
 with their course of probation, and exercises, written before the 10th 
 century, by Gillo Tancoulourd MacTuathal, in the reign of C'ormac 
 Mac Airt. Astle has noticed this curious work. 
 
 y Solinus. 
 
 * Campion. This reservation couhl onlj"- have been made, from retain- 
 ing the primitive mode of performing baptism by immersion. 
 
 * Dr. Macpherson. &c. 
 
124 MILITAEY ENTHUSIASM. 
 
 for nearly eighteen centuries, tliey have lived in almost 
 continual war, either amongst themselves or with others. 
 From the most early ages, the Scots were extolled for their 
 valour. " Ilz sont asses hardi et chevaleraux de leur per- 
 sonnes," as an old French writer says.** And they still 
 nobly support the character which their ancestors acquired, 
 as fierce and unyielding warriors. 
 
 No age among the Gauls was exempt from the wars, 
 from the youth capable of bearing arms to the hoary head; 
 nor was it necessary to virge any to take the field, for all 
 went with the utmost cheerfulness; and it is a remarkable 
 and sanguinary proof of the martial spirit of these stern 
 warriors, that the unfortunate individual who arrived last 
 at their assemblies, was publicly put to death. 
 
 No obstacles could deter them from the prosecution of 
 a war, for, when they had once resolved to take up arms, 
 they were determined to encounter the most numerous and 
 fearful disasters."' 
 
 The Gauls who engaged with Hannibal, declared them- 
 selves ready to undergo any danger with him : unfortu- 
 nately, the campaign turned out none of the easiest,^ for 
 these darmg and hardy auxiliaries. 
 
 This forwardness to put themselves on arduous expedi- 
 tions and readiness to undertake difficult operations, has 
 distinguished the Celts in all ages. At the siege of Eox- 
 burgh, in 1322, the Highlanders were ordered to climb a 
 precipice on which the English were posted, which they 
 very soon accomplished, putting the enemy to immediate 
 
 '' Peiiin's description des royaulmes d'Angleterre et d'Ecosse. Paris, 
 1558, ed. London, 1775. "Ilz sont hardis et vertneux comma lions;" 
 he elsewhere repeats. 
 
 «Amm. Mar. xv. 10. 
 
 ^Polybius. The Gauls always suffered most. 
 
THE CELTS SUPERIOR TO IHE ROMANS. 125 
 
 flight.^ We also find that Donald of the Isles came to 
 one of the sieges of Eoxburgh, with a great body of men, 
 "armed in Highland fashion, with habergions, bows and 
 axes," anxiously desiring leave to march into England 
 before the army, " to take upon them the first press and 
 dint of the battle." ' 
 
 The Eomans had no inclination to admit that they were 
 ever defeated, yet, in the various details which are preserved 
 concerning the Gallic wars, they acknowledge enough to 
 prove, that, although their military discipline gave them a 
 decided advantage, they never met with a more determined 
 resistance; and, although ultimately successful, many bat- 
 tles were certainly extremely unfavourable, if not dishonour- 
 able, to the Eoman arms. The testimony which the con- 
 querors of the world have borne to the intrepid bravery 
 and undaunted resolution of the Celtse, is higlily to be 
 esteemed, for the admission of an enemy may be safely re- 
 ceived, when discreditable to himself. 
 
 Tacitus admits that the Eoman arms were tarnished by 
 the brave Germans; and Sallust, in Cataline, says the Gauls 
 were superior in military prowess to his countrymen.^ The 
 Batavi, Matiarii, and Lancearu, Gallic and German auxili- 
 aries, stood their ground in that battle where the emperor 
 Valens fell, when aU the Eomans fled.*' The great Csesar 
 himself, on many occasions, speaks in terms of admiration 
 of the valour and heroism of these nations. The Nervii, 
 he says, overcame difficulties, which, though seemingly in- 
 surmountable, appeared yet as nothing to men of their 
 resolution and magnanimity. In a certain battle, the slain 
 were so numerous as to form a pile, from which the survi- 
 vors, as from a ramj)art, continued to hurl their javelins on 
 
 *Lord Haile's Annals. f Pitscottie's Chronicles, p. 102, 8vo. 
 
 eC. 53. ''Amm. Mar. xxxi. 
 
126 THEIK UNQUENCHABLE AEDOUR. 
 
 the enemy, and disputed the field with so much persever- 
 ance, that in the sanguinary conflict their name was almost 
 extinguished. On many other occasions, we find whole 
 bodies were slaughtered to a man, rather than yield. The 
 Gallic foot at Telamon, Polybius says, fell on the spot 
 where they had placed themselves. 
 
 Their contempt of death was very remarkable. Aris- 
 totle says " they fear neither earthquakes nor inundations." 
 This fearless disposition led them to behave as if they were 
 insane, for, accordmg to some writers, they would not re- 
 tire from their houses if they were falling about their ears, 
 and would rush into the water as if they were able, with 
 sword in hand, to beat back the encroaching waves. How- 
 ever much of this may be true, they certainly fought with a 
 desperation and fury almost incredible At Thermopylae, 
 they rushed on the Greeks with a ferocity resembling that 
 of wild beasts; "their rage, while life remained, suffering 
 no abatement, though they were wounded by the battle- 
 axe, cut down with the sword, or pierced with darts and 
 arrows." Some of these Gauls tore the lacerating darts 
 from their bodies, and discharged them back on the Greeks, 
 or, as they lay wounded on the ground, pierced with them 
 those who stood near them.' 
 
 At the battle of Fallvirk, in 1745, the cavalry had 
 rushed on the rebels, broken their ranks, and were tramp- 
 ling them under the horses' feet. "The Highlanders, 
 stretched on the ground, thrust their dirks into the bellies 
 of the horses. Some seized the riders by the clothes, 
 dragged then down and stabbed them; several, again, 
 used their pistols ; but few had sufficient space to handle 
 their swords." The cavalry were eventually repulsed, the 
 
 'Pausanias, x. c. 21. 
 
ANECDOTES OF HIGHLAND BRAVEKY. 127 
 
 Highlanders pursuing tliem and running as fast as the 
 horses could gallop.^ 
 
 No man, says Csesar, speaking of a battle which lasted 
 from one o'clock in the afternoon until evening, saw the 
 back of an enemy ; and, even w^hen compelled to give way, 
 the Gauls rallied at their carriages, and renewed the fight 
 with greater obstinacy, until the ijiglit was far spent.'' In 
 another engagement with the Eomans, the first ranks of 
 the Gallic trooj)s were swept off by the javelins of the 
 enemy, and their army attacked both in front and rear, yet 
 not a man offered to fly, but stood and fought until every 
 soul was cut off/ 
 
 Amongst many instances of personal bravery and hero- 
 ism, it is related by the same accomplished writer, who was 
 an eye witness of the transaction, that, at the siege of Ava- 
 ricum, a Gaul planted himself before the gate and in the 
 face of the whole Eoman army, continued to cast balls of 
 burning pitch and tallow, in order to set fire to the towers 
 which the enemy had raised, until he was shot dead by an 
 arrow. The danger of such a position did not prevent 
 its being instantly occupied by another Gaul, who was 
 almost as quickly brought down. His nearest companion, 
 undismayed at death, stepping over the bodies of his brave, 
 comrades, resumed the perilous duty and shared their fate. 
 Still a fourth warrior placed himself with alacrity in the 
 fatal spot, and he too fell a speedy sacrifice to his temerity; 
 yet until the conflict ceased, the place was not abandoned.™ 
 
 In the disordered retreat at Culloden, an English ca- 
 valry of&cer advanced in front of his regunent, to catch 
 
 J Chevalier Johnstone's Memoirs, p. 92. On this occasion, Macdonakl 
 of Clanrannald was with difficulty rescued from under a dead horse that 
 had fallen on him. 
 
 k Belle Gall. i. 20. ' Bello Gall. \ni. 56. °>BeUo Gall. vii. 12. 
 
128 GILLIES MACBANE. 
 
 one of the flying Highlanders who had come rather 
 close to the line. The fellow quickly brought him down 
 with his broadsword, and having dispatched him, he deli- 
 berately stopped to take his watch, in front of a whole 
 squadron of the enemy." In that disastrous battle, the 
 heroism of Gillies Macbane was most eminently displayed, 
 and worthy of a better fate. This gentleman was major 
 of the regiment of clan Macintosh; and when the Argyle 
 militia broke down the park wall which enabled them to 
 attack the Highlanders in flank, the brave Gillies stationed 
 himself at the gap, and as, the enemy entered, they se- 
 verely suffered from the irresistible strokes of his clay- 
 more. As John Breac Mac Donald, who stood beside him, 
 expressed it, " he mowed them down lilve dockins." At 
 last, finding himself opposed singly to a whole troop, he set 
 his back to the wall and defended himself with the fierce- 
 ness of desperation, keeping the enemy long at bay, and 
 kiUing an almost incredible number. Some ofiicers, admir- 
 ing his valour endeavoured to save his life, but poor Gillies 
 fell where he had slain thirteen of his foes. According to 
 some accounts, the number was much greater. A descend- 
 ant of this brave man, who has lost a leg, resides at Chel- 
 sea, and is remarkable for his fine stature and proportion. 
 The following verses are said to be from the pen of Lord 
 Byron :* 
 
 GILLIES MACBANE. 
 
 The clouds may pour down on CuUoden's red plain, 
 But tlie waters shall flow o'er its crimson in vain ; 
 For their drops shall seem few to the tears for the slain ; 
 But mine are for thee, my brave Gillies Macbane ! 
 
 "Chev. Johnstone. 
 
 * The Editor has heard the late Professor Wilson, of Edinburgh, 
 "Christopher North," say that "Gillies Macbane" was not written by 
 Byron, but by a Professor of Aberdeen, whose name he has forgotten. Ed. 
 
ANECDOTES OF CELTIC WAKRIORS. 129 
 
 Though thy cause was the cause of the injur'd and brave ; 
 Though thy death was the hero's, and glorious thy grave ; 
 "With thy dead foes around thee, piled high on the plain, 
 My sad heart bleeds o'er tliee, my Gillies Machane ! 
 
 How the horse and the horseman thy single hand slow ! 
 But what could the mightiest single arm do ? 
 A hundred like thee might the battle regain ; 
 But cold are thy hand and heart, Gillies Machane I 
 
 "With thy back to the wall, and thy breast to the targe, 
 Full flashed thy claymore in the face of their charge ; 
 The blood of their boldest that barren turf stain ; 
 But alas ! — thine is reddest there. Gillies Machane ! 
 
 Hewn down, but still battling, thou simk'st on the ground, 
 Thy plaid was one gore, and thy breast was one womid; 
 Thirteen of thy foes by thy right hand lay slain; 
 Oh ! would they were thousands for Gillies Machane ! 
 
 Oh! loud and long heard shall thy coronach be; 
 And high o'er the heather thy cairn we shall see ; 
 And deep in all bosoms thy name shall remain. 
 But deepest in mine, dearest Gillies Machane! 
 
 And daily the eyes of thy brave Boy before 
 Shall thy plaid be unfolded; unsheath'd thy claymore; 
 And the white rose shall bloom on his bonnet again. 
 Should he prove the true son of my Gillies Machane! 
 
 As it was equally shameful for a general to desert his 
 troops, as for them to abandon their commander, he shared 
 the same fate as his followers; and it is related that no 
 prince ever survived the loss of his crown. Correus, the 
 chief of the BeUovaci, though his army was put to the rout, 
 would neither quit the field nor accept of quarter, but conti- 
 nued to fight with undaunted courage, wounding many of the 
 victorious Eomans, who were at last obliged to dispatch 
 him with their javelins." "Some," says another, "before all 
 their blood was shed, rose up ere they died, to do some more 
 service. Others, when both knees were tired, bowing the 
 
 ° Bello Gal. viii. 16. Pansa. 
 
130 EXPLOITS OF TWO CELTIC LEGIONS. 
 
 left leg, would rest themselves by thus reclining, yet ready 
 to give a fresh assault, which is a token of obstinacy and 
 stiff resolution, in the highest degree." '' 
 
 At the siege of Amida, the two legions ]\Iagnentise, 
 raised in Gaul in the time of Constantius and Julius, im- 
 mortalized themselves. They were composed of valiant 
 men, both active and nimble, excellent for fighting on even 
 ground, but unfit for besieging, for they would not lend a 
 hand to help any man at the engines, or in raising bulwarks, 
 but fool hardily would sally forth and fight, courageously 
 indeed, but they often returned many fewer than when they 
 went out. When the city gates were at last closed, and they 
 could not by any entreaty be allowed to make their usual 
 sorties, they gnashed their teeth like wild beasts for vexa- 
 tion. At length, throwing off all restraint, they threatened 
 death to the tribunes if they should offer to oppose their 
 resolution of breaking out of the city, to attack the besieg- 
 ing Persians, and forthwith began to hack and hew down 
 the gates with their swords, being exceedingly afraid lest 
 the place should be taken before they had got to the open 
 field, there to perform exploits that were worthy of Gauls. 
 "With great difficulty they were induced to wait for a short 
 time, until they could march out, and attack the advanced 
 posts with some appearance of success. They therefore 
 sallied out on a certain night by a postern gate, armed with 
 axes and swords, praying for success to the Heavenly power, 
 but proceeding with the utmost caution, holding their 
 breath until they reached the outwatches, who were in- 
 stantly dispatched; Avhen the whole body ran furiously 
 toward the camp, designing to surprise the king. But the 
 enemy being alarmed, and speedily standing to their arms, 
 the Gauls made a halt, and most valiantly, with wondrous 
 
 P Amm. Mar. 
 
ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE CELT.E. 131 
 
 strength, slashed and cut down with their swords, all 
 that stood in their way. The whole host pouring around 
 them, the Gauls thought it prudent to retreat, and yet not 
 one of them turned his back, but they retired gradually 
 within the rampart, sustaining the overwhelming assault 
 until they at last got into the city at day-break, with the 
 loss of four hundred slain and many wounded, having thus 
 very nearly surprised and killed, not Ehesus and the Thra- 
 cians before Troy, but the king of the Persians, guarded 
 by a hundred thousand armed men. The leaders of these 
 Gauls, as most valiant heroes, were greatly honoured by the 
 Emperor, who commanded statues of them, m their arms, 
 to be set up at Edessa, a i)lace of much resort. This 
 is from the pen of Ammianus Marcellinus," who served in the 
 same campaign, and who, in a subsequent book, gives us 
 another anecdote of these heroic warriors. After the death 
 of Julian, the Gauls were pitched on as the most expert 
 swimmers, to cross the Tigris. Whether this was to encou- 
 rage the rest of the army to attempt the passage, from their 
 success, or, as it would otherwise appear, to deter those who 
 thought the plan of attack advisable, by shewing, from the 
 fate of the auxiliaries, the desperate nature of the measure, 
 is doubtful, but the Gauls were let out of the place at night, 
 and, sooner than any one could have imagined, they reached 
 the further bank, and trod under foot, and cut in pieces, 
 those Persians who opposed them.' 
 
 When the ambassadors of the Celts, who lived near the 
 Ionian bay, met Alexander in the city of the Getse, with offers 
 of friendship and proposals for a league, that great monarch 
 took an opportunity of asking these people, what they were 
 most afraid of, believing that the dread of incurring his 
 displeasure and suffering from his vengeance, must have 
 
 1 Lib. xix. c. 5. ' Ibid. xxv. c. 9. 
 
132 THE BRITISH TRIBES. 
 
 been the strongest feelings at the time. The Celts re- 
 plied with characteristic simplicity and indifference, that 
 they were afraid of nothing more than that the sky 
 should fall on their heads ! The were admitted by the 
 conqueror amongst the number of his friends, and dis- 
 missed with a remark, that the Celts were a very arrogant 
 people. ° 
 
 The Nervii openly declared their resolution of neither 
 sending ambassadors to Caesar, nor accepting his peace on 
 any terms.* 
 
 The obstinate and persevering resistance, and the daring 
 attacks of the Celtse, more particularly the British tribes, 
 could not fail to make a strong impression on the Eomans, 
 None of the race were more ardent in the cause of liberty 
 than the Britons; and before they had to contend for their 
 own freedom, they were in the practice of assisting their 
 friends on the continent with considerable bodies of troops, 
 during their desperate contentions with the Romans, which 
 is the chief cause assigned for Caesar's invasion. Tacitus 
 avers that the natives surpassed the Gauls in bravery 
 and love of freedom, and declares that Ca:;sar "by a 
 prosperous battle only struck the natives with terror, — 
 that he was the discoverer, not the conqueror of the 
 island." 
 
 The fortitude and unshaken perseverance of the Britons, 
 their vigilance and enterprise in their endeavours to pre- 
 serve their independence, are amply evinced throughout the 
 long and sangumary struggle. Nothing but the superior 
 arms and discipline of the Romans, assisted by the intro- 
 duction of arts, the enervating baits of pleasure, and charms 
 of vice, enabled them to provinciate and keep possession 
 of the southern parts of the island. Their tremendous 
 
 » Aiian i. 4. Ed. Amstel. 1668, p. 11. Strabo. * BeUo Gall. 
 
THE BRITISH TRIBES. 133 
 
 power could not but have been long known to the Britons, 
 through the Gauls, who had themselves experienced it, at 
 the cost of upwards of a million of men, slain in the 
 field, yet the appearance of those mighty conquerors 
 on the shores of Albion did not dispirit the warlike 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Caesar, on his first descent, was evidently defeated." He 
 procured from his country a thanks offering of twenty days, 
 but the only proofs of his conquest were two hostages, re- 
 ceived from cities perhaps not quite removed from Eoman 
 influence. In his second attempt, the natives were more 
 resolutely determined to resist his arms, and the bloody 
 conflict that ensued on his landing, is. almost admitted to 
 have ended in his defeat. After his death, Britain was 
 scarcely considered as a Eoman acquisition, and it was re- 
 served for succeeding commanders, by sacrifices of blood 
 and maxims of deep policy, to break the spirit, and sap the 
 virtues of a rude and patriotic people. 
 
 The island became better known after the Eomans had 
 established themselves, and its intercourse with the con- 
 tinent had consequently increased, while Gaul, finally 
 reduced to subjection, was but a province of the mighty 
 empire. Several of the tribes also began to find the 
 advantage of the alliance and protection of their con- 
 querors, — dissensions were fomented in favour of the 
 Eomans, and disunion facilitated the complete subjugation 
 of South Britain." 
 
 Fierce and daring by nature, the inhabitants were sub- 
 
 " Lucan, with whom Tysilio, an ancient Welsh Bard, coincides. Eo- 
 bert's early Hist, of the Cumri. 
 
 ^ The Chamavii and Angrivarii vanquished the Bructeri in a pitched 
 battle, wherein the latter lost sixty thousand men, "to the joy and re- 
 creation of the Eomans," exclaims Tacitus, in the enthusiasm of Amor 
 Patrise. 
 
134 CALEDONIANS. 
 
 dued to quiescence with that refined policy, which, by the 
 fascinations of luxury, gilds while it rivets the chains of 
 slavery, and brings the enervated wearer to submit, without 
 regret, to wear a yoke, which still preserves an appearance 
 of independence. In the pleasures of Eoman society and 
 civilization, the tributary Briton forgot his subjection; 
 but a numerous part of the population sternly refused 
 all advantages, as unworthy of comparison with the en- 
 joyment of liberty. The free and unconquered tribes, by 
 the incessant annoyance they gave to the legions, made 
 Britain a most troublesome and precarious acquisition. 
 Although often coerced, the high-spirited Celts were never 
 broken-hearted. The Caledonians, although amazed at the 
 vast armies and ileets led against them, were not daunted, 
 but made extensive preparation for the defence of their 
 country, and that with so much ardour and assiduity, that 
 Tacitus, in relating the expedition of Agricola, astonish- 
 ed at the greatness of their exertions, insinuates that it 
 was very much magnified by fame. Not only did they 
 stand on the defensive, but immediately began to storm the 
 Eoman forts and castles, and, by the boldness of their pro- 
 ceedings, struck Agricola's army with terror. When re- 
 pulsed in an attack which they made on the ninth legion, 
 they nevertheless " abated nothing from their ferocity; they 
 ascribed their failure to the chance of war, and not to their 
 inferiority, and boldly continued to keep the field." De- 
 feat seems on this, as on other occasions, to have roused the 
 Celts to greater exertions. The youth, and even the old 
 men poured to the army from all quarters, and, undismayed 
 by former losses, they posted themselves with firm determi- 
 nation to stand for their country and their liberties, at the 
 foot of the Grampians. There they were indeed defeated, 
 but they did not submit to the victors. They rallied 
 their forces in the woods, and checked the pursuit. The 
 
CALEDONIANS. 135 
 
 Romans "were obliged to retire southwards, the Caledonians 
 followed tliem, retook the districts which had been over- 
 run, demolished the fortifications tliat had been recently 
 erected, and again saw their country freed from the 
 presence of their enemies, and burning with revenge, 
 they passed the walls and ravaged the northern pro- 
 vinces. 
 
 Hadrian, Severus, and other emperors, visited Britain 
 for the express purpose of subduing the refractory tribes, 
 and securing the northern frontier, but their powerful 
 armies and vigorous operations failed in subduing the stub- 
 born natives. Neither the formation of military roads, by 
 which they were enabled to conduct armies with facility 
 into the recesses of the country, nor the establishment of 
 numerous stations and forts of great strength, produced 
 this desirable result. Nor did the high-minded Caledonians 
 value the offer of citizenship, which they could have freely 
 embraced; but notwithstanding the repeated losses, and se- 
 vere chastisements which their temerity brought on them, 
 they obstinately preferred a life of freedom, to an existence 
 branded with the mark of subjection. 
 
 The continued efforts of the Welsh to preserve their 
 in dependence, were worthy of a branch of the great 
 Celtic race. Gir. Cambrensis says, that Henry II. in- 
 formed the Emperor Emanuel, that they were so warlike, 
 it was easier to tame wild beasts than daunt their 
 courage. 
 
 The determined opposition which the Scots ever made 
 to the attempts of the English Kings, to reduce them to 
 subjection, is a proof of the high value they set on national 
 independence, and the steadiness with which they continued 
 to protect it. Although the country was repeatedly over- 
 run by the armies of England, the national archives and 
 regalia carried off, they valiantly contended under the 
 
136 HAEDIHOOD OF THE GAEL. 
 
 illustrious Wallace and Bruce, until they had finally achiev- 
 ed their complete emancipation. 
 
 " It is not glory," say the Scots nobility, in their letter 
 to Pope John, in 1320, concerning their wrongs, "it is 
 not riches, neither is it honour, but it is liberty alone that 
 we fight and contend for, which no honest man will lose but 
 with his life." 
 
 The long and persevering exertions of the Scots, in the 
 cause of the Stewarts, is no less worthy of remark. The 
 misfortunes of the gallant Montrose, and no less worthy 
 Dundee, and the severe punishments which then' frequent 
 rebellions brought on them, did not detach them from the 
 interest of the expatriated family. After the accession of 
 the Prince of Orange, the Highlanders became more sub- 
 missive; but one of Dundee's unfortunate officers says that 
 " nothing but King James's special command " coidd have 
 put a period to the war at that time. The clans, however, 
 took the field in 1715, were in arms in 1719, and were still 
 ready to vindicate their supposed liberties in 1745, when 
 the final struggle of the Celtic race for their independence 
 took place. 
 
 On this last occasion, the privations they suffered did 
 not impair their ardour. Their cheerfulness never forsook 
 them, even when they were in want of almost every neces- 
 sary, were surrounded with difiiculties, and had to undergo 
 extreme fatigue. On their retreat from England, although 
 they had performed with astonishing celerity a long march 
 in a bad season, as soon as they had forded the Eske, which 
 reached as high as the neck, and were in Scotland, the 
 pipers struck up their favorite strath-speys, and most of the 
 army began to dance. 
 
 When the Highlanders rendezvoused at Kuthven after 
 the battle at Culloden, instead of being depressed at their 
 loss, they scarcely considered it a defeat, but were burning 
 
HAKDIHOOD OF THE GAEL. 137 
 
 with impatience for revenge. " I was delighted," says the 
 Chevalier Johnstone, " to see their gaiety." 
 
 CivHis, a celebrated German leader, attacked the Eoman 
 army four times in one day, and instances are found of 
 the Gauls maintaining desperate battles for several suc- 
 cessive days, such was the persevering obstinacy of these 
 nations. 
 
 Dundee's troops in many of their marches, which 
 were always made with wonderful expedition, had 
 neither bread, salt, nor any sort of liquor except water, 
 and that during several weeks, yet they never com- 
 plained. 
 
 The Highlanders were well known to be "a people, that 
 oan endure all the hardships of war, being bred to all man- 
 ner of cunning in relation thereto."'^ 
 
 Sii' J. Dalrymple, in his Memoirs of Great Britain, ii, p. 
 53, thus speaks of them. " The lightness and looseness of 
 their dress, the habit they had of going always on foot, 
 and never on horseback, their love of long journeys, but 
 above all, that patience of hunger and every kind of hard- 
 ship, which carried their bodies forward, even after their 
 spirits were exhausted, made them exceed all other Euro- 
 pean nations in speed and perseverance of march. Mon- 
 trose's marches were sometimes sixty miles a day, without 
 food or halting, over mountains, along rocks, and through 
 morasses, &c." 
 
 " It is not easy," says Home, " to conceive how they 
 really did live, and how they endured the want of those 
 things which other people call the conveniences and even 
 the necessaries of life." 
 
 When the Highland companies were raised in the 
 
 "Scotia Indiculum, 1G82. 
 
HAEDIHOOD OF THE GAEL. 
 
 service of government, it was soon observed that they 
 became less hardy than their countrymen who lived in 
 their wonted state of rudeness and freedom. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 CUSTOMS IN WAR AND MILITARY TACTICS. 
 
 When the Celtte had determined to engage in a war, 
 the various state.s in confederation assembled in arms, to 
 deliberate on the mode of conducting the campaign, and 
 to arrange the plan of operation, and this meeting was 
 reckoned the commencement of hostilities. No measures 
 were necessary to compel the attendance, at this convention, 
 of any who were able to carry arms, which was nearly the 
 whole population, " every age being most meet for war." 
 Both the old men and the youth took the field with the 
 utmost promptitude and enthusiasm, the only anxiety bemg 
 to arrive first at the place of meeting. When Caractacus 
 went to battle, "none would stay at home; they followed 
 him freely, and maintained themselves at their own ex- 
 
140 COUNCILS OF WAK. 
 
 pense."* No Gaul was ever known to cut off his thumb, 
 as was done by others, to prevent his going to the wars, a 
 practice for which the parties received the appellation 
 Murcos. There is an instance of a Welsh prince going 
 to war at the early age of ten years; and in the Scots' 
 rebellions, mere boys are celebrated for a display of 
 bravery that would have done honour to veteran sol- 
 diers. 
 
 The Germans seem to have been less punctual in their 
 meetings; the second, and sometimes the third, day 
 elapsed before all had assembled, an evil that apparently 
 arose from the liberty they enjoyed, in not being com- 
 pelled to attend otherwise than from inclination. Like 
 the Gauls they transacted nothing without being armed. 
 They sat down where they chose, without any distinc- 
 tion of persons ; and when all had assembled the priests 
 enjoined silence. The king was first heard, and all others 
 according to precedence in age or nobility, in warlike 
 renown or in eloquence. If a proposition displeased the 
 assembly, it was rejected by a slight murmur ; — if pleas- 
 ing, it was received by the brandishing of javelines and 
 by the rattling of their arms, which was the most honour- 
 able expression of assent.'' It was customary, when a chief 
 had stated his determination to lead an expedition, that 
 those who approved of it, .rose up before the assembly, and 
 pledged themselves to follow him ; and to break such an 
 engagement was to lose their honour, which they could 
 never afterwards regain." 
 
 No affair of moment could be decided without this gene- 
 ral assembly of the people. The Belgae held a council to 
 
 ^ Triad, 79. ap. Robert's early Hist, of the Cymri. 
 '' Tac. de mor. Germ. He elsewhere says it was also customary with 
 them to beat the ground with their feet. "^ Bello Gall. 
 
METHOD OF CONVOKING ASSEMBLIES. 141 
 
 advise on the means of opposing Caesar, and on his advance 
 other great assemblages took place. 
 
 It was a hazardous attempt for the Celtic chiefs to en- 
 gage in war without the sanction of their people, notwith- 
 standing the strength of the clannish attachment, and 
 power of the nobility. An expedition into Italy being un- 
 dertaken in this irregular manner, a mutiny ensued, when 
 Gallus and Etas, two of their kings, lost their lives in the 
 tumult.^ Lord Murray raised one thousand men on his 
 father and Lord Lovat's estates, under an assurance that 
 they were to serve James, but, in fact, to use them in 
 the service of King William. Having discovered this, 
 while I\Iurray was reviewing them, they suddenly broke 
 from their ranks, ran to an adjoining brook, and, filling 
 their bonnets with water, drank to King James's health, 
 and marched off, with pipes playing, to join Lord Dundee.^ 
 
 The public assemblies were convoked, and an army raised 
 with astonishing expedition. Information was speedily 
 conveyed throughout the provinces of Gaul ; for, when an 
 event was learned by one state, it was immediately impart- 
 ed to the others, a system eminently beneficial during war, 
 and for which theu' swiftness of foot was well adapted. An 
 action that took place near Genabum, at sun rise, was 
 known at Arverni, by nine o'clock at night, a distance of 
 160 miles ! This telegraphic rapidity has a parallel only 
 in the methods by which the Celtic nations of Britain 
 roused the various tribes to arms, while the ancient system 
 remained entire. Fire was a ready and effectual method 
 of arousing the inhabitants of a district, and the practice 
 continued among the Highlanders until recent times. The 
 crest of the Mackenzies is Tullach ard, with " the warning 
 flame" on its summit, being the beacon whence the clan was 
 
 ^ Polybius, lib. ii. * Dalrymple's Mem. part ii. h. i. i>. 45. 
 
142 METHODS OF RAISING AEMLES. 
 
 apprised of danger ; but the most remarkable practice was 
 by the Croish or Cran-taraidh, the cross or beam of gather- 
 ing of the Highlanders. When the chief was aware of 
 the approach of an enemy, he immediately, with his own 
 sword, killed a goat, and dipping in the blood the ends of 
 a cross of wood, that had been half burned, gave it, with 
 the name of the place of meeting, to one of the clan, who 
 carried it with the utmost celerity to the next dwelling, or 
 put it in the hands of some one he met, who ran forward in 
 the same manner, until, in a few hours, the whole clan, 
 from the most remote situations, were collected in arms at 
 the place appointed. In delivering the Cran-taraidh, the 
 place of meeting, which was generally some well known 
 spot pecuKar to each clan, was the only word that was spo- 
 ken, the symbol itself was familiar ; it threatened fire and 
 sword to those of the tribe who did not instantly repair to 
 the standard of the chief. The last time this singular cus- 
 tom was practised, was during the rebellion of 1745, when 
 some disaffected person sent it through Braidalban, when it 
 is said to have passed over thirty-six miles in three hours.* 
 The Northern nations had a similar instrument, one end 
 of which was burned, and to the other was fastened a cord, 
 to denote that those who disobeyed the summons should be 
 hanged. It appears to have been sometimes hung on a 
 ship's mast, which corresponds to the custom among the 
 ancient Gael of suspending a shield sprinkled with blood, 
 in like manner, when requesting assistance.* 
 
 * The " Fiery Cross " was last employed in the month of August, 1746 ; 
 when the M 'Donalds of Brae Lochaber, sent it on across the hills to 
 Appin, to solicit aid from the Stewarts in anticipation of a visit from the 
 government troops. The Stewarts responded to the summons by sending 
 sixty men, who joined the M 'Donalds that same night, but the enemy 
 finding sufficient employment in burning and plundering Badenoch, did 
 not honour Lochaber with a visit, which was perhaps as well. Ed. 
 
 fQIaus Magnus. M'Pherson in Ossian. Fosbrooke's Eucyc. of Ant. 
 
METHODS OF RAISING ARMIES. 143 
 
 It was also usual to convey intelligence, by one or more 
 persons ascending an eminence, and there raising a loud 
 sliout, Avliich being heard at a distance by others, was re- 
 peated to those who were farther distant, and in this man- 
 ner information was transmitted with surprising expedition. 
 This practice was continued among the Irish and "Welsh 
 until late times, and was called the Hubub. In Wales 
 " when any thing happens, a person goes to an eminence 
 and there cries the Houboub; those who hear it do the 
 same, and the country is sjDeedily in arms."^ Bub, in 
 Gaelic, is a yell. 
 
 The Piobrach, among the Highlanders, did not supersede 
 the use of the Cran-taraidli. Although this species of pipe 
 music is strictly appropriated to war, and was played when 
 the forces were rising, yet it is evident the notes of that in- 
 strument, loud as they are, could not answer the purpose 
 effectually. Among the old Caledonians, to send an arrow 
 to any party was a signal of war. A symbol by which 
 they conveyed a wish for immediate conflict was a spear 
 having some burning matter attached to it.'' The war 
 cries were also used for gathering the respective clans, and 
 will be hereafter noticed. 
 
 Ammianus notices the facility with which the Germans 
 ■could renew their armies. Some of these nations had more- 
 over a regular system of recruiting, for he tells us that 
 every village sent one hundred men, and hence arose the 
 name amongst them, of " those of the hundred band."' 
 
 It was not unusual to engage tribes who were otherwise 
 uninterested in the war, to serve as mercenaries, but it was 
 more generally the case that these auxiliaries assisted their 
 friends " for the like service when they required it."^ The 
 
 s Eduiond's Transl. of Caesar's Commentaries, p. 154, &c. 
 ''Ossian. ' Lib. xvii. J Amm. Mar. xv. 10. 
 
144 CHOICE OF LEADERS, 
 
 Arverni hired upwards of one liundred thousand Germans 
 in their wars with the ^^duans.'' The Irish and Scots 
 reciprocally assisted each other. Thus, Tyrone, in 1586, 
 sent troops to Angus MacConnal of the Isles, on condition 
 of receiving a like return; and many traditional stories are 
 current in the Highlands, of chiefs having lent their men 
 to their neighbours, for stated periods of service. 
 
 At the great assemblies of the Gauls, it was decided to 
 what chief the supreme command should be given, and who- 
 ever was thus appointed, his nation took the lead, and gave 
 name to the whole confederation, and the election was the 
 free choice of the meeting. The Bellovaci, aware of their 
 superiority in numbers and renown, asked the command of 
 the Belgic forces that were about to take the field against 
 Csesar;^ but Galba, son of the famous Divitiac, who had 
 raised the Suessiones to so great power, was unanimously 
 voted the command, from a sense of his justice and prudence. 
 There was usually a single leader appointed to conduct the 
 war; but, latterly, two or more were sometimes vested with 
 equal authority.™ It is likely these elections sometuiies 
 occasioned disputes. Trenmhor, the Caledonian king, to 
 reconcile the chiefs who were contending for the honour of 
 leading the attack, bade them take the command by turns. 
 Among these tribes we learn that the different chiefs, stand- 
 ing apart, struck their shields, to determine who should 
 have the honour of leading the war. The bards, who here 
 seem to have come in place of the Druids, attending in a 
 proper situation " marked the sounds," and the owner of 
 that which they found to ring loudest, obtained the appoint- 
 ment." The practice among the ancient Irish is thus 
 represented. Before entering on an expedition, the Ard 
 
 ''Bello Gall. i. 33. In Ctesar's time, Gaul was divided into these two 
 factions. 
 1 Bello Gall. ii. 3. mAmm. Mar. xvi. 10. ° Gatholda. 
 
THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. 145 
 
 Eiali, or provincial cliief, summoned all the people, who met 
 on the raths in arms, and as many as chose to engage in the 
 enterprise selected a leader, on condition of a mutual divi- 
 sion of the spoil, and, as may be supposed, their choice 
 generally fell on the Ard Kiah. He then communicated 
 the decision to subordinate Eiahs, and they to the Aireach, 
 who informed the lower officers in the Eath, until all were 
 apprised of the intended war. The equal division of the 
 spoil was strictly observed. It is related of Clovis, that 
 having requested on one occasion a certain vase, was 
 answered that he should receive nothing but what by lot 
 he had a right to, and indignantly struck the vessel to 
 pieces with his axe. 
 
 On the election of a commander, he was carried about 
 seated on a shield, carried on men's shoulders, Brinno, a 
 Caninefatian, being chosen, was thus borne in procession, 
 according to the ancient custom." 
 
 A council of officers, or subordinate commanders, was 
 appointed to these Generals, who are poetically styled 
 "rulers of the war" by the Caledonian bards, and, al- 
 thougli, as commanders in chief, they were invested with 
 a supreme power, yet they were so controuled by the po- 
 pular constitution of their tribes, that they dared not 
 abuse their authority. They were, in fact, accountable 
 to the people for their conduct, and, notwithstanding the 
 ties of consanguinity, by which the chief was linked to 
 his followers, he was sometimes impeached, and even put 
 to death. We find the Gallic leaders, after the loss of a 
 battle, of a town, or suff'ering any other disaster, very 
 anxious to vindicate themselves to their constituents from 
 the charge of mismanagement. The Burgundian King, 
 who, by a general name, was called Hendinos, was deposed, 
 if a war under his direction turned out unsuccessful.'' 
 
 ° Tacitus. P Amm. Mar. xviii. 12. 
 
 L 
 
146 PECULIAR OATHS, 
 
 If the troops liad sufficient power to controiil the chief, 
 he had generally the prudence to yield to their desires. 
 The German soldiers, on occasion of a battle with the 
 Eomans, obliged their leaders to alight from their horses 
 and fight in the ranks with their men, that they might 
 have no advantage over them, or, in case of defeat, might 
 be able to make their escape. The Princes instantly 
 complied with the wish of their troops, and, charging at 
 their head, cut their way to the main body of the enemy.'' 
 
 The Gallic Princes are always found in the field of bat- 
 tle, and usually where the fight was hottest. It was, how- 
 ever, a singular custom among the Caledonian chiefs to 
 retire a little distance, and not join in the combat, unless 
 on pressing occasions, when then- immediate presence was 
 necessary to inspirit and raUy their troops. "When 
 mighty danger arose, then was the hour of the king to 
 conquer in the field." ' 
 
 It was customary for the Celtae to confirm their deci- 
 sions by oath, and their most sacred obligation was swear- 
 ing before or under their standards,* but several other 
 forms of asseveration are preserved. The Insubrians 
 swore they would not unloose their belts until they had 
 sacked Eome. On another occasion, the Gauls, who had 
 taken up arms, unanimously emitted a prayer, that the 
 Gods might never more suffer them to return to their 
 homes, if they failed in prosecuting the war with due ar- 
 dour, and that they might be no more acknowledged by 
 their wives, their children, or their relations.* The Germans 
 sealed a truce, with a form ot oath according to their own 
 fashion.'' When Caractacus received the command of the 
 Silures, they all took a most solemn vow " never to yield 
 to arms, or wounds, or aught save death." ' The Caledonians 
 
 1 1bid. xvi. 10. " Ossian. ^ Bello Gall. vii. 2. 
 
 ' Bello Gall. vii. 29. " Amm. Mar. xvii. 1. ' Tacitus, Annal. xii. 
 
PECULIAR OATHS. 147 
 
 under Galgacus confirmed their engagements with sacrifices 
 and the immolation of victims '^ and from the work of an 
 ancient Bard we find that swearing by the sun was the 
 most solemn oath of these mountaineers. It is related of 
 Manos, in an ancient poem, that having sworn on his 
 shield, and broken his oath, he was universally despised." 
 
 The Gaelic chiefs also, as a bond of indissoluble friend- 
 ship, sometimes drank a few drops of each others' blood ; 
 and to violate this sacred pledge was infamy through life. ^ 
 The, Irish had a similar custom, but accompanied with 
 many superstitious observances. They went to a church, 
 where they were carried on each other's back a few paces in 
 a circular form, kissing the relics, &c. ; then each draw- 
 ing a little of his blood, it was mutually drank.'' In the 
 worship of Hertha, the Northern nations swore fast hro- 
 therhood by cutting a long strip of green sod, leaving one 
 end attached to the earth, when the other being raised on 
 the top of a spear they passed under it, wounding them- 
 selves and mixing the blood and earth together. The 
 ceremony was completed by falling on their knees, and 
 solemnly pledging themselves to inviolable friendship.* The 
 coimnon form of swearing among the Highlanders was upon 
 a drawn dirk, which they usually kissed. Martm tells us it 
 was reckoned a great indignity to assert anything by the 
 hand of a father; but if to this, one were to add that of a 
 grandfather, the answer to be expected was a knock down 
 blow.* Each clan appears to have formed an oath for 
 
 " Tacitus. "^ Smith's Gallic Ant. 
 
 y Martin's West. Islands, p. 107. 
 
 ^ Gir. Camb. ap. Campion. The Scythians, to bind their contracts, 
 pricked themselves in the arm, and drank each others blood. Herodotus. 
 
 a Dr. Hibbert. 
 
 * " Lamh t' athar 's do sheanar." By the hand of j^our father and 
 grandfather, was the phrase, a common exclamation still, though not now 
 resented by the party addressed as formerly. Ed. 
 
148 PECULIAR OATHS. 
 
 itseK. The name of the chief seems to have been in this 
 respect highly venerated, and many do not appear to have 
 thought swearing on the Gospels more binding. It is 
 related of a Highlander, that readily offering to kiss the 
 bible, the prosecutor shrewdly suspecting the reason, ten- 
 dered the clan oath, winch the witness absolutely refused to 
 take. When a Highlander took an oath on the sacred 
 volume, he did not kiss it, which indeed is not the practice 
 in Scotland, but held up his hand, and said to this purpose: 
 " By God himself, and as I shall answer to God, at the 
 great day, I shall speak the truth : if I do not, may I 
 never thrive while I live ; may I go to hell and be damned 
 when I die ; may my land bear neither grass nor corn ; 
 may my wife and bairns never prosper; may my cows, 
 calves, sheep, and lambs, all perish, &c."^ The Irish, before 
 an attack, swore on their swords, with which tliey made a 
 cross, and muttering charms, stuck their points in the 
 ground." In 1578, nineteen of the Earl of Desmond's 
 followers forswore God if they spared life, land, or goods, 
 in enabling him to resist the lord-deputy.** To swear by 
 the hand of their chief, was a most solemn oath. If found 
 to have made a false asservation, and such a case is not 
 impossible, the landlord, we are told, made them pay sound- 
 ly for it. O'lSTeiTs peculiar oath was by Bachull Murry, 
 or St. Murran's staff, which is said to be still preserved. 
 "By the blessed stone!"* is an expression of the present 
 Irish. To swear on the black stones, was a solemn oath 
 of the West Islanders. 
 
 The Celtic chiefs took great pride in being surrounded 
 by a numerous band of choice troops as guards. These 
 were his own relations and clients, who were devoted to liis 
 
 ^ Birt. The Irish thought the bigger the book was the greater 
 the oath. " Spenser. * Desiderata cmiosa Hibernica. " 
 
 e Eiche, p. 29, 48. 
 
THE chief's body GUARD. 149 
 
 service, and were the finest men of tlie tribe. Thie body 
 guards of Brennus, as they stood around him at Delplios, 
 were remarked as tlie tallest men of all his army.' The 
 Germans were no less emulous in the number and appear- 
 ance of their followers than the Gauls. It was their pride 
 to be surrounded by a company of chosen young men for 
 ornament and glory in peace, — security and defence in 
 war. In battle, it was a shame for the Prince to be sur- 
 passed in feats of prowess, and scandalous for his follow- 
 ers not to equal their chief; and it was lasting infamy for 
 them to return from the conflict when their leader was 
 slain.^ Such a body was the Soldurii of the Gauls, " sworn 
 friends," who never survived their commander. Adcan- 
 tuan of Aquitan had six hundred of these followers. 
 
 The Luchdtachk of the Highlanders was an exactly 
 similar body in organization and devotion to their chief, 
 and it was composed of young men of the best families in 
 the clan, who were expressly educated for the service. 
 They were anciently armed with darts and dirks, and 
 their special duty was to attend the person of their chief. 
 Their favourite amusement was "S'VT'estlmg, at which they 
 were most expert ; and when the chiefs were visiting each 
 other, it was usual for their followers to begin this exer- 
 cise, which they did with great emulation, often, when 
 not prevented, resorting to downright fighting. This com- 
 pany was usually selected by the heir, or Tanist, who was 
 himself obliged to demonstrate his right to command them, 
 and his claim to the chieftainship, by giving a specimen of 
 his valour. It was, therefore, customary for him to lead 
 them on some desperate foray, from which they were ex- 
 pected to bring home a prey of cattle or other spoil, or die 
 in the attempt. After this exploit if successful, the fame 
 
 f Pausanias, x. 23. s Tacitus de mor. Germ. 
 
150 THE CATHAEN OR KERN. 
 
 of the young chief and his associates, was fully established. 
 These companies were called Catharn, a word signify- 
 ing fighting bands, otherwise pronounced Cearnachs and 
 Kerns. 
 
 As it must have been the ambition of all the young men 
 to enrol themselves in the Catharn, they were most likely 
 in some cases numerous ; but, except in actual war, the 
 chief carried no more attendants with him than those who 
 composed his regidar retinue, or tail ; an establishment by 
 no means scanty, for it comprised ten or more persons, 
 besides several others, who found some pretext or other 
 for their presence. 
 
 A company of soldiers lilce the Catharn required to be 
 kept in action, and as the tribe coidd not be always at war, 
 they undertook expeditions to revenge old injuries, and 
 procure booty, or exalt their military fame; but the 
 favorite recreation with these warriors was to make a foray 
 on the Lowland plains, and enrich themselves by a valua- 
 ble creach. Hence the name Cearnach was reckoned 
 honorable, and was applicable to those chiefs who distin- 
 guished themselves ; as Eob Eoy M'Gregor, Mac Donald 
 of Barisdale, Gilderoy, and others, have done. These men 
 were far from thinking so meanly of themselves as their 
 Lowland countrymen did, who had often too much reason 
 to dread the visits of " the Catrin." 
 
 The Lusitanian young men associated in bodies in the 
 mountains, which they occupied as if it were formed by 
 nature solely for themselves, and from whence they made 
 incursions into Spain and amassed great riches by their 
 robberies ; and, although the Eomans checked, they were 
 unable to put an end to these inroads. 
 
 The following character may compare with Mac Gregor 
 or "Wallace himself, and is a curious specimen of an an- 
 cient Celtic Cearnach. The account is extracted from 
 
A LUSITANIAN HERO. 151 
 
 the preserved fragments of the lost books of Diodoriis 
 the Sicilian. Viriathus of Lusitania, a captain of those 
 robbers, was of incredible sobriety and vigilance. He was 
 just and exact in dividing the spoil, and rewarding those 
 who had behaved themselves valiantly in battle ; and in 
 its distribution he never took a greater share to himself 
 than what was assigned to others; nor did he ever convert 
 to his own use any of the public monies, and therefore his 
 men never shrunk from any undertaking, however hazard- 
 ous, when he commanded and led them on. In his leagues 
 and treaties he was exactly faithful to his word, and always 
 spoke plainly and sincerely what he intended. When, at 
 his marriage, many gold and silver cups, and all sorts of 
 rich carpets, were set forth to grace the solemnity, he held 
 all on the point of his lance, not with admiration, but ra- 
 ther with scorn and contempt. When he had spoken for 
 a considerable time with much wisdom and prudence, he 
 concluded with many apposite and forcible expressions, 
 particularly with this very remarkable one ****»» 
 By this saying, he meant to show that it was the greatest 
 imprudence to trust in the uncertain gifts of Fortune, since 
 all those riches, so much esteemed by his father-in-law, 
 were liable to be carried off by some one, on his spear's 
 point. He farther added, that his father-in-law ought ra- 
 ther to thank him, who was lord of all, for taking nothing 
 of him. Viriathus, therefore, neither washed nor sat down, 
 although entreated to do so, nor did he partake of the rich 
 dishes of meat, with which the table was plentifully spread, 
 but took and distributed some bread and flesh among those 
 that came along with him. After he had little more than 
 tasted the meat himself, he ordered his bride to be brought 
 to him, and having sacrificed in manner of the Celtiberians, 
 
 ^ This part is unforttmately lost. 
 
152 MODE OF DRAWING UP ARMIES. 
 
 he mounted fier on horseback, and straightway carried her 
 away to the mountains; for he accounted sobriety and 
 temperance the greatest riches, and the liberty of his coun- 
 try, gained by valour, the surest possession. For eleven 
 years he commanded the Lusitani, who, after his death, 
 were broken and dispersed. He was buried with great 
 pomp and state. Two hundred gladiators were matched 
 singly with as many more, and fought duels at his sepul- 
 chre, in honour of a man who was so remarkably valiant 
 and just." ' 
 
 The Gauls are said to have sat down when they were 
 drawn up in order of battle.'' The passage is thought by 
 some to be corrupted; by others it is explained as mean- 
 ing that the troops rested on their fascines or baggage, of 
 which they always carried a great quantity, arranging the 
 waggons around the camp as a sort of entrenchment, be- 
 hind which they made a most obstinate defence when hard 
 pressed. The fascines were sometimes set on fire, and an 
 army effected its retreat under cover of the dense smoke. 
 
 The Germans pitched down their standards immediately 
 on halting or taking up a position.' It does not appear in 
 what order the Celtic armies marched. When the Cale- 
 donians passed through the territories of a friendly tribe, 
 they reversed their spears, carrying the points behind. 
 
 Both Gauls and Germans were invariably drawn up in 
 different battalia, the disposal of which appears to have 
 been so well determined from ancient times, that the chief 
 in command dared scarcely venture to make any variation. 
 Each tribe fought under the immediate direction of its 
 own chieftain, and was, if jDOSsible, assigned that position, 
 which, according to order and precedence, had been 
 long settled. Vercingetorix, a celebrated Gallic chief, 
 
 ' Diodorus Sic. Fragmenta Valesii, lib. xx. § 93, 99, and 108. 
 ^ Bello Gall. viii. ^ Amm. Marcel, xxvii. 9. 
 
IlIGIIT OF CLANS TO CEKTAIN POSITIONS. 153 
 
 " disposed his army according to their several districts.'"" 
 In the British army, under the renowned Caradoc, or 
 Caractacus, whose fame had excited a universal desire in 
 Italy to behold so noble a warrior, we find " the troops 
 of the several countries stood in front of their fortifica- 
 tions;"" and when the unfortunate Bondiuca fought her 
 last disastrous battle, the warriors stood in separate bands. 
 A common mode of drawing up a British army, in the 
 fifth century, was in nine divisions, three of which were 
 in front, three in the centre, and three in the rear." 
 
 The ridit of certain situations in a field of battle was 
 accounted a point of extreme importance among the Celts. 
 At tlie battle of the Standard, 1138, the Picts contended 
 for their right to lead the van of the Scots' army, and their 
 claim was allowed. On that occasion, the third line was 
 formed of the clans under the command of their different 
 chiefs. 
 
 The Highlanders have always been most jealous of their 
 accustomed right to certain positions in the line of battle, 
 and rather than submit to the indignity of being placed in 
 any other situation than that to which they were entitled, 
 they would allow their army to be disgraced by defeat. A 
 fatal omission on the part of Prince Cliarles, in 1745, oc- 
 casioned him the loss of that battle, which finally termi- 
 nated the hopes of his family. On the field of CuUoden, 
 the Mac Donalds were unfortunately placed on the left 
 instead of the right whig, to wliich they asserted an an- 
 cient right, and not a man but the heroic Keppoch would 
 draw a sword that day.* An officer of that division thus 
 
 "Bello Gall. vii. 18. ° Tacitus in Anual. xiv. ° Vegetius, ii. 2. 
 
 * Boswell, on the authority of an officer who fought in the Prince's 
 army at Culloden, says in a letter to Dr. Johnson that the Stewa.rts 
 occupied the post of honour on the right wing on that occasion. The 
 position was probably assigned to them because they were the Royal clan, 
 " Cin7ieadh an Eigh." Ed. 
 
154 EIGHT OF CLANS TO CERTAIN POSITIONS. 
 
 writes concerning the conduct of his clan. "We, of the 
 clan Mac Donalds, thought it ominous we had not this 
 day the right-hand in battle, as formerly, and as we en- 
 joyed when the event proved successful, as at Gladsmuir 
 and Falkirk, and which our clan maintains we had en- 
 joyed in all our battles and struggles in behalf of our 
 royal family, since the battle of Bannockburn, on which 
 glorious day Eobert the Bruce bestowed this honour upon 
 Angus Mac Donald, Lord of the Isles, as a reward for 
 his never-to-be-forgot fidelity to that brave prince, in pro- 
 tecting him for above nine months in his country of Eacli- 
 lin, Isla, and Uist. This right we have, I say, enjoyed 
 ever since, unless when yielded by lis out of favour upon 
 particular occasions, as was done to the Laird of Mac 
 Lean, at the battle of Harlaw ; but our sweet-natured 
 prince was prevailed on by L. and his faction to assign this 
 honour to another on this fatal day, which right, we judge, 
 they Avill not refuse to yield us back again on the next 
 fighting day." ^ These Mac Donalds were not of the opi- 
 nion of an ancient lord of that name. He had, by some 
 mistake, at an entertainment, been prevented from taking 
 his place at the head of the table, which occasioned several 
 remarks among the guests. On being told what engaged 
 their attention, he exclaimed aloud, " Know, gentlemen, 
 that where Mac Donald sits, that is the head of the table." 
 The Saxons retained the ancient custom of arranging 
 their armies by tribes, the head of a family leading all the 
 members to battle. The Tricastines, a people who lived 
 about Troies, assaulted the Emperor Julian's army by 
 troops, while their main body was drawn up with strong 
 wings and flanks, close together." Ammianus describes an 
 
 P Note in Memoirs of Chevalier Johnstone, quoted from Lockhart's 
 papers, ii. 510. i Amm. Mar. xvi. 1. 
 
MODE OF DEAWINCt UP AEMIES. 155 
 
 army as being led by two kings, who Avere joint com- 
 manders, next to whom w^ere five princes, second in rank 
 to the Idngs and the princes of the blood royal/ Tlie 
 Caledonian kmgs were accustomed to retire to an eminence 
 the night previous to a battle, apparently for the purpose 
 of obtaining, by visions from their ancestors, a knowledge 
 of the result of the impending conflict. The Scandinavi- 
 ans appear also to have used this custom." The German 
 battalions were formed sharp in front, or drawn up in a 
 triangular figure. Tacitus, speaking of the Batavi, says, 
 this body was impenetrable on every side, and in advancing 
 it pierced through the firmest legions.* The army of Do- 
 nald of the Isles, at the battle of Harlaw, was drawn up in 
 the cuniform order, and old Highlanders sometunes even 
 now speak of Geinneach-cath, the wedge form, without 
 appearing to know its meaning. The name of a Pictish 
 cohort seems never to have been understood. It was 
 called Geone, and was no other than the wedge-formed 
 battalion." 
 
 The old Irish are represented as marching forward 
 "with three and three in ranckes beset," and crowding 
 together when on the point of engaging.'' Their armies 
 had also many " loose wings." The Highlanders were 
 accustomed to arrange themselves three deep, and, by -sim- 
 ply facing about, the regiment was in marching order. 
 When the Gauls were drawn up ready for battle, they in- 
 dulged in the most opprobrious and provoking language 
 towards their enemies. In " a letter from a soldier in 
 Ireland, 1602," Tjrrone's men are represented as advanc- 
 ing within sixty paces of the English horse, and then 
 stopping after their fashion, shaking their staves, and 
 " railingly vaunting." Arrian notices how grievously pro- 
 
 ' xvi. 10. ■ Ossian. *Demor. Germ. 
 
 " Adomnan, i. 33. ' Derrick's Image of Ireland. 
 
156 MODE OF ATTACK. 
 
 voicing the Celts were, and ^lian has a chapter on their 
 audacity. The practice of using scornful and contemp- 
 tuous language on such occasions was not, however, pecu- 
 liar to the Celtse. The refined Greeks did not hesitate to 
 use reviling language in battle.'" 
 
 Before an engagement, it was usual for some to step 
 out, and, brandishing their weapons, challenge the stoutest 
 of their opponents to single combat. If any one accepted 
 the challenge, the Celtic warriors sang loudly in praise of 
 the valour of their ancestors and their own virtues, vilify- 
 ing their adversaries, and insulting them for want of cou- 
 rage and military renown." 
 
 From the success of the parties, they anticipated vic- 
 tory or defeat in the general engagement. Another method 
 was to get hold, by any means, of one of the enemy, with 
 whom they set one of their own men to fight, each armed 
 in his own way, and from the fate of the combatants a pre- 
 sage of the war was drawn. It was, perhaps, from this, 
 that the anxiety of the Caledonians, to draw the first blood 
 in any military expedition, arose. It was not necessary 
 that it should be that of an enemy ; to make sure work, 
 the Highlanders, from time iixmiemorial, never failed to 
 sacrifice the first animal that came in their way ; and, an- 
 ciently, they used to sprinkle the blood on their colours, 
 to prevent mistake as to priority. The detachment of 
 rebels under Lord Lewis Gordon, who defeated a party of 
 the king's forces at Inverury, in 1745, ripped up a sow 
 with young, that presented itself, as, in the morning, they 
 passed by the mill of Keith Hall. 
 
 The attack of the Celts was made by a deafening shout 
 from the whole army, which was returned by the women and 
 children, who were generally close in the rear. In night as- 
 
 "■ Pausan. iv. 8. " Diod. 
 
MODE OF ATTACK. 157 
 
 saults, the greatest silence was preserved until the moment 
 of " onslaught," when an appalling cry was raised, adding 
 much to the alarm of the enemy. The practice of shout- 
 ing was common to all Celtic nations. The Irish, we find, 
 made " a most terrible noise of crieing." It appears to 
 have been the Prosnaclia-cath, or incentive to battle, of the 
 Caledonians, which afterwards became a regular song or 
 piece of music among these clans, and is allied to the 
 Gaelic cath gliairm, or gaoir catha, a war cry, and the Sla- 
 gan of the Low country. The battle-shout, called Barritus, 
 says Ammianus, xvi. ii. begins in a slight humming, and 
 rises higher, like beating of waves. This cry seems to have 
 been used by the old Eomans. 
 
 The hrst assault of a Celtic army was tremendous. 
 They ran on with such fury that they made whole legions 
 recoil;'' but it has been also observed that they were al- 
 ways most vigorous in the first onset, their ardour gradu- 
 ally subsiding if unsuccessful, for their best qualifications 
 were strength and audacity.' The strong resemblance of 
 the Celts of modern times to their remote ancestors, in this 
 respect, is remarkable. The Highlanders of 1745 retained 
 all the bravery and heroism of the race, but " the chiefs 
 knew no other manoeuvre than that of rushing upon the 
 enemy, sword in hand, as soon as they saw them.'"' At 
 Floddon Field, 
 
 " The Highland battalion so forward and valiant, 
 They broke from their ranks and rushed on to slay ; 
 "With hacking and slashing and broad swords a dashing, 
 Through the front of the English they cut a' full way." 
 
 And at Prestonpans the rebels advanced with a swiftness 
 not to be conceived.*" Dio describes the Caledonian infan- 
 
 y Appian. ^ Strabo. ^ Mein- of Chev. Johnstone. 
 
 •• Col. AVlritefoord's Evidence. 
 
158 MILITAEY TACTICS. 
 
 try as swift iii running and firm in standing. An old 
 writer, describing the Irish, says they were impetuous in 
 their first onset, clashing their swords as they advanced ; 
 but, if repulsed, they speedily retreated to the bogs. 
 
 The Germans, on one occasion, are described, when en- 
 gasing the Eomans under Constantius, as in the greatest 
 heat. At the most early dawn of day they were seen run- 
 ning up and down, brandishing their swords, grating their 
 teeth, and pouring forth dreadful menaces.'' This was 
 surely a most useless way of exhausting themselves, but it 
 was quite characteristic, for they are again represented as 
 raging about, with hideous gnashing of teeth, and eyes 
 darting fury, until they were puffing and blowing hard, 
 as they well might, from such insane exertion.* The Gauls 
 are allowed to have made a most furious onset ; but after 
 the first heat was over, they generally became disheartened. 
 They seem to have, in the first place, aimed at securing 
 victory by an overwhelming assault, and, on its failure, to 
 have resorted to stratagem. Tacitus observed this practice 
 among the Germans, who did not reckon it dishonourable 
 to retreat when the battle was unfavourable. It was es- 
 teemed good policy to retire, that they might renew the 
 fight with more advantage.* A French writer, in 1547, 
 characterizes the Scots as " plus propre a faire des courses 
 qu' h combattre : bons pour un coup de main ou pour une 
 surprise." Better is a good retreat, than a bad stand, says 
 the Gaelic proverb.* 
 
 Neither Gauls nor Britons depended entirely on their 
 strength and valour for success. Their favourite military 
 tactics were those of stratagem and surprise, to which the 
 nature of the country, the state of society, and predatory 
 
 <= Amm. Mar. xvi. 3. ^ Ibid. xvi. 10. * De mor. Germ. 
 * "'S fheaiT an teicheadh math ua 'u droch sheasamh," is the 
 proverb. Ed. 
 
MILITARY TACTICS. 159 
 
 character of tlieir wars, were adapted. They were most 
 expert in these arts, and possessed such consummate skill 
 in retreat and desultory attack, that the Eoman generals 
 were extremely perplexed and annoyed by this system of 
 warfare. It was certainly the wisdom of these nations to 
 avail themselves of all means of harassing and weakening 
 so formidable an enemy as the veteran and well provided 
 legions of Eome. 
 
 Whenever the Britons found a party of the enemy 
 at a distance from the camp, employed in foraging or 
 otherwise, they fell suddenly upon them, and often cut 
 them enthely off. They sometimes cut down the woods to 
 retard ^^ursuit.' It was also usual for them to feign a re- 
 treat, for the purpose of drawing a party from the main 
 body, when, being enticed into the woods or other fast- 
 nesses, they were, by a furious assault, put to the sword. 
 So much did the Roman army suffer from these disasters, 
 that Caesar was obliged to issue strict orders that none 
 should, on any pretence, leave the camp. These ambus- 
 cades were not to be detected : parties were suddenly sur- 
 prised and annihilated, when the vicinity of an enemy was 
 not suspected ; and when a body of troops were sent in 
 pursuit of the assailants, they were nowhere to be found. 
 Often when victory seemed secured to the Eoman arms, 
 the Britons, retreating to marshes and fastnesses, unex- 
 pectedly rallied, and, with a desperate fury and an impe- 
 tuous onset, they would check the foremost pursuers, 
 throw them into confusion, and compel them to retrograde 
 with the utmost celerity. Numbers suffered in this man- 
 ner after the battle of the Grampians, and on many other 
 occasions. The Gauls, who, in the time of Asdrubal, in- 
 vaded Italy with an army of 70,000 men, gained their iirst 
 
 ^ Amm. Mar. 
 
160 VALOUR AND INFLUENCE 
 
 battle with iEmilius by feigning a retreat.' The Morini, 
 a people who inhabited the country about Terouenne, sud- 
 denly attacked Caesar from the woods into which they had 
 decoyed his troops, and, liaving put most part to the 
 sword, made good their own retreat."" It was a well plan- 
 ned attack, or a most lucky turn of fortune, that enabled 
 a body of 800 German horse to surprise and completely 
 rout a detachment of 5000 Eoman cavalry. "^ 
 
 It was usual with the G-allic nations before an engage- 
 ment, or during the heat of war, to remove their women, 
 their children, and their aged men out of the way of dan- 
 ger. They were placed in the fastnesses of the country, 
 or in their regular strong holds. The Nervii having taken 
 the field with an army of 60,000 fighting men, before 
 engaging the Eomans, placed their old men, women, and 
 children in the bogs;' and the Caledonians, before the 
 battle of the Grampians, sent their waves and children to 
 places of safety.^ 
 
 But the Gallic ladies were not always accustomed to 
 shun the dangers of the field. They were in the practice 
 of sharing the fatigues of the chace, and they frequently 
 lent their vigourous assistance in the turmoil of battle, un- 
 dismayed by the horrors of the fiercest encounter. When 
 the Cimbri engaged the Eomans, " the women attacked 
 them with swords and axes, and, making a hideous outcry, 
 fell upon those that fled, as well as their pursuers, the 
 former as traitors, the latter as enemies ; and mixing with 
 the soldiers, with their bare arms, pulled away the shields 
 of the Romans and laid hold of their swords, enduring 
 the wounding and slashing of their bodies to the very last 
 with undaunted resolution.'" The Northern nations had 
 their skiold moer, or shield maids, who went into battle. 
 
 B rolybius, ii. ^ Bello GalL 
 
 i Bello Gall. ii. ^ Vit. Aerie. i Plutarcli de Bello Cimbrico. 
 
OF THE CELTIC FEMALES. 161 
 
 Ou a certain occasion we find the Ganlisli women exert- 
 ing themselves most strenuously to animate the soldiers 
 and excite them to the combat. They ran about with 
 dishevelled hair, and other appearances calculated to rouse 
 the army to the utmost rage.™ When the Druids were 
 attacked in Anglesea, their sacred asylum, by the Eomans, 
 the women did the same. The illustrious Queen of the 
 Iceni is an instance of the heroism of British females. I 
 am not aware that any of the ladies of Scotish chiefs 
 actually fought, but many of them have on various occa- 
 sions raised their followers, and led them to the field. 
 
 The Germans placed their wives and children in the 
 immediate vicinity of the field of battle, who before an 
 engagement set up loud bowlings, wliich were answered by 
 the chantings of the whole army, both together making an 
 astounding noise. The troops being thus under the notice 
 of their dearest relatives, were stimulated to the most 
 obstinate and sanguinary resistance. 
 
 It was highly creditable to the humanity of the Gauls, that 
 during the continuance of a battle they carried their slain 
 and wounded off the field, where the affectionate females 
 were at hand to afford relief and assistance. They admi- 
 nistered refreshment, dressed the wounds, and even sucked 
 the bleeding sores of their fainting relatives." 
 
 The great respect which the Celts paid to their women 
 was due to many amiable equalities, and the estimation in 
 which *military acquirements were held by these people 
 gave an incredible weight to the authority of a heroine. 
 Veleda, in the Batavian war, had the address and energy 
 to combat and to govern the fiercest nations of Germany ; 
 and before her, Aurinia and several others had anived at 
 a similar height of power. Such courageous and dignified 
 
 " Bello Gal. ° Tacitus de Mor. Germ. 
 
 M 
 
162 MILITARY DUTIES OF THE BARDS. 
 
 females were believed to be endowed with supernatural 
 gifts, and in the name of the Deity they governed the 
 people. The influence of the intrepid Bondiuca over the 
 British tribes, is a striking proof of the veneration paid to 
 these exalted characters, who were believed to be the in- 
 terpreters of the Divine will. 
 
 The German women had the honour of turning on 
 many occasions the doubtful scale of victory ; and " faint- 
 ing armies have more than once been driven back upon 
 the enemy, by the generous despair of the women, who 
 dreaded death much less than servitude. The sentiments 
 and conduct of these high spirited matrons may at once 
 be considered as a cause, as an effect, and as a proof of 
 the general character of the nation."" We find that it was 
 referred to the Gallic women, by soothsaying and casting 
 lots, to determine when it was proper to fight.'' 
 
 It was the peculiar duty of the Bards to animate the 
 Celtic warriors; for which purpose they always attended 
 the armies in considerable numbers, and their persons were 
 held sacred. " They were not only respected in peace, 
 but also in war, and by enemies as will as by friends ;" 
 and so great was the influence of this order, that " they 
 would often step between armies prepared to engage, their 
 swords drawn, and spears levelled;" their interposition 
 having the immediate effect of stopping the impending 
 conflict, and allaying the fury of the troops, as if they 
 were "wild beasts tamed by some charm."' Amongst the 
 Scotish Gael, the Druid, placing himself on an eminence, 
 harangued the troops who stood around him, reminding 
 them of their former glories, exhorting tliem to exertion 
 on the present occasion, &c., and invoking the divine 
 blessing on all. At the conclusion, the army gave 
 
 Gibbon. i' Eello Gall. « Diodoius. 
 
DUTIES OF THE BARDS. 163 
 
 a loud sliout, and felt quite prepared for immediate 
 attack. 
 
 The respect paid to the Bards, who survived the fall of 
 Druidism, continued, until recent times, among the Celtic 
 inhabitants of Britain. They are noticed as possessing a 
 similar influence over the Irish in the seventeenth century, 
 as they did over the Gauls 2000 years ago.' Their mili- 
 tary duties were those which afterwards devolved on the 
 heralds, but their religious character did not prevent them 
 from taking a more active part in the conflict. The Bards 
 were certainly armed, as we find from Talliesin, who was 
 himself of the order. Carril, a bard of Fingal's time, 
 appears figliting; and UlKn, another, is mentioned as 
 carrying the spear. But they were of most service in 
 animating the people by the Prosnacha cath, or incentive 
 to battle, which was either hereditary or extempore, and 
 was chaunted both before the commencement and in the 
 heat of battle. These war songs were composed in a quick 
 measure, were rapidly repeated, and had a most spirit- 
 stirring effect, for " the strife was kindled by the songs 
 of the Bards." The Welsh had also a war song,*" called 
 Arymes prydain ; and several are found in the works of 
 the Bards. That of Gaul is a good specimen of the an- 
 cient Celtic poetry and style of the battle song. It is taken 
 from the copy which the Eev. Mr. Gallie, of Kincardine, 
 in Eoss, communicated to the Highland Society from me- 
 mory. It may be found in the 4th book of Fingal, as 
 translated by MacjDherson ; but the present copy seems to 
 be preferable. 
 
 A mhaoain cheaim, Offspring of the chiefs, 
 
 Nan cursan strann, Of snorting steeds, high bounding ! 
 
 Ard leumnach, righ n'a'n sleagh ! King of Spears ! 
 
 Lamh threin 'sguch cas Strong ann in every trial ; 
 
 ^ Barnaby Eiche. ^ Cambrian Register. 
 
164 
 
 PEOSNACHA CATH. 
 
 Croidhe ard gain sea. 
 
 Ceann ainn nan rinn gear girt, 
 
 Gearr sios gu bas, 
 
 Gun bharc sheol ban 
 
 Bhi snamh ma dhubh Innishtore. 
 
 Mar thanianech bhavil 
 
 Do bhmll, a laoich ! 
 
 Do shuil mar ehaoir ad cheann, 
 
 Mar charaic chruin, 
 
 Do chroidhe gun roinn. 
 
 Mar lassan oidhch do lann. 
 
 Cum suar do scia 
 
 Is crobhui nial 
 
 * Mar chih bho reul a bhaish, 
 
 A mhacain cheann 
 
 Nan cursan strann, 
 
 Sgrios naimhdc sios gu lai. 
 
 Ambitious iiear witliout dismay. 
 
 Chief of the host of severe sliarj) pointed wea])on3. 
 
 Cut down to death, 
 
 So that no white sailed bark 
 
 May fioat round dark Innistore. 
 
 Like the destroying tliunder 
 
 Be thy stroke, O hero ! 
 
 Thy forward eye like the flaming Ijolt, 
 
 As the firm rock. 
 
 Unwavering be thy heart. 
 
 As the flame of night be thy sword. 
 
 Uplift thy shield 
 
 Of the hue of blood. 
 
 As a * * ' * i 
 
 Offspring of the chiefs 
 
 Of snorting steeds, 
 
 Cut down the foes to earth. 
 
 Many war songs of latter times are extant. The Pros- 
 naclia catli Garaicli, composed by Lachlan Mac Mliuireach,^ 
 the Bard of Donald of the Isles, to animate his troops at 
 the battle of Harlaw, fought in 1411, is another curious 
 production. It consists of eighteen stanzas of unequal 
 length, corresponding to the letters of the alphabet, and 
 the epithets in each begin with the respective letter. The 
 following specimen may be thought interesting. 
 
 A chlanna cuinn, cuimhnichidh 
 Cruas an am na h'iorghuil 
 Gu arinneach, gu arronntach, 
 Gu arach, gu allonnta' 
 
 Gu gruamach, gu grinnail, 
 Gu grainail, gu gaisgail. 
 
 Race of Conn, be hardihood 
 Remembered in the day of strife,- 
 Repeatedly thrusting confidentlj', 
 Strongly, nobly — 
 
 Stemlj', elegantly. 
 Terribly, heroically, 
 
 * "As the blighting, baneful effects of the death-star or star of death," 
 i.e., the comet. The ancient Highlanders held all sorts of fiery meteors in 
 great awe, and attributed dearth, death, and all sorts of misfortunes to the 
 occurrence of phenomena so terrible. Even an ordinary " shooting " star, 
 in its flight athwart the heavens, is, to this day, greeted by every High- 
 lander with an exclamation of astonishment and awe closely akin to 
 terror. Ed. 
 
 ' The words are said to be now unintelligible ; they plainly signify, 
 " Like the havoc from the star of death." 
 
 J Pronounced Vuireach. 
 
SIGNAL FOR BATTLE. 165 
 
 Gil gleusda, <^i geiimail, Eagferly, in a wedije-like column 
 
 Gu gasda, gii gnineacli, Gallantly, keenly, 
 
 Gu galyliaircach, gu. griongalach, Causing lamentations, ardently, 
 
 Gu griosnamhach, gu gairlamhach, Inveteratelj', with sounding blows, 
 
 Gu glansgathach, gu geurlannacli, i&c. Loj)ping off limbs, with keen swords. 
 
 The poem is more remarkable for the alliteration, than 
 the strength or beauty of the words. This species of 
 recitation was retained until recently. Many poems of 
 this kind were composed in 1715 and 1745 ; but the spirit 
 of Celtic poetry declined among the Bards, for most of 
 the modern productions, as Macpherson remarked, con- 
 sist chiefly in groups of epithets, with little beauty or 
 harmony. 
 
 Besides the animation of the war song, the Highlanders 
 were subject to the influence of something like that feeling 
 which leads the Eastern nations to "run a muck." When 
 the party was observed to be in imminent danger, and no- 
 thing but a most desperate effort could turn the fate of the 
 day, or save the lives of their friends and foster-brothers, the 
 Gael were seized with the Miri-cath, or madness of battle, 
 which, as Alexander Macdonald, in his panegyric on the 
 clan, observes, required no Prosnacha. The Celtte, when 
 warm for battle, expressed their impatience by strilcing their 
 shields, and otherwise rattling their arms. The German 
 Kings used, from ostentation, to be surrounded by their 
 troops, who made a great noise in this manner with their 
 arms. It was the usual practice among all these nations to 
 express their desire for action ; but it would not seem to be 
 peculiar to the Celtce, for the Eomans were used likewise 
 to strike their shields with their spears, to indicate their 
 readiness to fight. To hold up a shield was anciently a sig- 
 nal of battle. Herodotus mentions it, as formerly the prac- 
 tice to give this signal, by a torch-bearer, who was sacred 
 to ]\Iars, and whose person was inviolable. Proceeding to 
 the space between both armies, he dropped his torch in the 
 
166 CLANSHIP, 
 
 middle, and instantly retired. We find from Ossian, that 
 "rolling a stone" was "the sign of war," by which must be 
 understood, I apprehend, its being dashed against some 
 sonorous body. A more usual signal to commence an en- 
 gagement was, by the raising up or unfurling the royal 
 standard. Fingal's standard, from its beauty, was called 
 the sun-beam ; and hence, in old composition, to begin a 
 battle is expressed by "the lifting of the sun-beam." 
 Striking the shield was another signal to commence an en- 
 gagement. The military operations of the Celts, like their 
 domestic affairs, were influenced by the peculiar system of 
 polity, which governed the whole race, and which so long 
 preserA^ed the remains" of this aboriginal people, distinct 
 from the other nations of Europe. This state of society 
 has been styled the Patriarchal : it is more usually deno- 
 minated Clanship. In Scotland it existed eighty years 
 ago, in as great strength and purity as it, perhaps, had 
 ever done in the most ancient times. In this country the 
 affection with which the people cherished their primitive 
 institutions, distinguished the Highland tribes from all 
 others known in the history of mankind. 
 
 Clanship was the junction of feudal and patriarchal 
 authority, passing from chieftain to chieftain ; but the sim- 
 plicity of this government was corrected by regular division 
 of landed property, by many salutary customs, and by a de- 
 gree of steady refinement and civilization. At the period 
 when the Eomans became personally acquainted with this 
 country, the inhabitants were considerably advanced beyond 
 the simple patriarchal state, that only exists in the very 
 infancy of society, before families become united in large 
 communities, and are formed into tribes closely allied and 
 attached to each other. The first is a step above the 
 savage life ; it is a still farther advance in civilization to 
 arrive at the art of domesticating cattle, and society wiU 
 
ITS OEIGIN. 167 
 
 long exist by so doing before its members begin to culti- 
 vate even a small portion of the earth. These changes 
 naturally succeed each other, in the progress of all people, 
 from the rudeness of savage life to the social state. 
 
 In the infancy of society, mankind are almost solely 
 occupied in hunting and warfare. The first pursuit is 
 necessary for their subsistence, the second is unavoidable 
 among savage tribes, for the members of an early com- 
 munity are obliged to be constantly on their guard, to pro- 
 tect themselves from the aggressions of their neigbours. 
 The small associations are firmly united and linked toge- 
 ther, and the bonds of friendship are strengthened by time, 
 whilst the little intercourse that takes place with otiier 
 people preserves that attachment which the members 
 cherisli towards each other. It is in this primitive con- 
 dition of mankind, that the pecuKar system of Clanship 
 originates, which, from particular circumstances, becomes 
 variously modified. 
 
 An early society is obliged to be always in a posture of 
 defence, in order to preserve its very existence, and is con- 
 tinually engaged in military enterprizes, either to gratify 
 the passions of enmity and resentment, to avenge former 
 wrongs, or to indulge in a natural propensity to supply 
 its necessities by the plunder of others. This state of 
 existence points out the advantage of the members putting 
 themselves under the guidance of some individual, who is 
 considered best able to direct their operations. The neces- 
 sity of a regulation, by which the proceedings of a body 
 shall be superintended and controlled by a single head, 
 seems to be acknowledged in all countries, and naturally 
 arises from the obedience that a family yields to the autho- 
 rity of a father. When men are in this primitive state, 
 there are no distinctions in rank, and the only recommen- 
 dations arise from personal cpialifications. Strength, courage, 
 
168 ORIGIN OF CLANSHIP. 
 
 dexterity in managing the implements of war, a supe- 
 riority in the performance of athletic amusements, and 
 other similar accomplishments, will point out an object for 
 choice ; and when a person is selected for the important 
 station, and performs its duties satisfactorily, the commu- 
 nity becomes attached to him. His achievements are 
 boasted of, his exploits are magnified, and, from a natural 
 feeling, the honour of the whole body is intimately connected 
 with him. The more fortunate he is, the more do his fol- 
 lowers esteem him, and the more solicitous they are to de- 
 serve his good opinion, by their fidelity and emulation to 
 distinguish themselves. The chief, accordingly, acquires 
 more weight in the management of their affi^iirs, and he is 
 too fond of the power by which he is invested, to commit 
 those actions which would lead to a deprivation of it. 
 
 When the art of war becomes more refined, military skill 
 and experience are preferred to mere strength and agility, 
 in the election of a chief, without wholly disregarding those 
 latter qualifications ; hence the respect that is paid to old 
 age, from the wisdom which is acquired in a long life. 
 The individual who, in the pastoral state, has become rich 
 in numerous herds, becomes proportionally powerful. He 
 is able to support those who have nothing themselves, and 
 who therefore become his dependents, and cheerfully con- 
 tribute to that affluence which is readily bestowed on his 
 friends. He is treated with respect and submission by his 
 retainers and less fortunate relations, and enjoys a pre-emi- 
 nence from the abilities, which have been exerted in the 
 accumulation and management of his flocks. 
 
 Personal qualifications cannot always be continued in a 
 family, but wealth can be transmitted through generations; 
 and the influence of ancestors, instead of expiring with 
 them, becomes, in some measure, added to that of the 
 successors. This possession of property gives rise to 
 
ORIGIN OF CLANSHIP. 169 
 
 hereditary chieftainship, and therefore the leader or gover- 
 nor of a tribe is often very young. 
 
 When agriculture begins to be practised, there is a new 
 source of influence, extremely favourable towards strength- 
 ening the authority of a chief or head of a village. The 
 ground is at first cultivated in common, and during this 
 period the chief has a power of superintending the labour, 
 and apportioning the produce of the fields. When the 
 land is afterwards divided into certain properties, he is by 
 common consent allowed an extent of territory for himself, 
 equal to the rank he is obliged to support, and is em- 
 powered to assign to others suitable allotments: he thus be- 
 comes sole proprietor of the soil, and acquires a complete 
 authority over the members of his little community. His 
 military duties are also increased, as he is more interested 
 in the defence of the tribe, which now requires additional 
 exertion. The members obey him with less hesitation; they 
 revere his command, and become so strongly attached to 
 his person, that they are ready to support him on all occa- 
 sions. To fail in this duty, Avould draw on them his re- 
 sentment ; their faithful service procures his kindness and 
 protection. The chief naturally becomes their legislator. 
 At first he reconciles- their differences by persuasion, to 
 which a respect for his experience and judgment will in- 
 duce the parties to attend, but he soon acquires power to 
 enforce his decisions. 
 
 The authority of a chief is very limited in a nation 
 which has not advanced far in a pastoral state, but it is 
 almost unlimited when it has become rich in flocks and 
 agriculture, and the influence of subordinate heads of 
 families is always proportioned to the extent of their pos- 
 sessions, and indicated by the number of their retainers. 
 
 The Gallic chief had the direction of all the warlike 
 affairs, and the great mark of nobility consisted in the 
 
170 ORIGIN of CLANSHIP. 
 
 number of vassals by which he was attended, who were 
 always proportionate to his estate and quality.'' 
 
 After the formation of a settled community, the military 
 and other services of the vassals, rendered for the enjoy- 
 ment of the portion of land originally assigned for their 
 subsistence, constitutes the bond of society. 
 
 The improvement in agriculture, and consequent increase 
 of population, occasions the formation of separate villages, 
 composed of colonies branching from the original tribe. 
 These are situated at considerable distances from each 
 other, and in time become distinct, and in some degree in- 
 dependent, at least in their internal government ; but they 
 resemble each other in manners and institutions, and conti- 
 nue to acknowledge their common descent. The enlarge- 
 ment of their possessions subjects them to more frequent 
 attack and molestation from their neighbours, and their 
 mutual interest induces them to associate for the better 
 security. This v/ill be sometimes the case with contiguous 
 tribes of different origin, and is likely to occur in the coali- 
 tion of a weak clan with one more powerful. Such associa- 
 tions are not unknown to the shepherd state, but are more 
 frequently formed in agricultural communities. In this 
 manner society becomes enlarged and cemented by inter- 
 marriages and mutual hospitalities. From this cause, also, 
 will lesser tribes merge in those larger associations, under 
 whose protection they have placed themselves. They will 
 be regarded as an inferior division only, their particular 
 name will cease to be mentioned separately, and in time 
 will be only preserved among themselves. 
 
 In exchange for this sacrifice they will share in the glo- 
 ries acquired by the people to whom they have ceded their 
 independence. They will still retain their own chieftain, 
 
 ^ Boilo Gal. vi. 7. 
 
SCOTLAJND ADAPTED FOR IT. 171 
 
 who will continue to possess the power of governing 
 his immediate dependants, and only submit at first to 
 his superior in general affairs. In military transac- 
 tions he will have the immediate command of his ov/n 
 troops, and be only subject to the chief, who is supreme 
 leader. 
 
 This arrangement, or mode of conducting military ope- 
 rations, is a strildng part of the Celtic system of polity, 
 which is thus seen to derive its origin from the most early 
 associations, that are formed by manlcind. 
 
 In this view of the system I am obliged to differ in 
 opinion from General David Stewart, who thinks, that on 
 the transfer of the government from the Highlands, and 
 consequent impoverishment of the country, the institution 
 of Clans arose.^ Scotland is naturally well adapted for the 
 preservation of the inhabitants in a state of distinct and 
 independent clanship. Divided into valleys, surrounded 
 by lofty, and in many cases impassible mountains, the 
 various tribes were separated by permanent and well known 
 boundaries. 
 
 Hills are better divisions than rivers, which are generally 
 fordable, and in a mountainous country, the bed of a stream 
 is sometimes filled by the most impetuous torrent, and at 
 other times becomes only the channel of a rippling brook ; 
 but the heights around a valley, and the extended ridges em- 
 bracing a larger tract, divided Celtic Scotland into Coun- 
 tries, before it was laid out in parishes or in shires. From 
 the introduction of Christianity arose the first ; the last were 
 introduced with other Saxon innovations, in the middle 
 of the eleventh century. These alterations were deemed 
 sufficient. Tythings, hundreds, and other institutions, were 
 never established in Scotland.™ To the inhabitants of a 
 
 ^ Sketches of the Highlanders. 
 
 "Caled. It was not until 1584 that Ulster was laid out in shires. 
 
17:^ CLANSHIP, 
 
 valley, all within tlie visible horizon was a country. The 
 great contention was always for " the sky of the hill," ° 
 and long as it is since this Celtic division has been politi- 
 cally unknown, the districts inhabited l^y certain clans are 
 still called their Countries." 
 
 This separation of territory was, however, too indefinite. 
 Without some established marks, the exact extent of differ- 
 ent properties could not be well determined ; and in hunt- 
 ing and on other occasions, infringements would occur, 
 which nothing but a war could requite. 
 
 Stones, like the Eoman Termini, marked the boundaries 
 of the territories of the Germans and Burgundians, in the 
 time of Julian,'* and it may be safely presumed that many 
 of the rude obelisks to be found all over Scotland were 
 raised for this purpose. In the Isles and other parts of 
 Scotland, burnt ashes or chaff, were laid under stones for 
 the better preservation of these marks; and a practice, which 
 is well known at the perambulation of English parishes, 
 was in use as a farther security, that the march should not 
 be afterwards mistaken : boys were taken to the spot and 
 received so sound a flogging, that it was by no means likely 
 they should, while they lived, forget the place of execution." 
 
 Trenches, or earthen mounds, were also formed as boun- 
 daries, and were sometimes carried to a considerable length. 
 They are common in England, particularly in Wiltshire, 
 where the Wansdike, running through Somersetshire to the 
 Severn, the most wonderful remain of British earthwork, is 
 still distinctly seen. In Scotland, also, particularly in the 
 Southern counties, are still to be traced the vestiges of 
 many extensive boundary lines, for which the unsettled 
 state of these provinces in early ages may account. Here 
 
 ° Skene Keitli. 
 
 ° As the Lord Rae's Country, the Fraser's Country. 
 
 P Ammiau Mar. ^ Martin. 
 
AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM. 173 
 
 also were constructed those walls which the Romans, evi- 
 dently in imitation of tlie Celtic mode of castrametation, 
 intended as the boundaries of their overgrown empire. 
 
 But, leaving the theory, let us more particularly trace 
 the progress of Clanship, and pursuing its history, observe 
 its effects among those nations where it was most tenaci- 
 ously adhered to. The whole institutions of the Celtie 
 were affected by this singular system. All the Gauls were 
 regulated by this mode of government, and the Eomans 
 found it in full force among the Britons, whose descendants 
 so long retained their ancient policy. 
 
 This curious social compact comprised the patriarchal 
 with the feudal authority. Its grand characteristic was 
 obedience to the chief by the whole clan, with tlie respect 
 that the members of a family pay to a father, like whom 
 the chief exerted his authority over all his followers. The 
 claims of consanguinity were spread over the whole commu- 
 nity, and all were distinguished by a common name. 
 
 The chief, as head of the tribe, being in a certain sense, 
 proprietor of the Avhole territory, he managed it for 
 the public good, and endeavoured to divide the lands so as 
 to accommodate all his followers. In the latter periods of 
 their history the chiefs did hold great portions, if not, in 
 some cases, all the land as their own, which enabled them 
 to increase their power, and provide for their immediate 
 relations by grants, sometimes in wadset, sometimes in per- 
 petuity, and sometimes for a limited period. 
 
 Amongst the ancient Celtre, however, the prince or king 
 had nothing actually his own; but everything belonging to 
 his followers were freely at his service, "of their own accord 
 they gave their prince so many cattle, or a certain portion 
 of grain." It seems probable that the Celtic chief held 
 the public lands in trust for his people, and was, on his 
 sucession, invested with those possessions which he after- 
 
174 CLANSHIP, 
 
 wards apportioned among liis retainers. Those only, we 
 are told by Ctesar, had land, "magistrates and princes, and 
 they give to their followers as much as they think proper, 
 removing them at the year's end." The king of the He- 
 budse, we find, was not allowed to possess anything of his 
 own, lest avarice should divert him from truth and justice. ' 
 In Ireland, the tenants gave common sjjcndinr/s for rent, 
 from which came the expression " spend me and defend 
 me." 
 
 Perhaps when Malcolm, in 909, resigned all his lands to 
 his nobles, reserving nothing to himself but the royal dig- 
 nity and moot hill of Scone, a circumstance that has excited 
 much astonishment, he did no more than acknowledoje, ac- 
 cording to the Celtic system, that it was from his people 
 he received his possessions. 
 
 The following are the words of Dr. Johnson, when 
 speaking of Clanship among the Scots Highlanders. " The 
 Laird is the original owner of the land, whose natural 
 power must be very great where no man lives but by agri- 
 culture, and where the produce of the land is not conveyed 
 through the labyrinths of traffic, but passes directly from 
 the hand that gathers to the mouth that eats it. The 
 Laird has all those in his power that live on his farms. 
 This inherent power was yet strengthened by the kindness 
 of consanguinity and the reverence of patriarchal authority. 
 The Laird Avas the father of the clan, and his tenants com- 
 monly bore his name ; and to these principles of original 
 command was added, for many ages, an exclusive right of 
 legal jurisdiction. This multifarious and extensive obliga- 
 tion operated with a force scarcely credible: every duty, 
 moral or political, was absorbed in affection and adherence 
 to the chief. Not many years have passed since the clans 
 
 "■ Solinus, c. 22. 
 
A TATRLiECHAL GOVERNMENT. 175 
 
 knew no law but the Laird's will ; lie told them to whom 
 they should be friends or enemies; what kings they should 
 obey, and what religion they should profess." 
 
 Next to the love of the chiefwas that of the particular 
 branch whence they sprang; and in a third degree to those 
 of the whole clan. The Highlanders also owed good will 
 to such clans as were their friends, and they adhered to 
 one another in opposition to the Lowlanders. 
 
 The simple principle of Clanship may be reduced to the 
 patriarchal authority of a father over his family, and the 
 affectionate obedience which a clansman paid to his chief 
 as the father of the tribe. Nothing could cancel the para- 
 mount duty of allegiance. The members of one clan might 
 reside on the lands of another proprietor, but their service 
 was due to their lawful chief only, whom they were bound 
 to follow. If any individual had the temerity to disobey 
 the commands of his superior, it may be presumed his 
 situation became not very enviable. If he persisted in his 
 opposition, he was expelled the clan, for no individual 
 could remain in the territory after setting himself above 
 his chief ; but few instances of such conduct ever occurred. 
 
 The law of Kincogish, by which a chief was answerable 
 for every member of his clan, was a truly Celtic institution. 
 It existed in South Britain in the time of Alfred, and was 
 found so useful, that it was embodied in the statutes of 
 both Ireland and Scotland. 
 
 The whole clan, however numerous, were supposed to be 
 related to each other ; and although it is not easy to con- 
 ceive so large a family, yet, as the members continued to 
 intermarry, they were actually in a certain degree related, 
 not excepting the chief himself, whose blood each indivi- 
 dual believed, with feelings of pride, circled in his own 
 heart. The superior orders in the tribe, the chieftains and 
 Duine-uasals, more familiarly known in latter times as the 
 
176 CLANSHIP, 
 
 Tacksmen or Goodinen, were ackuowleclged relations of the 
 Laird, and held portions of land suitable to their conse- 
 quence. These again had a circle of relations, who consi- 
 dered them as their immediate leaders, and who, in battle, 
 were placed under their immediate command. Over them, 
 in peace, these chieftains exercised a certain authority, 
 but were themselves dependent on the chief, to whose 
 service all the members of the clan were submissively 
 devoted. 
 
 As the Duine-uasals received their lands from the 
 bounty of the chief, for the pupose of supporting their 
 station in the tribe, so these lands were occasionally resumed 
 or reduced to provide for those who were more immediately 
 related to the Laird; hence many of this class necessarily 
 sank into that of commoners. This transition strengthened 
 the feeling which was possessed by the very lowest of the 
 community, that they were related to the chief, from whom 
 they never forgot they originally sprang. " There is no 
 part of France," says Marchargy, " in which the spirit of 
 family connection is stronger than in Brittany : relation- 
 ship is carried to the twelfth degree, and passes from gene- 
 ration to generation.'" About this simple plan of govern- 
 ment much has been written. It is evident that it must 
 have produced featxires very peculiar and very different 
 from those to be found among any other people. 
 
 The practice of fosterage, by which children were mutu- 
 ally exchanged and brought up, was a curious feature in 
 the system, and a most powerful cement to clanship. 
 
 The son of the chief was given to be reared by some in- 
 ferior member of society, with whom he lived during the 
 years of pupillarity. The effect of this custom appears to 
 have been astonishing. It often prevented feuds, and it 
 
 « Hist, of Brittany, Lit. Gaz. 1825, No. 450. 
 
STRENGTHENED BY FOSTERAGE. 177 
 
 seems calculated sometimes to produce them. The attach- 
 ment of foster-brothers was strong and indissoluble.* The 
 Highlanders say, that " affectionate to a man is a friend, 
 but a foster-brother is as the life blood of his heart." No 
 love in the world, says Camden, is comparable by many 
 degrees to it.* That of foster-parents was equally strong, 
 and many traditional anecdotes are related of their mutual 
 regard. Spenser relates that he saw an old woman who had 
 been foster-mother to Murrough O'Brien, at his execution 
 suck the blood from his head, and bathe hier face and breast 
 with it, saying it was too precious to fall to the earth. 
 
 It appears that fifteen were usually fostered by a chief, " 
 but Fingal had sixteen foster-brothers." 
 • It was accounted a high honour to obtain the fosterage 
 of a superior. "Five hundred kyne and better," were 
 sometimes given by the Irish, to procure the nursing of a 
 great man's child.'" The trust was so far from being deem- 
 ed a service, that it was reckoned a very high honour, and 
 hot contentions arose among the vassals for the preference. 
 The foster family were particularly respected by the chief, 
 and raised to much consideration among their neighbours. 
 
 The foster-brothers were generally promoted to some 
 office near the person of the chief. The family, at all 
 events, received some adequate reward, and the terms were 
 regularly settled." These were not the same in all places. 
 " In Mull the father sends with his child a certain number 
 of cows, to which the same number is added by the 
 
 * " Kindred to twenty degrees, fosterage to a hundred." "Woe to the 
 father of the foster-son who is nnfaithful to his trust," are the equivalent 
 of Ohl Gaelic sayings of much force and meaning. Ed. 
 
 * Coalt is a foster-brother ; Dalta, a foster-son ; Oid, a foster-father. 
 " High Soc. Rep. on Ossia. ' Ibid. ^ Campion. 
 
 " A deed of fosterage, between Sir Norman Mac Leod and John Mac 
 Kenzie, dated 1645, and WTitten in Gaelic, still exists. 
 
 N 
 
178 CLANSHIP. 
 
 fosterer ; the father appropriating a proportionate extent of 
 country, without rent, for tlieir pasturage. If every cow 
 bring a calf, half belongs to the fosterer and half to the 
 child ; but if there be only one calf between two cows, it is 
 the child's; and when the child returns to the parents, it is 
 accompanied by all the cows given both by the father and 
 by the fosterer, with half of the increase of the stock by 
 propagation. These beasts are considered as a portion, 
 and called macaladh cattle, of which the father has the 
 produce, but is supposed not to have the full property, but 
 to owe the same number to the child, as a portion to the 
 daughter, or a stock for the son."^ 
 
 Among a people so knit together by consanguinity, it 
 naturally followed that an injury done to an individual was 
 resented by the whole clan. Tacitus observes of the Ger- 
 mans, that they adopted all the enmities as well as friend- 
 ships of their particular houses. " Men in a small district 
 necessarily mingle blood by intermarriage, and combine at 
 last into one family. Then begins that union of aftections 
 and co-operation of endeavours that constitute a clan." ^ 
 The Celtic princes were attached to their followers by 
 relationship as well as policy. They were mutually bound 
 by the closest ties, and their ambition was to emulate each 
 other in acts of heroism. A numerous retinue was the great- 
 est pride of the Celtic warriors ; those of Italy strove which 
 should purchase most friends, for they highly esteemed a 
 man that was honoured by many.* The Scyths also in- 
 stilled to their children to make numerous friends.'' It 
 was the delight of both Gauls and Germans to be sur- 
 rounded by numerous bodies of chosen men, whose sense of 
 honour was so strong, that they could not abandon their 
 
 y Jolinson's Tour to tlie Hebrides. ^ Johnson. 
 
 » Polybius. '' Les diff. moeurs des an. peirples, 1670. 
 
ANECDOTES. 179 
 
 master, even to save tlieir own lives, Avithout incurring 
 universal contempt." 
 
 Those sworn bodies of friends which the Gauls called 
 Soldurii,* lived on a community of goods, shared in all the 
 misfortunes as well as successes of their commanders ; and 
 Csesar declares that there was no instance on record of any 
 who ever refused to sacrifice his life with those who engaged 
 him.^ Amongst the Germans,' he informs us, that if those 
 who had agreed to follow the fortunes of a leader, should 
 break the engagement, they were branded wth infamy, 
 which could not by any means be ever afterwards removed. 
 
 The enthusiastic Mr. Eoderick Mackenzie, who fell into 
 the hands of the king's troops after the defeat of the rebels 
 at Culloden, is a noble example of devoted attachment. 
 Bearing a strong resemblance to Prince Charles, and find- 
 ing himself suddenly surprised, yet disdaining flight or 
 submission, lest, in the homely phrase of Dugald Grtieme, 
 
 "That, like a thief, he should be hang'd, 
 He chose to die with sword in hand ;"' 
 
 and attacking the party, he received his mortal wound, ex- 
 claiming, as he fell, " You have slain your prince !" To 
 this generous sacrifice the escape of Charles is to be chiefly 
 attributed ; for the head of Mackenzie was cut off, and as 
 it was believed to be that of the Chevalier, for which a re- 
 ward of £30,000 was offered, the parties who were scour- 
 ing the country became less vigilant. 
 
 At Glenshiels, in 1719, Munro of Culcairn was wounded 
 in tlie thigh, and the rebels continued to fire on him when 
 down. Finding their determination to kill him, he desired 
 
 = Bello Gall. vii. 38. 
 
 ^ Sold. genn. stipendium, — the evident origin of soldier, 
 e Bello Gall. iii. 23. 
 
 f Metrical History of the Rebellion. This anecdote is related in the 
 Mem. of the Chev. Johnstone. 
 
180 THE ATTENDANTS OF A CHIEF, 
 
 his servant to get out of the way, and return home, to 
 inform his father that he had not misbehaved. Tlie faith- 
 ful Highlander burst into tears, and, refusing to leave his 
 master, threw himself down, and covering the body of 
 his chief with his own, received several wounds, and, in 
 all probability, both lives would have been lost, if one of 
 the clan, who commanded a party, had not seen their peril- 
 ous situation. He swore on his dirk he would dislodge the 
 enemy, and by a desperate charge in the spirit of Miri-cath, 
 he did so.^ , 
 
 Tlie Luchdtachk of the Highlanders was a body of 
 young men, selected from the best families in the clan, who 
 were skilfully trained to the use of the sword and targe, 
 archery, wrestling, swimming, leaping, and all military and 
 athletic exercises ; and their duty was to attend the chief 
 wherever he went. The regular establishment consisted 
 of these persons who always accompanied him when he 
 went abroad : 
 
 The Gille-coise, or Hanchman, who closely attended the 
 person of his chief, and stood behind him at table. 
 
 The Bladair, or spokesman. 
 
 The Bard. 
 
 The Piobaire, or piper. 
 
 The Gille-piobaire, the piper's servant, who carried his 
 instrument. 
 
 The Gille-more, who carried the chief's broadsword. 
 
 The Gille-casfluich, who carried him, when on foot, over 
 the rivers. 
 
 The Gille-comhstraithainn, who led his horse in rough 
 and dangerous paths. 
 
 The Gille-trusarneis, or baggage man. 
 
 The Gille-ruithe, or running footman, was also an oc- 
 casional attendant. 
 
 8 Biit, ii. 14, wlio had. it of Culcairn. 
 
EULES OF PRECEDENCE. 181 
 
 Besides these, he was generally accompanied by several 
 gentlemen who were near relations ; and a number of the 
 commoners follow^ed him and partook of the cheer which 
 was always provided by the person to whom a visit was 
 paid. These large followings, or Tails, occasioned an act 
 of council to be passed, prohibiting the Northern Lairds 
 from appearing at Edinburgh with so formidable and in- 
 convenient a retinue. The tails of the Highland chiefs 
 were, however, sufficiently imposing on occasion of his 
 Majesty's late visit to Dunedin.^ 
 
 In the laws of Hwyel dha, we find there w^ere four- 
 teen men in the palace. The heir apparent, the priest, 
 the bard of presidency, the domestic bard, the physician, 
 the judge, the master of the household, the master of the 
 hawks, the master of the horse, the chief huntsman, the 
 smith of the court, the torchbearer, the crier, and the foot 
 holder. All these sat at table according to certain rules of 
 precedence that will be detailed in another part of the 
 work. 
 
 The order observed in the armies of the Highlanders, 
 before the abolition of their heritable independence, was this: 
 every regiment or clan was commanded by the chief, if of 
 sufl&cient age, who was consequently the colonel. The eldest 
 cadet was lieut.-colonel, and the next was major. Some 
 clans, in 1745, had the youngest cadet, lieut.-colonel; but 
 this was unusual, and held to be an innovation on the esta- 
 blished principle. Each company had two captains, two 
 lieutenants, and two ensigns, and the front ranks were com- 
 posed of gentlemen who were all provided with targets, 
 and were otherwise better armed than the rear. In the 
 day of battle, each company furnished two of their best 
 men as a guard to the chief, and in their choice, consan- 
 
 *■ The Gaelic name of Edinburgh. 
 
182 EXCELLENCE OF CLANSHIP 
 
 guinity was always considered. The cliief was posted in 
 the centre of the column, beside the colours, and he stood 
 between two brothers, cousins-german, or other relations. 
 The common men were also disposed with regard to their 
 relatives, the father, the son, and the brother standing 
 beside each other. The effect which this "order of na- 
 ture " ' must have had in stimulating the combatants to 
 deeds of heroism, can be easily perceived. It did not 
 escape the notice of the intelligent Tacitus. Alluding to 
 the practice among the Celtic tribes of the Continent, 
 and the inhabitants of the British Isles, who always 
 fought in parties, or by clans, under the command of 
 their immediate chiefs^ he says, that this disunion, prevent- 
 ing any general confederacy, was highly favourable to 
 the Eomans, who were thereby enabled to subdue " a war- 
 like people, independent, fierce, and obstinate." ■• We, how- 
 ever, find that it did not always prevent a general coalition, 
 as was so strikingly evinced on the invasion of Gaul, and 
 on the advance of Agricola into the regions of Caledonia. 
 Caesar, who was surely a competent judge in this matter, 
 thought his troops fought to much disadvantage against 
 these parties, who stood with firmness, and were constantly 
 relieved by fresh men. Tacitus himself, in his Annals, ex- 
 presses his decided approbation of this mode of drawing 
 up an army ; and also says, " what proves the chief incen- 
 tive to their valour, is, that the battalia are not formed by 
 a fortuitous collection of men, but by the conjunction of 
 whole families and tribes of relations.'"' Cajsar observes, 
 that this Clannish system was introduced among the Gauls 
 in ancient times, so that the most obscure person should 
 not be oppressed by tlie rich ; for each leader was obliged 
 
 'Home's Hist, of the Rebellion, 1745, &c. 
 J Vita Aerie, xii. ''De mor. Germ. 
 
IN MILITARY OPEEATIONS. 183 
 
 to protect liis followers, else he would soon be stripped of 
 his authority.^ It is apparent, from the constitution of 
 Celtic society, that a chief could never become despotic. 
 The government was radically democratic. 
 
 It has been remarked that the divisions of tribes and 
 nations were rather an obstacle than assistance in the 
 conquest of Gaul, for the reverses of one tribe had no effect 
 on the state of another.™ When Bondiuca had been de- 
 feated with the loss of 80,000 of her troops, the Britons 
 were found still in arms." Although the Nervii lost 60,000 
 in one battle, and on another occasion 53,000 other Gauls 
 were sold for slaves, these disasters had not any visible 
 effect on the general proceedings. 
 
 Their mode of fighting was extremely well adapted to 
 the particular state of those people. They possessed a large 
 extent of territory, and the loss of a general battle would 
 have been peculiarly unfortunate ; the population being so 
 widely spread, an army, when dispersed, could not have 
 been easily brought again into the field, except by the sub- 
 division of authority; and before the forces could have been 
 collected, the enemy would have completely overran the 
 country. The influence of the chiefs over their respective 
 dependants enabled them to execute plans with a celerity 
 unknown under other systems ; and the various operations 
 being distributed among so many, the whole army was or- 
 ganized with great facility. The immense hosts that were 
 embodied could not have been raised among a semi-barba- 
 rous and roving people but through the strong influence 
 of the chiefs, who were perfectly free and independent in 
 the regulation of their own tribes. 
 
 It is evident that each clan being so constituted, and there 
 being no more general connexion than a common language 
 
 1 Bello Gall. vi. c. 7. ™Edmond's Eemaiks on Caesar's Commentaries. 
 "Tac. Annals, xiv. 
 
184 DEMOCEATIC SPIRIT 
 
 and similar customs, there could never arise any power 
 able to raise itself to a great superiority over the others. 
 One tribe might predominate for a time ; but the subjected 
 people could not forget their allegiance to their natural 
 chief, or feel a cordial attachment to their new lord. This 
 slate of things would be, besides, too hostile to the spirit of 
 clanship to exist long; and we therefore find, that whatever 
 successes one nation might obtain over others, the balance 
 of power was, on the whole, preserved among the Gauls, 
 and no one or more of the tribes were ever able to erect 
 any thing like a powerful kingdom. They are governed, 
 says Diodorus, by kings and princes, who, for the most 
 part, are at peace with each other. In Britain, Die 
 informs us, the people, for the most part, had the govern- 
 ment. Their constitutions were certainly democratic. 
 
 It was not, indeed, unlikely that small tribes should 
 pay deference to those who were more powerful. The 
 advantage of protection, and the honour of a noble alli- 
 ance were powerful inducements to allow a sliglit inter- 
 ference in their internal affairs, which was not entirely in- 
 compatible with Celtic policy ; but the individual rights af 
 a chief could not be relinquished, without the consent of 
 the whole tribe. However, from motives of prudence, or 
 from necessity, a chieftain might be induced to humble 
 himself to his inore powerful neighbour, they were both 
 equal in dignity. 
 
 Clanship was admirably adapted to preserve the national 
 liberty of the Celts, and it was no dishonour to their arms 
 that they ultmiately were subdued by Eoman valour. 
 The various and unconnected tribes of Gaul could not 
 have been well governed by a single monarch, and it may 
 be doubted whether the Highlanders of Scotland could 
 have retained their independence so long, had they been 
 under regal government. 
 
OF CLANSHIP. 185 
 
 The dignity of chief was properly hereditary, but was 
 not always so, especially on the Continent. Among the 
 Scots the form of government remained more purely pa- 
 triarchal, and the regular succession was seldom inter- 
 rupted : hence it has been inferred, that Clanship could not 
 have been derived from the continental Celts, among whom 
 power seems to have been elective. It must be recollected 
 that these were in a different situation from the British 
 tribes, whose manners had suff'ered less change, and who, 
 when visited by the Romans, apparently retained those 
 maxims which their forefathers had brought into the 
 island. But however altered, the succession of the princes 
 of Gaul was not elective in the general sense of the word. 
 It has been shown that a general assembly of a nation 
 made choice from the nobility or royal family of a general 
 who should lead them to war, a regulation that was ex- 
 tremely judicious, for the chief might have been a minor, 
 or less able to conduct the army than many of his experi- 
 enced nobles, and his death in battle might have produced 
 very unpleasant consequences. Tacitus says, that the gene- 
 rals were chosen for bravery, but the kings from splendour of 
 descent, so that even striplings had sometimes the supreme 
 command. A new chief required the sanction of his peo- 
 ple before he assumed his title, and acknowledged that 
 his power was derived from their suffrages. In this sense it 
 was a free election; but, like a conge d'elire, the choice of 
 the people usually coincided with the wish of the chief, 
 and the person who had the best right to the situation was 
 elected. He was, in fact, the heir, by right of primogeni- 
 ture; for, among all the Celtic nations, the chieftainship 
 was preserved in a particular family or royal race, as 
 among the Picts;° and the Welsh, who had five royal and 
 
 "Adomnan. 
 
186 CELTIC CHIEFS 
 
 fifteen special tribes, instituted by Giyfyd ap Cynan. ^ 
 This is the very characteristic of a patriarchal government, 
 and it must have been only in consequence of an insurrec- 
 tion, or some calamity, that the succession could have been 
 altered. 
 
 It was most dangerous to attempt to obtain the sove- 
 reignity of a tribe or nation against the public consent. 
 Celtillus, who had presided over Celtic Gaul, lost his life 
 for aiming at this illegal power." The Helvetii had a law 
 by which one who had been found guilty of sucli an at- 
 tempt was condemned to be burned alive. By the custom 
 of the country he was allowed to defend himself, but, 
 during the trial, he remained bound in chains. Orgetorix, 
 having committed this crime, assembled all his friends and 
 followers, to the number of 10,000, and all his dependants 
 on the day of trial, for his rescue, if found guilty.' 
 
 Kings constituted, by the regular rules of succession, 
 although enjoying a complete influence over the tribe, 
 could not with impunity act arbitrarily, or degenerate into 
 tyrants, for the people, who confirmed their authority, 
 could also check their severity, and even strip them of 
 their power. They were controlled by the opinions of 
 both chieftains and Druids, and were also bound by ac- 
 knowledged laws; but they governed more by example 
 than authority, for to none but the priests was the power 
 of correction submitted.^ It was only when engaged in war, 
 that the Germans invested their generals with power of life 
 and death, the subordinate chiefs appearing, for the tirae, 
 to have resigned their individual power of deciding contro- 
 versies.' Tacitus says, the influence of these princes arose 
 from their ability to persuade, not their power to com- 
 
 P Biitisli Antiquities, p. 44. i Bello Gall. vii. 7. ■• Bello Gall. i. 3. 
 ' Tac. de mor. Germ. » Bello Gall. 
 
WERE NOT DESPOTIC. 187 
 
 mand ; and observes it is an unusual instance that the 
 Suiones, in his time, were governed by an absolute chief. 
 The ancient kings of the Hebudiie islands were bound to 
 equity by known laws," of whicli more shall be said pre- 
 sently. The Highland chiefs, although they retained fuU 
 power over their respective clans after the establishment 
 of the Scots' monarchy, usually introduced in the bonds of 
 Man-rent, or deeds whereby they agreed to afford each 
 other mutual support, a covenant excepting their allegi- 
 ance to the sovereign. 
 
 The connexion of the Gaelic chief and his people was not 
 the rule of the strong over the weak ; it was maintained by 
 reciprocal advantages and kindnesses. All the members of 
 a clan were connected with each other, and their common 
 safety depended on their united fidelity and co-operation. 
 Tyranny and injustice on the part of a chief could not fail 
 to weaken his influence, and, finally, estrange his kindred 
 and his friends. The chief and his followers were mutu- 
 ally devoted to each other; and those who, from accident, 
 old age, or otherwise, became unable to support them- 
 selves, were provided for by their generous leader, as the 
 Mac Niels of Barra, whose chief always made up the loss 
 which his tenants sustained through misfortune.'' The 
 whole members again cheerfully contributed to the support 
 of their chief, who moderated his expenses to suit the cir- 
 cumstances of his people. In Ireland, there indeed appears 
 to have been exactions that were by no means light. Coy- 
 ny and livery, or meat for men and horses, are said to have 
 been first introduced by Fitzmorris, Earl of Desmond, 
 who had not 1000 marks yearly rent independent of his 
 " Spendings," which Queen Elizabeth took, as they were 
 the best part of his income.'" These last payments were, 
 
 "Solinus, c. 22. 'Martin. 
 
 * Present State of Ireland, 1673. Desid. cur. Hib. 
 
188 MODE OF ELECTING 
 
 perhaps, what is otherwise called black rents ; other taxes 
 were bonnaght, fowey, kenelagh, cuthings' cuddery, coshe- 
 ring, shragh, sorehin, carraghes, bonnagh-beg, bonnagh- 
 burr, barnes, &c., &c. A singular custom prevailed in 
 Wales ; the three indispensibles of a gentleman — his harp, 
 his tunic, and his kettle — were, it appears by the Triads, 
 paid by a general contribution. So much was the honour 
 of the whole clan concentrated in the chief, that the greatest 
 provocation was to reproach one with his vices or personal 
 defects ; such an insult was sufficient to lead to mortal 
 combat." 
 
 The system of Clanship has been represented as intole- 
 rable oppression on the part of the chiefs, and abject slavery 
 among the commons. It would, indeed, appear from 
 Adomnan, ii. c. 34., that the Picts had Scotish bondmen ; 
 but we most probably misunderstand the passage. That the 
 lower orders in a clan were so degraded is false, for they 
 enjoyed a degree of consideration unknown to other systems 
 of government ; and it is impossible to believe, that if they 
 were so cruelly treated, they should have so enthusias- 
 tically devoted themselves to their masters. To the High- 
 landers, the name of slavery is unknown. Among their 
 continental ancestors, those who were called slaves had each 
 a house and certain ground, for which he paid a quantity of 
 grain, cattle, or cloth, and thus far his subserviency ex- 
 tended. For any to beat, put in chains, or doom a slave 
 to severe labour was scarce known; the strongest mark of 
 inferiority appeared when the chief happened, in his pas- 
 sion, to kill one : — he was not held liable to punishment. 
 In other respects, the slave and the freed man were nearly 
 on an equality. 
 
 The singular custom of electing an ancient Celtic chief, 
 
 " Bii't's Letters, ii. 9. 
 
THE CELTIC CHIEFS. 189 
 
 or rather admitting the legitimate heir, was known among 
 the British tribes as the Dlighe Tanaiste, which, although 
 the source of lamentable discords and bloodshed in Ireland, 
 convulsed by ambitious factions, continued long to be fol- 
 lowed in Scotland with less mischief. The law of Tanaistry 
 not only regulated the government of the clans, but deter- 
 mined the succession of the kings of Scotland during the 
 Celtic dynasty, or until 1056, and pervaded the constitu- 
 tion to a much later period. It is not, says Dr. j\Iac Pher- 
 son, above 200 years since this custom prevailed in the 
 Highlands, and some instances have occurred later.'' 
 
 During the life of a chief, he generally appointed his 
 successor from the members of his own family, for the 
 descent by Tanaistry was to the oldest and most worthy of 
 blood and name f but, like the Gauls, he was obliged to 
 obtain the consent of the clan,* who, previous, to confirma- 
 tion, required satisfactory proof of the military abilities of 
 their future commander. The person so chosen was deno- 
 minated the Tanaist, or Tanistear, a word which signifies 
 second person.* 
 
 The appointment of a Tanaist was evidently intended to 
 prevent the danger of an interregnum or minority, for an 
 experienced person, in the maturity of life, was always 
 preferred to one more youthful : and a male, although 
 illegitimate, was elected, to the exclusion of females ; 
 agreeably to which practice, the Galwegians, in the time of 
 Alexander II., unanimously rose in support of a bastard son 
 
 ^Diss. xiii. It even prevailed among the Saxons. He says, before 
 the Conquest of Ireland, Tanaist became obsolete ! 
 
 ■ Davis's Reports on Tanaistry. * Caledonia i. 306. 
 
 * Tanaist or Tanaisiair, is from Tanaiste, equal to, parallel with, and 
 fear, a man, a person. Tanaistear, then, is one equal to or parallel with 
 (the chief). One elected to act for, and with, and to succeed the chief. 
 It is the origin of Thane. Ed. 
 
190 TITLES OF THE 
 
 against three legitimate daiigliters. An uncle was also pre- 
 ferred to a nephew, whose grandfather survived the father. 
 
 It was probably from a feeling of the relationship of all 
 the members, and a sense of equality, that this singular 
 mode of election was admitted. The custom did not, per- 
 haps, work very Avell with turbulent people, among whom 
 nothing can prevent occasional insurrection. At the same 
 time, the practice, it must be confessed, appears but too 
 well calculated to produce disorder. An elective govern- 
 ment has ever been a source of contention ; and, however 
 well the Gauls regulated it, evils were sometimes the con- 
 sequence. In Scotland, where Clanship became so much 
 refined, it lost many of its inconveniences. Any tendency 
 to misrule was checked by the people, whose influence a 
 chief dare not contemn ; for, according to a Celtic saying, 
 " stronger than the Laird were the vassals." 
 
 Strabo says, that the Gauls were anciently accustomed to 
 elect a prince and a captain-general every year.*" There 
 were some instances of two kings reigning jointly ; but it 
 was very unusual. Among the ^duans, it was not lawful 
 for two of the same family to enjoy this dignity, or even 
 to sit together in the public assemblies." 
 
 The duty of the Tanaist, when appointed during the life 
 of the chief, was to lead the army. He was the captain of the 
 clan, and hence he appears to me to have been denommated 
 the Tosliich, which I do not find is intended for a different 
 person. Tos and Toshich, in Gaelic, signify the beginning 
 or first part of any thing ; so Toshich came to denote the 
 general or leader of the van: and the ]\Iac Intoshes derive 
 themselves from Macduff, who obtained this right from 
 Malcolm Ceanmore. Dr. Mac Pherson says, the Tanaist 
 and Toshich are different, which may be true in this 
 
 ^ Lib. iv. <: Bello Gall. vii. 29. 
 
CELTIC NOBILITY. 191 
 
 lYj aimer : the one was the nomination of the chief and his 
 ulood relation, the other the choice of the people or the 
 appointment of the king. 
 
 A charter of David II. to John Mac Kennedy, the cap- 
 tain of Clan Muntercasduff, authorises James Kennedy, 
 who had married Mary Stewart, the king's daughter, and 
 the heirs male, to exercise " the capitanship, head and com- 
 mandment of his kin;'"* and another charter of the same 
 reign is "anent the clan of Clenconan, and who should be 
 captain thereof."^ A charter of Nigel, Earl of Carrick, 
 to Eoland de- Carrick and his heirs, of the chieftainship of 
 his clan in all affairs of Kinkynell, or the right of leading 
 the clan under the chief, was confirmed in 1241, and re- 
 confirmed by Eobert the Second.^ The Saxon word 
 Thane, the Taini of Domesday-book, is assuredly derived 
 from the Celtic Tanaist. 
 
 Women were excluded in general by the Tanaist law, 
 but cases occur where they held the sovereignty of the 
 clan by hereditary right, and sometimes acquired great in- 
 fiuence. It is true that Veleda, who became so renowned, 
 bore the character of a prophetess; but the heroic Bondiuca 
 and Cartismandua, who became so powerful in Britain, 
 were legitimate princesses. The Sitones, in the days of 
 Tacitus, were governed by a female. 
 
 The title Elii, a ruler, or king, was not the highest 
 in Celtic precedency. Tierna, spelt Tighearna, literally 
 signifies a lo-rd or judge, and is applied to all great men. 
 Even the Divine Being does not receive any other appella- 
 tion, a proof that the people had no idea of any higher 
 power, than what was possessed by their chiefs. The Eex 
 oi the Eonians is aj)parently derived from the Celtic Ehi, 
 
 •^ Robertson's Index of Charters, p. 149. No. 57. « Ibid. p. 57. No. 27. 
 ^ Robertson's Index, p. 134. Crawford's Officers of State, 21. 
 
192 REVENUES OF THE CELTIC CHIEFS. 
 
 as the Greek Tyrannos, a name originally applied to 
 princes, both good and bad, and is from Tierna.* This word 
 which, in Welsh, is Teyrn, has been derived from ti, 
 one, eren, land, as implying a landed gentleman.^ From 
 this title comes Ochiern or Oigthierna, latinized Ogetha- 
 rius in Scots law, a term applied to the heir apparent of a 
 lordship, and composed of Oig, young, Tierna, Lord. 
 Mactiern is an ancient dignity among the Bretons. 
 
 lar Fhlath, from lar, after, and Fhlath, a prince or com- 
 mander, is pronounced larla, signifies literally, a secondary 
 chief, and is the origin of the Saxon Earl, to which the 
 Welsh larll and the Cornish Arluth are analogous. Other 
 dignities were the Maormor, i.e., Maor, steward, officer or 
 one who guarded, and more, great,'' a person who had the 
 government of provinces, and whose title was equivalent to 
 the earls of after ages. Moar, in Manx, is a collector of 
 manorial rents. 
 
 Toscheoderach, in G-aelic, Toischuachdarach, i. e. a chief 
 officer, is a term that frequently occurs. Niel Mac Niel 
 sold to James Mac Niel the lands of Gigha, with the 
 Toschodairach of Kintyre ; ' and Eobert the Third confirms 
 a charter, in which John Lachlanson, of Durydarach, 
 grants to Duncan Dalrumpil, the office of Toscheadaroch, 
 in Nithsdale. 
 
 In Ireland, tlie Tanaist had certain " cuttings and 
 spendings on all the inhabitants." His lands descended 
 to the eldest and most worthy of his blood and name, 
 
 * High, or as our author has it, JRhi, a king, governor or ruler, is clearly- 
 traceable to the Chaldee Eika, and the Hindostanee Eaja, a source for 
 which the Celtic as well as the Latin is indebted for it. If Tighearna and 
 Tyrannos are held to be identical, the probability is that the Celts got it 
 through the Latins. Ed. 
 
 s Dr. Mac Pherson. 
 
 ■"Mawr, is great in "Welsh, Cornish, and Armorie. 'Caled. i. 45L 
 
LAWS OF HERITABLE SUCCESSION. 193 
 
 and his daughters received a certain number of cattle for 
 their dowiy. In the Isles, the Tierna's brother claimed 
 Trian-tiernis, or a third part of the estate during his 
 life, by right of immemorial custom.'' Amongst the Ger- 
 mans, the children were their father's lawful heirs; and in 
 default of issue, the nearest of kin succeeded. Amongst 
 the Tencteri, one of their tribes, who were celebrated eques- 
 trians, the horses were heritable, yet did not descend to 
 the eldest son, but to the one who had most signalized 
 himself by deeds of valour.'' 
 
 The custom of Gavel-kind, a mode of succession 
 still existing in different parts of Britain, and accounted 
 the common law of Kent, where the people have been 
 always remarkable for their tenacity of ancient practices, 
 was well known in Brehon law. By the Irish practice, 
 legitimate and illegitimate, male and female, received an 
 equal portion on the death of a parent : and if one of the 
 family died, the chief or judge made a new partition of the 
 whole ; for the share of the deceased did not go to his 
 children.^ By the Custumal of Kent, the fire hearth, and 
 forty feet around it, remained with the youngest son. A 
 husband, surviving his wife, was entitled to a moiety of her 
 gavel-kind lands, so long as he remained unmarried ; and a 
 widow had a similar right, if she remained single, and " took 
 diligent heed that she was not found with child." A proof 
 of infidelity we find, was by the child being heard to cry 
 after its birth, and by the attestation of the people, assem- 
 bled by hue and cry," Like the practice in Scots' law, 
 
 J Dr. Mac Pherson says he wai5 also called Arniin. 
 
 ^ Tac. de iiior. Germ. 
 
 > Present state of Ireland. Before the time of Solon, property de- 
 scended e(|ually to all relations, but he permitted the Greeks to leave it 
 by will to whom they chose. 
 
 "Lambard's Perambulation. 
 
 
 
194 CELTIC TENURES. 
 
 property at death was by this usage divided into the dead's 
 part, the wife's part, and the bairn's part of gear. 
 
 The inhabitants of Kent preserved the freedom of their 
 Celtic ancestors. In the thirtieth of Edward the First, it was 
 declared, that in this county there were no villains, and 
 that the son of one born there became free." Among other 
 valuable privileges, the men of Kent claimed a right to a 
 position in the vanguard of the army ; hence, Drayton says, 
 
 " Of all the English shires, be thoii surnamed the free, 
 And foremost ever plac'd, when they shall reckon'd be. " ° 
 
 A conviction for felony, or any other serious crime, did 
 not occasion a forfeiture of the lands, the heirs never being 
 affected by the deeds of their parents, according to the 
 adage, " The fader to the bond, the son to the lond." 
 In Scotland, fourteen is the age at which pupillarity ter- 
 minates. An heir of Gavel-kind became of age at fifteen. 
 This mode of succession was abolished in Wales 35 th Hen. 
 VIII. and by the 3rd of James I., it was declared illegal 
 in Ireland, but papists were afterwards excepted ! Con- 
 siderable difference of opinion exists respecting the deriva- 
 tion of Gavel-kind. Whittaker gives Gafael, Kinead, Bri- 
 tish, the family estate. Ghabhail, in Gaelic, is a receiving, 
 and also a tenure ; cine is kindred. 
 
 The Udal inheritance in Orkney resembles Gavel-kind, 
 but the brother received double the portion of a sister. 
 The kindly tenure in the vicinity of the royal castle of 
 Lochmaben, where the tenants hold of the king, and trans- 
 mit simply by possession, is a vestige of the Celtic system 
 of common holdmg, and seems much older than the time 
 of Eobert Bruce, by whom it is thought to have been first 
 granted. 
 
 "The tenure by the straw," a customary freehold peculiar 
 
 " Robinson on Gavel-kiud. "Polyalbion, Canto xviii. 
 
ANECDOTE OF CLANRANNALD. 195 
 
 to the Isle of Man, is also a relic of this ancient usage. 
 The possession descends by right of primogeniture, and 
 extends to females, with certain reservations to widows, &c. 
 The Earl of Derby having in the seventeenth century pre- 
 vailed on several of the inhabitants to surrender this right 
 for tenantcies at will, a prophecy embodied in an old song, 
 foretelling that none who were accessary to this alienation 
 of their right should be able long to retain an acre, is said 
 to have been duly fulfilled. 
 
 By the old Scotish practice, in giving a farm to a tenant 
 for a long or short period, he was presented with a stick and 
 some straw, which he immediately returned to the pro- 
 prietor, and they were mutually bound.' Lands continued 
 to be held in the Highlands, without the formality of 
 writing, according to the ancient practice in Scotland, until 
 the middle of the eighteenth century.'' 
 
 The right of primogeniture among the Celtic race was, 
 however, obliged to give way to superiority in military 
 abilities. The anecdote of the young chief of Clanrannald 
 is well known. On his return to take possession of his 
 estate, observing the profuse quantity of cattle that had been 
 slaughtered to celebrate his arrival, he very unfortunately 
 remarked, that a few hens might have answered the pur- 
 pose. This exposure of a narrow mind, and inconsiderate 
 display of indifference to the feelings of his people, were 
 fatal. "We will have nothing to do with a hen chief," 
 said the indignant clansmen, and immediately raised one 
 of his brothers to the dignity. So highly did the High- 
 landers value the qualifications of their commander, that in 
 the deposition of one whom they deemed unworthy, they 
 risked the evil of a deadly feud. On this occasion, the 
 Frasers, among whom young Clanrannald had been fostered, 
 
 P Martin. *• Lord Kames. 
 
196 POWER OF THE COMMONS. 
 
 took arms to revenge his disgrace ; but tliey were, after 
 a desperate battle, defeated with great slaughter, and the 
 unhappy hen chief perished on the field. 
 
 It has been doubted whether the Gaelic chiefs ever con- 
 sulted with the elders, or, if they did so, whether it was 
 otherwise than as a council of war. It appears to me that 
 they had a regular senate, whose advice they availed them- 
 selves of on all occasions. The Pictish kings had such an 
 establishment as we learn from Adomnan, and " the chiefs 
 of the Yles chose a king, and adjoined to him ane counsel 
 of the wisest."" This council was formed, perhaps, of 
 those who also acted as judges. Near Isla, says Buchan- 
 nan, is Ilan na Covihaslop, or the island of council, where 
 fourteen of the chief men sat daily for the administration of 
 justice." From the Eegiam Majestatem, it appears the 
 chiefs had twelve councillors, who sat in deliberation with 
 them ; an establishment to which I have seen reference in 
 an old poem, and which is believed to have been introduced 
 in the Hebrides by the Xorse men. It was, however, 
 common to all Celtic nations, the people always maintaining 
 a right to advise, and even a power to control their rulers. 
 In a Gaelic poem dedicated by Mac Dary, to O'Brian, of 
 Thomond, it is said, " that it was every man's duty to 
 possess the ear of his sovereign, with useful truths." The 
 declaration made in 1309 by the Scots nobility, is a strong 
 proof of the limited nature of the monarchy. It is there 
 stated, that the title of King Eobert Bruce was conferred 
 by the people ; and that, being advanced by their authority 
 to the crown, he was thereby made King of Scotland.' 
 
 The public meetings of the Celts were frequent, for 
 
 ' "Manner of choosing tlie Kings of Scotland of old." MS. in Brit. 
 Museum. ■ Lib. i. 
 
 * The Eight of the House of Stewart to the Crown considered, 1746. 
 
POPULAR ASSEMBLIES. 197 
 
 uotliing could be done but by popular consent : the nobles 
 met occasionally by themselves. On Caesar's advance into 
 Gaul, he says, a great council of princes was held. Poly- 
 bius also notices these assemblies. When practicable, 
 they were held on certain days, the full or change of 
 the moon being reckoned most fortunate. The people 
 never met without being armed, deliberating, as Nicholas 
 Damascenus expresses it, on the affairs of state, "girded 
 with iron."" When the Suevian monarchy had under the 
 Eomans become absolute, the arms were deposited in a pub- 
 lic arsenal, " guarded by slaves," for it did not suit, says 
 Tacitus, " the interest of an arbitrary prince to trust the 
 power of arms with any but a slave." In the public 
 assemblies were chosen the chiefs who administered justice, 
 to each of whom were assigned one hundred persons, cho- 
 sen from the people, to accompany him and assist him with 
 their counsel and authority.'' The chief magistrate among 
 the ^Eduans was elected annually. He was called Vergo- 
 bretus, and had the power of life and death, but was not 
 allowed to go out of the kingdom." Fear gubreath, the 
 man to command, or the person who judges, is a well 
 known Gaelic appellation. The Germans have Werkober ; * 
 and the Mayors of Autun, the capital of the .^duans, are 
 still called Vierg.'' 
 
 In these assemblies it was allowed to present accusations 
 and prosecute capital offences. On small affairs the chiefs 
 decided ; but on those of greater moment, the whole nation 
 deliberated. The king's influence, like that of any other 
 member, arose from his ability to persuade, for he possessed 
 no individual authority to command, and had only the 
 
 ° Ap. Stobteus, 470. '^ Tac. de Mor. Germ. "Bdlo Gall. i. 14. 31. 
 
 ' Werk, opus. Ober, supremum. 
 
 y Piss. Histori(iue sur divers sujets, 1706. 
 
198 POPULAR ASSEMBLIES. 
 
 privilege of speaking first. All those matters on which the 
 peo23le decided were afterwards examined and discussed 
 by the chiefs." Here are the Celtic houses of Lords and 
 Commons. 
 
 At their feasts, which were frequent among all the 
 Celtfe, the Germans deliberated about choosing their prin- 
 ces, reconciling parties, forming affinities, and discussed 
 the questions of peace and war. They reckoned this the 
 most proper time for considering those subjects, the heart 
 being opened, and the mind fired with great and bold ideas, 
 for these people were no way subtle or politic, but disclosed 
 to each other their most secret thoughts. But they did 
 not rashly decide on any matter, for they met next day, 
 and coolly revised and canvassed the various opinions of 
 the precedmg evening.^ " They consult," says Tacitus, 
 " when they know not how to dissemble ; they determine, 
 when they cannot mistake." 
 
 This indeed, appears a little at variance with what Cajsar 
 has said of the Gauls, that it was not permitted to speak 
 of public affairs, but by permission of the council, a regu- 
 lation necessary to prevent the mischief which occurred, in 
 consequence of the credulity of the people, who held slight 
 reports as if they were a matter of experience.* The ex- 
 cessive curiosity of the Gauls, so similar to that of the pre- 
 sent Highlanders, led them to stop passengers, and oblige 
 them to tell all the news they had heard, before they were 
 suffered to proceed ; and any vague rumour affected them 
 as if it were certain information. It was, therefore, a law 
 with some, that those who had any news, should communi- 
 cate with none until the magistrates had been informed, 
 who, to prevent any commotion, were wont to conceal some 
 
 * Tac. de Mor. Germ. 
 » Bello Gall. vii. 4. 
 
ELECTION OF A CHIEF. 199 
 
 things, and only impart to tlie public that which it was 
 necessary should be known."* Spenser relates an anecdote 
 of a Frenchman who, struck with the curiosity of the Irish, 
 having met with one on the continent after many years' se- 
 paration, asked him if he had ever heard the news about 
 which he so anxiously inquired when in Ireland. If you 
 meet one in the Highlands, this thirst for information will 
 be very apparent; the answer to any question you may 
 ask, is likely to be, " Where may you have come from ? " 
 " You are going south, it is likely ; " " You come from 
 such a place, perhaps ; " or so on. 
 
 Among the ancient Celts there was no distinction of seats 
 in places of assembly, but each sat wdiere he pleased. 
 Every one Avas heard with attention, and a singular 
 custom prevailed in order to preserve order ; if any one 
 interrupted the person who was speaking, an officer 
 came with a drawn knife, and, with threatening, ordered 
 him to desist. This he repeated a second and a third 
 time ; and if the party still continued refractory, the 
 messenger cut off as much of his garment as rendered 
 what was left useless." 
 
 When the Highland chief entered on his government, he 
 was i^laced on the top of a cairn, raised in the form of a 
 pyramid, and around him, but lower, stood his friends and 
 followers. One of the principal persons then delivered him 
 a sword and a white wand ; and the orator, bard or Druid, 
 recounting his pedigree, enumerated the exploits of his 
 ancestors, and exhorted the young chief to emulate their 
 noble example."' By the Tanaist law, in Ireland, when the 
 
 '' Bello Gall. iv. 5. In Iceland, the chief men, by law, had the privilege of 
 iirst conversing with the crew of a vessel that had newly arrived. 
 <= Strabo, iv. p. 197. 
 ■* Martin's Western Islands, 102, &c. 
 
200 THE STONE OF DESTINY. 
 
 chief was elected, he stood on a stone placed on a hill, and 
 took an oath to preserve all the ancient customs inviolate, * 
 and deliver peaceable possession to his successor. He, like 
 the Highland chief, received a wand, and, on descending 
 from the stone, he turned thrice round backwards and thrice 
 forwards. The Tanaist, on his election, performed the 
 same ceremonies, but set one foot only on the seat of inau- 
 guration. The stone on which the Lords of the Isles were 
 crowned, bearing the marks of the feet, still exists; and near 
 the cathedral of Cashel is one used by the Kings of Muns- 
 ter for a similar purpose. 
 
 The practice of crowning a king upon a stone is of extreme 
 antiquity. The celebrated coronation chair, the seat of 
 which is formed of the slab on which the kings of Scot- 
 land were inaugurated, is an object of curiosity to those 
 who visit Westmmster Abbey. The history of this stone 
 is carried back to a period far beyond all authentic record ; 
 and the Irish say that it was first in their possession. Ac- 
 cording to Wintoun, its original situation was in lona. It 
 was certainly in Argyle, where it is believed to have remained 
 long at the castle of Dunstaffnage, before it was removed 
 to Scone, the place of coronation for the kings of Scotland, 
 whence it was carried to London by Edward the First. This 
 curious relic is of a dark colour, and appears to be that sort 
 found near Dundee. It was looked on with great vene- 
 ration by the ancient Scots, who believed the fate of the 
 nation depended on its preservation. The Irish called it 
 Cloch na cinearnna, the stone of fortune, and the Scots 
 preserve the following oracular verse : 
 
 Cinnidh Scuit saor am fine, 
 Mar breiig am faistine : 
 
 * Spenser's View of the State of Ireland, 1633. Some of these stones 
 bore the impression of a foot mark. 
 
THE CORONATION CHAIR. 201 
 
 Far am faighear an lia-fail, 
 Dliglie flaitheas do ghabliail. * 
 
 " The race of the free Scots shall flourish, if this predic- 
 tion is uot false : wherever the stone of destiny is found, they 
 shall prevail by the right of Heaven." Its possession was 
 considered of so much importance, that its restitution was 
 made an express article in a treaty of peace, and the sub- 
 ject of a personal conference between David the Second 
 and Edward.' The office of placing the king on this stone 
 was the hereditary right of the Earls of Fife. 
 
 Saxo Granamaticus, lib. 1, says it was the ancient cu.stom 
 in Denmark to crown the kings sitting on a stone. In 1396, 
 in the circle called Morasten, near Upsall, this ceremony 
 was performed. It is curious to find this Celtic practice re- 
 tained in the kingdom of Britain, and to find its revered mo- 
 narch a descendant of the ancient kings of the "free 
 Scots." 
 
 These inauguration seats were always placed on emi- 
 nences. On Quothquan Law, a beautiful green hill in the 
 ward of Lanark, is a stone artificially hollowed, on 
 which it is said that Wallace sat in conference with his 
 chiefs. 
 
 The famous coronation chair was placed upon the moot 
 hill of Scone, and, seated on it, the kings of Scotland promul- 
 gated the Laws, as is recorded of Kenneth MacAlpin, about 
 850, of Malcolm II. 1006, and Robert the Bruce, who the 
 day after his coronation, 1306, sat "super montem de Scone." 
 
 * These lines have been thns paraphrased in English : 
 
 " Unless old saws do feign, 
 And wizard wits be blind ; 
 The Scots in place must reign, 
 Where they this stone shall iind." Ed. 
 
 ^ AylofT's Cal. of Charters, Introd. p. 58. 
 
202 OKIGIN OF FEUDAL TENURES. 
 
 * The Gaelic moid, from which the Saxon, moot, Swedish, 
 mote, &c. are derived, signifies a court or place of meeting ; 
 and these picturesque knolls are found all over Scotland and 
 Ireland. The Tinwald of Man is a singular object of this 
 nature. On this mount, the ancient kings were crowned, 
 and the name signifies the place of convocation ; a term 
 applied to the ancient Irish parliament.^ 
 
 The learned Whittaker says. Feudal tenures are coeval 
 with the plantation of the island ; and from all that is pre- 
 served concerning the Celtic form of government, he is war- 
 ranted in the assertion ; not that the system, as it appeared 
 when refined by the Normans, prevailed in the first ages, 
 but those usages on which it was founded originated with 
 the Celts, Another writer has declared that feudism ex- 
 tends from the earliest ages, and the rudiments of it may be 
 clearly perceived in the institutions of clanship."" We have 
 seen the freedom of this mode of government, and observed 
 that the customs of the people were regulated by certain 
 rules of immemorial j)ractice. It has, indeed, been stated 
 that there being but two classes, the nobles and villains, 
 among the British tribes, it was impossible for the feudal 
 system to exist in that state of society ; but the latter class 
 were not debased in those early periods : in Kent, where 
 the Celtic manners long remained, villainage was un- 
 known. 
 
 The followers of a Celtic chief were treated with a 
 
 * The Gaelic mod, the Saxon moot, the Swedish mote, the Scottish mote 
 or tnute, are probably all of them descendants of the Hebrew moed, 
 a meeting, a gathering of people, " Cha ohi 7ndd gun Mhacintoisich " is 
 an old Gaelic saying. "There is no proper gathering of people mthout 
 the presence of the Macintosh," implying the great power and authority 
 of that chief in the olden times. Ed. 
 
 6 See Johnstone's Ant. Celto Normaunia. 
 •■ Dr. MacPherson's Diss. p. 140. 
 
ORIGIN OF FEUDAL TENURES. 203 
 
 degree of respect unknown in those countries where the 
 labourers were considered as the live stock of a farm, and 
 were regularly sold with the land whereon they lived. The 
 lowest members of a clan were of some consequence in the 
 community, and felt a lively interest in all the quarrels in 
 which the tribe might be engaged. They followed their 
 leaders, not from compulsion, but from a sense of the justice 
 of the cause, and from a veneration to their superiors, their 
 natural chiefs. With them " the power of a father was the 
 prerogative of a sovereign ; and the obedience of a son the 
 submission of a subject." ' The rude plenty of the chief's 
 hospitable board was the only pay that he could bestow, or 
 the clansmen accept ; the gifts which the warriors received, 
 being accepted, as tliey were bestowed, without being con- 
 sidered as obligations;^ and this mode of life, "however 
 it might accidently weaken the several republics, invigo- 
 rated the general character." ^ 
 
 It is a fact that many Highland chiefs had no better 
 proof of title to their lands than having possessed them 
 from time immemorial, and were much alarmed when Bruce 
 required them to exhibit their charters. It is even related 
 of some, that, at a much later period, they felt most indig- 
 nant that they should be required to hold by a roll of 
 parchment what their ancestors had acquired by their 
 sword, and held so long by no other tenure. 
 
 Mac Donald of Keppoch, disdaining to hold by a sheep- 
 shin the lands of Glenroy, in 1687, asserted by arms his 
 right, against Mac Intosh, who had obtained a crown char- 
 ter of the disputed territory, vanquished and took him 
 prisoner, in a desperate battle, and then compelled him to 
 renounce his acquired claini: In requital for his temerity, 
 
 'Whittaker. i Tac. de Mor. Germ. c. 21. 
 
 * Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, c. 12. 
 
204 KNIGHTHOOD. 
 
 Keppocli's lands were laid waste, witli fire and sword, by a 
 strong body of regular troops. The ancestors of Lord 
 Rea had no charter for their lands until 1499. 
 
 The Lord of the Isles, in conveying lands to their 
 followers, used a very simple form of charter, drawn up, 
 according to the curious ancient practice, in rhyme, and 
 running in this form : " I, Donald, chief of the MacDo- 
 nalds, give, here in my castle, to MacKay, a right to Kil- 
 mahumag, from this day till to-morrow, and so on for 
 ever."* Kneeling on the "black stones," he confirmed 
 these grants. 
 
 Camden, Spelman, and other learned authors, consider 
 knighthood to have been derived from the public invest- 
 ment of youth witli arms,' a j)ractice, as already described, 
 that bears a striking resemblance to that of feuclism. 
 This system was decidedly military, and the whole institu- 
 tions of Celtic policy were of a similar character. The 
 military expeditions of the Celtic warrior, the probation of 
 his virtues and abilities, were like those of the knights of later 
 times, who, when there was no field for exertion at home, 
 set out in quest of adventures, and, by constant exercise, 
 preserved their warlike prowess. Chivalrous individuals in 
 the Highlands were accustomed to go about like knights 
 errant, and if not propitiated by a certain tribute, they 
 asked a fair battle without favour. Dr. MacPherson found 
 some persons who had seen these champions. 
 
 Csesar says the robbery of other tribes was encouraged 
 
 * The Gaelic rhyme is — 
 
 " Tha mise Domhnul nan Domhuull, 
 A'm shuidhe air Dun-Dpmhnnil, 
 'Toirt coir do Mhac Aoidh air Kilmahumaig. 
 'O'n diugh gas am mh.ireach 
 'S gu la 'bhratli mar sin." Ed. 
 
 ' See also Dr. Mac. Pherson's Diss. 
 
CREACHS OR FORAYS. 205 
 
 among the Gauls, to prevent effeminacy. Military virtue 
 must liave been highly valued where it was the sole safe- 
 guard of national independence. 
 
 " Treacherous," exclaims the eloquent Tacitus, " is that 
 repose which you enjoy amongst neighbours that are power- 
 ful and fond of rule and mastership ; when the sword is 
 drawn, quietness and fair dealing will be in vain pleaded 
 by the weaker."" 
 
 Careful as the Celts were to cherish a warlike spirit, 
 they did not live in that turbulence and anarchy which 
 some liave supposed. They fought desperately in a cause of 
 quarrel : but valour was not more esteemed than fidelity to 
 their friends and hospitality to strangers, — two characteristic 
 virtues of the age of chivalry. To kill a stranger, was death ; 
 exile the only punishment for the murder of a native." 
 
 The Ligurians and Iberi guarded those who were pass- 
 ing through their respective countries, whether Greeks or 
 Celts; and a fine was exacted from the people in whose ter- 
 ritories a traveller might receive an injury." 
 
 Distracted with inveterate feuds, often promoted to acce- 
 lerate their destruction ; living distinct from the Lowland- 
 ers, and obnoxious to their laws; yet the state of the High- 
 landers appears at no time to have been so bad as that 
 of the people on the borders of the two kingdoms, where 
 the government was often unable to repress the greatest 
 outrages. 
 
 The Highlanders made their Creachs^ on hostile tribes 
 only, or carried their liariships into districts of the low 
 country ; where the inhabitants were inimical to the wel- 
 fare, and were taught to consider the mountaineers as 
 " barbarous, ethnick," and opposed to all social order. 
 
 ™ De ]Mor. Geiin. Gordon's Trans. 
 
 " Nich. Damascemis, ap. Stobsens, 470. ° Aristotle. 
 
 P Creagh, a prey. The same word in German is war. 
 
206 CREACHS OE FORAYS. 
 
 Their forays were only a retaliation for recent injuries, 
 or in revenge of former wrongs, for tliey were careful of 
 offending a clan with whom they were in amity. The 
 Caraerons having, by mistake, attacked the Grants of 
 Moynes, the chief complained severely to Lochiel of the 
 outrage, who sent an immediate apology, regretting that, 
 through ignorance, they had attempted to plunder the lands 
 of their friends, and offering to submit the adjustment of 
 their respective losses to arbitration. He had not much 
 reason to dread the award, for the Grants had defeated the 
 invaders; and their chief complains that he had eight dead 
 and twelve under cure, "whilk he knew not who should live 
 or who should die." * 
 
 They did not engage in these raids from a mere pleasure 
 in robbing their neighbours. There is reason to believe 
 that they submitted to many grievances before they re- 
 sorted to arms. A scarcity made them bethink themselves 
 
 * Ailean nan Crecich, or Allan of the (many) forays, one of the Lochiels 
 who lived about the middle of the fifteenth century, was, as indeed his 
 distinctive title implies, one of the most active and successful forayers and 
 free-hooters of his time. In his old age he became pious after a sort, aud 
 having consulted the "spirits" by means of the " Tigh-ghairm, " or House 
 of Invocation, a dreadful ceremony and ordeal through which few had the 
 courage to pass, he was advised in order to obtain mental peace and for- 
 giveness from on high, to build seven churches in expiation of his seven 
 great forays. These seven churches he did build accordingly. One was 
 at Kilmallie in Lochaber ; one at Killa Mhaodain of Ardgour ; a third at 
 Kilchoireal ; a fourth at Kildonau, these last two in the parish ol 
 Kilmonivaig, in the Braes of Lochaber; a fifth was at the end of Loch 
 Laggan in Badenoch ; a sixth in Morven ; and the seventh at Kilchoan 
 in Knoydart. On account of these good works in church-building 
 and church endowing, he is sometimes spoken of in tradition as Ailean 
 nan Eaglais, Allan of the Churches. He attained a great age, and died 
 peacefully and in the full odour of sanctity about the year 1470. His son 
 Ewen founded the family of Callart, hence called "Sliochd Eobhinn- 
 ic-Ailein," Ed. 
 
CREACHS OR FORAYS. 207 
 
 on whom they could levy a contribution. A hint from a 
 clansman, who was obliged, from hunger, to gnaw a bone, 
 induced his chief to undertake a foray which is still cele- 
 brated as creach an aisne, i.e. of the rib ; but it is absurd 
 to suppose they would, on any consideration, rob a friendly 
 or unoffending tribe. When they carried off cattle, or 
 other spoil, it was with the consciousness that their own 
 herds were exposed to the risk of being appropriated by 
 others. Eapine and mutual aggression were, in some de- 
 gree, unavoidable consequences of the state of society ; but 
 the evil was not so serious to the inhabitants as might be 
 supposed. "The creach," says a Gaelic proverb, "is not 
 so bad, from which the half is recovered;" and again, 
 "What the worse is one of the foray, if it lessen not the 
 race ; " property, it has been observed, must be perfectly 
 established before the loss of it can be felt. There was no 
 peculiar pleasure in eating cattle that were not their own. 
 Derrick, indeed, says of the Irish, that, 
 
 " The stolen horse, the mutton, and the beef, — 
 "Which things to want, who holds it not a grief." 
 
 But the Highlander knew that a rupture with his neigh- 
 bours placed his own flocks in joeril ; while, if the war was 
 not successful, hunger and misery was certain to ensue. 
 
 The Highlanders had a peculiar faculty of tracing the 
 cattle which had been lifted or carried off. They were 
 able not only to trace their foot-marks on the grass, but 
 even to distinguish those which were merely straying from 
 others driven along by the enemy. 
 
 When the track of the cattle was lost, the person on whose 
 property it might happen, became liable either to recover the 
 trace, or make restitution to the amount lost. This whole- 
 some regulation acquired the force of law. It was a no 
 less salutary regulation which made a chief answerable for 
 
208 BLACKMAIL. 
 
 the deed of liis clansman, and obliged him to deliver up an 
 offender. This was called cincogish, from cine, a tribe, and 
 congish, affinity. Alfred had a law of this kind, and it was 
 embodied in the statutes of Scotland. 
 
 Tasgal money was a reward offered for the recovery of 
 stolen cattle; but the Highlanders were so adverse to a 
 system by which they Avere liable to get into awkward 
 circumstances, that it was unanimously discouraged ; some 
 clans, as the Camerons, bound themselves by oath never 
 to accept such a bribe, and to put to death any individual 
 who should do otherwise. 
 
 Their dexterity in plundering induced the people of the 
 low country, and even borough towns, to agree with certain 
 parties for protection, on condition of their paying a stipu- 
 lated sum under the name of blackmail. 
 
 These agreements were for a certain extent of country 
 and a limited time. If the mail was not punctually paid, 
 the Highlander had little difficulty in liquidating his own 
 claims ; and if the cattle were stolen by others, he made good 
 the loss. It was usually stipulated that, in case of civil 
 commotion, the parties should be released. If one had a 
 claim on another, and coidd not get payment, he might carry 
 off as many cattle as were sufficient to cover the amount, 
 provided he sent notice that he had done so, when out of 
 the reach of pursuit, and intimated his wish to return them 
 if his demand were satisfied. 
 
 The chief received two thirds of the spoil acquired in a 
 foray, or its produce ; and the other third was the share of 
 the captors.*" It was, besides, customary to pay a certain 
 number of cattle, or amount of other booty to a chieftain, 
 through whose lands the party might be obliged to pass. 
 About 1341, John Munro, tutor to the laird of Foulis, 
 
 1 Birt. 
 
LAWS. 209 
 
 having, in revenge of certain injuries, carried off a prey of 
 cattle from Strathardale, in Perth, was asked by Mac Intosh 
 in passing Moyhall, for part of the spoil, according to cus- 
 tom. A reasonable portion was offered, but Mac Intosh 
 insisting on the half, collected his vassals, and, pursuing 
 the Munros, overtook them at Clach na harry, who, send- 
 ing the booty to a place of safety, stood to their arms and 
 overthrew their assailants, most part of whom, with the 
 chief, were slain. 
 
 Laws are valuable materials in the history of nations : 
 they are true evidences of the domestic state of society, 
 at the periods when they prevailed. Laws are at first 
 traditionary, and in this state they existed among the 
 Celtic nations, long before they were written. Until the 
 kingdom of Scotland was firmly consolidated, the tribes 
 were governed by their traditionary customs and local 
 usages. 
 
 The Scotish Law was undoubtedly indigenous, and 
 appears composed of the unrecorded practice of the Celts, 
 and much of the statute law which prevailed in England, 
 and must have been equally derived from ancient British 
 customs. Much of' the existing common law of the land is 
 to be deduced from the era of Druidism, and Montesquieu 
 shews, that the Enghsh constitution itself emanates from a 
 pastoral state of society. The old terms in Scots law being 
 Gaelic, and the laws themselves distinctly pointing to the 
 customs of those nations, it must be inferred that the 
 system of jurisprudence existed before it was embodied in 
 the "Eegiam Majestatem." To the Celtic institutions of 
 our ancestors, are assuredly to be referred most of the 
 national statutes, and the ancient usages of Scotland, which 
 Lord Stair declares to be a common law. 
 
 A very ancient body of laws, called the Malmutin, from 
 their autlior, was translated from Celtic into Latin by 
 
210 LAWS. 
 
 Gildas Albanius, and rendered into Saxon by King Alfred/ 
 Fingal is celebrated by the Irish for his wisdom in maldng 
 laws, some of which, OTlaherty says, were extant in his 
 own time. Adomnan, who lived in the end of the seventh 
 century, propagated the Macentian code; and Aodh, or 
 Ethfin, enacted laws that are noticed in the Pictish Chro- 
 nicle, as those of Edi. They were renewed by Kenneth 
 Mac Alpin, the celebrated king and legislator. Tlie Welsh 
 laws, although of high antiquity, were not recorded until 
 the tune of Hwyel Dha, in the tenth century. That those 
 of Scotland, in the beginning of the fourteenth century, 
 were different from the English, we learn by the attempts 
 of Edward the First, to abolish the " usages and customs of 
 the Scots and Brets." In Galloway, they were confirmed 
 by Eobert the Bruce and David the First,' and remained 
 in force longer than in other parts of the kingdom. In 
 Ireland, they existed within these two hundred years. 
 
 The Druids combined the offices of priest and legislator, 
 and decided according to maxims traditionally handed 
 down from the most remote periods. Law and religion are 
 closely connected in primitive society, and not entirely dis- 
 joined in periods the most refined. The Celtic priesthood 
 possessed the highest power ; but, during war, they shared it 
 with the chiefs, who in peace, were also permitted to decide 
 in minor affairs. The Feargubreath was, most likely, of the 
 druidical order. The office was anciently elective on the 
 continent, but in these islands the judge was hereditary. He 
 was styled the Brehon or Brithib, and gave name to the laws 
 by which he decided. In Man they are still called Breast. 
 
 These judges had a good farm assigned for their support, 
 and were besides entitled to the eleventh, twelfth,' or thir- 
 teenth," of the fines imposed. In the Isle of Man, the 
 
 ' Dempster's Hist. Ecclesiast. vi. ' Eobertsou's Index of Charters. 
 *■ Dr. Mac Pherson. " Highland Soc. Rep. on Ossian's Poems. 
 
BREHONS OE JUDGES. 211 
 
 Keys, who were anciently called Taxiaxi: the Deemsters, the 
 Coroners, and all officers of justice, formerly lived at the 
 king's expense. The judge had the assistance of a council of 
 twelve or fourteen, who, in the Western Isles, sat daily for 
 the administration of justice/ He had no power of legis- 
 lation, for the king himself could not abrogate or enact a law 
 without the consent of the people. It does not appear that 
 in early ages there was a regular jury. In the twelfth 
 century the people of Galloway decided without one. The 
 Northern nations we, however, find had anciently twelve 
 compurgators ; and in some parts of Norway the peasants 
 are at this day tried by a jury of themselves, whose decision 
 is final, and who proportion the punishment with strict re- 
 regard to the guilt of the parties. To dispute the award of 
 this rustic tribunal, is to become an outcast from society." 
 In Man, twelve men from each sheading were summond to 
 attend the Alting ; but this number being a total of seventy- 
 two, from whom the doomers were chosen, was reduced by 
 Sir John Stanley to twenty-four, who are now self-elected. 
 The Brehon required no clerk to register the proceed- 
 ings. In Scotland, he sat on the top of a hillock, and 
 sometimes placed himself on the middle of a bridge. In 
 Ireland, we are told, he " sitteth him clowne on a bank, the 
 lords and the gentlemen at variance round about him." 
 David the First, of Scotland, sat on certain days at the 
 door of his palace, to hear and decide the causes of the 
 poor.'' The practice of holding courts in the ojpen 
 air, which so long prevailed in Britain, was a relic of 
 Druidism, which subsisted in most European countries. The 
 Court of Areopagus at Athens sat in the open air J 
 and Pliny informs lis the Eoman senate was first so 
 held.^ That circular enclosures of stone were used as 
 
 " Buchanan. ^ Conway's Journey. " Scoticlirou, v. 20. 
 
 y Lib. vii. c. 45. 
 
212 TINGS, CIRCLES, OE LAW COURTS. 
 
 courts of justice, and places for trial by combat, is well 
 known.'' In Scandinavia, they were long so aj)propriated ; 
 and in Shetland and Orkney the practice continued to very 
 late times. In these last places they were called Ting, 
 which, according to Dr. Murray, originally signified to sur- 
 round, and is therefore of similar import with the Gaelic 
 cearcail, the Circus or round temple, which seems to have 
 been tlie place where laws were originally enacted and pro- 
 mulgated: the Tings being, at first, judicial only, but in 
 process of time they became also legislative. 
 
 On the abolition of Druidism, the courts which had been 
 held in the circles, were transferred to the church ; but the 
 practice being deemed incompatible with Christianity, it 
 was prohibited by an express canon. It appears to me, 
 that from this originated the Moothills, or eminences, on 
 which law courts were afterwards held. The most re- 
 markable object of this kind is the Tynwald, in the Isle of 
 Man, represented in the vignette to this Chapter, upon 
 which the Duke of Athol, as descendant of the ancient 
 kings, annually presides. In 1417, Sir John Stanley, then 
 king, was thus instructed in the regal duties, and official 
 practice, which are almost the same in the present day. 
 He was to sit in his robes of state upon the hill of Tyn- 
 wald in a chair, his face to the east, and his sword before 
 him, held with the point upivards ; his barons in the second 
 degree sitting beside him, his beneficed men and deemsters 
 also sitting before him ; Ids clerks, knights, 'squires, and 
 yeomen being around him in the third degree. The com- 
 mons, with three clerks in their surplices, stood outside 
 the circle of the hill. The deemsters called in the coro- 
 ners, who carried their rods in their hands, and their wea- 
 pons about them, either sword or axe. The Moars of every 
 
 * One of these on the hill of Tj'rebacher, Aberdeenshire, is repre- 
 sented at the end of this chapter. 
 
MAXNER OF HOLDING THEM. 213 
 
 sheading came also, and tlie coroner of Glenfaba made a 
 fence with imich solemnity, prohibiting all from making 
 disturbance, under the pain of hanging and drawing, while 
 the king opened the court, promising to decide as uprightly 
 as the staff in his hand. 
 
 The Godordsman, Gode, or priest, summoned the inha- 
 bitants by a stick or stone. The token of the kings of 
 Man, and of his deemster, was a small slate, on which 
 then- initials were inscribed, and it was a penalty of £3 
 to falsify it. These simple warrants were only prohibited 
 in 1763. Wlien a person was murdered, an arrow was 
 sent to assemble a Ting. In Ireland, when any one was 
 wronged, he sat on an ox's hide in a public throughfare. 
 All went armed to these meetings, and within the limits 
 of the ting no one was admitted without permission, the 
 defendants in a trial being obliged to stand extra circum." 
 In Ireland, the moothills are called raths, and sometimes 
 mota. In Scotland they are usually on the margin of a 
 river, and in the immediate vicinity of a religious edifice, 
 forming an interesting object in the landscape. The one 
 here represented is situated close to the ancient site of the 
 church of Inverury, in Aberdeenshire, and is denommated 
 the Bass, probably from has, death, or judgment.'' 
 
 
 «iir 
 
 
 
 " Dr. Hibbert, iu Trans, of Society of Aut. of Scotland. 
 ^ See Sir J, Munro, of Fonlis, on the Hills of Dimipace. Trans, ut sup. 
 
214 COxMPENSATION" FOR CRIMES. 
 
 Tlie Celtic laws were remarkable for favouring an equa- 
 lity of right, and the state of civilization was strongly- 
 conducive to the preservation of a community of property 
 and labour. Agriculture was pursued by the assistance of 
 a whole tribe, and every other occupation of general im- 
 portance was executed in a similar manner ; the labour of 
 every individual being given to a work of which all receiv- 
 ed the benefit. In private affairs this principle was not over- 
 looked. Among other instances, by the Manx law, any 
 one in want of stone or lime may dig in his neighbour's 
 land for it, paying only a reasonable satisfaction for break- 
 ing the ground. In the Western Isles, all fishing-lines were 
 required to be of an equal length, to prevent any thing lil^e 
 an unfair advantage.'' 
 
 Among the Celt?e almost every crime was expiated by a 
 payment, made either to the party injured or to the chief. 
 Tacitus found it " a temper wholesome to the common- 
 wealth, that homicide and lighter transgressions were set- 
 tled by the payment of horses or cattle, part to the king 
 or community, part to him or his friends who had been 
 wronged." The Germans hung traitors and deserters on 
 trees ; cowards, sluggards, and the depraved, were smother- 
 ed under hurdles in mud and bogs, to shew thereby that 
 glaring iniquities ought to be punished openly ; effeminacy, 
 and those crimes which are less obvious, but destructive to 
 morality, and hurtful to the state, ought to be removed 
 from sight and from the face of the earth. 
 
 The law of Scotland allowed this mode of compensation 
 for crime in most cases, the fine or mulct being termed 
 Eric, a reparation. According to O'Conner, this law was 
 first promulgated in Ireland, anno 164, by which, says Dr. 
 Warner, the Irish were brought to more humanity, honesty, 
 
 " Martin. 
 
GAELIC LAW TERMS. 215 
 
 and good manners, than had ever been before known. In 
 his memoirs of Sir Thomas More, he continues, "we too far 
 infringe on God's conunands, by taking away the lives of 
 men for theft and robbery. It is not only a pernicious 
 error, — for extreme justice is extreme injury, — but a na- 
 tional abomination. The wilfulness of the crime is no sort 
 of excuse for making the punishment far exceed the hei- 
 nousness of the transgression." Eoderick, the last king, 
 exacted 3600 cows as an eric, for the slaughter of Murcer- 
 tach O'Brian, King of Munster, in 1168.* 
 
 When the Lord-Deputy told Mac Guire that he was to 
 send a sherrif into Fermanagh, lately made a county, "he 
 shall be welcome," said the chief, " but let me know his eric, 
 that if he lose his head I may put it on the country."^ 
 
 Cro, a ransom, by metonymy, signified both blood and 
 death. The cro of a villain was 16 cows, of an earl's son, 
 or thane, 100, of an earl 140, and that of the king of Scots 
 was 1000 cows.^ Asythments in Scotland were anciently 
 paid in cattle, and the terms prove that the law originated 
 in pastoral society.^ 
 
 Kelchy or Kelchyn, " ane penalty enjoined to a man who 
 confesses his fault," is from the Gaelic gial, a pledge, cine, 
 kindred, or, perhaps, cean, head, the price of one, or a fine 
 for manslaughter. An earl paid for this 66f cows, his son, 
 or a thane, 44 cows, twenty-one pence and 5 of a bodle.'' 
 This fine belonged to the kinsman of the person slain ; 
 but if the wife of a rustic was killed, the lord had the kel- 
 chyn, and the parents the cro and the calpes. 
 
 Enach is a bounty, and sometimes means a ransom. 
 
 Calmes, according to Dr. Mac Pherson, comes from gial, 
 
 ^ O'Conner's Diss. « State of Ireland, 1673. 
 
 ' Regiam Majestatem. 
 
 8 In all Gaelic dialects are terms of a similar signification. 
 ■• Skene's Anld LaAvs of Scotland. 
 
216 GAELIC LAW TERMS. 
 
 a pledge, and meas, an estimate ; but it seems, rather, cael- 
 meas, the price of a gaeL 
 
 The Calpich was a payment made to the chief, and is 
 derived from calpa, a cow, in many cases the only article 
 that could be given. The Irish revenue was always paid 
 in cattle, and in Scotland it was the same, even in the time 
 of Bruce.' Martin says that a tenant was bound to make 
 payment whether he resided on the estate or not. 
 
 Cane signifies rent, and cean-mhath, or cunveth, was a 
 payment of first fruits ; not, however, peculiar to the 
 clergy, for in 1186 it was awarded by a jury to the king^ 
 out of Galloway.'' Cane duties are, to this day, exacted on 
 many farms. The " Mails" of Scotish law is another Celtic 
 term, and signifies rent, or tribute. 
 
 The usual services are labour in seed time, hay and corn 
 harvest, and the "castmg and leading" of peats, or turf, 
 certain quantities of spinning, payment of lambs, fowls, 
 eggs, butter, &c. &c. A laird in north Knapdale had a 
 servitude of a night's lodging on one of his vassals, and in 
 the proof taken of the value of his estate, there occurs 
 "Item, for cuidoich 20s."^ 
 
 A tenant in Caithness spun a certain quantity of wool- 
 len yarn, and so much of lint, paid a quantity of oats to 
 feed the laird's horses : trout, if near a river or lake ; and 
 if in the vicinity of a wood, a certain number of nasks, i. e. 
 binders of birch, to secure the laird's cows. 
 
 In Man, the swine of felons belonged to the king, the 
 goats to the queen."" 
 
 According to Diodorus, the Celts impaled on stakes and 
 burned on lofty piles those who were guilty of any great 
 crime, after a close imprisonment of five years ; and in like 
 
 ' Caledonia. '' Eegiam Maj. ' Agric. of Argj^le. 
 
 "" Sacheverel. 
 
LEGAL PUNISHMENTS. 217 
 
 manner he says tliey used their captives, some cutting the 
 throats, burning or otherwise destroying both men and 
 beasts. Among the ancient Caledonians, malefactors who 
 •were sentenced to death were burnt between two fires, from 
 whence is derived the saying, " edir da teine Bheil,"* he is 
 between the two flames of Bel. The Breith-a-nuas, still 
 used for a judge's decision, points to the era of Druidism. 
 
 The sacrifice of captives, which was considered, in cer- 
 tain cases, necessary for propitiating the deity, may be here 
 noticed. The Celts were naturally humane, and willingly 
 acknowledged bravery in an enemy ; as in the case of the 
 Cimbri, who released a part of the Eoman army when cap- 
 tured, from admiration of their courage ; but they also, at 
 times, committed, great atrocities. A general, being re- 
 turned from the pursuit of an enemy, picked out from 
 among the captives the choicest and strongest young men, 
 and sacrificed them to the gods : the rest he shot to death 
 with darts, most of whom he had long known, but former 
 friendship was no argument to spare a man of them." 
 This severity was, however, unusual, for they appear to 
 have generally behaved with moderation when victorious. 
 Wlien they had slain their enemy, Ave are told, they 
 hung his head about the necks of their horses, and deliver- 
 ed the spoils, besmeared with blood, to their servants, to 
 be carried before in triumph, themselves following and 
 chanting the jjeean of victory. 
 
 The state of Celtic society may be farther elucidated by 
 viewing the condition of the females, for civilization is 
 marked by the station which women hold in society. 
 Among savages, the intercourse between the sexes is re- 
 gulated by no principles of morality, and the females are 
 
 * Properly "Eadar da tlieine Bheil or Bliaall." Ed. 
 " Diod. Fragm. xxvi. p. 65. 
 
218 STATE OF THE FEMALES 
 
 always degraded. Eefined nations treat them with the nicest 
 honour and most punctilious respect." 
 
 Cassar has, in his fifth book, left a record which is ex- 
 tremely unfavourable to the Gaulish and British character. 
 The former are said to have despised their females, and the 
 latter are represented indulging in a community of wives. 
 Sir William Temple gives specious reasons for the existence 
 of this barbarous and disgusting practice : Drs. Henry, 
 Mac Pherson, and others, have taken much pains to vindi- 
 cate our ancestors from an imputation so injurious and so 
 incredible. That such a custom did exist, is extremely 
 doubtful ; but under " Marriage " the subject will be re- 
 sumed and more fully investigated. 
 
 Tacitus does not countenance the reproach of Ceesar, and 
 the charge of immorality brought against the inhabitants 
 of the continent has been repelled by Gibbon, with forcible 
 arguments. The Celts allowed their wives to assist in 
 councils and in settling controversies with their allies, sub- 
 mitting, with suitable deference, to their just decisions. 
 
 The influence of the sex, and the high respect in which 
 they were held, are acknowledged proofs of polished man- 
 ners and are most remarkable in the age of chivalry. This 
 age continued among the Gael while their primitive insti- 
 tutions remained entire. There is no country in Europe, 
 where women are more esteemed than in the Highlands of 
 Scotland : " an unfaithful, unkind, or even careless husband 
 is there looked upon as a monster."' 
 
 The Celts are said to have had power of life and death 
 over their wives and children ; and when a husband, in a 
 respectable family, died, his relations held an inquest, and 
 strictly interrogated the widow. If she were found guilty 
 
 ° See Millar's Distinction of Ranks. 
 
 P Janiieson's Notes on Birt's Letters, ii. p. 46. 
 
IN CELTIC SOCIETY. 219 
 
 of having been accessory to las death, she was executed 
 with fire and torments.' 
 
 The Germans cut off the hair of an adulteress, and, in tlie 
 presence of her kindred, expeUed her naked, pursuing her, 
 witli stripes, througli the village ; for no pardon was ever 
 granted to a woman who had prostituted herself. " How- 
 ever beautiful she be," says Tacitus, " however young, how- 
 ever abounding in wealth, a husband she can never find." 
 
 By the Welsh laws, a man was not allowed to beat his 
 wife, but for three causes : for wishing disgrace to his 
 beard, attempting to murder liim, and for adultery. 
 
 The barbarity of the Scots has been inferred from the 
 existence of the merched mulierum, a custom that has been 
 understood to mean the right of the lord to the first 
 night of a newly married vassal's wife.* Much has been 
 written on this abtruse term,' and many etymologies have 
 been given in proof of the revoltmg custom. Its import 
 is clearly the fine that was paid for liberty to marry ; which 
 
 * The mercheta mulierum did exist and really meant such a right 
 in the chief or superior. The matter could, at times, be compro- 
 mised by a payment in money or cattle ; but quite as often the 
 chief insisted on his right, which could not be refused. There is a 
 well known tradition in Lochaber that the Cummings were driven from 
 Inyerlochy Castle, and out of the district, because of the two sons of the 
 then Gumming, Lord of Lochaber, insisting on representing their father as 
 claimants of the right referred to at the marriage of a Mackenzie, in 
 Nether Lochaber, in the 14th century. The biidegroom resisted the young 
 men's right to act as substitutes for their father in such a matter, and 
 being backed by his friends, the two sons of Gumming were slain. The 
 country then rose to a man, and to a woman, it is said, and drove the 
 Gumming and his followers out of the country. The old man died of 
 vexation and grief at the end of Lochness, and the place of his biuial was 
 called l\.i\\-Chummin, the Gumming's kill or X)lace of interment — the 
 modern Fort-Augustus. Ed. 
 
 9 Gsesar, vi. 17. 
 
 ' See an Essay by Lord Hailes. Whittaker's Hist, of Manchester, an 
 excellent paper, by Mr Anderson, W. S. in the Trans, of Scot's Ant. &c. 
 
220 
 
 FINES EXIGIBLE ON MARRIAGE. 
 
 was exacted in Scotland within these 200 years. A supe- 
 rior could demand a sum, as marriage right, from a male as 
 well as female heir,^ and women were entitled to receive it. 
 The merched of an earl's daughter was twelve cows, the 
 queen having the perquisites, and for a thane's, one cow. 
 Boece says it was a silver mark ; Buchannan the half of one. 
 
 It is scarcely possible for us to conceive that a custom 
 so repugnant to the natural feelings of mankind, could 
 exist in any society at all removed from the lowest bar- 
 barity. Marriage altered the state of the parties, and their 
 relation to the chief Neither widow nor single person was 
 permitted to marry without consent of her superior, and 
 the highest of the nobles were not exempted from the fine. 
 
 The Scots are characterized as very litigious, contending 
 strenuously for what they consider a right, although it may 
 be of no advantage ; — like a substantial farmer, well known 
 in Edinburgh, who utterly ruined himself in prosecuting 
 his claim to the site of a dunghill ; but they appear for- 
 merly to have adopted a summary mode of settling dis- 
 putes. Sir Anthony Weldon thought, in the time of King 
 James, that " their swords were their judges, by reason 
 whereof they had but few lawyers, and those not very rich." 
 
 • Letter from a Gentleman in Scotland, 174 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON THE DRESS OF THE ANCIENT CELTS, AND COS- 
 TUME OF THE PRESENT GAEL. 
 
 Savages in most countries have been found to paint their 
 naked bodies, both for ornament, and with a view to inspire 
 their enemies with terror. Before they have learned to 
 cover their persons with any material, this niay be consi- 
 dered their dress ; but long after they have adopted partial 
 clothing they continue, from attachment to ancient custom, 
 and for the purpose of distinction, to stain, with particular 
 colours and symbols, those part of the body that remain 
 uncovered. 
 
 Allied to the custom of painting, for the purpose of ren- 
 dering themselves terrible to their enemies, is the barbarous 
 practice of besmearing the face with the blood of those who 
 were slain. The Irish, we learn from Solinus, were accus- 
 
222 PAINTING THE BODY 
 
 tomecl to augment tlieir fierceness of visage hj this method, 
 and, according to Spenser, the custom had not been en- 
 tirely dropped in his time. The idea of filling an enemy 
 with dread by personal appearance, is not a bad concep- 
 tion ; for, as Tacitus remarks, on the savage figure of the 
 Germans, the eyes of men are first overcome in battle. It 
 was for the purpose of intimidation that the ancient na- 
 tions stained their bodies, cherished their hair, carried 
 strange crests or helmets, and wore peculiar apparel ; and 
 from this practice has probably originated the military 
 costumes of the present day. The British tribes were re- 
 markable for the practice of painting their bodies ; but it 
 is not a little singular that no positive authority appears 
 for this mode of decoration among the Gauls of the conti- 
 nent. Except a fragment of a statue, supposed to be 
 a Gallic Mercury, discovered at Framont, that prolific 
 field for antiquarian research, and here represented, I have 
 not met with any sculpture to indicate the prevalence of 
 this custom." 
 
 Pelloutier thinks that Tacitus alludes to the practice 
 among the Iberians ;'' he plainly describes the Arrians of 
 Germany as tincta corpora. The Budini, a Getic people 
 painted their bodies blue and red f and Virgil describes aU 
 the Gelonia, or Getse, as picti.*^ The Daci and Sarmatse 
 
 * Montfaucon's Antiquities expliqnes. ^ ii. 7. p. 129. ed. 1770. 
 
 eHeredotus, iv. ^ Georgics, ii. 115. 
 
PRACTISED BY THE BRITONS. 223 
 
 delineated various characters or figures on their bodies, 
 and the women stained their faces with the juice of various 
 herbs.^ The Thracians also, especially the ladies, painted 
 their skins/ The Agathyrsi, a Scythic nation, who are 
 placed in Scandinavia by Jornandes, and on the Sinus Co- 
 danus by Eudbeck, painted their bodies with blue marks, 
 the nobles being distinguished by a great number of these 
 spots or figures.* 
 
 Pliny tells us, the glastum, with which the Britons dyed 
 their bodies, was found in Gaul, but does not say the inha- 
 bitants made a similar use of it. The inference is that 
 they did, but we have no express authority for the suppo- 
 sition ; from which Dr. Mac Pherson thought, that as the 
 painting could not have been derived from Gaul, it origi- 
 ginated among the Caledonians. The Picts, by popular 
 tradition, took their name from this practice ; and their 
 chronicle and Isodore agree in saying, that the Scoti be- 
 came Picti from this circumstance. 
 
 All the Britons, Caesar says, painted with woad, and 
 described various figures on their bodies. These consisted 
 of the sun, moon, and other planets, annuals, &c. The 
 women dyed their whole bodies with this vegetable, the 
 married and young equally, and they appeared so orna- 
 mented at sacrifices and other solemnities quite naked.'' 
 Claudian seems to describe Britannia as painted in the 
 cheeks. 
 
 The stains were impressed in youth ; for it was a sort of 
 tattooing similar to what is performed on the Indians, and 
 for this purpose certain iron instruments were used. The 
 Geloni marked themselves with tools of this metal,' and it 
 was by a similar process that the Picts and other inliabi- 
 
 ^ Pliny xxii. 1. t Dio Chrysostom. 
 
 8 Amm. Mar, xxxi. Solinus, c. 15. Virgil. ^ Plin}', xxii. 1. 
 
 ' Virgil. 
 
224 MANNER OF PAINTING THE BODY. 
 
 tants of Britain stained or tinctured their bodies.^ The 
 British youth, says Solinus, were " marked with the figures 
 of different animals by nice incisions, and there was notliing 
 which they bore with more fortitude than tlie operation, 
 by which their limbs received a deep colouring in durable 
 scars." Isodore says, they bodies of the Picts were punc- 
 tured with a sharp instrument, and his expression " stig- 
 mata Britonum" seems to imply a deeper incision than 
 other nations made.'' 
 
 The marks produced by this operation generally appear 
 blue, when the matter applied is not exactly of that colour, 
 as may be observed on the hands and arms of seamen and 
 others, from which it may be concluded that the ancient 
 Britons did not confine themselves to the use of woad. Iso- 
 dore, who describes the Goths as using red, says, the* Picts 
 coloured themselves with the juice of green grass;' and 
 Ovid terms the Britons " Virides." Martial calls them 
 blue, and the expression " cceruleas scuta Brigantes,'"" is 
 applied to the personal appearance of that nation. Hero- 
 dian seems to represent the Britons as painted with various 
 colours, " notant corpora pictura varia et omnifariam for- 
 mis animalium,"" which is translated by several authors as 
 meaning paintings of different colours, and is applied to 
 the Caledonians. Maule says, that Argentocoxus, or ra- 
 ther Argachocoxus, a celebrated chief of the Caledonian 
 Picts, derived his name from the ancient word Coch, or 
 Goch, red, and that therefore he was of the red clan, as 
 others might be of Clan-buy, the yellow tribe, &c. The 
 conjecture is iugenious, if not satisfactory. 
 
 This practice of staining the body was retained by the 
 
 J Claudian de Bello Getico. 
 
 *^Origiues, xix. 23. Pliuy says, some Eastern nations marked their 
 bodies with hot searing irons. ' A-p. Maule's History of the Picts. 
 
 m Seneca de Claudio. " Hist. iii. 
 
FIEST ARTICLES OF DRESS. 225 
 
 Angli, to so low a period as the Norman conquest. They 
 are even described by William of Malmsbury, as having 
 their skins marked with figures." The custom had before 
 his time been very prevalent, but the attention of the clergy 
 was at last called to this relick of paganism ; and the coun- 
 cil of Cealhythe, in 787, denounces those who used such 
 ornaments, as moved " diabolico instinctu," tlie body which 
 was created fair and comely, being coloured with dirty 
 stains, unprofitable to salvation. 
 
 Mankind did not at first clothe themselves for the sake 
 of decency. Dress is assumed more from pride and osten- 
 tation among savages, and is rendered subservient to their 
 protection in war, rather than adopted as a defence from 
 the severities of climate. The Greeks and Eomans thought 
 it no indelicacy, to appear naked in public. Larcher on 
 Herodotus states a remark of Plato, that the Greeks had 
 not long considered it ridiculous and disgraceful for a man 
 to appear in a state of nudity. 
 
 In dress, as before observed, the chief object was to im- 
 press the enemy with dismay, by producing a strange and 
 terrific appearance : a second, and not less strong feeling 
 in decorating the person was vanity. Pride of dress is 
 found to influence the lowest savages, who are, according to 
 their circumstances, as ostentatious in this respect, as the 
 most civilized society. 
 
 No race were more proud of their apparel and personal 
 decorations than the ancient Celtaj, and their taste in array- 
 ing themselves, with the singularity and splendour of their 
 attire, struck their enemies with amazement. The beauty 
 and riches of the dress of the Gauls, at the battle of 
 Telamon, was wonderful, for the whole army shone 
 ^\dth purple silk and chains, and bracelets of gold, which 
 
 De G. E. A. L. 3, "picturatis stigmatibus cutein insiguiti." 
 
 Q 
 
226 SKINS OF ANIMALS. 
 
 they wore about their wrists and neck," and the brilli- 
 ancy of colour in their sagas were the admiration of other 
 nations, who were proud to make a humble imitation of the 
 manufacture. 
 
 The undressed skins of animals form the first covering 
 of mankind, and they continue to be used until the art 
 of fabricating more suitable materials is discovered, or 
 until all have attained sufficient wealth to purchase them. 
 The Greeks, more particularly the Arcadians, were clothed 
 in skins, in the time of Aristodemus," and the Ligurians 
 continued long to dress themselves in the hides of wild 
 beasts, fastened around them, by means of a belt.' 
 
 Tacitus says, the remote Germans wore the skins of ani- 
 mals, in some cases from necessity, in others from choice, 
 and some of them they diversified with numerous spots." 
 Csesar also describes the Suevi as arrayed in skins, and 
 Virgil says the Getse made use of the same covering. 
 
 According to Dio, the Caledonians were naked : but, as 
 Dr. Mac Pherson observes, we are not to believe they were 
 entirely destitute of covering. Herodian represents them as 
 being only partially clad ; and with their scanty covering 
 the expression naked was not inapplicable.* At the period 
 of Cajsar's descent, most of the inhabitants were clothed 
 with the skins of animals," but woollen garments were also 
 in use. A clothing of undressed skins is easily procured, 
 and is the best substitute for other materials, in a jjoor 
 country, where manufactures are but little known. The 
 common people in Germany and Gaul continued to dress 
 in this manner, long after their chiefs had adopted gar- 
 ments of linen and woollen cloth. At the commencement 
 
 P Polybus, ii. •< Pausanias, iv. ii. ' Diodorns. 
 
 » De mor. Germ. They also dressed in tlie skins of sea monsters. 
 
 t Lib. iii. 47. " Bello Galileo. 
 
MATTEN AND WOOLLEN CLOTHES. 227 
 
 of the Christian era, the Belgic Britons, who were more 
 civilised than the nations of the interior, were generally 
 dressed in woollen garments ; but the use of this manu- 
 facture was chiefly confined to the southern tribes, for it 
 was only the principal persons in the interior who had be- 
 gun to use it. "We find, in the ancient Gaelic poems, the 
 skin of a boar as the dress of a hero. The monks of lona, 
 at a later period dressed in skins, although they had linen 
 also, which they imported, no doubt, from the main land ; 
 nay, " in the book of dresses, Paris, 1562, from which fac- 
 similes are published," the Highlanders are said to be 
 represented arrayed in sheep skins.'' 
 
 The ancient Britons had a sort of manufacture of the 
 inner bark of trees, which still exists among the farmers in 
 Germany, Sweden, Denmark, &c., under the name of 
 matten, who employ it for agricultural purposes. Mathan 
 in Gaelic is a twig, or rush, from which come the English 
 mat, matted, &c. 
 
 The first woollen vestment which we find used by the 
 Gauls and Germans, was a square blanket thrown over the 
 naked shoulders, and, from its value, worn only by the 
 chiefs. This was called sagum, the same name which was 
 given to the inartificial cloak which it had succeeded. Sac, 
 in Gaelic, signifies a skin or hide. The Belgse called this 
 part of their dress lene, or linne. Eeno, which Varro says 
 is Gallic, was a term applied to it by some Germans, while 
 others denominated it mastruga.'^ 
 
 Tlie manufacture of woollen cloth must have existed 
 among the Celtae from the most early period. They were 
 particularly ingenious in dying the material, and in its fabri- 
 
 " Letter on the Highland Dress. Scots' Mag. Nov. 1798, p. 743. 
 " Cluverius Germ. Ant. ' ' Saga vulgo Sayon a quo milites nostros 
 Sayatos appellamus." Pol Virgil de Invent, rerum, 1604. 
 
228 MANUFACTURE OF WOOL. 
 
 cation ; and their perfection in the art bespeaks long use 
 and experience, as well as much taste. The sigularity of 
 the Gaulish habit excited the astonishment of the Eomans : 
 but althougli tliey adopted the use of the warm cloth which 
 the Belgse manufactured, it does not appear tliat they ever 
 wore the showy pattern which the Celtse had the honour to 
 invent. Other nations, admiring its gaudy appearance, 
 were induced to relinquish their own dress, and adopt it in- 
 stead. The Franks were so pleased with the striped sagum 
 that they assumed it in preference to their own habit." 
 The Saxons, in like manner, imitated the curious workman- 
 ship of those ingenious people, and carried it to great per- 
 fection. The place where they worked was called " the 
 Tuphus of wouUe," and women attended to the manufac- 
 ture.^ The spinners and weavers in Germany worked 
 under ground, in caves." 
 
 There were different qualities of Celtic wool. That of 
 Lusitania and of Narbonne was rough and coarse ; in Pie- 
 mont it was chiefly grey ; in Celtiberia it was mostly black ; 
 and in Andalusia and Grenada it was reddish.a 
 
 The Gauls appear to have made a sort of felt without 
 weaving, the cuttings of which were formed into mattrasses. 
 Perhaps Strabo alludes to this article when he says the 
 sagum was rough outside. When vinegar was used in the 
 preparation of this, it resisted the blow of a sword, and was 
 even some defence against fire.* 
 
 They shore the wool close, says Diodorus, and called 
 their thick cassocks, coenas. They also wore the sagum 
 thicker than usual in winter. The Celtic weavers were, 
 certainly, most ingenious artists, and produced work that 
 astonished other nations, by its richness and singularity. 
 
 ''- Favin, also an author in Baluzii capitularia, ii. 741, quoted by 
 Whittaker. 
 
 y Fosbrook, in MSS. ^ Pliny, « Pliny, viii. 48. 
 
OIUGIN OF TAKTAN. 229 
 
 The description of it has been snpposed to imply that 
 the figures of flowers were represented in the texture of the 
 cloth, but this nice and difficult operation in the art 
 is not likely to have been known in those rude ages. It 
 was much easier to fall on the way of using alternate co- 
 lours, both in warp and woof, and thereby produce that 
 appearance which, at a distance, to those unacquainted with 
 its nature, might readily be taken for flowering.* Diodorus 
 had no name for this manufacture, which was peculiar to 
 the Celts, and only means to say, as I apprehend, that it 
 resembled a flowered robe ; for he goes on to describe it as 
 formed in distinct striped squares.** This opinion seems 
 
 * If the following paragraph had appeared during the life-time of our 
 author, it would, we daresay, have interested him not a little. It is from 
 a Pall Mall Gazette, March, 1875. Ed. 
 
 The Philology of Tartan. — Whenever the Eastern question assumes 
 more threatening proportions, and Herat and Merv, which Sir Percy 
 Burrell seems to think are on the India frontier, are menaced by our 
 enemies, it will be satisfactory to know that we possess in the very heart of 
 Asia a little band of allies, whose hearts, we may hope, will beat in unison 
 with the dwellers on our own Grampian Plills. A recent traveller to Zanskar, 
 struck by the Scotch pronunciation of these Tibetan mountaineers, has 
 ascertained from a Gaelic scholar that the Highlanders of Scotland and the 
 inhabitants of this province belong to the same race. Zanskar is simply 
 Sanquhar. Bonnets, brooches, and plaids are worn, and the woollen 
 garments of these Asiatics are checked and strijied in brilliant colours, 
 after the manner of clan tartans. R and N being interchangeable conson- 
 ants, it is possible that Tartan comes from Tartar, while almost every 
 name in this locality has a Gaelic meaning. The traveller also darkly 
 alludes to another legend not generally known which was related to him by 
 a learned friend, "who insists that the word tartan obtained its present 
 application when the Assyrian general Tartan (Isaiah xx. 1-4) took Ashdad, 
 and carried away the Egyptians captive in an imperfectly clothed con- 
 dition, which must have made them bear a striking resemblance to Scotch 
 Highlanders in their national costume." 
 
 •> " Ac sell floribus conspersas." ***** " saga etiam virgata, 
 crebrisque tesselis florum instar distincta." Pliny says, " Scutulis vestes 
 dividere instituit Gallia ; " while he elsewhere describes the Parthians 
 as weaving letters or characters in their cloth. Lib. xiii. ii. 
 
230 ORIGIN OF TAETAN. 
 
 confirmed by wliat Pliny says of tlie Lusitanian manufac- 
 ture, tliat tlie mesli-work of tlie liome-spun garment gave 
 it value. The " scutulato textu " has been talcen for round 
 figures, or lozenge-figured damask. The following note 
 on the passage is more just : " textus virgatus est macu- 
 larum instar cancellatim et reticulatim distinctus Lausa- 
 gias Galli vocant."" 
 
 If we could give credit to the few dark imitations con- 
 cerning the Hyperborei of Britain, a proof that the manu- 
 facture which is plainly Tartan, existed in this country 
 at a period long prior to the commencement of our credi- 
 ble history, would be found ; for Abaris, the high piiest 
 of that people, wore a robe which corresponds, from the 
 description, exactly to the Scots' plaid. 
 
 It may be presumed, without insisting on an authority 
 so doubtful, the Gallic colonists brought with them their 
 national artificers and manufactures ; as cloth does not ap- 
 pear to have been an article of import with the Britons, 
 among whom its use was common, at the era of the Ptoman 
 descent. 
 
 The Belgse are believed to have introduced the use of 
 woollen vestments, an opinion which is founded on their 
 being more generally worn by those tribes than the less 
 polished inhabitants of the interior. The skins of animals, 
 as they were more easily procured, appear to have formed 
 the dress of the common people throughout the island, but 
 the manufacture of woollen cloth was well understood at an 
 early period. 
 
 Bondiuca w^ore a tunic, interwoven with various colours, 
 over which was a mantle of a coarser texture, being the 
 dress which she wore at all times.^ Varro says the Britons 
 wore a garment called Guauacum, which was of divers 
 
 = Comment, ad Pliny, in ed. Lugd. 1668. ^ Dig, 
 
OEIGIN OF TARTAN. 231 
 
 colours, woven together and making a gaudy show ;* and 
 Tacitus says the ^Estii, a German nation, wore the British 
 dress, which must have been the Gallic. 
 
 The Saxons continued the manufacture, which Aldhelm, 
 who was Bishop of Sherborn about 970, describes in a 
 pleasing manner. Writing in praise of virginity, he says, 
 " it is not the web of one uniform colour and texture, with- 
 out any variety of figures, that pleases the eye and appears 
 beautiful, but one that ie woven by shuttles, filled with 
 threads of purple and various other colours, flying from 
 side to side, and forming a variety of figures and images 
 in different compartments, with admirable art."^ The 
 Saxons, not having a sufficiently Celtic taste, appear to 
 have given up this manufacture. 
 
 Cloth, in the most simple composition, is left of the na- 
 tural wool, without being coloured by any artificial process. 
 Hence the Celtiberians, in general, wore black sagas,^ the 
 wool being of that colour. Giraldus Cambrensis says most 
 of the Irish were clad in black, for the same reason ; and the 
 Loughtan cloth of the Isle of Man is made from the na- 
 tural wool of a particular breed of sheep, some of which are 
 said still to exist in St. Kilda and other remote islands. 
 The colour is yellowish, or that of an unblanched bitter 
 almond, and the inhabitants are very partial to it.** 
 
 Throughout Scotland more particularly in the North 
 Highlands, the cloth was made of the undyed wool, the 
 white and black being generally appropriated for blankets, 
 or plaids, and for the upper garments, the grey for hose and 
 mits for the gudeman. The Hodden grey was the general 
 attire among the farmers, as it still, in most parts of the 
 
 * Ap. Strutt's Chronicles, p. 275. ' Strutt, ut sup. s Diodorus. 
 
 ^ Histories of the Isle of Man, Stat. Account, Agric. Eep. &c. The 
 manx word Loshhyn, signifies burnt, or singed. Lachdan, in Gaelic, is 
 grey. " A Lauchtane mantle then him by. " The Bruce. 
 
232 ORIGIN OF TARTAN. 
 
 interior and in Ireland, continues to be. Sheep shearing 
 was, perhaps, unknown to the primitive tribes. The Shet- 
 landers still continue to tear off the wool ; a practice less 
 cruel than at first appears, for it is not done until after the 
 roots have been forced out by the young fleece ; but it is 
 very injudicious, for much is naturally cast, and, conse- 
 quently, lost. 
 
 It would appear that, in ancient times, the Irish had 
 garments formed of hair. A coat of unknown texture 
 was dug from a bog at a depth of fifteen feet ; and in 
 another place, eleven feet under the surface of the earth, a 
 body was found clothed in a garment of hair. From the 
 singularity of its appearance, the supposition was, that it 
 had been fabricated from that of the Moosedeer.* We find 
 that the Irish, in later periods than those to which the 
 above discoveries are referable, wore " girdles of women's 
 hair and locks of their lovers ; "^ nurses and children being 
 girt with belts of female hair, finely plaited. These were 
 rather ornamental than necessary apparel, but we find 
 Fin Mac Coul was arrayed in " hieland pladdis of hair."'' 
 
 Wool is the material which the Celtre must have manu- 
 factured, from the most remote ages, and the texture of the 
 web must have varied according to the abilities of the 
 workmen, or affluence of the parties. In 1786, there was 
 found among other articles, at a depth of seventeen feet, in 
 a bog in Ireland, a coat in shape like a spencer or jacket, 
 of a coarse woollen net-work. 
 
 The Highlanders sometimes made their plaids very fine, 
 but, for general wear, they bestowed less pains.' The cath- 
 dath, or cadas, was a thick sort, made for the men, and 
 
 ' Archseologia, vii. i Gainsford's Glory of England, 1619. 
 
 ^ Interlude of the Droichis, noticed in Sir John Sinclair's Diss, on 
 Ossian's Poems, p. xxvii. ^ Martin. Gen. Stewart. 
 
LUATHADH, OR FULLING OF CLOTH. 233 
 
 intended, as its name, battle colour, implies, to be worn 
 during war. Of this milled cloth, hose, trews, jacket and 
 waistcoat were usually made, but the plaid and feilebeag 
 were always of common tartan. Clodh was used for coats, 
 and was commonly what is called hodden grey in the Low- 
 lands, and lachdan by the Highlanders. Cuirtan was 
 similar to a common Scot's blanket, but of finer wool and 
 fairer workmanship. 
 
 The luathadh, or process of fulling or cleansing cloth, in 
 the Highlands, is conducted in a singular manner. Six or 
 eight, sometimes even fourteen, females, sit down on each side 
 of a long frame of wattled work, or a board ribbed longitu- 
 dinally for the purpose, and placed on the ground. The 
 cloth being wet, is then laid on it, and the women, kneeling, 
 rub it with all their strength, until their arms become tired, 
 when they sit down and applying their bare feet, commence 
 the loaulkmg in good earnest, singing a particular melody, 
 the notes of which increase in loudness, as the work pro- 
 ceeds. The following account of the manner of preparing 
 the plaids, and the expense attending the manufacture, about 
 the middle of the last century, is given in the Agricultural 
 Eeport of Caithness. When the web was sent home, it was 
 washed in warm water, and, if it was necessary to full it, the 
 door was taking off its hinges and laid on the floor, the web 
 being taking out of the water and laid on it. Four wo- 
 men, with bare legs, having sat down on a little straw, at 
 equal distances on each side, on the signal of a song, (similar 
 to the Ran de Vache, in Switzerland,) each aj)plied the soles 
 of her feet to the web, and began pushing and tumbling it 
 about, nntd it was sufficiently done, when it was stretched 
 out to dry. Cloth, if good, and for sale, fetched Is. per 
 yard, and tartan, if also good, and of fine colours. Is. or 
 Is. 2d. That industry and simplicity of life, the reporter 
 adds, are now gone. 
 
234 TARTAN NOT A RECENT INVENTION. 
 
 This mode of washing is the Luaghadh, described by 
 Pennant, and of which he has given a print. It is related 
 of an English gentleman, that having accidentally looked 
 into a cottage where the females were so engaged, he has- 
 tily retired, reporting that he had seen a whole company of 
 furious lunatics. 
 
 Woollen must have been at first woven of one colour, or 
 an intermixture of natural black and white, so frequently 
 seen in Scotland, in the present day. The process of dying 
 increases the expense, and is not at all times practicable. 
 Buchannan says the prevailing colour in his time was brown ; 
 most likely that above alluded to. Blue was the favourite 
 colour of the painted Britons, from which Britannia was 
 represented arrayed in a blue garment. 
 
 Pinkerton and several other writers of less note, have 
 affected to believe, that tartan was a recent invention. 
 Its antiquity among the Celtse is already proved, and if it 
 was a manufacture of the ancient Britons, there appears no 
 reason to believe that it was ever lost by their descendants. 
 Lesly and Buchannan mention it, as worn by the High- 
 landers ; and an old chronicle says, the inhabitants of the 
 Western Isles delighted "to wear marled cloaths, specially 
 that have long stripes of sundry colours. Their predeces- 
 sors used short mantles, or plaids of divers colours, 
 sundry ways divided ; and amongst some the same custom 
 is observed to this day, but for the most part now they are 
 broun, most near to the colour of the hadder, to the effect 
 when they lie among the hadder, the bright colours of their 
 plaids shall not bewray them.'"" 
 
 " In Argyle and the Hebudse, before the middle of the 
 fifteenth century, tartan was manufactured of one or two 
 colours for the poor; more varied for the rich."" Beague 
 
 ™Lord Somers' Tracts, vol. xiii. "Heron's Hist, of Scotland, v. p. 28. 
 
TARTAN NOT A EECENT INVENTION. 235 
 
 describes tlie Gael nearly 300 years ago as having a wool- 
 len covering, variously coloured. In the charge and dis- 
 charge of John, Bishop of Glasgow, treasurer to King 
 James III., 1471, are the following items : 
 
 " An elne and aue halve of blue Tartaue to lyiie his gowne of 
 
 cloth of gold £1 10s. 
 
 Four elne and ane halve of Tartane, for a sparwort aboun his 
 
 credill, price ane elne 10s. ... ... ... ... ... 2 5 
 
 Halve ane elne of doble Tartane to lyne ridin collars to her 
 lady the Quene, price 8 shillins. 
 
 There is a portrait of Sir William Wallace at Tay- 
 mouth, a seat of Lord Braidalban, where the patriot is re- 
 presented with a plaid of tartan fastened on his breast by 
 a large brooch. The authenticity of this picture may be 
 questioned but it is possible for a rude painting to have 
 been preserved by a copy, as was done with that of William 
 the Lion in the hall of the incorporated trades of Aberdeen, 
 which is known to have been re-painted from a very old 
 and decayed portrait, upwards of one hundred years ago. 
 If this, however, were not the case with the one in question, 
 it is yet of greater antiquity than the period assigned by 
 many for the introduction of the manufacture. It must 
 have been handed down from the ancient tribes, but, from 
 change of circumstances, the patterns were made less rich. 
 The name breacan, which the Highlanders give to their 
 upper garment, derived from breac, checquered, is a strong 
 proof of its antiquity. 
 
 Achy Edgathach, an Irish legislator, is said to have in- 
 troduced the Laws of colours to that people, which are 
 represented as having done more towards procuring esteem 
 and respect than all the trappings of eastern magnificence." 
 The number of colours among them and the Caledonians,, 
 
 ° Dissertations on the Ancient History of Ireland, 1753, p. 124. 
 
236 VARIOUS DYES. 
 
 indicated the rank of the wearer, a king or chief having 
 seven, a Druid six, and other nobles four in their robes. 
 In later times, those who could afford to do so, may have 
 indulged their taste by introducing a variety of rich co- 
 lours ; the poor were obliged to make their cloth plain. 
 Green and black, with an occasional stripe of red, seem to 
 have predominated ; but some districts have been distin- 
 guished for their peculiar taste, as Badenoch, where red 
 tartan was prevalent, and Lochaber, where the patterns 
 were remarkably gaudy, &c. 
 
 The Highlanders had neither cochineal lac dye, foreign 
 woods, nor other excellent substances to impart various 
 tints to their Breacan ; but their native hills afforded arti- 
 cles with which they had found the art of dying brilliant, 
 permanent, and pleasing colours. Caledonia was indeed 
 much less prolific in the materials for this purpose than 
 Gaul, where the peojjle arrived at high perfection in the 
 art. With the use of herbs only in the process of dying, 
 they produced colours so beautiful as to excite the ad- 
 miration of the polished Greeks and Eomans. They had 
 a dye which rivalled the Tyrian purple. The hyacinth 
 is said to have afforded this beautiful tint ; but the vac- 
 cinium, supposed by some commentators to have been a 
 certain herb, and by others taken for the whortle, scotic^, 
 blaeberry, is ^particularly mentioned by Pliny, as having 
 been employed by the Gauls to produce this colour," the 
 hyacinth, which, he says, prospered exceedingly in Gaul, 
 being used to dye red.' These people also produced scarlet, 
 violet, and all sorts of beautiful colours, from various 
 plants. The first was extracted from the grain of a bram- 
 ble which they called us, and the Greeks denominated 
 coccos.' In Lusitania the royal scarlet was produced.* 
 
 P Pliny, xvi. c. 18. 1 1Lid. xxi. 26. « Pausauias, x. 36. Pliny. 
 
 * Pliny, xxii. 
 
VARIOUS DYES. 237 
 
 The Gauls, says Pliny, were wiser tliau others, for they 
 did not endanger their lives, and ransack foreign countries 
 and seas for articles to dye their stuffs, to please a licen- 
 tious populace, but " with excellent thrift and good hus- 
 bandrie, they stood safe upon the drie land, and gathered 
 those herbs to die such colours as an honest minded person 
 hath no cause to blame, nor the world reason to cry out 
 upon."" 
 
 The British Gael were, perhaps, unable to give those 
 rich colours to their stuffs which appeared in the manufac- 
 ture of the ancient Celtic tribes of the continent. They 
 had various articles which they employed successfully in 
 dying their garments ; but when engaged in war, they pre- 
 ferred a dark pattern. Bark of aller or alder, was used 
 for black, that of willow produced flesh colour. Corkir, 
 or crotil geal, a substance formed on stone, was made use 
 of by the West Islanders to dye " a pretty crimson colour," 
 and another similar substance called crotil dubh, " of a 
 dark colour, only dyes a philamot," which is, however, very 
 permanent. There is a root called rue, once much used for 
 red, but now strictly prohibited from being taken up, as 
 the sand is loosened, and thereby becomes liable to over- 
 spread the land." Other vegetable substances were em- 
 ployed by the Highlanders, who were able to produce 
 finer colours than is generally supposed. The Caledonian 
 women, who " wove the robe for their love," made it " like 
 the bow of the shower." General Stewart mentions having 
 seen specimens of very old tartan that retained the tints in 
 their original brilliancy ; and a gentleman assured me that 
 he had seen a garment upwards of 200 years old, the 
 
 "Ibid. xxii. Holland's Traiisl. 1601. p. 115. 
 ' Buchaunan's Ilistoiy of the Western Islands. 
 
238 CLAN TARTANS. 
 
 colours in wliicli were still admirable.* The materials for 
 dying were procured among their native hills, and, like the 
 Gauls, they did not seek for articles produced in other 
 countries. A Mv. Gordon, of Kirk Michael, Banffshire, 
 about 1755, introduced to notice the simple process by 
 which an elegant purple can be obtained from the crotil, 
 cupmoss, or lichen, to which he gave the name cudbear, 
 either from cuid a bear, the best part, or in allusion to his 
 own name, Cuthbert. In the Scots' Magazine of 1776 
 he published a certificate from several dyers, that they used 
 it with much success. It became consequently an article of 
 trade, and in 1808 and 1809, from 4 to £500 worth was 
 gathered off the rocks in the counties of Aberdeen and 
 Banff;" but Mr. Gordon did not arrive at so much perfec- 
 tion in fixing the colour as many of his own countrywomen, 
 
 " Give me bullock's blood and lime," said a Highlander 
 to a friend of mine, " and I will joroduce you fine colours." 
 Every farmer's good- wife was competent to dye blue, red, 
 green, yellow, black, brown, and their compounds. When 
 we consider the care with which the Highlanders arranged 
 and preserved the patterns of then' different tartans, and 
 the pride which they had in this manufacture, we must be- 
 lieve that the dyers sj)ared no pains to preserve and improve 
 the excellence of their craft. 
 
 " There is a great deal of ingenuity required in sorting 
 the colours, so as to be agreeable to the nicest fancy. For 
 this reason the women are at much pains, first to give an 
 exact pattern of the plaid upon a small rod, having the 
 
 * An old man in Lochaber sometimes wears a tartan coat, cut out of a web 
 spun and woven upwards of seventy years ago, in whicb the colours, red, 
 green, brown, are as bright and perfect as on the day they left the 
 loom. Ed. 
 
 "Agric. Kep. for Banffshire. 
 
CLAN TARTANS. 239 
 
 number of every thread of the stripe on it."" The farmer's 
 wife generally dyed her own wool, although there might be 
 some small dye works in the neighbourhood ; but whether 
 she coloured the materials or employed others, the pattern 
 of the web was not left to the weaver's fancy. He received 
 his instructions by means of a small stick, round which the 
 exact number of threads in every bar was shewn, a practice 
 in use to this very day. Sir Benjamin West regarded the 
 clan tartans as specimens of national taste, and says that 
 there was great art displayed in the composition of the 
 various patterns, and in the combination and opposition of 
 colours. 
 
 The particular setts, or patterns, of tartan, appropriate 
 to each clan, must have been long fixed. Every tribe and 
 every island differed from each other " in the fancy of mak- 
 ing plaids, as to the stripes, in breadth and colours."^ The 
 breacan of the Highlander was a sort of coat armour, or 
 tabard, by which his name and clan were at once recog- 
 nised. At the same time, in their undress they indulged 
 their taste in fancy patterns. It was a valuable reward for 
 good conduct in youth, to bestow a plaid, in which various 
 colours were introduced, and it appears to have been prized 
 by those of more advanced years. An old song makes a 
 Celt, in wooing a Lowland lass, say : 
 
 " Bra' sail the setts o' your braid tartans be, 
 If ye will gang to the north Highlands wi' me." 
 
 Tartans may be divided into the general descriptions of 
 green and red, where these colours predominate. In the five 
 regiments who still wear the kilt, it is the former. That 
 of the 42nd is the plainest and most common pattern, and 
 is often called the black watch, from the old name of the 
 
 ^ Martin. ^ Ibid. p. 208. 
 
240 CLAN TARTANS. 
 
 corps, who were so denominated from wearing tartan only, 
 the red jacket being a late alteration. The regular colours 
 are blue, black and green, but a red stripe in the middle 
 of the former is often introduced. This is said to have been 
 first added by Lord Murray, who commanded the regiment, 
 as the Athol sett, and to distinguish the Feilebeag, then 
 introduced from the old Breacan feile.'' It appeared to me 
 very ununiform in this regiment, that both patterns should 
 be worn indifferently. The band continue to wear tartan 
 of the same red pattern which formed the original dress of 
 the pipers and drummers. 
 
 The 78th, or Eoss-shire Highlanders, wear the Mac 
 Kenzie tartan, having been raised from that clan. 
 
 The 79th, or Cameron Highlanders, wear their appro- 
 priate and well composed tartan. 
 
 The 9 -ind, or Gordon Highlanders, also wear their pe- 
 culiar sett, which is very pleasing, and the 93rd wear the 
 Sutherland tartan, which appears only different from the 
 plain sett of the 42ncl in having the green and blue lighter, 
 the former being shewn in the kilt and plaid. 
 
 The 71st regiment, or Mac Kenzie Highland light in- 
 fantry, when first -raised, wore their own clan plaid ; the 
 72nd, or Seaforth Highlanders, being also a Mac Kenzie 
 regiment, wore the same tartan and costume ; but the late 
 Duke of York taking a fancy to this corps after their re- 
 turn from the Cape of Good Hope, called them " the Duke 
 of Albany's own Highlanders," and gave them a scarf plaid 
 and trowsers of the royal tartan. It is extraordinary tliat 
 those two regiments, the oldest embodied clan corps, should 
 wear trowsers, a dress formerly confined to lame, sick, or 
 aged Highlanders ! It has been a source of great vexation 
 to their clan and country. Assuredly, Lord Mac Leod, the 
 
 '^ Stewart's Sketches of tlie Highlanders. 
 
CLAN TARTANS. 241 
 
 eldest son of Mac Kenzie, Earl of Cromarty, who raised 
 the 73rd, now the 71st, and Mac Kenzie, Earl of Seaforth, 
 who embodied the old 78th, now the 72nd, would never 
 have thought of an alteration so unnecessary and so uncon- 
 genial to Celtic feeling. "Whoever has the high honour to 
 command the British army, should not forget how strongly 
 the high minded and brave Gael are attached to their 
 national costume ; and as these regiments have still the 
 name of Highlanders, and are composed of them, it is to 
 be hoped, their appropriate military uniform will be yet 
 restored. 
 
 While on this subject, I cannot avoid noticing an unac- 
 countable practice in some Highland regiments, where the 
 officers seldom appear in the feilebeag, except on field days 
 and particular occasions ! Is it from an idea that it is un- 
 becoming, or that the privates only are obliged to wear the 
 kilt ? It is a strange inconsistency, and a very unmilitary 
 custom, for which I presume the respective colonels or 
 adjutants are aswerable. Having some time since lived 
 four or five years where the 78th were stationed, I must 
 exonerate that corps from the above reflections, officers 
 and men being always dressed in proper regimentals. 
 
 His Majesty, and all the branches of the Eoyal Family, 
 wear the royal plaid of the High Steward of Scotland, as 
 shewn in the figure of the chief of the clan, and described 
 in the table of tartans. His Eoyal Highness the Duke of 
 Sussex has a pattern, peculiar to himself, which is repre- 
 sented in the explanatory plate. It is worn for Inverness, 
 from which he has the title of Earl. All regular tartans 
 are made, so that, in the folds of the kilt and plaid, which 
 are formed in what is called quilled, or box plaiting, a 
 particular stripe shall appear. Thus, in the Gordon sett, 
 it is yellow, in the ]\Iac Kenzie white, &c., and wherever 
 one of these patterns cannot be formed in this way. the 
 
242 CLAN TARTANS. 
 
 web is irregular ; and an error in weaving would equally 
 derange the operation of making up a jacket, wliicli con- 
 sumes a considerable quantity of cloth, being cut on the 
 bias, and is a great work of nicety and skill. 
 
 The table given in the Appendix will shew the exact 
 pattern of the tartans appropriate to the respective clans. 
 It is as correct as the most laborious personal investigations, 
 and the able assistance of some valued friends, conversant 
 on the subject, could make it : still there are many clans, 
 especially in the Lowlands, who have peculiar tartans, that 
 are not included in the table. 
 
 The Highland Society, some years since, undertook the 
 laudable task of collecting specimens of the various distin- 
 guishing tartans of the Scottish Celts, and succeeded in pro- 
 curing a great many specimens. When we consider the severe 
 laws that were passed, to restrain the Highlanders from 
 wearing cloth of this manufacture, and the long period in 
 which they were rigorously enforced, with the act which 
 at once abolished the system of clanship, that venerable 
 monument of the policy of our ancestors, and gave a deadly 
 blow to the cherished institutions of the Gael, we must 
 cease to wonder that so much is lost of their ancient man- 
 ners, and feel rather surprised that so much has survived 
 " the abolition of heritable jurisdictions." 
 
 It will be seen that no Family tartans are introduced in 
 the list. The investigations of the Highland Society, the 
 stimulus given by the visit of our Gracious Monarch to 
 Scotlaud, where the great chiefs brought their followers to 
 attend him, and where the Celtic Society, dressed in proper 
 costume, formed his Majesty's body guard, with other 
 circumstances which rendered it necessary for individuals 
 to appear in their peculiar uniforms, have combined to 
 excite much curiosity among all classes, to ascertain the 
 particular tartans and badges they were entitled to wear. 
 
CLAN TAKTANS. 243 
 
 This creditable feeling unfortunately led to a result dif- 
 ferent from what might have been expected : fanciful varie- 
 ties of tartan and badges were passed off as genuine, and 
 the attempt to set the public right on these matters is likely 
 to meet the objections of many. I am, however, confident, 
 from the respectability of my sources of information, that 
 my statements are the most correct of any hitherto pub- 
 lished. In laying them before the public, I claim for my- 
 self an acquittal from all prejudice and partiality. 
 
 It is obvious that family tartans must be, in a great 
 measure, dependant on individual taste ; for, although 
 many are, no doubt, of ancient origin, they were not dis- 
 tinctive of tribes. Several, also, have of late adopted par- 
 ticular tartans, while spurious patterns have been imposed 
 on others, as approjDriate to their name. The difficulty 
 of compiling a correct list must be allowed, and with- 
 out giving all the varieties, it would be unsatisfactory 
 and incomplete. As the author is preparing a work 
 expressely, on tartans and badges, with illustrative plates, 
 an object, for the above reasons, so very desirable, he takes 
 this opportunity of soliciting information or patterns from 
 those noblemen and gentlemen who may feel interested in 
 the subject. 
 
 The utility of these lists is apparent. Any one desirous 
 of possessing the tartan of his clan, may, by inspecting the 
 table, inform himself of the exact pattern and with this 
 knowledge he cannot be deceived in making a purchase. 
 The advantage of these accurate descriptions to the manu- 
 facturer and dealer is obvious. They will, by this guide, 
 be able to provide the true sett of any clan tartan. 
 
 The word tartan is derived from the Gaelic tarstin, or 
 tarsiiin, across. A friend has suggested an ingenious ety- 
 mology of cath-dath, before translated " war colour : " it 
 may very aptly signify the " strife of colours," as if they 
 
244 TASTEFUL AERANGEMENT OF COLOURS. 
 
 emulated each other in brilliancy. The French tyretaine, 
 a sort of woollen cloth, is certainly of Gallic origin. John 
 de Meum, the continuator of the Eomance of the Eose, 
 mentions scarlet woollen cloth of tyretaine, as forming part 
 of women's dress. 
 
 This manufacture appears to be unknown in France. A 
 gentleman who has travelled on the continent in all directions 
 for some years past, declares he never met with it of na- 
 tive fabrication. In a letter which I lately received, he 
 thus writes ; " It is a certam fact that tartan is not manu- 
 factured any where, not even in England, I believe, as it 
 should be. A French dealer in such goods assured me 
 that, in France, they had never succeeded." 
 
 Stirling, in Scotland, has been long celebrated for its 
 manufacture of this cloth, and a very fine web, especially 
 of scarlet, which the Highlanders could not produce from 
 their native dye-stuffs, was known as " Stirling Tartan." 
 An old weaver at the village of Bannockburn, in the vici- 
 nity, has, from his intimate acquaintance with the various 
 patterns, been dubbed " the Lord Lyon, oi Tartan he- 
 raldry." 
 
 It has been predicted, that " the tasteless regularity 
 and vulgar glare " of this manufacture would for ever pre- 
 vent its adoption by genteel society. How changed the 
 feeling of the present age must be, when it is not only so 
 fashionable in the British islands, but popular throughout 
 the civilized world. A certain writer denounced it as 
 " most offensive to the eye." Sir Benjamin West, whose 
 opinion is likely to be much more correct, expressed his 
 admiration of the fine effect of the combination of colours. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to illustrate the costume of the an- 
 cient Celtse satisfactorily, without a series of figures, for their 
 dresses seem to have varied. It is to be regretted, that no au- 
 thentic moimment, of suflicient antiquity, exists, from which 
 
COSTUME. 245 
 
 we can ascertain, with certainty, tlie costume of that peo- 
 ple. The Greeks had some representations of them : a pic- 
 ture of the slaughter of the G-auls in Mysia, was to be seen 
 in the tower of the Athenians ; and the Pergamenians, who 
 resisted them in one of their invasions, retained their spoils, 
 and had pictures, i. e. sculptures or paintings of their trans- 
 actions with them.* There were also figures of Gauls at 
 Eome, but of a later period ; and probably slaves were the 
 models. They were not represented from respect, but 
 shown in attitudes calculated to display their inferiority, 
 and excite contempt.'' 
 
 There are no monuments or statues of the Gauls, it is 
 believed, in existence, of an age anterior to their subjuga- 
 tion by the Eomans, a period too recent to illustrate their 
 original costume. The bas-relief that forms the subject 
 of the vignette to Chapter I. represents Gallic and German 
 warriors, from the columns of Trajan and Antoninus. 
 The one at the commencement of this Chapter represents 
 a Celtiberian, from the Shield of Scipio, and a Gallic 
 female, from a bas-relief discovered at Langres. 
 
 Those remains that are with every probability attribu- 
 ted to the Celtic inhabitants, are apparently the figures 
 of Gauls, much altered by the influence of their con- 
 querors. 
 
 The most simple dress was the Sagum, fastened in front, 
 or on the shoulder, generally with a brooch ; or, when the 
 wearer could find nothing better, a thorn, or bit of wood, 
 answered the purpose." Whittaker says the Britons fas- 
 tened it on both shoulders. All the Germans wore this, 
 
 * Pausanias, i. 4. 
 
 ^ Pliny, XXXV. 4, who relates an anecdote of Crassus, connected with 
 one of those pictures in the Forum. 
 <= Tac. de Mor. Germ. 
 
246 COSTUME. 
 
 and were naked where it did not reacli.* It was also used 
 by the Lnsitani and Iberi, and continued very long to be a 
 principal part of the dress of those nations.^ Favin, from 
 the monk of St. Gall, describes the Franks as so pleased 
 with the striped sagum of the Gauls, that they adopted it 
 in preference to their own long mantle. 
 
 The sagum, whether of simple skin or coarse woollen, 
 was long worn before it was thought necessary to provide 
 covering for other parts of the body ; but the pride of dress, 
 a strong passion among the Celts, and the occcpations of 
 war, so favourable to a display of personal decorations, soon 
 lead to the adoption of more complicated attire. 
 
 In later ages, the Gauls formed a hood to their sagum 
 or cloak, and it was named Cucullus, or Bardo-cucuUus, 
 being worn by soldiers and countrymen. It was chiefly 
 used among the Xantones, and is to this day retained by 
 the peasants in some parts of France.^ The Gauls im- 
 parted their gaudy sagum to the Franks, and the Britons 
 communicated theirs to the Saxons.^ 
 
 The Carac-challamh, according to Macpherson, was a 
 sort of upper garment, which Pinkerton from Dio says was 
 worn close. The surname CaracaUa given to the Ptoman 
 Emperor, was derived from a sort of long GalKc gown. 
 Gallica palla is used by Martial for a man's cassock. From 
 the Gaelic term for a long coat, the Highlanders call the 
 people of the Low Country, luchd nan cosag* 
 
 The military dress of the Celtse was adopted more from 
 ostentation than as a means of defence, for they disregarded 
 
 * Tac. ut sup. e Strabo. 
 
 ^ Montfaucon's Antiquite Expliquee. s Whittaker. 
 
 * The long coat in question is called cosag or casag, because the garment 
 reached to and partly enveloped the feet — cas or cos ; casag therefore is a 
 foot-reaching and foot-enveloping garment. These casags were the favoiuite 
 over-dress of the people of the south and south-western districts. Ed. 
 
COSTUME. 
 
 247 
 
 armour, and in battle were accustomed to strip off almost 
 their whole attire. Diodorus says they despised death so 
 much, that they fought with only a slight covering around 
 the loins. At the battle of Cannse, when they fought in 
 this manner, it could not fail to be " strange and terrible to 
 see them naked from the waist.'"' It was the practice of 
 the Asiatic Gauls also to fight naked.' * 
 
 The Irish, according to Solinus, continued the practice of 
 divesting themselves of aU covering in battle ; and Spenser, 
 who says the mantle was in general their sole garment, ob- 
 serves that it was light, and convenient to throw away 
 The Scots' Highlanders continued to throw off their jack- 
 ets and plaid, until the beginning of the eighteenth cen- 
 tury. Martin thus describes their method of fighting. 
 " The chief of each tribe, after the arrows are spent, ad- 
 vances within shot, having first laid aside the upper gar- 
 ments and after one general discharge, attack, aut mors 
 cito, aut victoria leeta." 
 
 The tunic was at first worn by those only who were very 
 wealthy. It fitted close to the body, was fastened by a 
 belt round the middle, and reached below the thighs. The 
 Belgians had it slit, with sleeves hanging from the shoulders 
 below the middle. Among the Britons it was called Cota, 
 and was Avorn open before, with sleeves that, in men, reached 
 to the hands,^ and fell as low as the knee. The tunic of 
 Bondiuca was long and plaited. The Thracians, in Xerxes' 
 army, wore a vest over a robe of various colours." The 
 
 b Polybius, iii. ' Livy, xxxviii. 
 
 J Whittaker. ^ Herodotus, vii. 75. 
 
 * At the battle of Tippermuir, the Highlanders, under the gallant 
 Montrose, threw off' their upper garments and fought, literally, in their 
 shirts, if, indeed, some of them did not even dispense with that. It was 
 on a very hot day, 1st September, 1644, and Montrose gained a complete 
 victory. Ed. 
 
248 COSTUME. 
 
 Scythians, from the sculpture on the arch of Theodosius, 
 dressed in the same manner as the Germans. 
 
 Those among the Gauls who bore honours, according to 
 Strabo, wore a vest adorned with gold and fine colours ; 
 one sort of which were called Coenas.^ 
 
 A Gallic monument shews a figure dressed in a striped 
 tunic, fastened with a belt, and descending to the knee." 
 Some fragments dug up in 1711, in the choir of the cathe- 
 dral of Paris, represented six Gauls, all armed, and dressed 
 in long garments with wide sleeves, the sagum appearing 
 also in some. The legs do not in all cases appear to have 
 been naked : sometimes they are seen covered with a sort of 
 trowsers, even when the arms are bare. 
 
 A figure found after the great fire of London, had the 
 hair long and flowing, a sagum thrown over the shoulders, 
 a girdle round the middle, and the legs bare." 
 
 A fragment of sculpture dug from the ruins of Anto- 
 nine's wall, and now preserved at Croy, represents three 
 figures, which are in all j)robability meant for Caledonians. 
 The dress is a strict resemblance to the national garb, and 
 is similar to that of the ancient Celts." 
 
 Gildas describes the Scots and Picts of his time as having 
 only a piece of cloth tied round the loins : and on the re- 
 markable obelisk at Forres, in the county of Moray, the 
 Scots are represented in a tunic, fastened round the waist. 
 
 The Saxons wore the short tunic, which they derived 
 from the Gauls, who had a rooted aversion to the long 
 mantle. It was so convenient where agility was required, 
 that it was worn by persons of every degree, and was the 
 constant military habit. It usually terminated a little 
 above the knee, and was sometimes open at each side."^ 
 
 ^ lu Gaelic, cneas is the waist. " Schcej)flin's Alsatia lUustrata. 
 
 " Pennant. ° Archseologia, xxi. p. 456. 
 
 P Sti'utt's Hist, of the Enidish Dress. 
 
COSTUME. 
 
 249 
 
 Eginbart assures us, tliat Charlemagne wore the short 
 tunic, strictly adhering to the ancient manners. It reached 
 only to his knees ; and Charles the Bald is represented in an 
 ancient MS. with two seigneurs, in the same dress, the 
 legs bare from the knees, except the lacing of the sandals, 
 which are brought to the middle of the calf, and a sagum 
 ' fastened on the shoulder with a button. 
 
 The Breacan-feile, literally the chequered covering,* is 
 the original garb of the Highlanders, and forms the chief 
 part of the costume ; the other articles, although equally 
 Celtic, and now peculiar to Scotland, being subordinate 
 to this singular remain of a most ancient dress. 
 
 The Breacan, in its simple form, is now seldom used. It 
 consisted of a ^Dlain piece of tartan, two yards in width by 
 four or six in length. In dressing, this was carefully plaited 
 in the middle, of a breadth suitable to the size of the 
 wearer, and sufficient to extend from one side around his 
 back to the other, leaving as much at each end as would 
 cover the front of the body, overlapping each other. The 
 plaid being thus prepared, was firmly bound round the 
 loins with a leathern belt, in such manner that the lower 
 side feU down to the middle of the knee joint, and then, 
 while there were the foldings behind, the cloth was double 
 before. The upper part was then fastened on the left 
 shoulder with a large brooch or pin, so as to display to the 
 most advantage the tastefulness of the arrangement, the two 
 ends- being sometimes suffered to hang down; but that on 
 the right side, which was necessarily the longest, was more 
 usually tucked under the belt, as shown in the figure of 
 the Gordon in the coloured plate. In battle, in travelling, 
 and on other occasions, this added much to the commodi- 
 ousness and grace of the costume. 
 
 * The "chequered wrai-tiier," a garment to \it folded about and about 
 one, is nearer the true meaning of the Gaelic term. Ed. 
 
250 COSTUME. 
 
 From this description, it will appear that the Highlander 
 would require some assistance at his toilet if he wished 
 to dress witli requisite precision, but it was generally sutii- 
 cient to spread the breacan on a box, table, ov,er a chair- 
 back, or otherwise, and when abroad he spread it on a slo- 
 ping bank or rock, and, having the belt under it, laying 
 himself on his side, and, buckling his girdle, the object 
 was accomplished. He was, however, so nice, that he took 
 considerable pains to arrange the folds after it was put on. 
 
 The cloth that composed this part of the dress was sim- 
 ply a plaid or piece of tartan. Wlien disposed on the body 
 as above described, it received, in the Low Country, the 
 appropriate appellation of the belted plaid, to distinguish 
 it from the more usual way m wliich it was worn by the 
 inhabitants, who merely wrapped it over the left shoulder, 
 having small clothes under it. 
 
 The belted plaid was, however, by no means unknown 
 as a dress in many parts accounted lowland by the natives 
 of higher districts. It was peculiarly convenient for pas- 
 toral occupations, and was the common dress of the shep- 
 herds in the inland parts of Aberdeen, Banff, and other 
 counties north of the Grampians, until towards the end of 
 the last century. In the old song of the " Baron of Braik- 
 ley," written in 1666, his lady tells him to sooth his alarm, 
 on being attacked by the Farquharsous, " they were only 
 herd widdifu's wi' belted plaids." 
 
 This primitive garment is preserved in the uniform of 
 the Highland regiments, which is an improvement on the 
 simplicity of the original breacan. Being more convenient 
 as well as better adapted to the altered state of society, the 
 modern belted plaid is much worn by the present High- 
 landers. The difference is this, that where, formerly, the 
 lower and upper parts of the garb were attached, they are 
 now separated, the lower part having the folds fixed by 
 
COSTUME. 251 
 
 sewing, and being often worn without the other appen- 
 dages. The plaid i.s fastened round the body and sus- 
 pended from the shoulder, being, in like manner, made up 
 by the tailor to imitate the ancient form. The loose end is 
 represented by a small triangular piece of cloth suspended 
 from the right side, where the end of the breacan was 
 tucked under the belt. When the Highlander took the 
 field during war, when he was engaged in hunting, tending , 
 his flocks in the mountains, or had occasion to travel far, 
 he dressed in the feile-breacan ; when he remained at 
 home he wore the feile-beag. 
 
 The shoulder plaid is worn by the present Highlanders 
 chiefly for ornament, as may be seen in the 72nd regiment j, 
 being too narrow to answer the purposes for which it was 
 at first intended. It is, however, susceptible of being 
 thrown into a very becoming drapery. 
 
 The Highland garb worn by one who knows how to 
 dress j)roperly in it, is, undoubtedly, one of the most pic- 
 turesque in the world. Other nations may have an original 
 garment resembling the feile-beag, or kilt ; but the belted 
 plaid is indisputably the invention of the Gael, and bears 
 no resemblance, either in its materials or arrangement, to 
 the habit of any other people. 
 
 The ample folds of the tartan, that are always ar- 
 ranged to show the characteristic or predominant stripe, 
 and adjusted with great care, gracefully depending from 
 the shoulder, is a pleasing and elegant drapery, which 
 being of itself, as it were, the entire vestment, presents an 
 ensemble equally remote from the extremes of Asiatic and 
 European dresses. It partakes of the easy flow of Oriental 
 costume, suited to the indolence and effeminacy of the in- 
 habitants of the East ; and, avoiding the angular formality 
 and stiffness of European attire, combines a great degree 
 both of lifThtness and elegance. 
 
252 COSTUME. 
 
 It is well known that the antiquity of the national garb 
 has been questioned, and the right of the Scots to claim it 
 as original has been denied. In this respect, it has met no 
 more favour than most of the peculiarities which distin- 
 guish this interesting portion of the British empire. 
 
 John Pinkerton, an author notorious for his anti-Gaelic 
 spirit, and whose learning is sullied by a rancour of feeling 
 and heat of temper which he, nevertheless, reprobates in 
 others with intemperate severity, asserts the antiquity of 
 the feile-beag among the Highlanders to be very question- 
 able ; that it " is not ancient but singular, and adapted to 
 their savage life — was always unknown among the Welsh 
 and Irish, and that it was a dress of the Saxons, who could 
 not afford breeches, &C.'"' He had before observed, that 
 " breeches were unknown to the Celts, from the beginning 
 to this day ! '" 
 
 Many papers have also appeared at different times in 
 various publications, discussing the question of its anti- 
 quity, and generally with a view to prove its late adoption 
 by the Scots' Highlanders. These communications have, in 
 many cases, been answered, sometimes very ably, but in 
 many instances without effect. Appeals to tradition are 
 not very convincing arguments to set against the apparent 
 authority of historical record, but the passages which have 
 been selected to show that the Highlanders did^'not, until 
 lately, wear the dress to which, from time immemorial, we 
 find them so much attached, do not, certainly, bear the 
 constructions that have been put on them. The point is, 
 however, so undeniably settled, that it is unnecessary to 
 enter into a lengthened refutation of those writers, many of 
 whom are anonymus. Alexander I. is represented on his 
 seal, engraved in Dr. Meyrick's superb work, with the feile- 
 
 1 1ntrod. to the Hist, of Scotland, ii, 73, &c. ' Ibid. i. 394. 
 
COSTUME. 253 
 
 beag and round targe. Fordim, who wrote about 1350, 
 describes the Highlanders as " forma spectabilis, sed amictu 
 deformis." Major, who flourished in the beginning of the 
 sixteenth century, says " a medio crure ad pedeni caligas 
 non habent ; chlamyde pro veste superiore," &c. Lesly 
 and Buchannan also notice it. Lindsay, of Pitscottie, who 
 wrote in the vulgar tongue, cannot afford matter for the 
 regret which some writers have expressed, that the terms 
 in the Latin authors are vague and unsatisfactory. " The 
 other pairte northerne," says he, " ar full of montaines and 
 verie rud and homelie kynd of people doeth inhabite, 
 which is called the Eeidschankes, or wyld Scottis. They 
 be cloathed with ane mantle, with ane scliirt, fachioned 
 after the Irisch manner, going lair legged to the knie."'' 
 
 That the descriptions of this costume are neither very ac- 
 curate nor very plain, is not much to be wondered at, when its 
 essential difference from other habits is considered. It was 
 certainly difiicult for those who were unacquainted with its 
 details to convey a proper idea of it. The old Scots of the 
 Low Country mentioned it as " the Highland weed,'" " a 
 light dress," &c. ; and, except to those who lived near the 
 hills, or had intercourse with the inhabitants, their peculi- 
 arities were little known. Diodorus was unable to describe 
 the singular dress of the Celts, which he thought was form- 
 ed of cloth, ornamented in flowered work ; and Beague, in 
 1549, from- a superficial view of them, describes the High- 
 landers as going almost naked, and says they wore painted 
 waistcoats !" 
 
 At the present day, although it has recently become so 
 well known, there are many thousands who have a very 
 
 * Chronicles of Scotland, Ixxiv. 4to. ed. 
 
 * Spalding's Troubles of Scotland, 1645. 
 
 " History of the Scottish Campaigns, ap. Stewart's Sketches. 
 
254 COSTUME. 
 
 indefinite idea of this costume ; and the ignorance of many 
 who array themselves in tartan as members of societies, or 
 to figure at fancy balls, with the paltry or ill adjusted 
 trappings of the stage, do not convey the best- idea of so 
 picturesque and interesting a costume. 
 
 In general, the legs of the ancient Celtfe appear naked 
 from the knee downwards. A figure of a man, represented in 
 Montfaucon's interesting work, has his tunic falling a little 
 below the knees, the limbs having no other covering, and 
 this appears to have been no less a personage than Magister 
 vici sandalarius of Metz. Some of the Germans and 
 Daci, represented on the column of Trajan, appear in a 
 sort of trowsers that are fastened at the ancles, and fit 
 pretty close to the limbs. They reach to the waist, above 
 which the figures are generally naked, except the covering 
 of the sagum that hangs loosely from the shoulders. It is 
 evident, from other remains, that this dress was not uni- 
 formly worn, for we see, on the same pillar, &c., the above 
 and other nations indifferently represented with their legs 
 covered and exposed. 
 
 The Gauls and Britons, it is asserted, wore the same 
 chequered cloth which composed their upper garments, 
 loosely wrapt around their limbs, and this part of tlieir ap- 
 parel is described under the term Braccse, from which the 
 English " breeches " are derived. Polybius says, the Boii 
 and Insubres of Gaul wore the braccse of their country ; 
 but Strabo confines their use to the Belgs. From this gar- 
 ment, which Tacitus calls " a barbarous covering," part of 
 Gaul was called Braccata ; the other, having adopted the 
 long gown of the Eomans, received the appropriate appella- 
 tion Togata. Etymologists seem to agree that this name 
 was expressive of the red or chequered appearance of the 
 habit ; but that it was similar to modern trowsers, is not so 
 satisfactorily proved. Dr. Mac Pherson, who remarks 
 
COSTUME. 255 
 
 that saga and braccfe were used indiscriminately by the 
 Eomans, says every Highlander in Britain knows that 
 the bracca was an upper garment of diverse colours. 
 Brat, in Gaelic, is a mantle or covering, and in some parts 
 of Scotland it is used for clothes. The Welsh, brati, tat- 
 tered, Camden thinks, is derived from the Celtic braccee ; 
 but this does not favour the opinion that they were trow- 
 sers. They were used by the Getae and other Scyths, and 
 Pinkerton asserts that they were always the grand badge 
 of the Goths. " I have no proof," says Strutt, " from the 
 Anglo-Saxon delineations, that the drawers were in use in 
 this country prior to the ninth century, for the tunics of 
 the soldiers are often represented so short, that much of 
 their thighs are exposed to the sight." Polybius seems to 
 prove that this part of Celtic dress was not of the form 
 usually supposed, when he says that the Bolonians and 
 Milanois, in the battle of Telamon, made choice of such as 
 wore braccse, being at most ease in their dress, to stand 
 the brunt of the action. Wolfgang describes it as a small 
 tunic, that was fastened about the middle, and reached to 
 the knees, a covering for the loins, a little cassock of vari- 
 ous colours, covering one's nakedness." 
 
 Newte says the name for breeches in Gaelic is literally 
 " a lock for the posteriors." In Welsh, they are termed 
 Ihoudar, and in Cornish, lavrak. The common name in 
 the Highlands for this part of male attire, is briogas, from 
 briog, restraint. The English breeches appear to have 
 retained a name, at first expressive of the colour, or effect 
 of the garment which covered the lower part of the body. 
 The braccse, or reddish chequered tunic, was worn by all 
 the Celts, and the breacan is still the national dress of 
 
 De mig. Gentium, p. 157, &c. 
 
256 COSTUME. 
 
 their descendants, the term indicating its appearance, like 
 the Welsh, and Armoric, brech, which signifies chequered. 
 
 Pelloutier'^ derives the French brayers from the braccse, 
 and says they were the German hosen. Whittaker says brog, 
 or brae, red, otherwise battais, or botes, were the uutanned 
 buskins of the Gael and Cumri. Here is the origin of 
 boots, the prototypes of which must have been the red 
 covering which the Celts had for their feet, and which 
 has been since supplied by stockings and shoes.'' Dio- 
 dorus says the Celtiberians wore rough hair greaves about 
 their legs ; and the ancient Gauls, according to Cluverius, 
 wore skins with the hair outside, tied on their feet. A 
 similar covering was long worn by the Highlanders and 
 Scots of Ulster, from which they obtained, among their 
 Southern neighbours, the name of red shanks : and although 
 they have, for a considerable time, dropped the use of the 
 untanned hide, which reached towards the calf of the leg, the 
 hose supply their place, and the favorite colour of these 
 has always been red. 
 
 The CUARAN reached higher than the brog, which sim- 
 ply covered the foot, both being fastened with laces of 
 thong. The cuaran was worn in Man, and throughout 
 the whole Highlands, where it is not yet, I believe, entirely 
 disused. Their construction was simple : an oval piece of 
 raw cow or horse's hide was drawn neatly round the foot by 
 thongs of the same material, by means of holes in the mar- 
 gin. The hair was often kept inside for warmth : they 
 were perfectly flexible, and were pierced with small holes, 
 for the purpose of allowing the water received in crossing 
 rivers and morasses to escape. The " veteres Brachce Bri- 
 
 " Vol. ii. p. 152. 
 
 " The mullei, anciently worn by the kings of Alba, were red, and reach- 
 ed to the middle of the leg. Eubenius de vet. vest. 
 
COSTUME. 257 
 
 tonis pauperis " is sufficiently expressive, if the term was ap- 
 plied to the covering of the feet and legs, as there is so much 
 reason to believe. It is in these days a common saying, to 
 imply the utter uselessness of anything, that it is not worth 
 old shoes ; and brogs, when worn out, were certainly good 
 for nothing. Perhaps the Eomans frequently saw the cast- 
 off brachffi of the Gauls, as the English did the cuarans of 
 the Scots when Douglas evacuated his camp in 1327, leav- 
 ing upwards of 10,000 old ones behind.'' 
 
 Cluverius says the Celtic shoes were formed with a sharp 
 peak, like those worn in the middle ages.^ Those of the 
 old Highlanders were made, Martin tells us, according to 
 Locke's mode, recommended in his system of education. 
 They were always made right and left. 
 
 The Gael began to improve their manufacture, but, like 
 their ancestors, covering for either feet or legs was quite 
 dispensable. At Killicranky, they had neither. Birt men- 
 tions a Laird in the North, whom he once visited, and found 
 a well educated and poKte gentleman, who appeared with- 
 out any other clothing for his lower extremities than what 
 his breacan afforded. When the Highland regiments were 
 embodied, during the French and American wars, hun- 
 dreds of the men were, brought down without either stock- 
 ings or shoes, articles considered so necessary by those who 
 live in more favoured countries. Shoes, all of one piece 
 and neatly stitched, have been discovered in the bogs of 
 Ireland, where they must have lain for many ages. In the 
 ancient vessel dug from the former bed of the river Eother, 
 jn Kent, shoes of a single sole, with no quarter, were found. 
 
 About fifty or sixty years ago, brogs were made in the 
 Northern counties of Caithness, Sunderland, Ross, &c., by 
 
 y Froissart. 
 
 ^ Gallicoe were a sort of wooden pattens ; Cicero ; or Galoclies, Montf. 
 
 S 
 
258 COSTUME. 
 
 itinerant shoemakers, at two pence a pair and victuals ; the 
 employer finding leather, hemp and rosm. Simple as these 
 v/ere, it is acknowledged that the shoes of modern times 
 are not more durable.' An old Highlander, expatiating 
 on the good old times, told me that the last pair he ever 
 had, he wore so long, that at last, he actually threw tliem 
 away, when they were still fit for use. Latterly, brogs had 
 a piece of leather on the toes, called frioclian, from ser- 
 ving to protect them from the roughness of the heath. 
 This was always cut in yand3d<:e fashion. 
 
 In some parts, this native manufacture is given up, in 
 consequence of the decay of the copse wood, which afforded 
 the bark used in tanning the leather. 
 
 Stockings, in Gaelic, Ossan, are said to have been 
 derived from the Eomans, the Celts originally wearing no- 
 thing but the untanned buskins. In Montfaucon's splendid 
 work, pi. 196, I find a countryman represented with a 
 chequered covering, resembling tartan hose : and a figure 
 introduced by Wolfgang has a similar appearance. 
 
 The sort of stockings now generally worn is represented 
 in the figure of the Gordon, and is the military pattern j 
 but the more ancient resembled that v/orn by the Stewart, 
 which is copied from the painting of the regent, Murray, 
 formerly at Fonthill Abbey. .Various fancy patterns are 
 worn in the Highlands, where they were formerly of the 
 same sett as the plaid. They were not originally knitted, 
 but formed out of the web with a considerable degree of 
 ingenuity ; those of the common men in the Highland regi- 
 ments are still made in this manner. 
 
 The GARTERS are now chiefly red, but the native Gael 
 continue to wear them like their fathers, striped in various 
 colours. Among other presents given at Michaelmas in the 
 
 ■ Agricultural Eeports. 
 
COSTUME. 259 
 
 Island of Uist, on occasion of annual liorse racing, " the wo- 
 men presented the men with a pair of fine garters of divers 
 colours."" The Lochaber garters were fringed, and when 
 made of silk and fine wool would cost 2s. 6d to 7s. Mrs. 
 Mac Hardy, of Laggan, in her 100th year, knit a pair, 
 which were presented to the Duke of Gordon by the cele- 
 brated Mrs. Grant. They were formerly woven in a par- 
 ticular sort of loom, and some are said to be still manufac- 
 tured in this way on the banks of Lochow. 
 
 There is considerable taste displayed in tying the garter. 
 In the 42nd regiment, it is fastened with a handsome knot : 
 in the 92nd, this ornament is formed like a rose, by the 
 needle, and is attached to the garter, a mode unknown to 
 the genuine Highlanders, who often shewed no tying, but 
 even frequently turned the stocking over the gartan. The 
 78th, or Eoss-shire Buffs, leave both ends depending from a 
 tasteful knot. It is reckoned a great insult by the Gael to 
 be told to tie their garter. 
 
 It is here necessary to say something of the ancient habit 
 of the Irish Gael, which has been described as a " mantle," 
 and often as " trouse." Of this latter garment there 
 appears to be as little known as of the brachse : it has 
 been attempted to identify both with the modern trow- 
 sers. In the time of Giraldus Cambrensis, the Irish 
 wore trouse and mantles, that formed the common dress 
 until the time of Charles I, and continued in partial 
 use even later. Solinus says " they ben single and un- 
 seemly of clothing, having foldings instead of mantles 
 and cloaks."" In tlie time of Eichard II. Froissart de- 
 scribes them as breechless f and, at Agincourt, Speed says 
 there were 1,600 who were able men, but almost naked. 
 
 ^ Martin's "Western Islands, p. 80. 
 
 " Trevisa's Polychrouicon, xxxiv. f. 34. ^ Tome x. 161. 
 
260 COSTUME. 
 
 Derrick also speaks of them as wearing no breeches, and 
 describes " a coat of strange device," 
 
 " His skirts be veiie sliorte, 
 "Witli pleates set thick about, 
 And Irisb trouzes, &c." 
 
 They were " not lightly proud of apparel,"* but went com- 
 monly naked, according to Spenser, or at least " with naked 
 sides and legs," the mantle being the principal covering, and 
 it was " light to beare," and otherwise an advantageous gar- 
 ment. In summer, the wearer could have it loose : in win- 
 ter, he could wrap it close : at all times he could use it, for 
 " it was never heavy nor cumbersome." — " It was a fit house 
 for an outlaw, a meet bed for a rebell, and an apt cloake 
 for a thiefe."' My opinion is, that the Irish trouse and 
 mantle were formed lilvc the belted plaid of the Scots' High- 
 landers, although the materials were not the same as in the 
 breacan. "We have seen how conveniently the plaid can be 
 thrown over the shoulders, like a cloak : the Irish, in 1673, 
 are described as being partial to this use of the mantle ; ^ 
 nay, Spenser says it was frequently wrapped over their left 
 arm, so closely did it resemble the Highland garb. 
 
 The Gaelic, triubhas, or triughas, the Irish trius, and 
 Welsh trws, signify the vestment which covers the loins 
 derived from the root trus, gather, truss or tuck up, from 
 which is trusgan, a covering, and also those parts which 
 mankind first conceal. The breacan was always tucked 
 up ; but the term Avhich was applicable to it, was given to 
 the trowsers adopted on the prohibition of the ancient 
 dress. 
 
 In farther proof that the Irish costume resembled the 
 belted plaid, it may be observed, that Camden says the 
 Scots and Irish resembled each other in dress and arms ; 
 
 e Eiclie, p. 34. * Spenser. e Present State of Ireland. 
 
COSTUME. 261 
 
 and Birt, in describing the Highland dress, observes that 
 " it was thought necessary in Ireland to suppress that ha- 
 bit by act of Parliament," without any dissatisfaction being 
 evinced by the mountaineers in that country. A law passed 
 in the parliament of 1585, by which it was ordained that 
 none should appear in that assembly with Irish attire, to 
 the great discontent of the members. Tirlogh Lenogh^ 
 chief Lord of Ulster, begged the Deputy to allow him to 
 take his chaplain in the trouse along the streets with him, 
 because he was laughed at by everybody in his new dress. 
 I think it is Chaucer who relates a facetious story of these 
 habiliments, which also tends to confirm the opinion of 
 their not resembling modern trowsers. 
 
 The Irish seem to have relinquished their ancient garb 
 with less reluctance than might have been expected. The 
 Scots could not be induced to lay it aside, notwithstanding 
 the enactments against it ; and so great was their aversion 
 to quit the dress of their fathers, that the law was inge- 
 niously evaded, or openly contemned. General Stewart, 
 relates many of the curious expedients which were adopted 
 to comply with the order to wear breeches, and yet retain 
 the loved breacan. The law, however its infringement might 
 be overlooked, was imperative against the Highlander, 
 who could neither, with safety, wear his native cloth, nor 
 carry his proper arms.* I have read, in a Scots' newspaper 
 
 * Mac Mhaig-stir Alasdair, the Gaelic bard, has a well known song on 
 the Act prohibiting the Highland dress and arms, in which occur the 
 following verses : — 
 
 ' ' Bu mhath 'sau la's au oidch' tlm, 
 Bha loinn ort 'am beinn 'san cladach, 
 Bu mhath a'm feachd 'san sith thu ; 
 
 Cha righ am fear a chuir as duit. 
 
 * * * » * " 
 
 Ged 'spion sibh au cri' asainn, 
 Sar broilleichean sios a shracadh. 
 
262 COSTUME. 
 
 of 1750, the trial of a person for murder, who was eventu- 
 ally acquitted, as the individual he killed wore a tartan 
 dress ! In 1782, this oppressive and ineffectual law was 
 modified, inasmuch as the prohibition against costume was 
 repealed.* The strong attachment of the Highlanders to 
 
 Clia toir sibh asaiim Tecarlach, 
 
 Gu bratli gur aw teid ar tacadli !" 
 
 That is, addressing the chequered plaid — 
 
 Thou wert good both by day and night, 
 
 Thou wert shapely and convenient for hill and shore, 
 
 Thou wert good in warfare and in peace ; 
 
 He is no king who has done away with thee ! 
 ****** 
 
 And then addressing the framers of the disarming Act — 
 
 Though you tore the heart out of us. 
 
 And rip]3ed open our bosoms in your ire, 
 
 You can never, never take otu' love for Prince Charlie out of us, 
 
 Not though you chocked us dead ! 
 
 Maclntyre, another celebrated bard and contemporary, has also an excellent 
 
 gong on the same subject. 
 
 * Wlien in 1782 the Act prohibitory of the Highland di-ess and arms was, 
 
 by the influence of the Duke of Montrose, repealed, the Highlanders were 
 
 jubilant, and the Duke was for the time the idol of his northern fellow- 
 
 countiymen. Duncan Ban, the bard, exclaims — 
 
 "Togaidh na Gaeil au ceaun, 
 
 Cha bhi iad a'ni fanng nis nis ; 
 
 Dh' f halbh na speirichinn teann 
 
 Thug orra' bhi mall gun lugli : 
 
 Siubhlaidli iad fireach nam beann, 
 
 A dh'iarraidh dhamh seanng le'n cii ; 
 
 'Seutrom 'theid iad a dhanihsa, 
 
 Freagraidh iad srann gach ciid. 
 
 "Tha sinn 'an comain au uasail 
 A choisinn le chruadal cliii, 
 Chuir e le teomachd laidir 
 Faoineachd chaich air ciil ; 
 Oighre cinn feadhna nan Greumach, 
 'Sioma fuil ard na ghnuis : 
 'Sann tha Marcus an aidh 
 Am mac tliig au ait' au diiic." 
 
COSTUME. 263 
 
 the Lreacan-feilc might be ilhistrated by many anecdotes. 
 It served as a mark of distinction from the people of the 
 machair, or plain land, for whom they had no great affec- 
 tion.* An old farmer in the Highlands of Banffshire said 
 he " would never lippen to a bodacli that wore the breeks." 
 When the Fencible regiments were ordered to assume 
 breeches, many of the soldiers had never worn such arti- 
 cles of dress, and were consequently, for some time, ex- 
 tremely awkward in dressing, which their displeasure at 
 being deprived of their wonted habit did not tend to re- 
 move. An old man in a certain corps had put on his 
 small clothes as Paddy did his coat, the back part before. 
 His officer and some of his companions were laughing 
 heartily at the mistake, when Donald, nettled at their jeers, 
 observed that he was indeed ignorant of such dress, and 
 never thought he should know anything of the unmanly 
 gear ; and, as his indignation waxed high, " the deevil 
 damn the loon," he exclaimed, " that sent them to us ! " 
 
 The TKIUGHAS, pronounced trius, are pantaloons and 
 stockings, joined, and are either knit like the latter, or, ac- 
 cording to the ancient manner, are formed of tartan cloth, 
 nicely fitted to the shape and fringed down the leg. 
 They were sometimes merely striped, and were fastened 
 by a belt around the loins, with a square piece of cloth 
 hanging down before. 
 
 It required considerable skill to make tlie trius. The 
 measure was a stick, in length one cubit, divided into one 
 finger and a half There is preserved a Gtelic saying 
 
 * A Highlander who had had his share in the great victory of Kilsyth, 
 under Montrose, in referring to the subject in his old age, used to exclaim : 
 " It was a grand day yon at Kilsyth ! For a whole hour together I cut an 
 ell o' breeks with every sweep of my broadsword !" The enemy early 
 scattered and fled, and in the pursuit Donald hewed and slashed at those 
 parts of his foes nearest him in such circumstances. Ed. 
 
264 TEEWS. — BONNET. 
 
 respecting this garment, by which we are given to uncTer- 
 stancl that there were two full nails to the small of the 
 leg, eleven from the haunch to the heel, seven round the 
 band, and three to the breech, a measure inapplicable to 
 few well-made men. The purse and other articles were 
 worn equally with the trius as with the feilebeag. 
 
 BoiNED, or cappan, was the Celtic name for the covering 
 of the head, the materials of which, among the most ancient 
 Gauls and Britons, were different. We may presume that 
 as the form was not much unlike the present, the same 
 woollen was occasionally adopted. It may be noticed that 
 Giraldus Cambrensis mentions Beaver hats, to which the 
 inhabitants are still partial, having been discovered in 
 Cardiganshire.^ 
 
 The round bonnet was, however, not only worn by the 
 Britons, but was formerly used over almost all Europe; ' 
 the shape, at least, resembling that worn by the Scots, al- 
 though the materials might have been different. It was 
 either to encourage the woollen manufacture, or to re- 
 press extravagance in dress, that so many laws have been 
 passed. In England, it was ordained in 1571, that every 
 person above seven years of age should wear, on Sundays 
 and holidays, a cap of wool knit, thickened and dressed in 
 the country by the cappers, under the penalty of 3s. 4:d. for 
 every day's neglect ; lords, knights, gentlemen of twenty 
 marks' land, such as have borne offices of worship, gentle- 
 women, ladies and maids being excepted. In 1489, the price 
 of caps was fixed at 2s. Sd. General Stewart remarks that 
 the Basques wear caps, in materials and form, exactly 
 like the Highlanders. A relation of the author, who en- 
 tered France with the British army, was surprised to find 
 his native bonnets worn by the peasants inhabiting the 
 Pyrenean mountains. 
 
 i" Tour in Wales, 1775. 
 
Zifza^/ ivria/runf 
 
 /ion net (>/'// /'^i' '/ ' 
 
 Ch€f/uer onuwmii-. 
 
 flat fhrtn 
 
 '< II M ) 
 
 M/iiiirv i/ndrcss 
 
 Cocked fp mi 
 
 Mii/lu/rJSi'iiiirt 
 
 J.LoganDel 
 
 Mmr/f'rof2m(/ Ihe (r/vter 
 
 GycJmM€^ ^pM^y Gyf/am/^.liymM'^^/e^^lM^ cp^ 
 
BONNET. 265 
 
 The figure ot St. Andrew in the sceptre of Scotland, 
 made in the time of James V., wears a broad bonnet. 
 This appears to have been formerly the general head- 
 dress in Scotland, the hat having rapidly come into use. 
 In the agricultural report of Caithness, it is stated that, 
 in 1793, eight boxes of hats only were imported, but in 
 1803 they amounted to fifty-four. 
 
 The ancient head-piece of a full-dressed Celtic warrior 
 was a skull-cap ; from the minstrel Harry, we find that 
 Wallace wore one within his bonnet.' 
 
 The bonnet is thickened by a peculiar process, into a 
 body of considerable density. The colour is commonly 
 dark blue, but it was formerly also black, or grey, and 
 a narrow stripe of red, Avliite, or green was often carried 
 round the lower edge ; and occasionally these were pleas- 
 ingly combined. The chequer work, worn by the mili- 
 tary, is now the common ornament, but it does not appear 
 to be very ancient. According to General Stewart, it ori- 
 ginated in the time of Montrose's wars, and represents the 
 armorial bearing of the royal family. The Stewart's belt, 
 or fess, is, however, cheeky argent and azure. The bon- 
 nets terminate in a knot, generally of the same colour, but 
 often red, white, or black. They are usually augmented to 
 a small tuft, and are sometimes formed of silk. I have 
 heard it said that some of the officers, in the rebellion of 
 1745, had them of silver and gold fringe. Beautiful sub- 
 stitutes for the old chequer are now to be had of those who 
 furnish the costume. 
 
 The inhabitants of Badenoch, Strathspey, Strathdon, &c. 
 wear the bonnet cocked. The Strathdee men are distin- 
 guished by having it flat, as numbers 1, 2, in the plate. 
 
 ' The Irish formeriy ■wore a cap of frieze, called cappeciie. The 
 regal cap was called Asion. It is singular to perceive the shape of the 
 modern hat iu many ancient figures. 
 
266 BONNET. 
 
 The bonnet is cocked, or made in the desired shape, by 
 means of padding, &c., the broad sort being distended by 
 a small hoop. The Scots' military appear, from old prints, 
 to have worn bonnets; but the present shape is not ancient. 
 Before the black plumes were introduced, bear's skin was 
 used, as in the caps of modern gTenadiers. The bonnet was 
 bound with leather, by the common sort; with black ribbon 
 and velvet, by others; and a cockade of the same materials, 
 with a pin, in some cases of silver, but usually formed from 
 the shank bone of a deer's leg, ornamented with the per- 
 son's crest, motto, and initials, and called dealg, secured 
 the badge and the eagles' feathers. 
 
 The Highlanders bestowed much of their usual atten- 
 tion to dress, in making up the bonaid, and took particu- 
 lar care to have a sufficient length of ribbon to wave about 
 their ears. The officers of the 92nd used, formerly, to have 
 three of black velvet, fixed to the cape of the jacket be- 
 hind, which had a pretty effect. 
 
 This dress is said, perhaps untruly, to be too warm for 
 the head. It has this convenience in wet weather, that the 
 Highlander can take it off and wring out the water. 
 
 Kilmarnock is the most noted mart for this article, but 
 " The bonnet makers of Dundee " are celebrated in their 
 national music. The central Highlanders supply them- 
 selves in Perth. 
 
 The PURSE, sporan, of the Highlanders, like the other 
 parts of their costume, is not only useful, but highly orna- 
 mental. Anciently, it was small, and less decorated than 
 it is now seen. That of the unfortunate Lord Lovat is of 
 this description. The tassels, instead of the silver or other 
 adjuncts, Avere fixed with small strips of leather, neatly and 
 ingeniously interwoven. In many cases the purse was 
 formed of leather, like a modern reticule, and appears to 
 have been tied in front. It is formed into several distinct 
 
PURSE. — SHOT POUCH. 267 
 
 pockets, in wliicli the Gael carried tlieir money, watch, &c., 
 and sometimes also their shot ; hut, anciently, they bore a 
 similar loallct, or huilg, at the right side, for the latter, or 
 for a quantity of meal or other provision. This was 
 termed dorlach, and was the knapsack of the Highland 
 soldier ; and, small as that of the present military is, among 
 the Gael, it was still more portable. " Those of the Eng- 
 lish who visited our camp," says an author quoted by 
 Jamieson, " did gaze with admiration upon those supple 
 fellows, the Highlanders, with their plaids, targets, and 
 dorlachs." The purse admits of much ornament, but, 
 according to my taste, when too large, it hides the beauty 
 of the kilt. The Village of Doune, in Perthshire, was, at 
 one time, celebrated for the manufacture of purses, which 
 is now entirely given up. 
 
 The first covering which mankind adopt is necessarily 
 loose, and must be fastened round the body. Dress is, 
 also, first assumed as a military costume ; the belt which 
 secures the garment serving to sustain the sword, and, 
 from the primitive fashion of raiment, the ancients conti- 
 nued to call putting on armour, begirding.^ 
 
 The baldricks of the Celts received a large share of 
 ornament; and the Highlanders displayed, in the sword 
 and dirk belt, as well as in that which bound the female 
 dress, precious stones, handsome bucldes, crests, mottoes, 
 devices, and foliage. 
 
 The shot-pouch attached to the belt, which is around 
 the middle, is a late improvement; and the eadharc an 
 foudre, or powder horn, suspended also on the right side 
 by a silver or other chain, was, likewise, recently intro- 
 duced. 
 
 The shoe buckles cannot date higher than tlieir intro- 
 
 j Pausanias, ix. 17. " Girded " was used in this sense by the Scots. 
 
268 ORNAMENTS. 
 
 duction to Scotland. They were only invented about 1680. 
 
 In 1673, it was remarked that Irish gentlemen seldom 
 wore bands, or neckcloths. These were unknown to the 
 old Highlanders, who left the neck bare, even when linen 
 shirts became a usual article of dress: sometimes a black 
 ribbon supplied their place. 
 
 In addition to what has been above explained, may be 
 added a description of certain articles essential to the dress 
 of ancient and modern times, but more correctly coming 
 under the denomination of ornaments. The Celts, in the 
 most remote ages, as we have seen, evinced their personal 
 vanity by their gaudy and costly ornaments. The Gauls 
 had little or no silver, but plenty of gold, with chains of 
 which they loaded themselves. The massy torques, of pure 
 and beaten gold, which hung around their necks, were a 
 desirable booty to the avaricious Eomans ; besides which, 
 they wore bracelets * of it about their arms and wrists, and 
 had croslets of gold upon their breasts.'' Polybius describes 
 their whole army in Hannibal's service, as shining with the 
 splendour of their dress. 
 
 A sort of fine golden carcanets, of green-coloured gems, 
 called by the Eomans viriaj, were properly Celticse ; and 
 the necklaces of gold, called viriolse, were distinguished as 
 Celtibericse.^ The Britons were equally vain of their per- 
 sons, and studious to deck themselves in rich attire. Those 
 who could not obtain gold or silver, imitated their more 
 fortunate companions in less valuable materials. Herodian 
 
 * Some years ago a pair of bracelets of solid beaten gold was found in 
 delving some ground at Keppanack, in our oavu parish. From their 
 massiveness and form they are probably as old as the Roman period in 
 Britain, and were doubtless the property of some Caledonian chief or other 
 magnate of the time. They are now in the possession of Donald Cameron 
 of Lochiel, M.P. Ed. 
 
 ^ Diodorus. Polybius. ' Pliny, xxxiii. 3, 
 
women's dress. 269 
 
 says the Picts wore chains of iron for ornament. In the 
 South, the precious metals were less scarce. Bondiuca 
 wore a massive chain of gold around her neck; and a great 
 number, taken with the noble Caractacus, were borne in 
 procession before him at Eome. The Caledonians, from 
 some discoveries, appear to have worn armlets." These 
 were often of massy gold, in South Britain. 
 
 Small jet and other ornaments, have been found in sepul- 
 chres throughout the Highlands ; but it is impossible to 
 enumerate the various articles discovered in British inter- 
 ments, every grave, almost, producing something different 
 from what has been before seen." 
 
 The dress of the Celtic women was, anciently, little 
 different in form from that of the men. The tunic was 
 bound round the waist, and had seldom any sleeves, their 
 arms being left bare, and their bosoms partly uncovered. 
 They wore a sagum, which they fastened, like the men, 
 with a pin or brooch, as they did other parts of their dress, 
 whence, Pinkerton thinks, may be derived the usual per- 
 quisite of females, pin money. Bondiuca wore a tunic of 
 various colours, long and plaited, over which she had a 
 large vest and thick mantle, which was the dress she wore 
 at all times. 
 
 A passage in Ossian may allude to the introduction of the 
 Eoman toga, adopted by the South Britons : of Moina, 
 daughter of Eeuthamor, king of Balclutha, it is said that 
 her dress was not like that worn by the Caledonians, " her 
 robes were from the strangers' land." The females are 
 represented, some centuries since, as wearing sheep skins ; 
 but the authority for this is doubtful. 
 
 " A barrow opened at Glenholm, Peeblesshire. Stat. Acct. iv. 
 
 "Those who are curious to know something of the variety of orna- 
 ments among these ingenious people, are referred to Douglas's " Nennia 
 Brittanica," Sir R. Hoare's "Ancient Wiltshire," the "Transactions of 
 the Ant. of London and Scotland," "Sibbald's Erud. Ant. Misc." § 2, &c. 
 
270 women's dress. 
 
 The Irish women wore a mantle similar in form to that 
 used by tlie men, but longer. Pinkerton, on the authority 
 of Giraldus, says 'they had little caputii, or hoods of plaid, 
 and linen vests. This mantle seems to be described, in 
 1673, as " a sort of loose gowns."" Women in the High- 
 lands, before marriage, went with the head bare ; when 
 they were privileged to cover it, they wore the curch, 
 curaichd, or breid, of linen, which was put over the head 
 and fastened under the chin, falling in a tapering form 
 on the shoulders. A large lock of hair hung down each 
 side of the face to the bosom, the lower end being orna- 
 mented with a knot of ribbons. The "Welsh still wear 
 a handkerchief, fastened in a somewhat similar manner to 
 the Highlanders. 
 
 The TONNAG is a small square of Tartan, or other wool- 
 len stuff, worn over the shoulders, in manner of a mantle. 
 
 The AIRISAID v/as a peculiar garment, the same as 
 was worn by Bondiuca, and is mentioned in one of the 
 poems of Alexander Mac Donald as having been worn 
 so late as 1740.^ 
 
 The plaid, which was usually white, with a few stripes 
 of black, blue or red, and made of sufficient length to 
 reach from the neck to the ankles, being nicely plaited 
 all round, Avas fastened about the waist Avith a belt, and 
 secured on the breast by a large brooch. The belt was 
 of leather, and several pieces of silver intermixed, giving 
 it the semblance of a cham, and, " at the lower end was 
 a piece of plate, about eight inches long and three broad, 
 curiously engraven, the end of which was ingeniously 
 adorned with fine stones, or pieces of red coral." This 
 sinuular ornament and vestm-e are now unknown. 
 
 ° Present State of Ireland. 
 
 P Quoted in Mr. Ronald Mac Donald's collection of Gaelic poems. 
 
BEOOCH. 
 
 271 
 
 The chief ornament of the Gael, both of Albin and Erin, 
 •was the brooch for fastening the plaid, on the shoulders of 
 men and on the breasts of women. It was formed of brass, 
 silver or gold, and adorned with precious stones, according 
 to the fancy or means of the wearer. 
 
 It was sometimes as large as an ordinary sized platter, 
 and had a smaller one within, for fastening the dress, that 
 weighed between two and three ounces, and was ornamented 
 with a large crystal, or cairngorum, in the centre, with 
 others of a lesser size set around it. The whole was 
 curiously engraved, the figures being the well-known 
 tracery, animals, &c. Martin says, he has seen some silver 
 buckles worth 100 marks. 
 
 The one here represented in possession of Mr. Donald 
 Currie, is drawn by a scale half the size of the original. 
 It is of silver, weighing two ozs. twelve dwts., and is a 
 good specimen of the general form and ornaments of the 
 brooch. 
 
 A simple form of fibula, found in a barrow near Can- 
 terbury, is shewn at the end of this cha^Dter, but the ancient 
 
272 women's dress. 
 
 Britons had some, very engeniously and elaborately con- 
 structed. The old Highlanders had also brooches of 
 superior workmanship. That of Bruce, in possession of 
 Mac Dougal, of Lorn, according to the description of a 
 gentleman who has seen it, is silver, of a cup form, with a 
 large cairngorum or topaz in the centre. It was some time 
 in the custody of the Campbells, of Glenlyon, who have 
 another similar relic, of silver, studded with pearls and 
 uncut gems, having underneath a centre bar and two 
 pins, or tongues. Of this brooch Pennant has given an 
 engraving. 
 
 The ladies, in those days, wore sleeves of scarlet cloth, 
 like those of the men, laced with gold or silver, and 
 adorned with buttons of plate, set with precious stones. 
 The old Irish adorned themselves with large jewels. 
 
 The Cuirtan, or white twilled cloth, made from fine wool, 
 was used exclusively for under petticoats and hose, before 
 the invention of modern stockings, and the industry of young 
 women was judged of by its fineness and whiteness. A large 
 sort of hose Avere called Ossan preasach. 
 
 A favorite pattern of stuff for female dresses, was crim- 
 son and black, in stripes of three or four threads in the 
 woof, the warp being all black; besides which, there was 
 a sort much worn by women and children. It was made 
 party coloured, by tying cords very tight round the hasps 
 of yarn, when undergoing the process of dying; thus, 
 supposing the colour blue, the spots preserved white by 
 the ligatures would appear irregularly throughout the web, 
 forming a motley texture, or cloud-figured pattern. 
 
 The upper garment of the females of former ages, 
 throughout the North and West of Scotland, was the full 
 plaid, which usually contained three yards in length and 
 two in breadth, and which, in the Highlands, was often 
 of the cuirtan, or white sort, but, in the Low Country, 
 
women's dress. 273 
 
 was of all manner of slle^vy patterns, either worsted or silk." 
 This garment is worn over the head, and fastened under 
 the chin with a brooch or pin, like the habit of certain 
 nuns, or otherwise only over the shoulders, as the state of 
 the weather may permit. From the change of manners, 
 the use of the plaid is now almost confined to the elderly 
 females, but was formerly worn by the married, whether 
 young or old. An English gentleman, who visited Edin- 
 burgh in 1598, says, " the citizens' wives, and women of 
 the country, did wear cloaks made of a coarse cloth, of 
 two or three colours, in checker work, vulgarly called 
 Ploddan.'" 
 
 In Edmburgh, where Birt says it was the undress, and 
 perhaps, in other places, the ladies formerly denoted their 
 political principles by the manner of wearing their j)laids, 
 those who were Jacobites being thus distinguished. When 
 adjusted with a good air, the plaid was very becoming, the 
 ends either falling as low as the ankle, or being held up in 
 graceful folds ; usually by the left arm, to leave the right 
 at liberty, but sometimes by both. 
 
 Those who have been in the brae country of Scotland, 
 cannot forget the picturesque effect of the congregation 
 of a kirk on Sunday, loitering in the church yard until the 
 commencement of worship, or moving along the mountain 
 paths, the men in their varied tartans and smartly cocked 
 bonaids, the married women in their gaudy plaids and 
 snow-white mutches, or caps, the girls with their auburn 
 hair neatly bound up in the snood. 
 
 The shirts of the Highlanders were formerly of woollen, 
 from the use of which rheumatism, and other complaints, 
 were little known. Although linen was not in very 
 
 1 Plaids, all of scarlet, were latterly reckoned most genteel. 
 ' Arnot's Hist, of Edinburgh ; it is still called plaiding, in the Low- 
 lands. 
 
 T 
 
274 SHIRTS. 
 
 general use, it was far from being rare; * and the expense 
 to which the Gael went in their shirts was astonishing. 
 The Lenicroich, or large shirt, worn by persons of rank, 
 was dyed of a saffron colour, and contained twenty-four 
 ells. In Ireland, the natives are said to have required 
 above thirty yards in the composition of this vestment, 
 a fashion so expensive that a law was passed by Henry 
 VIII., by which they were prohibited from putting more 
 than seven yards in it, under a severe penalty.' Great 
 quantities of linen were formerly made to supply the de- 
 mand for these garments. The Lenicroich was fastened 
 round the middle by a belt, and reached below the knees, 
 being gathered into folds, or pleats, like the breacan, 
 but was not, as its name would seem to imply, worn under 
 other clothing : it was an upper garment. It would appear 
 from Spenser that it was worn by both sexes, the women, 
 as Eiche describes them, wearing deep smock sleeves, 
 like herald maundies. " Linnen shirts," says Campion, 
 " the rich doe weare for wantonnes and bravery, with 
 wide hanging sleeves, playted, thirtie yards being little 
 enough for one of them. They have now," he conti- 
 nues, "left their saffron, and learne to wash their shirts 
 foure or five times in a yeare." * 
 
 The Celts had, in very early ages, attained celebrity for 
 the perfection to which they carried the growth of flax 
 and manufacture of linen. The Iberians of Tarraconia 
 excelled in its fineness, and those in the army at Cannre 
 
 * In the Hebrides, at all events, and along the Western mainland linen 
 shirts were few and far between uj) to the early part of the present century. 
 In one of the Islands the parish minister, the priest, the factor, and 
 present editor's father were the only four that wore linen shirts. This was 
 about 1814. Ed. 
 
 ■ A description of Ireland, Leydeii, 1627, quoted by Gratianus Lucius. 
 Acts of Parliament. 
 
 ' Hist, of Ireland, 1571. 
 
LINEN. 275 
 
 were clad iu shirts of linen, worked with purple, after the 
 manner of their country." 
 
 The use of linen appears to have been more common 
 anion" the Gallic and German females, than amonc- the men. 
 Beyond the Ehine, the females thought themselves most 
 grand when dressed in fine linen.' The vests of the German 
 ladies were embroidered with purple.'^ Whittaker says, 
 the skiurd, or shirt, was derived from the Eomans ; but 
 surely these linen vestments were shirts, to all intents and 
 purposes. Lein is the Gaelic for this part of apparel. By 
 the Cadurci, Caletes, Eutene, Bituriges, Morini, and 
 throughout all Gaul, linen cloth and canvas for sails were 
 manufactured. 
 
 The Gauls and Britons pounded the flax, when spun, 
 in a stone mortar with water ; and, when woven, it. was 
 beaten upon a smooth stone with broad clubs. The more 
 frequently and forcibly, the whiter and softer it became ; 
 and, to make the water more efficacious in cleansing, some 
 put into it the roots of wild poppies and other herbs. " 
 This mode of bleaching, or whitening linen, by beating it, 
 is still practised in Scotland and Ireland, where it is called 
 beetling, from the wooden implement with which it is struck. 
 
 The Scots' women, both single and married, have gene- 
 rally good store of sheets and blankets. 
 
 The hardihood of the Celtic race has been before noticed. 
 Their dress inured them to the vicissitudes and severity of 
 the climate. The lusty youth, says Marcellinus, had their 
 limbs hardened with frost and continual exercise. 
 
 Pelloutier relates an anecdote which shews how little 
 these people regarded exposure to cold. One morning 
 that the snow lay deep on the ground, one of their kings, 
 
 " Polybuis, iii. '' Plinj^, xix. 1. '"Tacitus. 
 
 '' Pliny, xix. xx. 2 and 3. 
 
276 CONVENIENCE OF THE DRESS. 
 
 wlio was well clothed, perceiving a man laying down 
 naked, asked if he was not cold ? " Is yovn- face cold ? " 
 replied he. " No," said the king. " Neither then," re- 
 turned the man, " do I feel cold, for I am all face."^ 
 
 The Highlanders, before the subversion of their primi- 
 tive institutions, were indifferent to the severity of a winter 
 night, resting with content in the open air, amid rain 
 or snow. With their simple breacan they suffered " the 
 most cruel tempest that could blow, in the field, in such 
 sort, that under a wreath of snow they slept sound." The 
 advantage of this vesture was almost incalculable. During 
 rain it could be brought over the head and shoulders ; and, 
 while other troops suffered from want of shelter, the High- 
 lander carried in his mantle an ample quantity of warm 
 covering. If three men slept together, they were enabled 
 to spread three folds of warm clothing under, and six above 
 them. The 42nd, 78th, and 79th regiments, who marched 
 through Holland in 1794, when the cold was so severe as 
 to freeze brandy in bottles, suffered incomparably less than 
 other corps who wore plenty of warm apparel. 
 
 O'Leary, contrasting the ancient state of his countrymen 
 with their degeneracy, and, alluding to their practice of 
 sleeping in the woods, observes that " the uprising com- 
 batant had not the ringlets of his hair bound with frost." 
 Breeches formed no part of their ancient costume; and, 
 even in 1712, Dobbs tells us that they went bare-legged 
 most part of the year. From constant exposure to a cold 
 and inconstant climate, the Gael were inured and indifferent 
 to hardships. They were so habituated to wet, that it had 
 no effect on their constitutions. 
 
 However rude and unpolished the ancient Gael were, 
 according to our ideas who live in an age of so high refine- 
 
 y Tome ii. c. 7, from jEUian, Var. Hist. vii. 6. 
 
CONVENIENCE OF THE DRESS. 277 
 
 ment, they were certainly in possession of many curious 
 and useful arts. Giraldus Cambrensis is convicted of false- 
 hood, in saying that the Irish had no manufactures, it being 
 evident, even from his own testimony, that they had knit- 
 ters, weavers, dyers, fullers, tailors, &c. If they had not 
 the art of making cloth, where did they procure the braccse, 
 the phalangium, or sagum, with caputii of various colours, 
 which he says they wore ? 
 
 While the Highlanders were able to produce cloth of 
 many brilliant and permanent colours, the inhabitants of 
 other countries were less skilful manufacturers. I believe 
 it is Camden who relates, that at the time of the Spanish 
 Armada invasion, the people of England were generally 
 obliged to wear white cloth, because they could not send it 
 to tlie Low Country to be dyed. 
 
 That the Franks and Saxons retained, for a long time, 
 the manufactures of their Celtic ancestors, has been shewn, 
 Charlemagne, adhering to the primitive costume, dressed 
 lilvC the Scots' Highlanders ; and, from Windichind's de- 
 scription of a Saxon, he closely resembled a Caledonian.^ 
 
 The costume of the Gael, like their language, being so 
 different from that of the other inhabitants of the British 
 islands, was fondly retained as a national distinction, and 
 a memorial of their independence. 
 
 This strong predilection led to repeated enactments. By 
 an act of the fifth of Edward IV. the Irish were ordered 
 to dress like the English, under the pain of a forfeiture of 
 goods ; and a similar law was passed in the tenth of Henry 
 VII. These statutes had little effect, for, in the twenty- 
 eighth of Henry VIII. another enactment prohibits, under 
 a severe penalty, all persons from shaving above their 
 ears, wearing cromeal on their lips, or glibes on their 
 
 ^ Camdeu's Britannia. 
 
278 LAWS AGAINST THE DKESS. 
 
 heads ; or from dressing in any shirt, smock, kerchor, ben- 
 del, neckerchor, mochet, or linen cap, coloured or dyed 
 with saffron ; or to wear in their shirts or smocks more 
 than seven yards of cloth, according to the king's standard.* 
 
 The Irish, notwithstanding these peremptory statutes, 
 which were strictly enforced by Queen Elizabeth, had not 
 entirely laid aside their ancient garb, in the middle of 
 the seventeenth century. It was, however, confined to 
 the peasantry, the dress of others being assimilated to the 
 prevailing fashion in England, although, in some parts, an 
 adherence to ancient custom was apparent. The costume 
 of the gentry, at the above period, is described as consisting 
 of a leather quilted jacke, long-slieved smocks, half-slieved 
 coats, silken fillets, and riding shoes of costly cordwaine.'' 
 
 The Highlanders were prohibited from carrying their 
 arms by the first parliament of George I., 1716. In 
 1747, a similar act was passed, with these more oppressive 
 and absurd additions, " that neither man nor boy, except 
 such as should be employed as ofiicers and soldiers, should, 
 on any pretence, wear or put on the clothes commonly 
 called Highland clothes, viz., the plaid, philibeg, or little 
 kilt, trowse, shoulder belts, or any part whatsoever of what 
 peculiarly belongs to the Highland garb ; and that no tar- 
 tan or party-colom^ed plaid, or stuff, should be used for 
 great coats or for upper coats." In 1782, the Duke of 
 Montrose brought forward a bill, by which " so much of 
 the above, or any other acts, as restrain the use of the 
 Highland dress is repealed." 
 
 The costume of the Gael is no longer deemed a 
 mark of disloyalty, and an object of legal prohibition. 
 The harsh and unnecessary law which denounced the 
 
 * Harris's ed. of S. J. Ware's Antiquities of Ireland, ii. 178. 
 •» Spenser. 
 
ACT AGAINST THE DRESS EEPEALED. 279 
 
 use of tartau has been expunged from the statute book ; 
 and one of the most popular objects of the Highland 
 Societies of London and Edinburgh, with their various 
 branches, is to cherish and promote an attention to this 
 honourable and manly costume, so appropriate a con- 
 comitant to the peculiar language and manners of the 
 Scotish Gael. The Highland dress is universally admired 
 and respected. On the Continent, where the bravery and 
 moral worth of the Scots is known and appreciated, it is 
 not merely an object of interest : it is a passport to the 
 best society, and a uniform that can rank with the proudest 
 of orders. Our gracious Sovereign, when he visited the 
 capital of his northern dominions, personally fixed it as 
 the court dress of Scotland. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF THE AEMS AND MILITARY ACCOUTREMENTS OF 
 THE CELTS. 
 
 The armour of tlie Celts may not inappropriately be 
 considered their dress, inasmuch as they seldom laid aside 
 their arms of defence, and never appeared abroad without 
 some part of their military weapons. Respecting these, we 
 have to express the same regret that was occasioned by the 
 subject of the preceding Chapter: there are few monuments 
 of antiquity that can, with certainty, be pronounced Gallic, 
 and of these few, scarcely any display the military attire ; 
 the Romans, according to Montfaucon, repressing any 
 desire to represent a subjugated people as independent 
 warriors. It was a particular honour conferred on two 
 Celtic legions, and a tribute to their unpralleled bravery, 
 that statues of them in their arms were set up at Edessa, 
 as before recited. 
 
DEFENSIVE AEMOUR. 281 
 
 The Gauls, in general, sought no other defence than 
 what nature supplied, despising artificial means of protect- 
 ing their bodies f but, when fully accoutred, they had both 
 helmets and shields, breast-plates, and coats of mail, the 
 common use of which was, apparently, confined to the no- 
 bles ; the vassals, or clients, being unable to procure these 
 articles, or, perhaps, denied the privilege of wearing them. 
 The German foot, in the days of Tacitus, were either naked, 
 or dressed in light cassocks, having few coats of mail, and 
 fewer helmets. The ancient Britons are described as going 
 generally almost naked, disregarding all defensive armour, 
 except the shield.'' 
 
 It does not appear whether the plates of iron with which 
 they covered their necks and bellies,'' were used as orna- 
 ments or for protection. Mela says, the Britons wore the 
 same armour as the Gauls, but, like them, they relied on 
 their dexterity and physical strength rather than on any 
 defensive armour, which they considered as an incum- 
 brance, if not an indication of cowardice. " I wear no 
 armour," said an Earl of Stratherne, at the battle of the 
 Standard, 1138; "yet they who do, will not advance beyond 
 me this day." Giraldus Cambrensis says, the Welsh fought 
 naked, or used very light armour, that it might not impede 
 their exertions, the Irish despising it altogether. At the 
 battle of Telamon, the Gesatre stript off their dresses and 
 stood before the army naked, carrying their weapons only, 
 that they might not be entangled by the bushes or other- 
 wise obstructed. Polybius describes it as terrible, and 
 astonishing to see those men marching naked, and to observe 
 the motion of their big bodies ; conduct, however, more 
 fool-hardy than discreet, for they were dreadfully galled 
 by the Eoman archers, and, finally, beaten back with 
 
 * Diodorus. *■ HeroJian, iii. " Dio. 
 
282 DEFENSR^E ARMOUE. 
 
 dreadful slaughter. On other occasions, we find this prac- 
 tice of denuding themselves noticed. The Gael retained 
 the same custom until almost the last century, the chief 
 being the first to set the example. However creditable 
 this was to their heroism, and however advantageous it 
 might be in allowmg a perfect freedom of action, the 
 want of defensive armour must have, on many occasions, 
 been severely felt. The people of the Low Country were, 
 in this respect, superior to the Highlanders, who, as the 
 song says, 
 
 " Had only got the belted plaid, 
 While they were mail-clad men." 
 
 Or, as was observed of their scanty covering in a later age, 
 
 " The Highland men are clever men, at handling sword or bow, 
 But yet they are ower naked men, to bide the gun, I trow." 
 
 However much the Celts may have valued themselves on 
 their contempt for armour, they were not ignorant of its 
 utility, nor deficient in its fabrication. They were dex- 
 terous in the manufacture of military weapons, and careful, 
 even to nicety, of their warlike accoutrements. Their 
 greatest delight was in the excellence and beauty of their 
 arms ; the ancient Irish appearing, from Solinus, to have 
 been remarkable for this attention to their appointments. 
 
 To the Gauls the honour of inventing chain mail 
 appears due, which, from being at first made of leather, 
 according to Varro,* acquired the name of Lorica, It is 
 called, in Gaelic, luirich, and was the usual body covering 
 of the Scots and Irish, who wore armour, the plate being 
 almost unknown among them ; and it seems to have been 
 worn of considerable length. " The armour wherewith they 
 cover their bodies," says the old Chronicle before quoted, 
 
 ^ De lingua Latina. , 
 
MAIL AND HELMETS. 283 
 
 " in time of war, is an iron bonnet and an habergion side 
 almost even to their heels." Throngliont Scotland, the 
 jaque de maill was chiefly worn, according to a French 
 anthor, who describes it in the sixteenth century ; and the 
 person wdio furnished Holinshed with his account of Scot- 
 land seems to prefer it, as he regrets that his countrymen 
 should use heavy armour. The Irish full armed troops, 
 in the seventeenth century, wore shirts of mail that reached 
 to the calf of the leg, and which were sometimes of leather, 
 stuck with iron nails."* They also had girdles, that were 
 proof against shot.* 
 
 The Cimbri wore iron breastplates ; ^ and some of the 
 Gauls, according to Diodorus, had a sort of cuirass of 
 similar metal, formed in rings, or hooked, resembling chain 
 mail, as some think. They had also a kind of interlaced 
 wicker under their vests. 
 
 Helmets were more general, it would appear, among 
 the Gauls than the Germans, who, from various sculptures, 
 are seen with a piece of cloth wrapped round their heads. 
 In the form and ornaments of the helmet, the Celts had an 
 opportunity for indulging their passion for decoration. 
 
 Among the Gauls, the Lusitanians, the Celtiberians, and 
 all of the same race, they were made of brass. The former 
 sometimes fixed on them appendages resembling horns, or 
 the wings of Mercury, of the same metal, or embellished 
 them with the figures of birds and beasts. The tribes in 
 Spain and Portugal surmounted them with red j^lumes, 
 apparently of horses' hair," and the Cimbri had them formed 
 lilve the jaws and muzzles of various wild beasts, adorning 
 them farther with plumes, like wings, of a prodigious 
 height."" Chonodomarius, a celebrated hero, is described 
 
 * Sjjenser. "Ware. « Bam. Pdche. ^ Plutarch, de Bello Cimb. 
 
 e Diodorus. ^ Plutarch, ut sup. 
 
284 
 
 MAIL AND HELMETS. 
 
 as riding about in glittering armour, with a flame-coloured 
 wreath or tassel on his helmet.' 
 
 In the annexed cut, the two helmets on the right are 
 from the sculptures at the church of Notre Dame, Paris ; 
 the upper one on the left is from Dr. Meyrick's work on 
 armour, as is the one in the vignette ; the lower is 
 from a figure engraved in Montfaucon's Antiquities ; 
 and that in the centre from a German on the column of 
 Antoninus. 
 
 The Massagetse had their helmets and breastplates orna- 
 mented with gold. The Thracians, in Xerxes's time, had 
 caps of foxes' skins.^ It is probable the ancient Caledo- 
 nians had a covering for the head, of a similar material ; 
 little Oscar, in Smith's version of " Cathula," being repre- 
 sented with his little helm of the fur of fawns. 
 
 The helmet, clogaid, literally the apex, or ceann-bheart, 
 a headpiece, is mentioned by the oldest bards as not un- 
 
 •Ainm. Mar. xvi. 10. 
 
 J Herodotus, vii. 75. 
 
CELTIC SHIELDS. 285 
 
 common amongst the Gael;* and from these authorities we 
 find that they were adorned with the feathers of the eagle's 
 wing, perhaps the whole pinion, by which Ossian appears 
 to have recognised an Irish chief, it being a mark of 
 distinction, for we find the " grey feather " always worn by 
 a hero. We must make allowance for the privilege of the 
 poetical historians to embellish their recitals by national 
 imagery, every individual figuring in these tales being 
 a hero, if not a ccan-tigh^ and consequently entitled to 
 wear a helmet and its proper crest. Whether helmets 
 formed of metal were very numerous in Caledonia during 
 the Fingalian dynasty, may be doubted; but the eagle's 
 feather has ever been the peculiar badge of Highland 
 nobility. 
 
 A skull cap, in times less distant from the present age, 
 protected the chieftain's head, and does not at any time 
 appear to have been worn by those under the degree of a 
 Galloglach. Among the Irish, the glibe, or matted hair, 
 served the purpose of a helmet, but they also used a head- 
 piece covered with hide. The Scots were long but ill 
 provided with armour. At the battle of the Standard, the 
 infantry had nothing for defence but a target of leather. 
 
 The SHIELD of the Gauls, according to Strabo and 
 Virgil, was usually long,^ and the Ligurians carried one of 
 the same form. In Sculpture, we perceive the Germans 
 with an oval shaped buckler of ample dimensions. Tacitus 
 admits it was large, but suited to the size of the bearer. 
 
 * During the '45 many of the Highlanders of Appiu and Breadalbane 
 had thin sheets of iron inserted between the lining and tops of their 
 bonnets to protect their heads from sabre cuts of cavalry. One of their 
 bonnets, with its iron sheet guard, we have seen. It is in the possession 
 of Stewart of Ardsheil. Ed. 
 
 '^ Head of a house, chieftain. 
 
 1 Lib. iv. p. 299, ed. 1707. iEneid, viii. v. 660, &c. 
 
286 CELTIC SHIELDS. 
 
 From the plates in Cluverius's work, we find it was at first 
 formed of the rough wood, or bark of a tree, sometimes 
 retaining the natural curve, but at other times appearing 
 flat, and nearly the length of the body; in several instances 
 it appears formed of straw, or rushes, something resembling 
 the work of bee-hives. 
 
 A small round shield seems, however to have been 
 the favorite of the Celts? , and Schoepflin notices the re- 
 mains of some discovered in Germany." Several of the 
 Celtiberi used the light shield of the Gauls, and others 
 bore round targets, the size of bucklers ;" but, at Canute, 
 Polybius says they both carried the same kind, which he 
 describes as weak." The Eoman shield was, at first, square ; 
 but in their wars with the Tyrhenians, a people of Gallic 
 origin, they adopted the round form used by that people.'' 
 From the spoils that were taken at Thermopylae, where the 
 Gauls had no other weapons of defence, and deposited in 
 the temjile of Apollo at Delphos, Pausanias describes 
 them as similar to the wicker targets of the Persians, called 
 Gerrha."* Those Celts called them thureoi, or thyreos; 
 the Welsh still use tarian, and the French retain thi- 
 ros.' In the Gaelic, tearmun, protection, or defence, is 
 applied to a shield, as well as targaid, from whence comes 
 the Saxon targa and English target; but sgiath is the 
 usual term, and is applied to a buckler from its supposed 
 resemblance to a wing, denoted by the same word. The 
 most ancient and most common shields of the Caledonians 
 were, probably, made of interwoven twigs covered with 
 hide. In the poem of Cathula, a sword is said to pass 
 through the folds of a shield; and young Oscar, in Du- 
 thona, is represented with one formed of woven reeds.* 
 
 "ALsatia illustrata, i. 67. ° Diodorus. ° Lib. ii. 2. 
 
 P Diodorus, Fragmenta xxiii. 1 Lib. x. 19, 20. ' Holmes. 
 
 * Suiitli's Gallic Ant. 
 
CELTIC SHIELDS. 287 
 
 Ca3sar describes the Aduatici, wlio occupied tlie country 
 about Douay, as having targets of wicker, covered with a 
 tough hide ; and Tacitus says those of the Germans were 
 either a sort of basket work, or of board, painted, but seldom 
 bound either with leather or iron,* lil^e that of the Eomans. 
 The Scots of Ulster, in the time of Spenser, carried long 
 wicker shields, which were quite unknown among the 
 Southern tribes.' 
 
 Lucan says some of the Celtiberi used a small shield, 
 called Cetra, which the Eomans afterwards adopted. I 
 find that Cetra, in Gaelic, means something intervening, 
 a term very applicable to a shield.* The Lusitani carried 
 shields of a peculiar form, resembling a half moon, and 
 composed of the sinews of animals, so strongly interwoven, 
 that, for lightness and strength, they could not be excelled ; 
 beiifg, besides, managed with admirable skill, and whirled 
 about so dexterously that it was scarcely possible to wound 
 the person who bore them." They were called Peltai, and 
 four are represented on the shield of the Vesontes in the 
 engraving. Among the Etruscans it was round, and not 
 fixed to the arm, but held in the centre by the hand. 
 
 The shield of the ancient Caledonians, according to He- 
 rodian, was oblong, resembling those assigned by Cluverius 
 to tlie continental Celts ; but numerous discoveries prove 
 thtit this was not the only form, if it was at all common. 
 Dr. ]\Ieyi'ick, indeed, exhibited lately to the Society of 
 Antiquaries, a curious remain of a shield of this shape, but 
 the original British target was circular. The figure of 
 
 * The Gaelic word referred to by the author is not Cetra, there being no 
 such word in the language, but eatorra (eadar iad) inter eos, between them, 
 a something between two or more. It has no connection with the 
 Celtiberian Cetra. Ed. 
 
 * Annals, ii. ■» View of Ireland, p. 43. 
 " Diodorus. 
 
288 CELTIC SHIEDLS. 
 
 Britannia on Eoman coins is represented with one of this 
 form, and apparently of the dimensions of those which the 
 Higlilanders, during their independence, continued to use. 
 The bards invariably speak of them as round, and they 
 appear to have generally resembled those used in the last 
 century, the poetical expressions " dark brown," " shield 
 of thongs," alluding to their covering of leather. The 
 targaid of the Scots' Highlanders was always orbicular, 
 and formed of one or two thin pieces of wood, covered 
 with one or more folds of thick leather, fastened by nu- 
 merous nails, usually of brass, but often of iron, and some- 
 times of silver, according to the circumstances of the party. 
 These nails, or knobs, served to strengthen the targaid, 
 and were rendered highly ornamental to it, for they were 
 sometimes formed into representations of arpiorial badges, 
 by means of the different metals. The most usual style 
 was an arrangement in concentric circles, which had a pleas- 
 ing and rich effect. The one represented in the plate is in 
 the armoury of the Tower of London, and measures one 
 foot nine inches in diameter. The one shewn in the vig- 
 nette, p. 280, is taken from a portrait of a Highland noble- 
 man in the Trius, in the possession of Mr. Donald Currie, 
 Eegent street. The circular arrangement of the nails is 
 singular ; for a bronze target of nearly the same dimen- 
 sions, found in Cardiganshire, and represented in Dr. Mey- 
 rick's excellent history of that county, exhibits, in relief, 
 sixteen circular lines of knobs, exactly resembling the nails 
 on the shields of the Higlilanders. It is difficult to deter- 
 mine wdiether the metal buckler was an imitation of the 
 wooden, or its model. Like the Scots' target, this curious 
 relick was carried by a single hold, a piece of metal being 
 placed across the boss, or umbo, which afforded room for 
 the hand ; and, in numerous cases, those parts have been 
 discovered of iron and brass, when the wooden shield has 
 
''i-e/td Mujd^^'^ ' 
 
 ''^-^6, 
 
 ^^^^v.^../AWA^'i^'" 
 
 J.LogoJiDeZ. 
 
CELTIC SHIELDS. 289 
 
 been long perished. This method of wiekling tlie shield 
 was common to all Northern nations." 
 
 The small ronnd target, covered with leather, common 
 to both Scots and Irish, was always retained by the High- 
 landers, who signalized themselves by its adroit manage- 
 ment. So early as the first century, their ancestors ex- 
 cited admiration by the dexterity with which they used 
 it in eluding the missiles of the lioman army.'' The 
 single hold, by which the targe was grasped, enabled the 
 bearer to use it with advantage ; and of so much im- 
 portance was it deemed, that, in the last unfortunate re- 
 bellion, it was the first care, after the battle of Preston 
 Pans, to provide a large supply for the army. By receiv- 
 ing the points of the bayonets on their targets, they were 
 able with their swords to assail the enemy, who, by this 
 mode of attack were almost defenceless. Nor was this 
 all : the shield had often a spike fixed in the centre ; and 
 they Avere accustomed to carry the dirk along with it, 
 and tlnis were doubly armed. "When within reach of 
 the enemies' bayonets, bending their left knee, they, by 
 their attitude, cover their bodies with their targets, that 
 receive the thrusts of the bayonets, which they contrive to 
 parry, while, at the same time, they raise their sword arm 
 and strike their adversary. Having once got within the 
 bayonets, the fate of the battle is decided in an instant, and 
 the carnage follows ; the Highlanders bringing down two 
 men at a time, one with their dirk in the left hand, and 
 another with the sword." These are the words of one who- 
 served in the campaign, and was well qualified to give an 
 opinion.^ This superiority in tactics engaged considerable 
 attention at the time of the rebellion, and various plans 
 
 " Keysler. • y Vita Agrie. 
 
 '■ Mem. of Chev. Jolinstone, p. 86. 
 
 U 
 
290 CELTIC SHIELDS. 
 
 were suggested to enable the regular troops to resist tlie 
 furious onset of the Highlanders.* 
 
 The targe was usually hung on the left shoulder ; and, 
 on a march, it was sometimes borne on the arm: but, except 
 in actual war, it was not carried about the person. It was 
 reckoned the greatest disgrace among the Germans, to quit 
 their shield in battle. He who did so was not permitted 
 to join in sacrifice, or attend the public assemblies ; and 
 many who were so unfortunate as to lose this part of their 
 arms, hanged themselves, to avoid the shame of appearing 
 under a circumstance so disgraceful.' The Gael did not 
 carry this feeling so far, yet the Highlander never willingly 
 parted w^tli his targe, 
 
 " Whose brazen studJs ami tough bull hide, 
 Had. death so often dashed aside."'' 
 
 The shield of the Celtic chiefs was frequently of metal, 
 or, like the above, was covered with it. An iron shield, 
 round, and weighing nearly twenty pounds, is mentioned 
 by Pennant as preserved at Dunvegan Castle, in Sky. 
 That of the Earl of ]\Iar, in the drawing, is of steel, or- 
 namented with gold. 
 
 The shield was sometimes raised in bosses, called, in 
 Gaelic, copan, wdiich, from being hollow, could be made to 
 ■emit a sound, and, by means of these, it served otlier uses 
 of some importance among the ancient Caledonians. It 
 was either suspended on a tree, or betweeii spears, near the 
 king or commander of an army ; and, when at sea, it hung 
 on the mast, " the dismal sign of war," and being struck 
 with a spear, M-as a signal for assembling the army, or 
 
 * The targe or shield of the celebrated chief, Sir Ewen Cameron of 
 Lochiel, is still presei-ved at A chnacarry Castle. In curiously embossed 
 characters it bears the words, " Feare Godde : Honour ye Kinge." Ed. 
 
 » Tac. de Jlor. Cerm, •" Mr Walter Scott. 
 
USES OF THE SHIELD. 291 
 
 preparing for immediate battle. Hence it was poetically 
 named " the shield of alarms," " the warning boss," &c. 
 
 The Celts did every thing in a grave, solemn, and pecu- 
 liar way. It seems to have been a privilege or duty of the 
 leader of the war " to strike his shield at times," and the 
 warriors appear to have done so occasionally, " when their 
 rage arose," either to keep alive their ardour, or as an in- 
 dication of their readiness and anxiety for the contest. It 
 was also the practice, at least during the war, of awakening 
 the chiefs by these means. I cannot, how^ever, very well 
 conceive how the sound emitted could be sufficiently loud 
 to be heard through the whole army, as the expressions of 
 the poets seem to imply, althougli they had been formed 
 of the most sonorous materials ; and such a mode of direct- 
 ing the military operations of the troops appears unneces- 
 sary, where there were horns for the express purpose. A 
 people that were able to fabricate the other ingenious parts 
 of their military accoutrements, could certainly form a shield 
 of iron capable of produ.cing a certain tone ; but the extra- 
 ordinary effect that is said to have attended the loud clang 
 of these bucklers, can only be set down as a poetical 
 embellishment. 
 
 The shield of Cathmor, a chief of Ireland, as described 
 in the seventh book of Temora, seems too artificial to be 
 reconciled, with satisfaction, to the rude state of the arts at 
 that time. It had seven bosses, each of M'hich was orna- 
 mented with a star, representing a constellation," and con- 
 veyed by its sound a particular order from the king. I 
 should certainly be inclined to doubt the existence of such 
 a singular article, did we not know, from discoveries, that 
 the bosses were sometimes of silver, or other metal, of very 
 ingenious Avorkmanship, and were it not possible to attempt 
 
 *= The sliiL'ld of AcLilles was, likewise, ornamented with celestial signs. 
 
292 USES OF THE SHIELD. 
 
 a rational explanation of this traditional account. Shields 
 of metal were certainly of limited use among tliose tribes, 
 and were confined to the chief men, giving rise to the ex- ■ 
 pression of " blue-shielded kings," &c. That of Fingal 
 was evidently of this sort ; and the following passage will 
 throw considerable light on the manner in which this 
 curious custom was observed. " On two spears hung his 
 shield on high ; the gleaming sign of death : that shield 
 which he was wont to strike, by night, before he rushed to 
 war. It was then his warriors knew when the kino- ^vas to 
 lead in strife; for, never was this buckler heard, till the 
 wratli of Fingal arose." This shield, formed of metal, or 
 covered with a plate of iron, was of a more simple con- 
 struction than that of Cathmor. 
 
 The term " bossy," applied to these bucklers, was ex- 
 pressive of the little convex plates with which they were 
 ornamented. Some were, no doubt, fabricated with su- 
 perior ingenuity, divided into several of these bosses, or 
 knobs, a blow on any 0:1 c of which might have been the 
 method by wliicli the commands of the General were 
 conveyed to the army. This is perfectly agreeable to the 
 symbolical and figurative manners of the Celtic race, and 
 the method was less strange tha^i at first appears. 
 
 The seven bosses on Cathmor's shield were " the seven 
 voices of the kino- which his warriors received from the 
 wind, and marked over all -their tribes." Here we are not 
 told that the sound of the particular boss which he struck 
 was so loud as to be heard by all the army, but the differ- 
 ent clans were informed by means of the warriors. In the 
 former extract we also find that it was the warriors, i. e. 
 the uasal, or those above the commons, only, who knew 
 wdien the engagement was to commence. 
 
 It may be further observed, that the King of Morven, on 
 one occasion, having struck his shield in the night, many 
 
USES OF THE SHIELD. 293 
 
 of his host were awakened, and thought it was a signal for 
 them to get under arms, whieh, from other passages, we are 
 led to believe it must have been ; but receiving no further 
 intimation, they again went to sleep. It is impossible to 
 believe that these shields could have sounded so loud as 
 the Bard, by poetical licence, has given us to understand ; 
 and if the bosses of Cathmor's had rung with the noise of 
 tenor bells, the army would, nevertheless, have been liable 
 to misunderstand their import : but the king's determina- 
 tion being indicated by his giving a certain number of 
 knocks on a particular boss, his warriors or attendants 
 instantly retired and conveyed his orders to their respective 
 clans. Tlie shield M'as the. only part of the warrior's 
 armour appropriate for the purpose of announcing the 
 resolutions of the chief; and, as th'^o of Cathmor was 
 different from Fingal's, perhaps each tribe had their 
 peculiar signals. 
 
 Ilie king is defender of his people, and the shield, used 
 as the defence of the body, denoted his presence, by being 
 always suspended beside him. It was also used figura- 
 tively, to denote this office of defender, in being carried by 
 bards in front of the army after a victory, as we find from 
 a Gaelic poem which refers to the era of the Caledonian 
 Bard. Those who besought assistance, also presented a 
 shield covered with blood, to denote the death of their 
 friends or defenders. 
 
 The use of the shield as a tablet, whereon the glory and 
 rencjwn of heroes and their ancestors were set forth, is not its 
 most ancient appropriation. The origin of coat armour is, 
 more probably, to be traced from, the practice of dis])laying 
 the intentions or determination of hostile parties. If the 
 ancient warriors wore the skins and other parts of the 
 animals they killed, or adorned themselves with the spoils 
 of their van(piished enemies, they did so to inspire terror, 
 
294 ORNAMENTS OF THE SHIELD. 
 
 by this means of shewing no less their power and valour 
 than their inclination to support their prowess. Nations 
 and individuals have frequently assumed certain symbols 
 and borne them on their shields or ensigns, to demonstrate 
 to others the designs on which they were engaged. 
 
 The very meaning of the word herald signifies the cham- 
 pion of an army ; and to declare war is still his province. 
 The Bards were the heralds of the Celtee, and they carried 
 the shields of the chiefs, as tlie herald of succeeding ageS' 
 bore the arms of his country or patron. 
 
 The marks impressed on the leather covered targaid 
 resembles the intertwining of sprigs, a favourite ornament 
 among the Celts, being imitated in the hilts of the dirks, 
 and introduced in their brooches and other ornaments. 
 This intricate tracery, which formed, for so many ages, 
 their common pattern, is seen in the rude sculptures of 
 monumental stones, and appears to be derived from the 
 mysterious woven knots of the branches of trees, under 
 which the Druids concealed their knowledge, and of wliich 
 more shall be said hereafter. 
 
 The Gauls, says Diodorus, had often the brazen figures 
 of animals on their shields, which served both for ornament 
 and strength; those of the Cimbri being bright and glitter- 
 ing, adorned with the figures of beasts.^ The Celtte were 
 also fond of painting their shields, a practice which they 
 had in most ancient times, and which, being adopted for 
 the purpose of distinction, is clearly the origin of the 
 science of heraldry, about which its professors and anti- 
 quaries are so ill agreed. 
 
 At ThermopylcTe, the Gauls had their shields painted in a 
 certain manner ; and the night being so dark as to prevent 
 them from perceiving the figures, they were unable tO' 
 
 ^ Plutni-cli, vita Marii. 
 
BADGES OR DEVICES. 295 
 
 recognise their own troops, and consequently fell into com- 
 plete confusion.' 
 
 When society is rude and unsettled, it is not to be ex- 
 pected tliat individuals will have distinctive symbols or 
 marks ; a whole tribe adopts a general recognizance : but 
 the origin of coat armour is to be traced to a much more 
 remote period than the era of justs and tournaments. Dr. 
 Henry very ingeniously supposes that the introduction of 
 clothino- led to the transfer of the figures which charac- 
 terized nobility, from the body to the shield.' This is, 
 probably, in some degree true, for the skin was stained for 
 a mark of distinction f but insignia, I apprehend, were first 
 exhibited on standards and shields; and it is probable that 
 the practice was, at first, connected with a religious feeling, 
 the figures being, perhaps, the symbols of gods. In proof 
 of this, we find that the ^stii carried the images of boars, 
 to indicate the worship of the mother of the gods ; and by 
 this mark they were recognised and protected among their 
 enemies.'' The Gauls carried the images from their sacred 
 groves to battle. The princes of Milan, on Hannibal's de- 
 scent into Italy, took the ensigns of gold from the temple 
 of Minerva, which ensigns they called immoveable, and 
 marched with them against the Eomans.' That people did 
 themselves retain something of this ancient custom; the 
 eagles and other military ensigns being deposited in a sa- 
 cellum with the tutelar gods, and, when displayed, they 
 were placed together in the same rank.^ 
 
 The Celtic tribes of Britain had standards, or banners, 
 figuratively termed sunbeams, in the bardic poems, each 
 
 *"Nec scutoruia signa possent aguoscere." Pausaiiias, eJ. Fianco- 
 fiuti, 1583, p. 287. ' History of Britain, 1. p. 351. 
 
 * Isidore calls that of the Picts au infamous nobility. 
 '' Tac de Llor. Germ. • Polylnus, lib. ii. 
 
 J Lipsius Milit. Roman, quoted by Gibbon. 
 
296 BANNERS. 
 
 leading chief being provided with one. That of Fingal, 
 of which Dr. Smith, of Campbelltown, gives a description, 
 was much respected as the Isiing's ensign ; but the flag ol" 
 Diarmid, who led the right wing of the army, seems to have 
 been superior.'' In the original Gaelic, the description of 
 those of the seven principal chiefs is very particular, and 
 " so inimitably beautiful, that I cannot imagine," says an 
 intelligent writer, " how Mac I'herson has omitted it in liis 
 translation." ' 
 
 The materials of these banners it is not easy to discover. 
 In the poem of " the Death of Fraoich," conjectured to be 
 of almost equal antiquity with Ossian, — bratach sroil, a 
 silken flag, is mentioned, but it is doubtful whether this be 
 not an interpolation. It is probable that the term now 
 applied to silk, formerly meant only something of a very 
 fine texture. 
 
 The Caledonian chiefs had hereditary standard bearers, 
 and the office was reckoned one of much honour, to which 
 a salary in land and other perquisites were attached. They 
 continued to enjoy their trust and emoluments, under Sir 
 Donald Mac Donald, of Slate, in the last century, and 
 were retained by some chiefs to a more recent period. The 
 Celtic name, Vergasilanus, is Fear go saelan, the man 
 with the standard. A superstitious importance was, in 
 many cases, attached to particular banners, which may at 
 first have arisen from the religious veneration before alluded 
 to. In the island of Oronsay, near the tomb of ]\Iur- 
 chard Mac Duffaidh, an abbot, who died 1509, is, or was 
 lately, a long pole fixed in memory of the ensign staff of 
 liis family, on the preservation of which depended the fate 
 of the race. Clan na Faiter held three lands in Bracadale, 
 
 * Fiiij[jal, Look iv. 
 
 * Letter of the Rev. Donald Mac Leod to Dr. Blair. 
 
^f%r .,,niiir('^ 
 
 "^^^'^om serafi'^'^'' 
 
 ''<3rit'^''' 
 
 '"0//f 
 
 ''^'^'^^^^ 'pnrnA'^' 
 
 ^lulLldi 
 
 'mfMi 
 
 ^J, 
 
 JLof/anDi'l. 
 
 vM^ 
 
 i^r- ^miJ^'myM€y G/l^>77/a^2yj^Jm6^^ 
 
C(.)AT AHMOUK. 297 
 
 Isle of Skye, for presendng the Braotacli-slii of ]\Iac Leod, 
 which, tradition asserted, was only to be produced on three 
 occasions. Pennant, who relates this story, says the third 
 time was to preserve his own life ; but we are not informed 
 whether any other effect was to follow this last display. 
 To owe his life to its appearance, was matter for lasting 
 gratitude to the " fairy nag." 
 
 The colours of the ancient banners, or their devices, are 
 not distinctly known. " The dark wreaths of Erin's 
 standard,"™ the blended colours of Mac Druivel's bra- 
 taeeh, the beauteous green coloured banner of the King of 
 plains," and the red and green meteors, as others are 
 termed, do not give a very definite idea of their appearance. 
 The banner of Gaul, a companion of Fingal, was called 
 Briachail bhrocaill. 
 
 The Celts did not confine their distinguishing badges to 
 their flags ; they had, we have seen, long before the com- 
 mencement of the era of Christianity, depicted them on 
 tlieir shields. The Germans are celebrated for the taste 
 with which these were painted, the various colours being 
 much admired." Tacitus speaks of the Arians, one of 
 their tribes, as having been distinguished by black shields, 
 but he describes them generally as ornamenting them with 
 figures of animals, bears, bulls, wolves, deer, oxen, horses, 
 dogs, and lynxes, being enumerated. The accompanying 
 ])Ymt, drawn and coloured from the descriptions in the 
 " Notitia Imperii " of PanciroUus, and the " Hierogly- 
 phica" of Pierius, will shew that the Gallic and German 
 auxiliary troops bore various devices on their shields, which 
 were certainly, to all intents and purposes, coat armour ; 
 and in a tasteful arrangement of colours and design the 
 P)ritisli legions did not yield to their continental friends. 
 
 " Dartliula. " Dargo. " Tacitus, Seneca, ^c. 
 
298 BADGES. 
 
 In the compositions of the bards we often find allusion 
 made to painted targets. Sometimes they are called red^ 
 at other times spotted, varied, or chequered.'' 
 
 It is singular that the term breac, applied to the party 
 coloured shield, should be given to the coat or covering 
 which became the family recognisance of the Gael ! 
 
 In the time of Spenser, the Irish also painted their round 
 leathern targets " in rude fashion." 
 
 Some of the figures depicted on the Celtic shields bear 
 a close resemblance to those in modern coat armour. We 
 recognise the star, the gyron, the carbuncle, the lozenge, 
 the crescent, the griftin, the pall, the tressure, &c. that 
 appear in forms as rude as in many old works ^on heraldry. 
 
 In this branch of the subject the crests or badges of 
 those nations come appropriately under notice. That they 
 bore various figures on their helmets has already been shewn:, 
 that they were for tribal and paternal distinction, connot be 
 doubted. Pausanias informs us that Aristomenes bore an 
 eagle displayed, Agamemnon a lion's head, Menelaus a 
 dragon, &c. The Dacian symbol was also a dragon, and 
 the Scythians, according to Guillim, bore a thunderbolt. 
 The first Gauls who exhibited at Home as gladiators had a 
 fish for their crest, and were termed mirmillones.'' 
 
 Badges were born on the helmet, and displayed on the 
 shield and on the banner ; hence modern arms often con- 
 tain representations of those things anciently carried as 
 marks of distinction. Bruce had three holly branches, 
 which were, no doubt, borne on his ensign, as he bestowed 
 them on Irvine of Drum, who was his banner bearer, and 
 whose posterity still carry them.' 
 
 The lion, according to Gebelin, was the general badge of 
 
 P Drs. Mac Queen, Mac Pherson, &c. &c. 
 
 1 Festus. ■■ Sir George Mac Keiizie. 
 
BADGES. 299 
 
 the Celtic tribes ; the national arms of Scotland are, con- 
 sequently, of great antiquity. It is true that Aldred 
 describes the animal, at the battle of the Standard, " ad 
 similitudinem Draconis figuratim;" but the rude form 
 might very naturally occasion the mistake, for it is well 
 known that the heraldic figures had formerly extremely 
 little resemblance to the real objects. The science has in- 
 deed advanced in the march of improvement, but it is 
 not long since it was otherwise. A member of the college 
 of arms once visited the menagerie in the Tower, where the 
 lions being pointed out to him; "Lions!" he exclaimed, " I 
 have tricked' too many, not to know what like they are 1" 
 actually believing the animals before him were another 
 species ! 
 
 There are many Scots families who bear animals, or 
 parts of them, that are not found in Britain or in Europe. 
 It would be a very unreasonable stretch of conjecture, to 
 fancy that, such as carry figures of creatures, which although 
 long extinct, are known to have once lived here, are of so 
 remote extraction ; but may we not be allowed to believe 
 that those charges were derived from the common practice 
 of the ancient Celts ? The bearing of hereditary arms, or 
 marks, is usually derived from the Goths; but do those 
 who say so, inquire from whom that people acquired the 
 practice ? "In Celtic Scotland," says the laborious author 
 of Caledonia, " no chivalry, nor its attendant arms, were 
 known in 1076."* The chivalrous spirit of the Gael was 
 always the most striking trait in their character, yet if the 
 science of heraldry, as refined by other nations, was not 
 studied by the primitive race of Scots, it was retained by 
 them in its original simplicity, and its nice distinctions and 
 peculiar regulations were x^reserved Avith rigid exactness. 
 
 " A term applied to amis that are drawn with a pen. ' Vol. i. p. 76K 
 
300 BADGES on CRESTS. 
 
 In ancient families not many instances occur where the 
 supporters are strange animals. The Highlanders had less 
 fancy than others for these uncouth defenders of their arms. 
 At tournaments they let their clansmen stand by their 
 shields in naked fierceness or in their native breacan. 
 
 The painted shields, the crests, or badges, worn on the 
 head, the standards, and strictly regulated patterns of 
 their garments, were the insignia by which the Celtic war- 
 rior was distinguished and his tribe recognised. Of the 
 badges, as worn by the Scotish clans, the following is a 
 list, the correctness of which, as far as it extends, may be 
 relied on. For carrying these marks of distinction, after 
 1745, some Frasers and Mac Kenzies were subjected to 
 the penalties of the disarming act. 
 
 Badges, or Suiacheantas, of the Highland Clans, vAth 
 the Gaelic, English, and botanical names. 
 
 liuchannan, — Dearcag Monaidh, — Bilberry, — Vaccinium 
 
 uliginosum. 
 Cameron, — Dearcag Fithich, — Crowberry, — Empitium 
 
 nigrum. 
 Campbell, — G arbhag ant-sleibh, — Fir-club moss, — Lyco- 
 
 podium selago." 
 Chisholm, — Eaineach, — Fern, — Filix. 
 Colquhon, — Braoileag nan con,— Bearberry, — Arbutus uva 
 
 ursi. 
 Cummin, — Lus mhic Cuimein, — Cummin wood, — Cumi- 
 
 num. 
 
 " Many of this name assert tliat the Dutch niyvth% Eoiil, is the proper 
 badge. 
 
BADGES. 301 
 
 Drumniond, — Lus inliic Eigh breatuinn, — Mother of 
 
 tli}aiie, — Thyniis sirpyllum. 
 Fergusson, — llos-greine, — Little sunflower, — Heliaii tln;- 
 
 miim marifoliiim. 
 Forbes and IMac Aoidli," — Beaiuidh, or Bealaidh, — 
 
 Broom, — Spartium scorparium. 
 Fraser, — Iiithar, — Yew, — Taxus baccata. 
 Grant, Mac Gregor, Mac Kinnon, and Mac Quarie, — 
 
 Giuthas, — Pine,— Finns sylvestris. 
 Gordon, — ladli slilat, Eitlieann, — Ivy, — Hedera helix. 
 Graham, — Buaidli craobh, na Laibhreas, — Laurel, 
 
 spurge, — Laureola. 
 Hay, Uile-ice,— Misletoe, — Viscum album. 
 Logan and Sinclair, — Conis, — Whin or furze, — Ulex 
 
 europteus. 
 Mac Aulay and Macfarlane, — ■ Muileag, — Cranberry, — 
 
 Oxycoccus palustris. 
 Mac Donald, Mac Alastair, and Mac ISTab, — Fraoch 
 
 gorm, — Con>mon heath, — Erica vulgaris. 
 Mac Dougal — Fraoch dearg, — Bell heath, — Tetralix. 
 Mac Kenzie and Mac Lean, — An Cuilfhionn, — Holly, — 
 
 Ilex aquifoliimi. 
 j\Iac Lachlan, — Faochag, na gille-fuinbrinn, — Lesser peri- 
 
 AY inkle, — Pervinca minor. 
 Mac Leod, Gunn, and Eoss, — Aiteann, — Juniper, — Juni- 
 
 peris communis. 
 Mac Naughtan, — Lusan Albanach, — trailing Azalia, — - 
 
 Azalea procumbens. 
 Mac ISTiel and Lamont, — Luibheann, — Dryas, — Octopetala. 
 ]\Iac Pherson, IMac Intosh, Mac Duffj Mac Bean, Shaw, 
 
 Farquharson, ]Mac Gillifray, Mac Queen, Clark, 
 
 Davidson, Elder, and several others, as branches of 
 
 » Llaekav. 
 
302 BADGES. 
 
 Clan Cliattau, — Lus iia'n Craimsheag, nam Braoi- 
 leag, — Eecl whortleberry, — Vaccinium vitis idea." 
 
 Menzies, — Fraocli nam Meineracli, — Menzie heath, — 
 Menziesia ccernlea. 
 
 Munro, — Garbhag an gleann, na crutal a mada niadh, — 
 Common club moss, — Lycopodium clavatum. 
 
 Murray and Sutherland, — Bealaidh Chatti, — Butcher's 
 broom,^ — liuscus occiliatus. 
 
 Ogilvie, — Bogius, — Evergreen alkanet, — Anchusa. 
 
 Oliphant, — Luachair, — Bullrush, — Scirpus. 
 
 Piobertson, — Dluith fraoch, — Fme leaved heath, — Erica 
 cinerea. 
 
 Itose, — Eos-mairi fiadhaich, — Wild rosemary, — Andro- 
 meda Media. 
 
 Stewart, — Darach, — Oak, — Quercus robur. They also 
 carry the Thistle, Cluaran, as the national badge.* 
 
 Urquhart, — Lus-letlm't-samhraidh, — Wallflower, — Chei- 
 ranthus. 
 
 The three pinion feathers of the native ' eagle is the dis- 
 tinguishing badge of a Highland chief, two of a chief- 
 tain, and one of a gentleman. This mark of nobility Avas 
 well known in the time of Ossian. Had Prince Charles 
 succeeded in his enterprise of 1745, it was intended to insti- 
 tute a military order of the mountain eagle. 
 
 Connected with the means of recognition by badges and 
 
 ' To avoid trouble, the Box, from its close resemblance to the above, 
 was occasionally substituted, whence arose a belief that it was the Mac 
 Intosh badge. There is also an opinion among some Senachies, that the 
 Craobh Aighban, Boxus sempervirens, a tree said to be found in the 
 Highlands, is the true Suiacheantas. 
 
 ^The oak not being an evergreen, the Highlanders look on it as an 
 f-mblem of the fate of the Royal house. The badge of the Pictish king- 
 dom was Rudh, Paie, which is seen joine.l with the thistle in the collar of 
 the Order. 
 
WAR CRIES. 303 
 
 symbols, "war cries, or watch words, were in use by the 
 Oael, with whom they were fixed, and peculiar to districts 
 nnd tribes. The remarkable shouting and chaunting of 
 these nations in makhig their attacks is referable to this 
 custom, the particular exclamation forming the Welsh 
 Ubub, the Irish Ullulu," and the Caledonian Caithgairm, 
 or Slogan. A band of warriors often used their own name 
 as a war shout. One of the Cimbric nations in the invasion 
 of Italy, in this manner advanced, singing Ambrones! Am- 
 brones ! and the Scots at the battle of the Standard, 1138, 
 made a great shout, crying Albani ! Albani ! '' 
 
 The names of leaders seem well adapted for incentives to 
 battle or rallying words for combatants. They Avere used 
 .simply by some as a Douglas ! a Douglas ! a Gordon ! a 
 ( Jordon ! or they were accompanied by appellations, as 
 Hainault tlie valiant ! Milan tlie Noble ! &c. on the conti- 
 nent. To some again were added expressions of incite- 
 ment, as Avant Darnly, by the Dukes of Lennox. lially- 
 ing cries often referred to the armorial badge, as with the 
 Counts of Flanders, who gave an Lion. Some, from piety, 
 called on the name of their patron saints, and many, from 
 the cause of strife, made use of particular sayings. 
 
 Among the Scots' cries are those of Buchannan " Clare- 
 innis," an Island in Lochlomond. — Campbell, " Ben Crua- 
 chan," a noted mountain, in Argyle. — Farquharson " Cairn 
 na cuimhne," the cairn of remembrance, in Strathdee. — 
 Fraser, anciently "Morfhaich," afterwards " Castle Downie," 
 the family seat. — Grant, "Craig Elachaidh," the rock of 
 alarm, of which there are two in Strathspey. The divi- 
 sion of this tribe, called Clan Chirin, haVe properly " Craig 
 Ravocli," to which they add " stand sure," the others say- 
 ing " stand fast." — Mac Donald, " Fraoch eilan," the 
 
 * The (ireck Eleleu and the Scriptural Alleluia ! ' Hovedeu. 
 
304 WAE CKIES, Oil 
 
 Heatliy Isle." — Mac Farlane " Loch Sloidli," the liake of 
 the Host.^Mac Gregor, "Ard choille," ' the high wood. — 
 Mac Intosh, "Loch-moy," a lake near the seat of the chief, 
 in Inverness-shire. — Mackenzie, " Tulach ard," a mountain 
 near castle Donnan, the ancient stronghold of the clan. — 
 JNIac Pherson, " Creag dhubli chloinn Chataiu." * " Munro, 
 Casteal Fulis na theinn," Foulis Castle in danger. Forbes, 
 anciently Loannach, a hill in Strathdon. Clan Eannald, 
 "A dli' aindeoin cotheireadh e!" in spite of all opposition.* 
 
 Border clans, and others now reckoned Lowland, had 
 also their slogans. The Maxwells cried, I bid ye bide ward 
 law, i. e. the assemblage of the clan on the hill of meeting; 
 and the Logans rallied to tlie shout of Lesterrick low. 
 The Scots of Buccleugh had Ale muir. — The Johnstone's, 
 Light thieves all. — The Mercers of Aldie, the gryt pool. 
 — Hepburn, bide me fair. — Seton, set on. — Cranston, a 
 Henwoodie, &c. Certain districts had also their appro- 
 priate places of rendezvous, the name of which sounded an 
 immediate alarm. The people of Glen-livet, in Banffshire, 
 had Bochail, a well known hill. Where Celtic institutions 
 prevailed, these names became the fixed war cry, which 
 was not confined to the period of mustering, but continued 
 as the mode of recognition and intimation of danger, during 
 war. 
 
 The French had anciently " Monte joye, St. Denis," 
 which was changed to " Tue ! Tue ! " The kings of Scot- 
 land used, as the general exclamation, "St. Andrew." The 
 ancient Irish had " Farrah ! Farrah 1 " which is stated to 
 
 y Craig an Fhithich, the Eaven's rock, is claimed as the peculiar slogan 
 of those who call themselves Mac Donel. 
 
 '■ Ard Challich, Chalmers. " Seal of the present chief. 
 
 *The "cry" of the Stewarts of Appin was "Creag-an-S'gairth," the 
 " Rock of the Cormorant," on which is built Caistcal an Stalairc or Castle 
 Falconer. Ed. 
 
AVATCH WORDS. 305 
 
 be farrach, violence, but is rather "Faire!" be watchful _ 
 It was customaiy with the Gael of that country to add the 
 interjection bua, or abu, to their particular cries, which is 
 said to be equivalent to business or cause, as Butler abu, 
 the cause of Butler. This interpretation is made in the 
 same ignorance of Gaelic which is seen in that of the 
 motto of the Earls of Kildare, now of the Duke of Lein- 
 ster, so often denounced by the Anglo Irish parliament as 
 the watchword of rebellion. Crom-aboo is translated, I 
 burn : it is Cuiram-buaidh, I shall obtain the victory. The 
 CNeals had Lamh dearg, abu, the red hand, victorious ! — 
 O'Briens, j\Iac Carthys and Fitz Maurices, Lamh-laider 
 abu, the strong hand of victory. — O'Carrol, Shuat-abu, 
 stir to victory. — O'Sullivan, Fustina stelli abu, (Fostadh 
 steille,) stoutly securing victory. — Clanriccard, (the 
 Bourks) Galriagh-abu, victory to the red Englishman, 
 from the second Earl of Ulster, Richard de Burgo, called 
 the red. Earls of Desmond Shannet-abu. — Mac Gil- 
 patrick, Gearlaider-abu, cut strong to victory. — ]\Iac 
 Swein, Battalia-abu, the noble staff, victorious, from the 
 battle-axe which they bear in their arms. — The Knight 
 of Kerry, Farreboy-abu ! the yellow-haired men — victory ! 
 Fleming, Teine-ar aghein-abu, fire to the bomb, — victory I 
 — Hiffernan, Ceart na suas abu, right and victory from 
 above. — Hussey, Cordereagli-abu, hand in hand to victory. 
 
 War cries were anciently used by none but princes or 
 commanders. They were proclaimed at tournaments by 
 heralds, and became the mottoes of families. One of the 
 oldest in record is that of Gaul Mac Morn, " First to come 
 and last to go." 
 
 The effect of the ancient rallying shout is still strong 
 in the north of Scotland. The exclamation of Cairn na 
 cuimne ! is yet suflicient to collect the Dee side men to the 
 assistance of their friends in any brawl at a market or 
 
306 riKST WEAPONS OP MANKIND. 
 
 otherwise. A friend iuformed me that, passing througli 
 the braes of Moray, he suddenly heard the shout Craig 
 elachie, stand fast! and could perceive many people hasten- 
 ing towards a certain point. On inquiry he found that a 
 fair was held at a little distance in which the Grants had 
 got involved in a quarrel with their neighbours. 
 
 The most sava'j;e of human beings are found able to 
 fabricate rude implements wherewith to procure game for 
 subsistence, or as a means of protection against the attacks 
 of ferocious animals. From the necessity also of resisting 
 the aggressions of neighbouring tribes, much attention is 
 paid to the formation of instruments of destruction and 
 defence. As mankind advance in civilization, their inge- 
 nuity in all manufactures, both necessary and ornamental, 
 increase ; but nations become sooner proficient in the con- 
 struction of implements of war than of those used for 
 any other purpose. In the armies of nations that have 
 not emerged from the first stages of society, each indi- 
 vidual is obliged to provide himself with such weapons as 
 he can most readily procure, and, on emergencies, other 
 articles than regular arms are converted into instruments 
 of destruction. 
 
 A simple, ready, and sometimes an effective mode of assail- 
 ing an enemy, is by means of stones thrown by hand, a 
 method of fighting much practised by the Celtic nations, 
 who had numerous bodies of troops so armed. Many 
 figures of these people in Eoman sculpture show the war- 
 riors carrying a number of stones in the loose folds of their 
 ample cloaks, and Ammianus bears record to their violent 
 and , destructive assaults.*" From Tacitus it appears the 
 Germans sometimes used leaden balls as missiles." Eound 
 
 ^ Montfaucon, torn. iv. pi. 52, &c. To drol^ stones on besiegers lias 
 teen often practised. "^ Annals, v. 
 
SLIXGS AND CLUBS. 307 
 
 stones in sliape like an egg, and some larger and of the 
 same globular form, have been found in France, which 
 it is supposed were used for throwing by the early inha- 
 bitants/ 
 
 The Irish, until comparatively recent times, continued 
 this primitive mode of fighting, at which Cambrensis says 
 they were extremely dexterous. 
 
 Besides projecting stones by hand, slings were also used. 
 The inhabitants of the Balearic isles, Avho were of Celtic 
 origin, were the most famous slingers of antiquity, and 
 are belie/ed to have acquired their name from this cele- 
 brity. They carried three slings, one being tied round the 
 head, another fastened about the middle, and one held in 
 the hand. They were excellent marksmen, and could throw 
 stones of three pounds Aveight to a great distance.* The 
 sling represented in the figures of ancient sculpture is plaited 
 in tlie middle, where it is considerably thicker than at each 
 end. Cliar, now applied to a brave man, is an ancient Gaelic 
 term for a sling,' but Tabhal is the word now used. At 
 the battle of Largs, in 1263, the Scots commenced a furious 
 attack witli stones and darts. The British tribes used a 
 sling with a wooden shaft, like those used afterwards by 
 the Saxons, which was called crann tabhuil, the staff-slmg. 
 — The bas relief at the commencement of Chapter first, 
 composed from figures on Trajan's column, shews the 
 Celtic throwers of stones, both by hand and sling. 
 
 A CLUB is another simple implement of destruction. In 
 cases of necessity, combatants will avail themselves of any 
 thing that can l^e converted into arms, and, at all times, 
 those who can find nothing better will provide themselves 
 with a good stick. Three or four hundred of the king's 
 army went to the battle of Edgeliill with nothing but a 
 
 ^ Moutfaucon. * Diod. Sic. v. ' Uniigli Ossian, a poem. 
 
308 
 
 CLUBS. 
 
 cudgel." When the Highlanders joined Prince Charles, 
 when they fought at Gladsmuir and even afterwards, many 
 had no better weapon, Ijut 
 
 " "Witli heavy cudgels of good oak, 
 They vowed to kill at every stroke." 
 
 The Gauls, long after their subjugation, continued to 
 fight with this weapon, and on various remains of Eoman 
 architecture, figures of these nations are seen wielding with 
 vigorous arms, heavy knotted cudgels."" The ^stii, one of 
 their tribes, had scarcely any arms of iron, but chiefly 
 fought with clubs, which were hardened by being burned. ' 
 From discoveries made in France they are found to have 
 been short and thick, and sometimes pointed with metal. 
 The club of the old Britons here represented was four 
 edged, of massy thickness at the end, and was called Cat. 
 The Jed worth staff, pointed with iron, which Major de- 
 scribes, was a serviceable weapon to the hardy inhabitants 
 of that border town.'' 
 
 It would appear from Tacitus, that the Catti, besides 
 their other arms, carried certain iron instruments. 
 
 8 Clarendon, ii. p. 40, ed. Oxford. 
 
 ■> Montfaucon, pi. 55, 56, &c. A club is by no means a contemptible 
 weapon. We even read of desperate fighting with teeth and nails ! 
 Beloe's Herodotus, iv. 153. 
 
 ' Tacitus Annals. J Dr. Mej'rick. ^ Lib. v. c. D. 
 
CELTS. 309 
 
 The arms of tlie ancient Gauls, and of the British tribes, 
 have been found deposited in the grave with the mouldering 
 relics of their original owner, or dug from the site of 
 the Celtic strong holds. They are often discovered to 
 reward the laborious researches of the zealous antiquary, 
 and are not unfrequently turned up by the plough or spade 
 of the industrious husbandman. 
 
 The first implements of untutored man are formed of 
 stone, a material which is often moulded into suitable form 
 with the nicest care. 
 
 The simple, and sometimes rude, but frequently inge- 
 niously fabricated weapons of the aboriginal Celt, are 
 found in all those countries which he inhabited ; and along 
 with those formed of stone are occasionally discovered 
 articles of bone, in some cases perforated, and evidently 
 adapted for purposes of war.' 
 
 A singular implement frequently met with throughout 
 Britain and Ireland, has attracted the particular attention 
 of antiquaries, who have been at some loss to conceive the 
 use for which these mysterious articles were intended. 
 They are not exclusively formed of stone, but are also 
 found of brass, or mixed metal ; the presumption, however 
 must be, that the former are most ancient, although the ma- 
 nufacture may not have been given up after the working of 
 metal became generally practised. The name of Celts, 
 by which they are known, has itself excited many conjec- 
 tures. It is supposed to have been adopted by antiquaries 
 for want of any more appropriate term ; but is, probably, 
 according to Whittaker, the British word Celt, which sig- 
 nifies a flint stone. They are generally about five inches 
 long and one or more broad, are sometimes very plain, 
 and in many instances are formed Avith much ingenuity. 
 
 ^ Hoare'e Ancient "Wiltshire ; Arclifeologia, &c. 
 
310 CELTS. 
 
 The most simple are merely tapered to\yarcls eacli end, but 
 others are varied in shape, and nicely perforated for tlie 
 insertion of a handle, which was perhaps secured by small 
 wedges. 
 
 It has been imagined that Celts w^ere used in the Druidic 
 sacrifices ; and it has been observed from Livy, that even 
 the Eomans, in early ages, killed their victims with flint 
 stones." 
 
 It has also been said that they were used as implements 
 of carpentry, which is not only probable, but some positive 
 proof of the fact has been discovered. A writer in the 
 " Archicologia," on this subject, has accompanied his 
 remarks w^ith representations of a Celt fixed in the handle 
 when employed for the different uses of an axe, a chisel, and 
 an adze." Their appropriation for domestic purposes is per- 
 fectly consistent with their use in battle. With them the 
 natives must have cut down the trees of the forest, on the 
 trunks of whicli the marks are often discernible, for no 
 other description of axe has ever been discovered. In the 
 vignette at the end of Chapter III, some of these imple- 
 ments are represented, in the form in which they were 
 evidently used by the ancient wood-hewers and carpenters. 
 The one on the left side shews the method by which the 
 most simple form, both in stone and metal, was used. 
 Besides the ligature, a slight ridge may be observed on 
 some, apparently to prevent their being forced out of their 
 proper position. 
 
 In the more improved manufacture of metal Celts, 
 which are common to North and South Britain, they are 
 formed with a hollow for the insertion of the handle, and, 
 in several instance^, part of the wood has been found 
 
 "■ lib. xxiv. Ap. the Tier. J. Dow in Trans, of the Ant. of Scotland, 
 ii. ]i:>. " Vol. xix. 
 
j^£. 3. St<!?7zeLffkr7Z7ners '^.F^7iAJrrff2i'^a<^f. S S/ffTzeAx^ ffr ^e^ 
 
 J ZoffcmJ^eZ^. 
 
AXES. 311 
 
 remaining in tlie socket." From this circumstance, and 
 their peculiar formation, it has been inferred that the shaft 
 and blade were in a line, making as it were a bludgeon ; " 
 but was it not possible for the Celtic warrior to find 
 boughs of trees bent naturally to a right angle, or that 
 coidd be readily made so and adopted as an efficient 
 handle ? 
 
 The lower figure on tlie dexter side of the trophy, form- 
 ing the vignette to this Chapter, re^Dresents the method in 
 which it is believed to have been fixed when used as an 
 axe. The metal Celts are usually provided with a ring, as 
 represented in the drawing, supposed to have been for 
 the purpose of suspending them by the side or over the 
 shoulder. They are often found with a mould, or case, 
 into which they exactly fit, which was either adopted for 
 their preservation, the mould in which they were formed 
 or itself adapted for service. It has, however, been ob- 
 served that all brazen instruments from their value, 
 were kept in cases of wood lined with cloth. Celts have 
 also, not unfrequently, a ring attached, with sometimes a 
 a bit of jet or other ornament appended. 
 
 In some tumuli that were opened near the Cree, in the 
 parish of Monigaff, where, according to tradition, the Picts 
 and Eomans had fought a severe battle, several stone Celts 
 v/ere found. One was in the form of a hatchet, and resem- 
 bled a pavior's hammer in the back part, like the one 
 represented in tlie engraving, and another was broad and 
 flat, both having an aperture for the shaft.^ It may be 
 observed that not only are many of these implements 
 formed at one end like the above, but hammers are often 
 
 ® VVhittaker's Hist, of ilancliester, &c. 
 
 P Stat. Ace. vii. 60, xvi. 227, xviii. 186, &c. See also Goiaoii's Itia. 
 Soptentiiouale. Archreologia, xvii. 12'', &e. 
 
312 LOCHABER AXE. 
 
 found buried with tlie primitive inhabitants of these 
 Islands. The Gauls consigned similar articles to the graves 
 of their reLatives, and in several sculptures they are repre- 
 sented carrying them in their hands.** 
 
 There is no very positive authority to believe that the 
 axe was a weapon in common use, either by the Continental 
 or British Celts, but Marcellinus speaks of it as carried 
 by the former, and in 538 the Franks used it. By the 
 Welsh, when formed of flint, it was called Bwyelt-arv. In 
 a Teutonic romance of the eighth century, it is said that 
 after the javelins had been thrown, " they thrust together 
 resounding stone axes." The word used for these is staim 
 bort from stein, a stone, and barte, an axe, and it is thought 
 to be the only name by which they are recorded.' 
 
 Hengist, the Saxon, calls a sword an axe.* Among the 
 Danes, who used it double, it was called bye, and when 
 fixed to a long staff, it is said to have acquired the name of 
 all bard or cleave all. 
 
 This weapon, when used by the Highlanders, was known 
 as the Lochaber axe, called, in Gaelic, tuagh-chatha. The 
 heavy armed soldier in Scotland and Ireland carried it, 
 until very lately, from whom it was called the Galloglach 
 axe. It was usually mounted on a staff about five feet 
 long, but another sort was wielded with one hand, the thuml > 
 being extended along the shaft, and so forcibly that no mail 
 could resist it. In the Tower of London were formerly 
 shewir some weapons called Lochaber axes ; but since the 
 recent excellent arrangements of Dr. Meyrick, it appears 
 they were English arms, no real Lochaber axes being in the 
 
 1 See the drawing. 
 
 " A reprint by Dr. Jamieson in a work on Northern Antiquities. Eilinb. 
 Journal of Science, Nov. 1824. 
 
 " Jamieson's Remarks on the Fictish language. 
 
LOCHABER AXE. 313 
 
 -armoury. Tliey are, indeed, unaccountably rare. One, in 
 this gentleman's admirable collection, is of a ruder form 
 than the one liere represented. 
 
 The figure on the right is from the axes formerly borne 
 by the town guard of Edinburgh, that in the middle from 
 those of old Aberdeen, and the other is an ancient form of 
 the Highland tuagh. 
 
 Two soldiers of the Black Watch fought with this wea- 
 pon before king George, so late as 1743. 
 
 The SPEAR of the Gauls was called Saunia. It is de- 
 scribed as being pointed with iron, a cubit or' more in length, 
 and little less than two hands in breadth. This weapon 
 was sometimes straight, and sometimes barbed or bent 
 
314 SPEARS. 
 
 backwards, so tliat it not only cut the iiesli, but broke it, 
 tearing and rending it in a shocking manner." 
 
 Tacitus says the German spear was very long, but was 
 not often used, a light missile javelin, with a short, narrow, 
 but sharp head, being preferred, of which the horsemen 
 carried one, and the infantry two or more. With these 
 they fought either hand to hand, or farther apart, for they 
 were accustomed to throw them to an incredible distance, 
 with the surest aim. The Celtiberians had their javelines 
 formed of iron, with broad barbed points. The Lusitani, 
 who used the same weapon, are celebrated for the vigour 
 and precision with which they threw it." 
 
 The Celtic race appear to have been remarkably dexterous 
 in the management of their airm thilgidh, or missiles. The 
 Eomans were excessively annoyed by these weapons which 
 were sometimes showered upon them in volleys as thick as 
 a flight of arrows. The vigorous arms of the Gauls pro- 
 pelled their lances with so much force, as often to pierce 
 through the shield and transfix them in the body. Ctesar 
 mentions an instance of the strength with which they were 
 discharged, where a Eoman soldier had one driven fairly 
 through both thighs ! 
 
 A Gallic spear, or dart, was called Lankia," from 
 Avhich the old Gaelic, lann, a pike, and the English lance are 
 derived. The gasum, gaison, or gesa, was another missile 
 weapon of the Gauls;" and, in the language of their Scotish 
 descendants, the word G;ais is still retained. Servius informs 
 us that strong and valiant men, from carrying this sort of 
 spear, were called Gaesi. Among the Highlanders, gaisgeach 
 signifies a valiant man, or hero, and guasdewr, among the 
 Oumri of Wales, has the same meaning. Livy describes 
 
 " Diodoriis. ^' ll'id. Laiicea, a Spanish lance. 
 
 "'Civsar, iii. c. 4. 
 
SPEAES. 315 
 
 tlie Gauls as armed wit]i two gtesi. The Celtic heroes of 
 Caledonia also carried two."^ 
 
 The gath, or cath, of the Gael signifies a dart or lance. 
 The cateia of the Gauls was a sort of weapon which com- 
 mentators do not appear to have understood. Cath-tei; 
 in Gaelic, is literally a fiery dart, with which Dr Mac 
 Pherson remarks that Cuchullin is said to have unfortu- 
 nately killed his friend Ferda. It was "kindled into a 
 devouring flame by the strength of wind," i. e. the black- 
 smith's bellows, the terms gath builg and craosach dhearg, 
 being of the same import as the jaculum fervefactum of 
 Cresar,'' which were thrown against the Eomans in an attack 
 on the camp of Cicero. The old Highlanders used a sort 
 of barbed dart, which they called gu^iin.'' 
 
 The Caledonians and ]\Ieatfe had a short spear, provided 
 with a hollow ball of brass, like an apple, attached to the 
 end of the shaft, wliich contained pebbles, or bits of metal 
 that were intended, by fheir rattling noise, to frighten the 
 horses and alarm the riders.* In 1547, a Frenchman de- 
 scribes the Scots' soldiers as carrying a singular w^eapon, for 
 the same purpose. " Tenoient h la main un epouvantail 
 ridicule pour affrayer les chevaux. C'etoit une sonette 
 attache a un baton de trois aunes de long, avec quoi ils 
 faisoient grand bruit." Dr. Mac Pherson spoke with some 
 old Highlanders, who had, in their youth, seen spears, 
 having a ball at the end, resembling the boss of a siiield, 
 and termed cnapstarra. Those weapons were called trini- 
 framma, and were the framea of the Germans, mentioned 
 by Tacitus. 
 
 The Celts generally carried the spear of a considerable 
 
 ^ Cuchullin was so armed ; and Xaos, " looked on his two spears," &c. 
 y Dissertations, p. 153. ^ Kennedy, in the H. Society's Rep. on 
 
 Ossian's Poems, p. 125. " Dio. Nicoeiis. 
 
316 SPEAKS. 
 
 length. Britannia is represented on Eonian coins with 
 one of this description. The Welsh, according to Cam- 
 brensis, bore lances of great length ; but those of the 
 Scots were far longer. In the reign of James III., an 
 act was passed, " that a' speares be sex elnes in length." 
 At this time, the Annan and Liddisdale men carried them 
 two ells longer than the rest of their countrymen.'' 
 
 The Scotish spearmen were, like the Macedonian pha- 
 lanx, a most formidable body. On level ground, where 
 they could act with effect, their irresistible charge was 
 sufficient to clear the field of the enemy. 
 
 The lance of the British tribes was usually pointed with 
 brass or copper. The broad-edged form was called 
 Llavnawr, and is that which the Irish term the Lagean, 
 from which the people of Leinster are said to have acquired 
 the name of Lagenians. The spear is called shleag* by the 
 Gael, and it had formerly a thong attached, to enable them 
 to recover it when thrown at the enemy. Gisarming, from 
 the French gisarme, was formerly applied by the Scots to 
 the spear. The short dart, apparently about three and 
 a half feet long, used by the Gauls in hunting, was called 
 venabulum, which lexicographers translate a boar's spear. 
 The Celtic spears were of various forms, and used for 
 different purposes. Gildas describes the Caledonians as 
 pulling the Eoman soldiers off the proitentures with a sort 
 of long hooked spears. The two lateral weapons in the 
 annexed cut are seen in a representation of Porevith, the 
 (.Jerman God of spoil.*^ The upper figure is the venabu- 
 lum. The second is the saunia, according to Cluverius ; 
 Lenoir, more agreeable to its description, has the barbs 
 
 '* Properly Skagh, whence, probal.ily, the adjective Sleamhaiun {Sleagh- 
 aiiiii) slippery, smoothly, gliding, &c., indicating the slip and slide of the 
 spear shaft through the hands. Ed. 
 
 i* Sir W. Scott. <= Montfaucon, &c. 
 
srEAits. 
 
 317 
 
 turned back. The two others are from discoveries in 
 Britain/ the next is the LlavnaM'r, and the last the 
 swaefon of the Welsh. 
 
 In the vignette at the commencement of this chapter, 
 beginning at the weapon next to the Celt, or axe, all are 
 taken from the plates in the work of that laborious anti- 
 quary, Wolfgang, already quoted. He says, the iirst singu- 
 lar weapon was carried by the Gallic horsemen in lUyri- 
 cum; the one above it is the goesum; the next is hasta uncata 
 gothica, and the one close to the helmet he calls gesa. The 
 spear on the left side of the helmet he assigns to tlie 
 Quadi, and that next to it is given as in use by botli 
 Gauls and Goths. The Tragula Gallica is the next, and 
 a murderous weapon borne by the Vandals follows. The 
 trident he denominates the Gallic fork. 
 
 The Caledonians of former ages paid great attention to 
 the exercise of the spear, or the thrusting of the blade. * 
 We hear of Conloch, who was so famous for handling the 
 
 ^ Archseologia. 
 
 ^ Lann-saich, a pike-maii, literally a blade thruster. 
 
318 swoiiDS. 
 
 javelin, tluit it is yet said of a good marksman, " lie is 
 uuernng as the arm of Conlocli." The halbert carried 
 l)y the sergeants in infantry regiments, is derived from the 
 Scots ; hut the Highlanders have long discontinued its use. 
 In 1745, when necessity compelled them to adopt any sort 
 of arms. Captain IMac Gregor, a son of Hob Eoy, serving 
 under the Duke of Perth, armed his company with blades 
 of scythes, &c. sharpened, and fixed on poles seven or eight 
 feet long; and, rude as these weapons were, they did mur- 
 derous execution, for both horses and men w^ere cut in two 
 by them. 
 
 We find frecpient mention by the bards, of " ashen " and 
 " aspen" spears. In the llomance before quoted, it is said 
 " they first let ashen spears fly with such rapid force, that 
 tliey stuck in the shields." ^ One Peter Gairden, a native of 
 Brae Mar, who died in 1775, at the age of one hundred and 
 thirty-two, recollected having been sent into the woods 
 to cut straight poles for spear shafts. 
 
 A Gallic dart was long the only reward for valour 
 among the Ptomans, A soldier that had wounded an 
 enemy received one of these weapons from the consul." 
 
 The SWOKD appears to have been a common weapon of 
 the Celtic nations. The GaUo-Grecians, who were attacked 
 Ijy Manlius, had no other arms.'' It was of great length 
 and breadth, double-edged, with a very obtuse point. 
 Diodorus says the swords of the Gauls were as big as the 
 saunians or spears of other nations. Being without a point, 
 they were adapted for slashing with the edges, and not for 
 thrusting, its name being expressive of its form and use. 
 The Celts called their sword spatha, or spada, which, in 
 Gaelic, signifies to beat down or flatten. This word is 
 not now used for a sword, but spad is applied to any 
 
 ' See p. 312. « Polybius. '' Livy, xxxviii. 21. 
 
SVv'OilDS. 319 
 
 implement, or broad piece of metal, aud is the origin of the 
 English spade, for which it is the only name. The High- 
 landers sometimes call a s^^'ord lanu, literally a blade. 
 Claidheamh is the proper name, and claoidh is to vanrpiish. 
 Varro derives the Roman gladius from clades, slaughter : 
 the affinity of the Gaelic and Latin is apparent. 
 
 The British Celts used the same long, blunt, t\\'o-edged 
 sword. They have been discovered in barrows, and a 
 figure dug up after the fire of London carried one ; but 
 the ISTorthern tribes seems to have been most partial to it. 
 The usual length appears to be about two feet six inches, 
 but they are often much shorter. A common form of this 
 weapon among the Britons of the South, was with a swell 
 or widening in the middle. Tlie Irisjh also had them butli 
 curved and straiLiht. 
 
 The ancient British and Irish swords were generally 
 -composed of brass, l)ronze, or copper; but it lias been 
 erroneously supposed that all arms found of these mate- 
 rials are Celtic, from a Ijelief that the use of iron wai 
 known to the Eomans only. The first metal employed 
 ])y mankind in the formation of arms, is brass, copper, or a 
 mixture of these with lead. These seem to have been 
 the favourite metals of tlie Celts, who had an art of ren- 
 dering them perfectly hard. Considerable quantities of 
 brass and copper were imported by the Britons ; but iron 
 mines were worked to a certain extent before the arrival of 
 the Eomans. From its scarcity, and the difficulty of working 
 
 ' The Dacian swonl -was formed like, a sabre, tlie curve reversed. The 
 Saxons and Danes called the s'vvord S£ex, aud it resembled a scythe, 
 which in Saxony is still denominated snis. 
 
320 SWORDS. 
 
 this metal, it was very valuable ; but the natives certainly 
 fabricated arms of it. Herodian attests this fact ; aud at 
 Lochenlour, in Glenturret, are to be seen the ruins of 
 houses, and heaps of ashes, the apparent remains of a Cale- 
 donian iron-work. The people believe it to be the place 
 where the swords of the Fingalians were made, and old 
 poems mention this glen as the residence of the workmen. 
 
 The Gallic sword is represented as very insufficiently 
 tempered, being bent and twisted after every stroke, so that 
 it Avas sometimes necessary for the warriors to set their feet 
 on the blade, in order to make it straight.^ The Celtibe- 
 rians were, however, famous for the manner in which they 
 tempered their swords. This excellence was produced by 
 Ijurying the iron, and allowing it to remain in the earth 
 until the light and impure parts were consumed, when the 
 remainder, thus improved, was fit for the hands of the 
 armourer. Weapons fabricated from iron prepared in this 
 manner, cut so keenly, that neither shield, helmet nor bone, 
 could resist them.'' Those people are said to have carried 
 two swords, which enabled "the horsemen, when they 
 had routed the enemy, to alight, and fight with the foot 
 to admiration." This seems to shew that one was a 
 dagger or pugio, adapted for thrusting or cutting, which 
 Polybius tells us they used in the battle of Canme. It 
 was common to the Lusitani, and its excellence recom- 
 mended it to Eoman adoption.' Some of the Germans 
 also had short swords ; but they in general appear to have 
 preferred the missive javelin. 
 
 By the ancient Welsh laws, a sword, a spear, and a bow 
 with twelve arrows, were the three legal weapons. If the 
 
 J Livy. This is, perhaps, exaggerated ; the swords of the Romans 
 were sometimes bent by the resistance of the enemies' armour. Amm. 
 Mar. ^ Diodorus. * Gibbon. 
 
feWOi:i)S. 321 
 
 former liad a briglit liilt, its price "svas twenty-four pence; 
 if brittle-edged, sixteen pence, and if it was round Lilted 
 it cost but twelve pence. Dr. Meyrick supposes tlie hilts 
 Avere formed of liorn. In several parts of France, round 
 Hint stones, pierced in the centre, are found, and are believed 
 by antiquaries to have been sword pommels. 
 
 Boemus remarks that the old Gauls, like the Irish, used 
 swords a full liand broad. It has been shewn that the 
 original name for these weapons was descriptive of tlieir 
 breadth, which exceeded that of spear heads, and was par- 
 ticularly noticed by the ancients. A strong man among 
 the Caledonians was indicated by the size of his sword. 
 Fraoch, a celebrated hero, is represented as carrying one 
 us wide as the plank of a ship. 
 
 This unwieldy weapon was not adapted for a close en- 
 counter ; but the athletic swordsman could, at a requisite 
 distance, strike with tremendous force ; he therefore stept 
 liack, if practicable, when aiming a blow. Poly bins ob- . 
 serves, tliat the length of the Gallic swords, and the blunt- 
 ness of their points, proved very disadvantageous when 
 they contended with the Eomans at Cannpe and Telamon. 
 ft was the long swords of the brave Caledonians which 
 rendered theni unable to oppose the Tungrian and Bata- 
 A'ian cohorts, who fought with the short Roman gladius 
 in the battle of the Grampians. The Franks also, who 
 long retained the sword of their ancestors, were frequently 
 encumbered by its length." The excessive dimensions of 
 I Ids weapon of the Highlanders have been reduced, l)ut 
 the term Iroad sword is still an appropriate designation. 
 It has ever been a favorite weapon of the Scots, and for 
 1 800 years, since the desperate conflict at the Grampian 
 Kill, its exercise has been sedulously practised, and its 
 
 " Luitpvaiid. 
 
322 SWORDS. 
 
 dexterous management in the field of strife lias been the 
 means of ensuring many a brilliant victory. The Scotish 
 swordsmen were only inferior to the phalanx of spearmen. 
 The one represented in p. 32(S is in my possession, and is 
 a specimen of the old manufacture ; it is marked on each 
 side with four busts, wearing eastern crowns, which may 
 liave an allusion to the arms of Fraser, by one of which 
 clan it is known to have been used at CuUoden. It is two 
 feet eight inches long in the blade, and one inch and a 
 quarter wide. One in the Tower armoury is three feet 
 long, and one inch and three quarters broad. 
 
 William the Lion, who came to the throne in 1166, or- 
 dained the sword, dagger, and knife, to be the proper arms 
 of his subjects. The troops of Sir William Wallace were 
 chiefly armed with the claidheamh-more, to which the 
 Oaiil have always been so partial. A French autlior, in 
 1547, describes the Scots as armed Avith a sword tliat was 
 " very large and marvellously cutting." 
 
 The sword of the Gauls and Britons is believed to have 
 been suspended across the right thigh by a chain of iron or 
 brass ; a position that must have been very awkward and 
 inconvenient. The description may be misunderstood. " 
 We find figures of these nations, representing the belt, or 
 chain, passing over the right shoulder, as now worn ; and 
 Procopius describes the Roman auxiliaries, among whom 
 the Celts were no inconsiderable number, as carrying their 
 swords on the left side. It was customary with the High- 
 landers, to hold the sword in their hands until they had 
 occasion to use them, when they threw down the scabbard. 
 
 The scabbards seem to have been anciently formed of 
 wood, remains of which have sometimes been found adhering 
 to the sword, deposited in the grave of the Celtic warrior. 
 
 ° " In ilextro femore oblique depcmlontes. " Diodorus. 
 
SWORDS. 323 
 
 Those of leather, wliicli Henry the Minstrel calls the hose, 
 were marked with various figures, in manner of the targets, 
 &c. before described. 
 
 Sir Eichard Hoare does not find that the sword of the 
 ancient Briton was provided with a guard ; but, from Dr. 
 Smith's description, it appears to have been known to the 
 old Caledonians. The form of the basket hilt now usually 
 worn, is not perhaps of great antiquity. It was only seen 
 among the better sort, for those of the common people 
 were rude and clumsy. The sword which belonged to 
 Gordon of Bucky, who assisted at the slaughter of the 
 " l)onnie Earl of ]\Iurray," is supposed to be the most an- 
 cient specimen of this sort : but there is reason to believe 
 that the basket hilt is of much greater antiquity, and that 
 the GaL'l had attained considerable perfection in the manu- 
 facture. Isla, one of the Hebuda?, was celebrated for the 
 fabrication of sword hilts. 
 
 The Gael latterly received a great part of their arms 
 from the Continent, and the Spanish blades were particu- 
 larly esteemed. Tlieir broadswords were always well tem- 
 pered, but they appear to have been unable to produce 
 such excellent weapons as those fabricated abroad. Andrea 
 Ferara, who is believed to have lived in Banff, following 
 with much success the manufacture of broadswords, is 
 accused of obstinately resisting all attempts to obtain pos- 
 session of his peculiar mode of tempering blades. This 
 story is current among the Highlanders, but it has been 
 questioned whether Andrea was ever in Scotland. This 
 point may be left unsettled without much regret. Whe- 
 ther manufactured in Scotland, or imported, the Ferara 
 broadswords were highly esteemed, and by no means un- 
 common in the olden time. 
 
 The boys of the Highlanders were trained, from an early 
 age, to cudgel playing, that tliey might become expert at 
 
324 swouDS. 
 
 the broadsword exercise. Their whole time is s;iid to have 
 been so occupied ; and, besides training at home, there ^^■as 
 a sort of gymnasium in Badenocli, to wlucli the youth 
 resorted. j\Iany anecdotes might be recited, to shew the 
 expertness of the Gael in handling the sword. John 
 Campbell, a soldier in tlie Black 'vVatch, Ivilled nine men 
 with it at Fontenoy, and, on attacking the tenth, his left 
 arm was unfortunately carried off by a cannon ball. Do- 
 nald Mac Leod, who was so remarkble for his robust 
 frame and longevity, having entered the service of King 
 William, and enjoyed, for many years, a pension from 
 C4eorge III., relates many brilliant anecdotes of his coun- 
 trymen's prowess. He fought various single combats, both 
 at home and abroad. On one occasion he cut off part of 
 the calf of a German's leg, and wounded him in the sword 
 arm, to show that he had it in his power to take his life. In 
 the rebellion of 1715, he accepted a challenge from a Cap- 
 tain Mac Donald, a celebrated fencer in the Earl of Mar's 
 service, who had openly defied the whole royal army. In 
 this trial of skill, Mac Leod cut off the other's purse, and 
 asked him if he wanted any tiling else taken off ? on which 
 Mac Donald gave up the contest, acknowledging his inferio- 
 rity, and left the victor his purse as a trophy. The Earl, 
 Avho was himself an excellent swordsman and kept a band 
 of clever fellows about him, sent ten guineas to Mac Leod; 
 and his general, Argyle, added as much. One of the 
 Robertsons, of Lude, cut off the two buttons of Ir's antago- 
 nist's shirt collar, as a friendly hint that his head was likely 
 to follow. Gillies INIac Bane, at CuUoden, perceiving the 
 Campbells attacking the Highland army, by means of 
 the breach which they had made in an old wall, opposed 
 them as they entered the gap, and, ere he fell, overpowered 
 liy the number of his enemies, his claymore had laid four- 
 teen of them dead at his feet. At Preston Pans, whore 
 
BKOAD SWOED EXERCISE. 325 
 
 tli-3 devoted rebels oLtaiued their first victory, the slain all 
 fell by the sword. On this occasion, prodigies of valour 
 were performed. A boy about fourteen years of age was 
 presented to the Prince, as one who had killed, or brought 
 to the ground, no fewer than fourteen 1 * 
 
 Polyeenus says that the Gauls always struck at the head 
 with their swords. It was by slashing at the heads of the 
 horses tliat the Higldanders were able so effectually to 
 repulse and defeat the most numerous bodies of cavalry. 
 They also struck at the heads of the infantry ; and, to guard 
 iigaiust the consequence of this mode of attack, it was 
 represented as necessary for all to wear a skull' cap, or horse 
 shoe under their hat. The onset of the Highlanders, in 
 the language of Johnstone, was " so terrible that the best 
 troops in Europe would with difficulty sustain the first 
 shock of it ; and if the svrords of the Highlanders once 
 came in contact with them, their defeat was inevitable." 
 Mac Pherson, of Cluny, not aware that the cavalry of the 
 royal army at Falkirk wore head pieces of iron, declared, 
 M'ith astonishment, that he never met witli skulls so hard as 
 tliose of the Dragoons, for he had struck at them until he 
 was tired, and was scarce able to break one ! 
 
 The management of the broad sword, or single stick, 
 v.liich it closely resembles, as now taught, may be compre- 
 hended in thirty-one lessons. The old Highland exercise 
 was not less remarkable for simplicity and elegance, than 
 utility. By seven cuts, oblique, horizontal, and diagonal, 
 
 *At the battle of Inverlochy, iu which Argyle ran a^\•ay and left his 
 array to be mercilessly slaughtered by Montrose, " Domhunll nan Ord," 
 an Athole man, and a smith to trade, killed nineteen Campbells with his 
 own hand. At Culloden a William Chisholm, a Strathglas man, killed 
 sixteen of the enemy, three of them being troopers. Chisholm was at last 
 killed himself. On hearing of his death, his wife composed a well-known 
 and very beautiful elegiac poem on her fallen "brave one." Ed. 
 
32G BROAD SWOIiD EXERCISE. 
 
 aud one guard, in which the sword is held vibrating, as a 
 penduhim, ready to turn aside the thrusts of an enemy, the 
 adversary Avas assailed and the person effectually protected. 
 The salute of the Celtic swordsman was peculiarly graceful. 
 The importance of this exercise was evinced by enabling 
 undisciplined troops to make head against numerous armies,. 
 and even defeat skilful veterans. Its utility in the present 
 day, to officers of both army and navy, is apparent, and 
 many occasions may arise to shew the advantage of kno^^■- 
 ing properly how to use a stick. With this simple w^eapon, 
 a skilful player can defend himself with ease from the 
 simultaneous attacks of three or four, and put to defiance 
 the efforts of the most renowned pugilists. It is to be 
 regretted that this desirable accomplishment and healthy 
 exercise is now so little attended to. 
 
 A favorite amusement of the Highlanders was the sword 
 dance, which was performed with a great degree of grace 
 and agility, being usually introduced as a finale to a ball,. 
 in manner of the " bob at the bolster " of the Low lands, 
 and the country bumpkin of England. The diversions 
 of most ancient nations were of a military cast. Olaus 
 Magnus describes a dance of this sort among the people 
 of the North. It was also practised by the Saxons, even 
 after the Conquest, the dancers being called joculators, as if 
 they were fighting in jest, from which arose the old Scots 
 word, jungleurs, and the modern English jugglers. A sort 
 of sword dance was usual in some parts of England, at 
 no remote period, but it was performed in a maner different 
 from the Scots. 
 
 Mac Pherson, "the Hob Roy of the North," who ■\\as 
 executed at Banff, IGtli Nov., 1700, and whose history Sir 
 Walter Scott intended to interweave in a romance, embel- 
 lishing and amplifying its romantic incidents by his fertile 
 imagination, possessed a trusty claymore of Eerara's 
 
TWO-HANDED SWORD. 327 
 
 manufacture. Before lie left the prison, anxious to commit 
 this weapon to the hands of one qualified to use it, he Le- 
 queathed it to Provost Scott, who left it to his son-in-law. 
 Provost Mark. This gentleman fulfilled the wish of poor 
 Mac Pherson, by giving it to Mr. John Turner, his near 
 relation, a good swordsman; after whose death, it remained 
 in possession of his widow for some time : but an English 
 gentleman expressing a desire to obtain a broadsword, Cap- 
 tain Eobertson applied to Mrs. Turner for that of Mac 
 Pherson, which was readily presented, and thus, about 
 fifty years since, is said to have terminated the history 
 of the genuine blade, which was never afterwards heard 
 of. A long two-handed sword is preserved at Duff house, 
 the seat of the Earl of Fife, in the neighbourhood of Banff", 
 which belonged to this celebrated Kern. There is also his 
 target, on which is a deep indentation from a bullet. The 
 intention of Sir Walter, to found one of his amusing pro- 
 ductions on the events of Mac Pherson's life, and the popu- 
 larity of his memory in the Northern counties, induced 
 the author to make particular inquiries concerning these 
 relics, and the noble Earl, in whose armoury they now 
 remain, with characteristic condescension, supplied these 
 details. For the other particulars he is indebted to a 
 much esteemed friend, who procured the information from 
 Mrs. Mac Hardy, an intelligent old lady, the daughter of 
 ^Ir. Turner. 
 
 The two-handed sword was a favorite weapon of the 
 Highlanders, and it is usually represented on the tomb- 
 stones of the old Celtic heroes. Dr. Meyrick says the 
 Spathse were two-handed, and were called Cheddyv-hir- 
 deuddwrn by the Britons, and Dolaimghin by the Irish. 
 The opinion of this writer is always deserving of high 
 respect. On the present occasion, he confesses that none of 
 them have ever, to his knowledge, been discovered. 
 
328 
 
 TWO-HANDED SWOUD. 
 
 It is not probable that the swords of the Caledonians 
 who opposed Agricola, although long and broad, were 
 wielded with both hands, for their left was sufficiently occu- 
 pied in the dexterous ina,nagement of their little shield. 
 A two-handed sword preserved at Talisker, in the Isle 
 of Sky, measures three feet seven inches in length. The 
 one here represented is three feet six inches long in the 
 blade, eleven inches in the hilt, and two and one third 
 inches broad. It is in possession of Mr. Donald Mac 
 Pherson, of Pimlico, and belonged to his ancestor, Mac 
 Pherson of Crathy, parish of Laggan, Inverness-shire. It 
 is said to have been six hundred years in the family ; and 
 is represented by tradition as the identical weapon borne 
 by one of the victorious combatants at the battle of Perth. 
 The last time it was used in war was in 1594, when the 
 Earls of Huntly and Errol, witli inferior numbers, encoun- 
 tered and overthrew the Earl of Argyle at the burn of 
 Altacholihan, in Glenlivat. Some years ago, the remains 
 of silk and silver lace were attached to the hilt. 
 
 In those times, when the Highlanders went armed both 
 " to kirk and market," the gentlemen took their gille-more, 
 or sword-l)earer, along with them. Even the clergymen 
 armed themselves, in compliance with the national custom. 
 The Rev. Donald Mac Leod, of Sky, who lived about 
 forty years ago, remembered his great-grand-father, who 
 
CEARXACII, OH KEKX. 329 
 
 Mas also a clergyman, going to clmrcli with his two-liancled 
 sword by his side ; and his servant, who walked behind, 
 with his bow and case of arrows. A Gaelic song allndes 
 to this practice, where it is said: 
 
 " Tha claidheamh air Join saii't seannoiu." 
 J(jlin is girt with his sword at serniou. 
 
 A vivid pictnre of a contention with the two-handed 
 sword is given in the description of the judicial combat 
 between the clans Chattan and Dhai, on the north inch 
 of Perth, from the pen of Sir Walter Scott, who has 
 repeated the subject in "Anne of Geierstein." In the 
 British Museum is a black letter work entitled, " La noble 
 Science des jouers de Spec," printed at Danvers, in 1538, 
 which contains instructions for the exercise of this sword. 
 It is embellished with twenty-two wood-cuts, representing 
 the different guards and positions. From these, it appears 
 the weapon was often rested with the point on tlie ground, 
 the hands not being always confined to the hilt or handle, 
 but occasionally grasped the blade itself. 
 
 Allusion has been made to the troops called Cathern, ° 
 Cearnach, or Kern. We learn from Vegetius, that Caterna, 
 ■or Caterva, was the name of a legion among the Gauls. 
 Oath, a battle, turbha, a multitude, is the Gaelic etymo- 
 logy of this word. The kaderne of the Welsh and cathern 
 of the Gael, signify fighting men, an appellation that be- 
 came known in the Low Country as a term of reproach, from 
 the activity and success of these men in foraying, repelling 
 aggression, and making rej)risals on their Saxon neighbours. 
 By the dexterity of their military exploits, the young 
 men w*ere obliged to prove themselves worthy the honour 
 of being enrolled in this company of national guards. 
 
 The Keiix were light armed, and excelled in the desul- 
 
 ° See page 150. 
 
330 GALLOGLACTI. 
 
 toiy manner of fighting, characteristic of the Gael ; hence 
 they acquired the appellation Cathern na choillo, the fight- 
 ing men of the woods. The Kern, whom Spenser reclconed 
 the proper Irish military, although accounted inferior to 
 the Galloglach, and stigmatised as "the dross and scum of 
 the country," were, from their renown, best known to 
 the English, who proposed, in 1626, to raise bands of them 
 at 4d. per day, with pipers at 8d. They had spears, 
 swords, and dirks, but bows and arrows were their usual 
 arms. Derrick describes those of 1581 in the following 
 lines. 
 
 ' ' With skuUes upon their poules, 
 
 Insteade of civil cappes, 
 "With speares in hand and sword by sides, 
 
 To beare off afterclappes ; 
 With jackettes long and large, 
 
 Which shroud simplicitie : 
 
 Thou£jh spiteful dartes whicli they do beare 
 
 Importe iniquitie. 
 Their shirts bo verie straunge, 
 
 Not reaching paste the thigh, 
 With pleates on pleates they pleated are. 
 
 As thick as pleates may lye. 
 
 Whose slieves hang trailing doune, 
 
 Almoste unto the shoe. 
 And with a mantle commonlie 
 
 The Irish Karne doe goe. 
 And some amongst the reste, 
 
 Do use another weede: 
 
 A coat I ween of strange device, 
 
 Which fancie first did breed. 
 His skirtes be verie shorte, 
 
 With pleates set thicke about, • 
 
 And Irish trouzes more, to put 
 
 Their straunge protractours out. 
 
 Like as their weedes be straunge, 
 
 And monstrous to beholde ; 
 So do their manners far surpasse 
 
 Them all a thousand folde. 
 For they are termed wilde, 
 
 Wood Karne they have to name ; 
 
DAGGERS. 3ol 
 
 And mervaile not, though straunge it he, 
 For tliey deserve the same," &c. 
 
 The Galloglacii, or CJalloglas, were heavy armed : 
 they were the tallest and strongest men of a clan, and were 
 allowed a portion of meat double that of the other troops. 
 They were armed with swords, helmets, and mail, and car- 
 ried a Lochaber axe, which is said to have been peculiar to 
 them, as the dirk was to the Kern. Considerable depend- 
 ance was placed on these soldiers, who were usually drawn 
 up against cavalry. An old writer on Irish history says 
 they were neither good against horse nor pikes. They were, 
 however, in high estimation, and every individual of this 
 class was specified in official returns. In " the rysing out 
 of the Iryslnie and others to the general hosting, 1579," is 
 Mac Donell, a Ciallweglasse. They received certain pay, 
 which appears to have been that called bonaughts. In an 
 Irish M.S., 1555, I find Gallowglas money mentioned. 
 From the name given to their pay, they were sometimes 
 called bonaughti. Bonaugh-bur, was free (quarter, and 
 payments either of money or victuals : bonaugh-beg, was 
 a commutation for a settled quantity of money or provi- 
 sions. These exactions were levied on heritable lands 
 under the term sorehon, which comprehended other cus- 
 tomary mails. Every plough land was also burdened with 
 kern-tee, a payment rendered for the support of the Cear- 
 nacli. A Galloglacii usually attended the chief, whose 
 duty was to prevent his master from being taken by sur- 
 prise, and to rescue him from any sudden danger. 
 
 The ancient Celts carried a dagger, suspended from a 
 chain or belt, fastened round the body. Herodotus de- 
 scribes the Scyths and Thracians as carrying this weapon, ^ 
 which was sharp and pointed, being used for close fighting, 
 and among the Celtiberians it measured a span in length. " 
 P Lib. vii. c. 60-75. i Diodorus. 
 
332 DAGGERS, Olt 
 
 Dio describes the Caledonians, in tlie time of the Empe- 
 ror Severus, as armed with daggers ; and a stone preserved 
 in the Glasgow Miisenm, dug from the wall of Anto- 
 ninus, represents two figures, believed to be Celts, with this 
 weapon hanging before them. Tlie heroes of Morven and 
 of Innisfail carried this essential part of the armour of the 
 Scots and Irish/ Among the ancient Britons, the dagger, 
 like the sword, was usually of brass, or Ijronze, and is often 
 found ill barrows in various parts of England. The Saxons 
 had it longer than the Britons. It was called by the Welsh 
 Gylleth hirion, or a very long knife ; had a horn liandle 
 with brass ornaments, and a small hollow at the tip of the 
 handle, for the thumb." By means of this weapon, the 
 Saxons perpetrated the treacherous and cruel massacre of 
 the unsuspecting Britons, at their temjile on Salisbury 
 plain. A very neat little dagger, with an ivory handle nicely 
 carved, found near Cillgerran, in Wales, may have belong- 
 ed to a Cambrian Chief. A little silver sword, about two 
 and a half inches long, was given by CuUen, King of Scot- 
 land, to Gillespie More. Certain lands in Perthshire were 
 held by this gift, and it was produced after 1743.' 
 
 The dirk of the Highlanders is called bidag, or biodag, 
 the bidawg of the Welsh, in the latter syllable of which we 
 perceive the root of the English dagger. 
 
 The BIDAG is adapted for fighting at close quarters, 
 v.'here the sword cannot be used, or where the party may, 
 eitlier in the heat of action, or otherwise, have been de- 
 prived of it. When dexterously wielded by a strong and 
 resolute Highlander, this was a most terrific weapon. It 
 was not held in the same way as the sword, but in a reverse 
 position, pointing towards the elbow, and the manner in 
 Avhich it was carried allowed it to be drav>'ii witli perfect 
 
 *■ Ossian, &c. ' Ilist. of Cardiganshire. •Piukertou. 
 
DIRKS. - ooo 
 
 facility. The belt which fastened the pLaid, became tlie 
 baldrick by wliich tliis trusty bhide was secured. It was 
 placed on the right side, and instead of hanging loosely as it 
 is now' generally worn, the belt was either slipped through a 
 hook affixed to the sheath, sometimes steady, and frequently 
 moveable on a swivel, or a long hook, or slide, answered the 
 same purpose. It was thus firmly attached to the thigli, 
 and was conse(|uently so judiciously suspended, that it 
 conlcl be drawn in an instant, and this was of some impor- 
 tance in the event of a sudden assault, or so close a conten- 
 tion as would prevent a free use of the sword. If it hung 
 loosely, it would have incommoded the wearer, and could 
 not be so j^romptly at command, but, carried as it was, tlic 
 hand could instinctively be laid on the hilt. 
 
 From the peculiar manner in which this weapon was ma- 
 naged, the most dreadful execution was sometimes per- 
 formed with it. When the arm was raised, the dirk was 
 pointed to the assailant in front : when loM'ered, it me- 
 naced the foe behind, and, by turning the wrist either way, 
 the enemy was kept at bay, or, if he escaped destruction, 
 received the most deadly wounds. 
 
 Incredible feats have been achieved by the dirk, which 
 was a convenient instrument to execute revenge. A vio- 
 lent feud had long subsisted between the Leslies and tlie 
 Leiths, powerful names in Aberdeen and the adjoining 
 counties, and one of the former having been invited, on 
 some occasion, to the castle of a nobleman not concerned in 
 tlie cpiarrel, he found himself in the company of a number 
 of his enemies, the Leiths. Waiting his opportunity, he 
 joined the dance, and, suddenly drawing his dirk, he struck 
 right and left, as he rushed through the hall, and, leaping 
 from the window, effected his escape. To commemorate 
 this bold and bloody exploit the tune of " Lesly amo' the 
 Leiths" was composed. Another early instance of its use 
 
334 DAGGERS, OK 
 
 as an instrument of secret revenge, occurs in Ossian; as 
 Carthon was "binding Clessamor, the latter, perceiving the 
 foe's uncovered side, "'drew the dagger of his fathers." " 
 With this destructive instrument, at a later period, Forbes, 
 the Laird of Brux, who was out in 1745, made " sun and 
 moon shine thro' " the enemy, as he expressed himself to a 
 friend of mine. 
 
 The Highlanders were always partial to " the cold 
 steel." The sword and dirk were well adapted to their 
 fierce and overwhelming hand to hand mode of attack, and 
 their dexterity in the use of both, ensured the success of 
 many a foray, and was the means of their gaining many a 
 victory. There were always, even in late times, many of 
 the " Highlandmen," who had no other arms, and from the 
 many desperate conflicts in which they signalized them- 
 selves with "sword an' dirk into their han', wi whilk they 
 were na slaw," these came to be spoken of as almost the 
 only weapons they possessed. At the battle of Killicrankie, 
 fought in 1G89, it is said of King William's troops, that 
 
 ' ' The dirk an' d'our, made their last hour, 
 An' prov'd their final fa', man." 
 
 I have remarked that more broadswords than dirks are 
 to be now seen, and the reason, I apprehend, is, that the 
 latter were appropriated for domestic purposes, when it 
 was no longer necessary or lawful to carry them as arms. 
 Pennant observed the clirk frequently converted into a very 
 useful knife, by the butchers of Inverness, being, like 
 Iludibras's dagger, 
 
 ' ' a serviceable dudgeon, 
 Either for fighting or for drudging." 
 
 I have seen them employed for various uses. Some 
 
 " Carthon. 
 
DIRKS. 660 
 
 cliopped up moss fir as well as if they had never been in- 
 tended for more honourable service, whilst others served in 
 the humble but useful office of a " kail u,idly." Few are to 
 he met with that do not appear to have been in rerpiisition 
 for other purposes than originally intended. The Highlander 
 has often, by its means, provided himself with a " clear 
 the lawing," i.e. a good cudgel. In attacking the Duke of 
 Cumberland's army, at Clifton, the rebels cut through the 
 hedges with their bidag, and it was one of the complaints 
 on the disarming act, that they should be deprived of their 
 dirks, with which they cut doMai wood, &c. Before the in- 
 vention of knives they supplied their place at table. Pos- 
 sidonius says the Gauls applied them to this purpose. The 
 Highlanders used them in quartering deer and other game. 
 The dirk was tlie favourite " brand " of the Gael. The 
 dagger of Ogar was " the weapon which he loved." The 
 most solemn oath was swearing on it, and so convenient an 
 implement was it found, tliat it was almost part of their weed. 
 I recollect one John M'Bean, who fought at Culloden, 
 and was among the M'Intoshes who made so furious an 
 irruption on the king's army. This old man, who died 
 at tlie age of 101, and was able to walk abroad some days 
 before his death, never thought himself dressed without 
 his belt and a small knife. A gentleman of my acquaint- 
 ance had shewn his pistols to an old man at Skellater, in 
 Strathdon, who, in reply, drew his dirk, and, regarding it 
 with a look of satisfaction, observed, " my pistol will no miss 
 fire." The Highlanders tliought it hard when the act for dis- 
 arming them was passed, that they should not be permitted 
 to carry this useful and convenient article, and were loth, 
 when the gTui, the sword, and the pistols were laid aside, 
 to part with the dirk. It was a shrewd remark of one 
 Steuart, in Avenside, who, coming down to the lower part 
 •of Stratlulon, was ri^niinded that it was now against the 
 
336 D-AGGEES, OR DIRKS. 
 
 law to cany his dirk ; " xs"o," replied he, indignantly, " it 
 is not against the law, but tlie law is against it!" The sol- 
 diers of the Black Watch, or 42nd, were allowed to cany 
 these weapons, if they chose, and as tlie corps long conti- 
 nued to be composed of Duinuasals, or the better class of 
 Highlanders, who could provide themselves with them^ 
 they were worn until lately. Grose says that, in 1747, 
 most of the privates had both dirks and targets. 
 
 The dirk of the Higlilander is an instrument peculiar 
 to himself, and his ingenuity has rendered it extremely 
 useful. The sheath has been contrived to contain his 
 knife and fork, an improvement that has taken place at a 
 remote period, as he could not well carve his "S'enison 
 without these implements. Their insertion in the sheath 
 admits a considerable degree of ornament, and certainly 
 adds to the splendour of a full dressed Highlander. Soine 
 of the more modern dirks have the top hollowed into a 
 little cavity that is appropriated for snuff, but the conve- 
 nience of this is not apparent. The length of the blade is 
 determined by the length of tlie arm ; when grasped in the 
 hand, the point ought to reach the elbow ; it is double 
 edged for some inches, and the old ones have usually tlie 
 figure of a greyhound traced by aquafortis, near the hilt. 
 
 The hilt of this instrument is often very curious, and 
 is formed of a piece of wood, usually of alder, ingeniously 
 figured. It is said these were generally the work of shep- 
 herds, performed by means of a common penknife. The 
 carving represents a sort of tracery, where sprigs appear 
 interlaced, and twisted around a rough piece of wood. 
 These were more or less intricate, according to the fancy or 
 ability of the workman. Some are executed with remark- 
 able taste, and their beauty is heightened by small studs of 
 gold, silver, brass, or steel, producing a rich effect. Where 
 the handles of the knife and fork were not made of horn 
 
r.ELT. 
 
 or bone, they Avere usually finished in a similar style. 
 When the blade formed a point that was carried beyond the 
 end of the hilt, it was con^'erted into an ornamental knob 
 at top, and when it did not appear, the top was carved or 
 chased, and frequently a large cairngorm was set in it. 
 The following, in the possession of the author, is a spe- 
 cimen of the old bidag and sheath. 
 
 The BELT for this weapon went round the loins, and was 
 of much use in ascending mountains, or in running, in which 
 cases it was drawn close. It was no less useful in fasting; a 
 current proverb advises the Gael to tighten their belts until 
 they get food. It served also to fasten the breacan, and some- 
 times suspended the purse, having a buckle of brass, steel, or- 
 silver, which, in many cases, was figured, or bore a motto in 
 front. Those of the Celtic warriors were richly ornamented 
 with gold and silver ; and, in Ossian's days, the " studded 
 thongs of the sword," which he describes as broad, were mucli 
 admired. A leathern girdle, perforated lozenge-wise, as here 
 shewn, was found in a Ijarrow, at Beaksbourne, in Kent." 
 
 " Neiiia Britannica. 
 
338 DIRK DANCE. 
 
 The Norwegians, at the l)attle of Largs, fought in 1263, 
 stripped Ferus, a Scots' knight, of his beautiful belt.'" 
 
 Baldricks were not always of leather ; tliey were some- 
 times of cloth, silk, or velvet, trimmed and ornamented 
 with gold and silver. The Highlanders have often a waist- 
 Lelt for suspending a pistol and ammunition pouch. 
 
 Tlie dirk dance is a curious remain of the ancient amuse- 
 ments of the Gael, but from the change of manners, few 
 of the Highlanders have now the least knowledge of it. 
 It is denominated bruiclicath, and some dirks have several 
 perforations i::i the blade for the purpose, it is said, of in- 
 serting the ramrod of the pistol to act as a guard, but this 
 is quite inconsistent with the dirk exercise. This perform- 
 ance has been represented in London, where two brothers, 
 of tlie name of Mac Lenuan, were almost the only indi- 
 viduals who could execute it, but the species of dance 
 which is now knov/n does not appear to be the same as the 
 ancient. One James Mac Pherson, aged 106, several years 
 since, saw two persons execute this dance, and declared it 
 v/ag not, by any means, in the old national way. 
 
 The Gauls carried a kind of sword, called by Strabo 
 and Julius Pollux, mach?era, by Ccnesar and luivj, matara, 
 or mazara. The first, according to O'Conner, is the Gaelic 
 ma' c'ar, the desolation of the field of battle. Mata is ap- 
 plied to all ferocious animals, and seems here joined witli 
 ar, or ara, slaughter; The matadli achalaise was a weapon 
 worn by the Highlanders, and evidently derived from their 
 remote ancestors. It was carried under the left armpit, 
 wlience the term achalaise. Livy seems to describe it 
 as hung from the left shoulder. In some figures discovered 
 in the ISTorth of England, we perceive a dagger suspended 
 by a cord, or belt, passing under the right arm. 
 
 "■Joliustr.ne's Traiisl. of the Norgc Account of Ilaco'.s Expedition, 
 
BOW AND ARROW. 339 
 
 Eesides all these weapons, the Highlanders carried the 
 skean dhu, or black knife, which was stuck between the 
 hose and the skin of their right leg. This may not be a 
 very ancient practice : the knife was for the purpose of dis- 
 patching game, or other servile purposes, for which the 
 Highlanders had an objection to employ their dirk. 
 
 The use of the bow and arrow is one of the most early 
 discoveries of mankind. The eastern nations have always 
 been distinguished by an attachment to archery ; and the 
 modern Tartars, the descendants as many believe, of the 
 ancient Scythians, who can scarcely, in distant ages, be 
 discriminated from the Celtte, still retain that dexterity in 
 the management of the bow, for which their ancestors were 
 so celebrated. The inhabitants of the West and Xorth o;" 
 Europe were also famous for the exercise of this weapon, 
 so serviceable in hunting and in battle, and tlieir armiL','; 
 contained a numerous body who were armed with it, and 
 Vv'ho served both on foot and on horseback. So universal 
 ^va.s the use of the bow, that Pliny observes half the world 
 had been conquered by its means. Saighder, the Gaelic 
 name for a soldier, is apparently a compound of saighead, 
 an arrow, and fear, a man.'' The Roman sagitta shews its 
 Celtic original. Tlie Gaelic word is a compound of sath, 
 to thrust, or push, and geoda, an appendage. lui, or fiui, 
 an arrow, is now obsolete, except in the poems of Ossian. '' 
 In Britain, the Belgse are represented as having been 
 particularly skilful in the practice of archery, but the ety- 
 ]nology given of the name, deriving it from this exercise, 
 does not seem very just, for the bow was common to Cale- 
 donians, Irish, and Welsh. The Bekic tribes were deno- 
 minated Firbolg, from the bolg, builg, or leathern bag, hi 
 vx'hich they carried their arrows, as some maintain. 
 
 ^ oinith, in Trans. Highland Soc. Vol. i. ; Ijut see p. 179 this volume. 
 y Ik'v. Thomas Ross's Notes on Finj^al. 
 
340 BOW AND ARROW. 
 
 The chief part of the Gothic and ISTonnan armies con- 
 sisted of archers, and among the Franks the use of tlie 
 bow was strictly enjoined. A law of Charlemagne ordains 
 those who are armed with clubs to assume bows and arrows. 
 The superior skill of the Welsh, in the management of this 
 weapon is highly extolled by Criraldus Cambrensis, who in- 
 forms us that the tribe named Amenta excelled all others, and 
 relates the following anecdote of their strength and dexte- 
 rity. During a siege, it happened that two soldiers, running, 
 in haste towards a town, situated a little distance from them,, 
 were attacked with a number of arrows from the Welsh, 
 which being shot with prodigious violence, some penetrated 
 through the oak doors of a portal, although they were the 
 breadth of four fingers in thickness. The heads of these- 
 arrows were afterwards driven out and preserved, in order 
 to continue the remembrance of such extrordinary force 
 in shooting with the bow. It happened also in a battle, in 
 the time of William de Breusa, (as he himself relates,) that 
 a Welshman having directed an arrow at an horse-soldier 
 of his, who was clad in armour, and had his leather coat 
 under it; the arrow, besides piercing the man through 
 the hip, struck also through the saddle, and mortally 
 wounded the horse on which he sat. Another Welsh sol- 
 dier, having shot an arrow at one of his horsemen who was 
 covered with strong armour, in the same manner as the 
 before mentioned person, the shaft penetrated through his 
 hip and fixed in the saddle; but, what is most remark- 
 able, is, that as the horseman drew his bridle aside, in order 
 to turn round, he received another arrow in his hip on the 
 other side, which, passing through it, he was firmly fas- 
 tened to the saddle on both sides. A bow with twelve 
 arroN\'s were among tlie three legal arms of the Cumri. 
 
 The celebrity of the Irish archers appears to have declin- 
 ed in latter times. They continued indeed to use the bow; 
 
BOW AND ARROW. " 341 
 
 but if the name Scot is derived from the ohl Gaelic Sciot, 
 an arrow, their ancestors must have been very remarkable 
 for the practice. So much neglected, however, had the art 
 of shooting with the bow become in Ireland, that Cambrensis 
 recommends archers to be intermingled with the heavy Eng- 
 lish troops, when fighting with the natives ; and the con- 
 quest of the island is said to have Ijeen achieved, princi- 
 pally by the services of these men, to which the Irish could 
 not oppose a similar arm,'' but tlie English long bow was 
 a weapon which neither the Scots nor the Irish could, at 
 all times, effectually withstand. These nations never de- 
 pended for victory in a pitched battle, by the use of their 
 bows, which were of small size. The Scots' archers com- 
 menced an engagement, and when the battle joined, they 
 abandoned the arrow for the sword and spear, as they were 
 afterwards accustomed to do with their fire arms. In the 
 Low Country, where a regular charge could be made, the 
 spear was the favourite weapon. Few of Wallace's men, 
 we are told, were — " Sicker of archery," 
 
 ' ' better they were, 
 In field to bide, eytber with sword or speare. " 
 
 iSTot withstanding the dexterity Avith which tliey ma- 
 naged their own little bows, the tremendous effect of the 
 English was acknowledged in a current saying, that " every 
 English archer beareth under his girdle twenty-foure 
 scottes," alluding to the number of arrows. ]\Iany enact- 
 ments were passed, with little eiiect, to improve the Scots' 
 archers. So late as 1595, one James Forgeson, a bowyer, 
 was sent by the King of Scotland into England to purchase 
 ten thousand bows and bow-staves, and as he could not pro- 
 cure them there, he proceeded to the continent. The Scots, 
 remarkable for their tenacity of ancient practices, conti- 
 
 ^ Lord Littleton. 
 
342 BOW AND AEIIOW. 
 
 nued to use their short bows and little quivers with short- 
 bearded arrows, which Spenser says " are at this day to be 
 seene, not past three quarters of a yard long, with a string 
 of wreathed hempe slackely bent, and whose arrows are not 
 above half an ell long." 
 
 The Ijattle of Halidowne hill, 1333, affords an instance 
 of the dreadful effect of the English long bov/. "The 
 lord Percie's archers did withall deliver their deadly arrowes 
 so lively, so courageously, so grievously, that they ranne 
 through the men of amies, bored the helmets, pierced tlieir 
 very swords, beat their lances to the earth, and easily shot 
 those who were more slightly armed, through and through." 
 The Scotish archers, however, on several occasions, made a 
 good figure in the national armies, and acquired consider- 
 able renown. Those who opposed Haco, at Largs, in 1263, 
 were well accoutred, and chiefly armed with bows and spears. 
 At the field of Bannockburn, James III. had ten thousand 
 Highlanders with bows and arrows, who led the van. At 
 Fala, James V. mustered an army of sixty thousand men, 
 twenty thousand of whom carried pikes and spears, and 
 twenty thousand " were armed with bows and habergions 
 and two-handed swords, which was the armour of our High- 
 land men."* In 1528, Lord Howard, the English ambassa- 
 dor, brought three 3Core horsemen, all picked men, and ce- 
 lebrated for all sorts ci athletic amusements, to Scotland -^ 
 but " they were well sayed (tried) ere they passed out of it," 
 says Pistcottie, " and that by their own provocation ; but 
 ever they tint, (lost) ; till at last the Queen of Scotland, the 
 King's mother, favored the Englishmen, because she was the 
 King of England's sister ; and therefore she took an enter- 
 prise of archery upon the Englishmen's hands, contrary her 
 son, the King, and any six in Scotland, that he would wale^. 
 
 " Lindsay of Pitscottie. 
 
BOW AND Aiu:o\v. 343 
 
 either gentlemen or yeomen, tluit the Englishmen should 
 shoot against them either at pricks, revers, or butts, as 
 the Scots pleased. The king was content, and gart her 
 pawn a hundred crowns, and a tun of wine upon the Eng- 
 lislimen's hands ; and he incontinently laid down as much 
 for the Scottishnien. The field and ground were chosen in 
 St. Andrews, and three landed men and three yeomen cho- 
 sen to shoot against the English, viz. David Wemys of that 
 ilk, David Arnot of that ilk, and Mr, John Wedderuurn, 
 vicar of Dundee; the yeomen were John Thompson, in 
 Leith, Stephen Tabourner, with a piper, called Alexander 
 Baillie. They shot very near, and warred the Englishmen 
 of the enterprise, and won the hundred crowns and the 
 tun of v.'ine ; whicli made the king very merry." 
 
 The Scots' Higldanders and the Gael of Ulster conti- 
 nu.ed to use the bow till tlie beginning of last century. It 
 was extremely serviceable in hunting, for which purpose it 
 was much employed by the ancient Britons. In fighting, 
 tlie Celtic method was first to expend all their arrows at a 
 distance ; when the chief of each tribe advanced with his 
 men to a closer attack. The bow was last used as a mili- 
 tary weapon by British troops about 1700, when the regi- 
 ment of Eoyal Scots, commanded by the Earl of Orkney, 
 A\-ere armed in " the old Highland fashion, with bows and 
 arrows, swords and targets, and wore steel bonnets.'"' About 
 that period the inhabitants of tlie island of Lewis were 
 celebrated lor their dexterity in archery:" those of Glenlyon, 
 in Perthshire,^ and Strathconan, were equally famous. 
 The bow was drawn by the right ear. 
 
 Tlie introduction of the musquet was a death blow to 
 the use of the bow, and to the interests of all who lived by 
 the manufacture. Those affected by the decay of this 
 
 '' Mem. Dou. Mac Leod. '^ Martin. <* Gillies' Old Gaelio Poems, p. 83. 
 
.344 BOW AND Al!!!i)W. 
 
 ancient, and once so effective weapon, strenuously opposed 
 the adoption of fire arms, and contended for its superiority. 
 Its encouragement did for some time become an object of 
 national solicitude, but no exertions could retard the advance 
 of improvement in the art of destruction, and avert the ulti- 
 mate fall of " the noble science of archery." 
 
 In the Lansdowne collection of MSS., No. 22 contains 
 a discourse, addressed to the Council of Henry VIII., or 
 Edward YI., shewing that the use of the bow was much 
 more destructive than " goinnery." In Alleyn's Henry 
 VII., quoted by Dr. Johnson, we are told that 
 
 "The white faith of history cannot shew 
 That e'er a musket yet could heat the how." 
 
 In 1576, the bowyers, fletchers, stringers, and arrow-head 
 makers, petitioned Lord Burleigh for authority to enforce 
 the practice of archery, and repress unlaAvful exercises, 
 according to tlie statutes ; when it was hoped that, in two 
 or three years, the use of the bow would be restored. A 
 warrant from Queen Elizabeth, preserved in the same vo- 
 lume, was granted according to the prayer of the peti- 
 tioners, but it was unfortunately left without the royal 
 signature. 
 
 Sir John Smyth, knight, in his work on " the Necessity 
 of Archery," b. letter, 1596, says, he never will refuse, with 
 eight thousand good archers, to adventure his life against 
 twenty thousand of the best shot in Christendom. Alas ! 
 the lamentable forebodings of speedy destruction to the 
 liberties of old England, from the introduction of fire arms, 
 were the creations of their own brains; and Smyth's objec- 
 tions were repelled, with strong arguments, by one Bar- 
 wick, an old and experienced soldier. 
 
 The Gallic bow appears, from various monuments, to 
 have been similar in form to those now used. The Scy- 
 
BOW AND ARROWS. 345 
 
 "thians had it of a singular curve, the ends heing hent in- 
 wards, in the form of a crescent, with a straight round 
 part in the centre. The Scots made their bows of yew ; 
 the English preferred ash. Tliose of the Welsh were of 
 rough wild elm.^ 
 
 Arrows, in their most simple form, were merely a reed, 
 or slip of wood, carefully sharjjened to a point; and it is 
 reported as a curious fact, tliat an arrow of this sort will pe- 
 netrate deeper into the body wliich it strikes, than if it were 
 armed with any other substance. The arrows of the an- 
 cient inhabitants of Picardy were formed of a certain reed, 
 excellent for the purpose, and only inferior to tliose that 
 grew in the Ehene, a river in Bonnonia.' The Scythians 
 used fir tree," the Sarmatie employed cornel wood, and, 
 having no iroii, they pointed their arrows with osiers. '' 
 The Fenns, a people of Germany, used bone. 
 
 One of the most ancient means of arming offensive Avea- 
 pons, was by the laborious formation of stone for that pur- 
 pose. So generally does this mode of pointing arrows 
 seem to have prevailed, that there are few countries where 
 these rude articles are not to be found. They have been 
 discovered in America and the West India Islands. He- 
 rodotus describes the arrows of the Ethiopians, who served 
 in Xerxes' army, as being pointed with a stone used for those 
 seals that were engraved.' The use of metal, which that 
 writer shews to have been well known to the nations of the 
 West at a very early period of time, indicates the extreme 
 antiquity of these stone implements, which are found in 
 considerable numbers in various parts of Scotland. In 
 Ireland they are also often met with, but in England less 
 frequently, although beautiful specimens liave been disco- 
 
 « Gir. Camb. f Pliny, xvi. 36. s Strabo. 
 
 i* Pausanias, i. 21. ' Lib. vii. 69. 
 
346 STONE Aimo^v heads. 
 
 vered in the Larrows of Wiltshire and elsewhere. They 
 have been found in Isla, but have never perhaps been niet 
 within any other of the islands of Hebuda?.* 
 
 It is difficult to conceive how they could have been 
 formed in those rude ages, when there were no implements 
 of metal to assist in the manufacture. It must have been 
 by a patient and careful beating and rubbing, the workman 
 probably spoiling many before he was able to produce one 
 perfect. The regularity of their figure is astonishing, and 
 much labour and perseverance were certainly necessary, to 
 mould and polish them so neatly. The flint of which they 
 are formed is generally of a brownish colour ; in Perth and 
 Aberdeenshires they are generally reddish. Some have 
 been found in Ireland of a stone resembling an onyx, and 
 nearly as pellucid. 
 
 They are usuall}'" discovered in the sepulchres of the 
 ancient tribes, who were accustomed to deposit a certain 
 mimber, accordiu" to the rank and estimation in which 
 the deceased w^arrior was held ; but in Scotland they are 
 more generally to be picked up on the land, particularly 
 that which has been recently brought under cultivation, 
 being then turned up by the plough or spade. In some 
 particular parts they are found more abundantly than in 
 others, and often in such numbers as to indicate the field of 
 an ancient battle. Many rough flints are found in a certain 
 spot on the Culbin hills, near the aestuary of the Findhorn, 
 and no similar stones being near the place, it has been con- 
 jectured that a manufactory for arrow heads was there 
 established.^ That they were very valuable in those rude 
 ages, when they were used, can be readily believed from 
 the extreme trouble there must have been in forming them, 
 
 * They have been found in more than one of the HeLrides, as well as oil 
 the western mainland. Ed.- 
 
 J T. Dick Lander, in Trans, of Scots Antiquaries, iii. 99. 
 
STOXF. ARROAV HEADS. 347 
 
 and it appears they were occasionally deposited under 
 ground for security, as money has been in more recent 
 times. If their fabrication was an art practised by certain 
 persons, these hoards may have been their stock. In 
 trenching a piece of A'ery rougli stony ground, at Cults, 
 on the banks of the Dee, a few miles from Aberdeen, seve- 
 ral yeaLS since, about thirty of them were found under a 
 large stone; and, in labouring a waste part of a farm in the 
 bra? of Essie, a similar deposit was discovered. These 
 singular facts prove the care with which those little imple- 
 ments were preserved. 
 
 Their most common and simple form is a lozenge, more 
 acute at one end than the other ; some are barbed on e:ich 
 side. One which was found at Connemara, in Ireland, had 
 no middle point, but, from the print, it does not appear 
 whether this part is in its original state.^ One of those 
 found at Essie had tlie middle part very neatly perforated. 
 
 These stone heads were fixed, it is supposed, iu a small 
 cavity, adapted for this purpose, in the end of the shaft. 
 Such a mode of pointing arrows was very common in re- 
 cent times, the shaft being formed with a hollow at one end. 
 In Scotland the flint arrow heads are denominated elf 
 shot, from a firm belief, among the common people, that 
 they are of no human formation, but the shot witli which 
 the elves, or fairies, assail cattle, and even attempt tlio 
 destruction of human beings, eitlier for their amusement, 
 or from a spirit of malevolence.' 
 
 This superstition exists in full strength, even among 
 people whose education, one miglit suppose, would prevent 
 the indulgence of so ridiculous an idea, and various practices 
 are resorted to in order to avert or counteract the designs of 
 
 '' Arelifeologia, xv. 394. 
 
 ' The JIaux believe that the first inhabitants of their islaiid were 
 fairies, who were extremely fond of hunting. "Waldroa's Hist. 
 
j348 stone Aituow heads. 
 
 these evil spirits. I have heard several persons speak of 
 having been struck with them, fortunately not with sufficient 
 force to produce a wound, in the most positive manner, and 
 many more have declared that they have often witnessed 
 the cattle labouring under the effects of this unearthly shot. 
 It is, indeed, acknowledged that now, when the Scriptures 
 have become so fully disseminated, the elves have been 
 restrained from so free a range, and it is only occasionally 
 that any of tlie cattle are " shot a dead." 
 
 In Bowen's Geography, printed in IV-IT, we find it re- 
 lated that the " county of Aberdeen has one sort of stones, 
 which seem to be of the flint kind — they are always found 
 by chance, and often in the roads, where none were to be 
 seen an hour or two before, and sometimes they are disco- 
 vered in the boots, &c. of travellers ; and as they are gene- 
 rally found in the summer, when the sky is clear, natu- 
 ralists conclude they are formed in the air, by some gross ex- 
 halations !" 8ir Eobert Sibbald also notices their frequency 
 in Al^erdeeushire.'" A clergyman, about the end of the 
 seventeenth century, says they are shaped like a barbed 
 arrow head, but flung, like a dart, with great force ! 
 
 When cattle are unfortunately struck by these malicious 
 elves, they breathe hard and refuse all food, by which 
 tokens it is easily understood Mdiat has befallen them. 
 Those women who are " canny" immediately begin care- 
 fully to examine the animal, until they find where the 
 arrow head has wounded them; and this is a matter of 
 no little difficulty, for the skin is never perforated, but the 
 hole is found in the inner membrane. In Aberdeenshire 
 they are accustomed to cure the elf shot by an application 
 of salt and tar, prepared with due solemnity. In other 
 parts, the place Avhere the animal has been struck is well 
 
 "■ riott's Hist, of Staffonlsliiiv. 
 
STONE AEROW HEADS. 349" 
 
 rubbed with salt, and a quantity of it dissolved in water,, 
 wherein silver, or an elf shot has been dipped, is poured 
 down the throat, and some is also sprinkled on the ears. 
 The animal then begins to breathe easier, and, in the course 
 of an hour, will recover. Cattle wlio die of this disease,. 
 or, rather, accident, exhibit mortified spots in those parts 
 where the shot is believed to have entered, for it is not the 
 least mysterious circumstance that the shot itself is never 
 found in the flesh, but is often picked up near the animal. 
 However strange it may appear, very respectable authori- 
 ties have borne testimony to tlie existence of such spots, 
 or lioles, nnder the skin, as well as to the efficiency of the pre- 
 scribed cure. That there is such a malady is certain, and the 
 mode of treating it may be successful. The superstitious 
 observances attending the application are derived from those 
 times when the efficacy of all prescriptions were believed 
 to depend on the virtues imparted by tlie ceremonies with 
 which they were prepared. None of the herbs, so cele- 
 brated for their sanative properties during the existence of 
 Druidism, were gathered or administered without the most 
 scrupulous adherence to established forms. 
 
 In consequence of the popular persuasion that these sin- 
 gular stones are really the offensive weapons of " the fair 
 folk," it is difficult to prevail with tliose who have been so 
 fortunate as meet with one, to part with it, for it is firmly 
 believed, that so long as an elf shot is preserved, neither 
 the cattle nor the owner is liable to be molested by these 
 insidious enemies. They are, therefore, carried about the 
 person, or carefully deposited in the guidwife's kist, and 
 sometimes they are even set in silver." 
 
 I have been able to collect fourteen or fifteen of them, 
 
 ° ValliTiicey says the Irish set them in silver, and wear them about the 
 neck as amulets. Collect. Hib. 
 
350 BOW AND ARROWS. 
 
 but have often observed a party, from wliom I was solicit- 
 ing tliem, assume a look of considerable gravity, appa- 
 rently suspecting that I liad some other reason for my re- 
 quest than motives of mere curiosity. 
 
 After the art of working metals was discovered, man- 
 kind would soon avail themselves of its use in pointing 
 their arrov\^s. The Scythians, so early as the time of He- 
 rodotus, had their arrow heads of brass, and he relates a 
 story which shows that they must have had very great 
 numbers of them. The time when iron, or brass, be- 
 came the substitute for the rude flint of the ]')rimitive 
 Celts is unknown. In the earliest history of the Caledo- 
 nians we find metal in use, and in one of Ossian's poems 
 we even read of an arrow of gold ! In the seventeentli 
 century they had " arrows for the most part hooked, with 
 a barbie on either side, which, once entered within the 
 body, could not be drawn forth again, unless the wound 
 Vv^as made wider." There seems to have been sometliing- 
 peculiar in the form of these points, wliich made a most 
 galling wound. Spenser describes the Scots of Ulster as 
 having their arrows "tipped with steel heads, made like 
 common broad arrow heads, but much more sharpe and 
 slender, so that they enter into a man or horse most cruelly, 
 notwithstanding that they are shot forth weakly."" 
 
 The old Caledonian arrows were of birch, feathered in 
 tlie usual manner, and carried by the side. Perhaps the 
 Celts stuck them in the belt, as the English and Scots were 
 afterwards accustomed to do ; 1jut a figure, supposed to 
 represent a Gaul, discovered in Nortlnimberland, has a qui- 
 ver suspended at his right hip. Cambrensis informs us 
 the common Welsh carried the arrows in their hand. The 
 
 " Spenser. C'nrrj'ing bows and arrows were restrained. III. 22. 
 Hist, of Ireland, 1626. 
 
CAYALllY. 351 
 
 ancient Britons had, liowever, generally quivers of osier ; 
 some of twisted brass, but unknown antiquity. Lave been 
 found. The Gael had them formed of badger's skin.'" 
 Their strings are said to have been of hemp, but they 
 v/ere, it is believed, also formed of the intestines of animals. 
 It is reckoned good policy to "have two strings to a 
 bow." A seal, found in the field of Baunockburn, repre- 
 sented a figure carrying a bow, provided with two strings, 
 both fixed ; and a laAV of Charlemagne refers to " arcum 
 cum duabus cordis." 
 
 An ancient amusement of the Scotish bowmen, was 
 shooting at the pcpingoe, or popingay, and there is a 
 society regularly established, in 1688, at Kilwinning, in 
 Ayrshire, where this mark is projected from the church 
 steeple, and the archers, resting their left foot close to tlie 
 base of the wall, shoot perpendicularly. The royal archers 
 of Scotland, vrho have the honour to be the king's body 
 guard in that kingdom, and enjoy certain privileges, were 
 incorporated by Queen Anne. 
 
 The Highlanders do not appear, in recent times, to have 
 had CAVALKY, but the old Gael had certainly considerable 
 bodies of horsemen. In proof of this, a poem of John 
 Lorn Mac Donald, Avho lived in tlie time of Charles II., 
 addressed to Clanrannald, may be quoted, vrliere there is a 
 verse of which the following is a translation : 
 
 "AAlien thou didst take up arms in the cause of thy King, thy saddles 
 covered a thousand dark grey coursers, "'i 
 
 Tlie author of a journey in Scotland, 1729, says the 
 Frasers, were mostly composed of gentlemen on horse-back. 
 The Caledonians long preserved a celebrity for horse- 
 manship, which was inherited from their remote ancestors, 
 the Celtic tribes of Britain and the continent, who were 
 
 P I'rosnacLa Fairge of Clan Pvannahl. "J Turner's Collection, p. ST. 
 
352 CAVALRY. 
 
 equally renowned for their well trained cavalry. The- 
 chief strength of their armies consisted in infantry, but 
 Strabo asserts that the horsemen were most efficient, and 
 Plutarch attests the excellence of this branch of their mili- 
 tary.' Tacitus particularly celebrates the Tencteri, and 
 Ciesar acknowledges the admirable manner in which the 
 Gallic, German, and British cavalry opposed and thwarted 
 his ambitious designs. At the battle of Cannse, the Celtic 
 horsemen behaved with a firmness and intrepidity which 
 excited the praises of their enemies. 
 
 In the Northern regions, we are told by Pliny, tlie horses 
 were wild, and roamed about in great herds, but the Gauls 
 and Germans must have had them domesticated and broken 
 into great docility, and so much were they esteemed, that 
 the Ptomans, according to Strabo, procured the chief part 
 of their horses from Gaul. l]y Tacitus they are consi- 
 dered less remarkable for their fleetness than for keeping 
 excellent order, marching with the greatest regularity. 
 Those of Celtiberia were small, but had a graceful pace, 
 and were taught to stoop, that their riders might be able to 
 mount with facility;' those of Lusitana were extremely fleet.' 
 The rude warriors of distant ages, robust, and inured to 
 privations and fatigue, bred their horses to extreme labour 
 and hardihood. We are told that the Sarmatians, a Ger- 
 man people celebrated as equestrians, when j)reparing for a 
 long journey, gave their horses no meat for two days, but 
 supplied them with a little drink and galloped them one 
 hundred and fifty miles on a stretch ! 
 
 The British horses are described by Tacitus and Dio as 
 diminutive, but extremely swift, spirited, and hardy, re- 
 sembling those of the present Highlanders, which were in 
 
 ■• The whole force of the Catti consisted of foot. ' Strabo. 
 
 ' Pliny, Lih. viii. 
 
CAVALRY. 656 
 
 general allowed until lately, like the race in Shetland, to 
 live in almost natural wildness. 
 
 The small native Highland horses are termed garrons, 
 and although now semi-domesticated, it is often a work of 
 much trouble to catch them when they are turned loose on 
 the hills. To accomplish this they are sometimes driven up 
 a steep hill, where the nearest pursuer endeavours to catch 
 them by the hind leg, both not unfrequently tumbling down 
 together ; sometimes they are hunted until fatigue compels 
 them to lie down. An entertaining writer, who visited the 
 country many years ago, gives the following description of 
 the method of breaking-in these unruly animals, as he wit- 
 nessed it in Inverness-shire. A man had tied a rope about 
 the hind leg; the horse was kicking and struggling vio- 
 lently, while the Highlander continued to beat it unmerci- 
 fully with a large stick, " and sometimes the garron was 
 down, and sometimes the Highlander was down, and not 
 seldom both of them together, but still the man kept his 
 hold," and succeeded in reducing the horse to perfect docility. 
 
 The ancient Caledonians were celebrated for the use of 
 horses in war. Their descendants neglected this arm, with- 
 out entirely disusing it. They are said to have had the 
 greatest dread of cavalry, their fears being augmented by 
 an idea that the horses were taught to fight with their feet 
 as well as to bite. They certainly evinced no such terror 
 in 1745, when they so often defeated them. On the con- 
 trary, the rebels entertained great contempt for cavalry, 
 having so easily overthrown the dragoons. The man«3uvre 
 by which this was accomplished consisted in striking at 
 their heads, and slashing the mouths, which infallibly sent 
 them to the right about. An old follower of the Mac 
 Intoshes told me he saved his life at Culloden by this 
 mode of defence, against some horsemen. The cavalry in 
 
 the Highland army on this occasion, besides the French 
 
 2 A 
 
354 CAVALKY. 
 
 piquet, were chiefly from the Low Country. The Irish 
 were celebrated horsemen to a late period, and their horses 
 were of the same small breed. It was apparently from 
 their size that they were called Hobbies, whence the cavalry 
 were denominated Hobblers. These troops were not, in- 
 deed, all provided with arms, but they were found service- 
 able in the English armies, and paid according to their 
 equipments. Two thousand were ordered against the Scots 
 by Edward II., and at the siege of Calais, in 1347, many 
 were employed. The nobles had much pride in the appear- 
 ance of their horses. Paul Jovius says he saw twelve of a 
 beautiful white colour, adorned with purple and silver 
 reins, led, without riders, in the train of the Pope. A 
 French writer, describing the expedition of Eichard II. to 
 Ireland, in 1399, says, Mac Murrough's horse cost 400 
 cows, but he rode without either stirrups or saddle. The 
 Celtic riders do not appear to have used these articles. A 
 bridle seems to be indispensable ; yet, in the sculpture of 
 Antoninus's column, &c., they are usually represented with- 
 out reins, sustaining themselves, when at full gallop, by 
 clinging to the neck or mane. Sometimes a single rein is 
 seen ; and a cord, or fillet, is in some cases carried once or 
 twice round the neck. Alexander I. offered a favourite Ara- 
 bian horse at the altar of St. Andrew's Church, the saddle, 
 bridle, and velvet housings of which were splendidly orna- 
 mented. The Welsh, whose horses were of the same dimin- 
 utive and hardy breed as the Scots and Irish, and who re- 
 tained the national partiality for the use of cavalry, had a 
 considerable number at the battle of Agincourt, 1415, none 
 of whom had saddles. The Irish, some centuries since, not- 
 withstanding they neither used stirrups nor saddle, were very 
 expert equestrians, being accustomed to vault on horses 
 while running at their utmost speed, and although they bore 
 the spear above the head, yet many acknowledged they had 
 
CAVALRY. 355 
 
 " never met with more comely or brave chargers." About 
 two hundred years ago they occasionally used a pad without 
 stirrups, but it was thought strange that the women should 
 ride with their faces to the right side." It does not ap- 
 pear that shoes for horses were considered necessary by the 
 Celts. The Inhabitants of the Isles, and many districts of 
 the Highlands of Scotland, at the present day, prove that 
 these articles are not indispensable. The horses travel in 
 these parts without inconvenience, and with the surest foot- 
 ing, over the hard flinty rocks, and along the most intricate 
 and precipitous tractways. They do not seem, formerly, in 
 any case, to have been shod, and so little is it yet attended 
 to, that, in some districts, the blacksmiths can neither 
 make shoes, nor put them on ! 
 
 The Gallic, German, and Scythian horsemen, as seen in 
 the remains of ancient sculpture, wore the sagum, thrown 
 over the naked shoulders, and enveloping the rider much like 
 the cloak of the modern cavalry. They carried a shield 
 and javelin, to which a sword was sometimes added. Similar 
 arms were borne by the British tribes, and retained until 
 late ages by the inhabitants of Wales. The Irish, in the 
 beginning of the seventeenth century, used also a staff.'' 
 
 The Celtic cavalry consisted of horsemen and chariot- 
 eers, the troops, serving, in either way, according to cir- 
 cumstances. They were always attended by footmen, who 
 were ready to succour their masters when wounded or over- 
 powered, and were able also to fight in their stead. These 
 followers were chosen by the warriors from their own kin- 
 dred, and they had thus an opportunity of selecting the best 
 qualified and most faithful of their followers, who, like the 
 attendants of the knights of the middle ages, had opportu- 
 nity of rising to distinction under the eye of their supe- 
 
 " Spenser, Riclae, Stanihurst, &c. ■* Riche, p. 96. 
 
356 CAVALRY. 
 
 riors. How striking is the similarity of this practice to 
 that of the Scotish Gael ! It is related of Hannibal, that, 
 before the battle with Sempronius, he picked out one thou- 
 sand horse and as many foot, and ordered each to choose 
 nine others from the whole army. As this general had a 
 numerous body of Gauls in his service, from which people 
 the Carthaginians always recruited their forces, it is not 
 improbable that he imitated the practice of the Celts in 
 this case, for we find him, on other occasions, paying some 
 deference to their opinion. The Komans, who were noted 
 for adopting every thing advantageous in the tactics of other 
 nations, perhaps formed their Velites on the Celtic plan. 
 
 We find, also, that the Gallic horsemen were sometimes 
 accompanied by two servants, who, on the marches, attended 
 to the waggons and baggage, but were provided with horses, 
 and fought bravely in battle. They posted themselves in 
 the rear, and supplied their masters with horses, if dis- 
 mounted, or, if killed, one took his place, and if he also fell, 
 the other was ready to succeed him. This mode of fight- 
 ing they called trimarcisias, from the word marca, a horse."' 
 To this day, marc, in the Gaelic of Scotland and Ireland, 
 has the same signification f in Welsh and Armoric there is 
 march, in Cornish marli. The term is therefore a com- 
 pound of tri, three, and marca, horse ! Tlie same mode 
 of fighting was practised by the Irish, who had two regular 
 horsemen, and another whose business it was to attend to 
 the animal.^ These last were the Horse boys. The chosen 
 bands of the Persians, and others, did not attack the ene- 
 my until those who were engaged had all been slain ; but 
 
 *Pausauias, x. 19. Diod. v. 2. 
 
 ^ Hence marcach, a rider ; marchsluagli, cavalry. Cabal, whence the 
 Latin Caballiis, is another term for this animal from all, a horse, and cab, 
 mouth, i.e., a horse who is guided by the mouth, or broken in. 
 
 y 15eckman's Hist, of Invent, ii. p. 247. 
 
WAR CHARIOTS. O07 
 
 the Celts, on the contrary, continued to fill up the places 
 of such as fell. Vegetius says, that among the Gauls and 
 Celtiberians tliese bodies amounted to six thousand men. 
 Dumnorix, an il^]duau cliief, kept constantly a great num- 
 ber of horsemen in his pay, who attended him wherever 
 he went.'' Tliese men were so strong and so swift of foot, 
 that, seizing the horses' mane, when running, they could 
 easily keep pace with them. 
 
 The most remarkable feature in a Celti-c army was the 
 body of CHAEIOTEEKS, who performed their evolutions 
 with surprising dexterity and direful effect. The Britons 
 were indeed so expert in this manner of fighting, that it is 
 believed to have originated with them, an opinion that 
 may have arisen from the su2:)eriority of their tactics, and the 
 practice becoming less frequent on the continent. Much 
 conjectural discussion has arisen respecting the form and 
 construction of the battle chariots. Some antiquaries have 
 supposed that they resembled the Irish cars, or the rude carts 
 used by the inhabitants of Wales f but it is impossible to 
 believe that the British chariots, if not superior to those 
 mean and awkward vehicles, could have excited so par- 
 ticiilarly the notice of the Eomans, or made so great an 
 impression on their veteran legions. Inconsiderable as the 
 commerce of the Britons may have been in those distant ages, 
 it can be reasonably presumed they were not destitute of 
 many cars, for the purposes of traffic. The extended tract- 
 ways, formed with sufficient care to preserve, even yet,well de- 
 fined remains, were surely constructed for such conveyances. 
 
 Celtic armies were always accompanied by numerous 
 waggons, even when there was little or no baggage to be 
 removed ; and we learn i'rom Diodorus that they used cha- 
 riots in travelling as well as in war. One description was 
 
 ^ Bello Gcall. i. 15. » King's Munimenta Anticjua. 
 
358 WAR CHARIOTS. 
 
 called Coviniis. Cohliain, in Gaelic, signilies a box, or 
 any similar receptacle, and is the origin of the English 
 coffin, the Lh having the sound of v. The word, if ori- 
 ginally applied to the battle car, may be derived from 
 cobh, victory, or cabhuain, to hew down on all sides, in 
 allusion to the hooks and scythes with which these vehi- 
 cles were provided, both in Britain and on the conti- 
 nent. The old Highlanders applied this term to a sort of 
 litter, borne between two horses, in manner of a bier. The 
 word is now lost in the Gaelic,'' but carbad, of similar im- 
 port, is preserved, and this word, used by Ossian and other 
 bards for the war chariot, is now applied to a coffin. Prom 
 this has probably arisen the tradition that that of Cuthul- 
 lin, described by Ossian, was his funeral car. 
 
 Anotlier sort of chariots were called Essedte ; and Whit- 
 aker, who notices the general appellation of car-rhod, 
 wheeled car, says they were furnished with seats. Du 
 Cange says the covinus was currus cathedra instructus, but 
 there is reason to believe that it was not so ; the name 
 implies that they were not encumbered with seats. The 
 Essedarii seem to have been those who fought in the fo'st- 
 rate war chariots, drawn by two horses, and their name 
 appears to be one of those ancient Celtic words that no 
 longer exist. The term fonnadh, synonymous with carbad, 
 has been disused by the Highlanders for ages. 
 
 The battle cars must have been strongly built, to sustain 
 the violent concussions produced by their furious encoun- 
 ters, and they could not have been constructed at all with- 
 out the possession of necessary tools and a knowledge of 
 the mechanical arts. I am here obliged to differ from that 
 excellent antiquary. Sir. E. Hoare, who is of opinion that these 
 vehicles were of slight construction, and iinds his supposition 
 strengthened by a recent discovery, of which he furnished an 
 *" Rev. Dr. Mac Queen, of Kilmuir. 
 
WAR CHARIOTS. 359 
 
 account to the Society of Antiquaries." In a fissure, or cliink, 
 of the rock at Hamden hill, near Bath, many curious articles 
 were found ; among which were fragments of wheels, con- 
 jectured to be the remains of war chariots. One of these 
 was nearly perfect, measured two and a lialf feet in diame- 
 ter, and had contained twelve spokes. It was only two 
 inches thick, being little stronger tlian a grinder's wheel, and 
 how a construction so weak could have withstood the rough 
 jolting, the furious driving, and the violent shocks of a 
 contention on unequal ground is not easily conceived. 
 The term carbad-cogaidh, literally the war chariot, used by 
 the ancient bards, seems to distinguish it from others, and, 
 when it is characterized as " rapid," it is expressive of the 
 velocity with which it was driven. 
 
 Diodorus says the Gauls and Britons used the war cha- 
 riot just as the Trojans did, and we have little reason to 
 believe ■ the forms were very different ; a description of 
 those of the Greeks and Eomans may therefore be applica- 
 ble to the others. There were two wheels, of no greater 
 diameter than the height of a man's knee, and they were 
 sometimes formed of wood, firmly joined together by iron, 
 but the common method was with four, six, or eight spokes, 
 the fellies being shod with brass. The axle-tree, on which 
 they moved, was long, in order to prevent the car from 
 being overset by the inequalities of the ground. The pole, 
 or temo, was very strongly fastened to the axle, and so well 
 secured by two diagonal pieces of wood that no instance 
 is said to have occurred of its being broken. The body 
 of the car was also fixed to the axle, for farther security, 
 and the chariot could therefore be driven with the utmost 
 rapidity, over all sorts of ground, and in the thickest tu- 
 mult of battle, without any danger of being overturned. 
 The body of the car was open behind, and, from the man- 
 •^ Archteologia, xxi. 
 
360 WAR CHARIOTS. 
 
 ner of harnessing, this part fell very low. Tlie sides that 
 were here little higher than the floor, rose gradually towards 
 the front, which was breast high, and rounded for the pro- 
 tection of the riders, from which it was called the shield 
 part. In the works of the bards it may be remarked, qua- 
 drangular chariots, and some of " many corners " are spo- 
 ken of. Fosbrooke says the body of the car was formed 
 of wicker; the harness of the Greek chariot was sim- 
 ple, but well adapted for tlie purpose, the collar and the 
 body gu'th appearing to be the only parts employed, and 
 both were formed of broad and thick leathern belts, which 
 joined across the horses' withers ; on these were laid the 
 ends of the yoke, which was formed of wood, with a curve 
 fitting the round of the animal's shoulders. The pole 
 was fixed to the yoke by a peg inserted in a hole, and was 
 farther secured by a stout leathern thong, which, according 
 to Homer, was about fourteen feet in length. 
 
 The Celtic chariots appear to have been usually drawn by 
 .two horses abreast, and it is supposed that this sort were 
 the Essedffi, which were provided with the scythe blades, 
 the covinus being drawn by one horse only, and not fur- 
 nished with these destructive weapons. This opinion does 
 not seem well founded, for, on an ancient sculpture, we see 
 an armed car drawn by a single horse. The blades, or 
 hooks, were like other arms, usually of bronze, and about 
 thirteen inches in length."* It is customary to rep)resent 
 them attached to the axle, but it is evident that, for the 
 purpose of cutting down the enemy, they must have been 
 immovably fixed to the car. If the description of Cu- 
 thullin's chariot, as preserved in the poems of Ossian, be 
 admitted as authentic, the cars of the Britons will be found 
 to have closely resembled those above described, and to 
 have been of ingenious construction. The investigations 
 
 ^ Fosbrooke's Encyclopedia of Antif|uities. 
 
■WAR CHAEIOTS. 361 
 
 of tlie Highland Society have discovered that the transla- 
 tion of Mac Pherson was not executed with sufficient 
 fidelity. The word which he renders gems, is applied 
 to pebbles, which, however, may comprise those precious 
 stones that are so frequently found in the mountains. 
 There certainly appears to be nothing improbable in the 
 bard's account, for we know that the Celts were always 
 remarkable for a strong pride of dress and ornament, and 
 used, long before the A\alue of coral, as an export to India, 
 became known, to adorn their shields, swords, lielmets, &c. 
 with it. The Irish took the greatest delight in the splen- 
 dour of their cavalry accoutrements ; and, in a compara- 
 tively recent period, it was thought necessary to repress 
 their extravagance, by a statute against " the use of gilt 
 bridles and petronels." The Scots were equally vain, and 
 it will be hereafter shewn that the Bardic descriptions are 
 not inconsistent with the state of the arts in those remote 
 periods. Propertius says that the car was often painted, 
 and the yoke embossed.* Cuthullin is styled "the chief 
 of the noble car," from which it may be inferred that it 
 was of superior construction ; it was evidently an Esseda, 
 and not the common sort, and a prevalent tradition repre- 
 sents it with four horses.' 
 
 The following description from a poem in the possession 
 of the Highland Society, differs considerably from the ver- 
 sion of Mac Pherson. In. the first volume of the High- 
 land Society's edition of the works of Ossian is another 
 translation from the original poems, formerly in Mac Pher- 
 son's possession, which shews that, however beautiful the 
 diction, he did not perform his task with strict fidelity. 
 
 * "Essedie ccelatis siste Britanniei jugis," ii. 
 
 * Dr. MiU3 Queen, of Kilmuir, in a letter to Dr. Blair. 
 
362 CALEDONIAN BATTLE CAR. 
 
 I have there seen the car of battle, 
 
 The shining car of many corners ! 
 
 Moving sometimes slow, and sometimes rapid, — 
 
 Guided Ity the skilful and the wise ! 
 
 It is like the mist which bright arises 
 
 From its edge of mild red light. 
 
 On a bare and stony summit. 
 
 Its green covering is formed of haircloth. 
 
 On its wheel, smooth as bone, is the gloss of wax. 
 
 Its beams of yew, with full grained ears. 
 
 And spreading bows is carved ! 
 
 Around the car 
 
 Is every smooth and shining pebble. 
 
 The gleaming light, which darts a double ray 
 
 From its sides of crimson, 
 
 Is like the sparkling whirl of the sea. 
 
 Round a ship, when the moon is not seen on the flood. 
 
 First in the car is found 
 
 The grey, the swift, the leading horse. 
 
 The large thorough passing, quick travelling. 
 
 The broad breasted, sure eyed, and equal paced. 
 
 The high spirited, well trained, and wide leaping steed. 
 
 Whose name is Lia-maishah, (the handsome grey.) 
 
 Last in the car is found 
 
 The strong hoofed and powerful horse, 
 
 The long flanked, proudly bounding, 
 
 Small shanked, thin maned, 
 
 High headed, quick paced ; 
 
 The light bellied, snorting, eager steed. 
 
 Whose name is Dusronmor, (black, with large nostrils.) 
 
 In the centre of the car are found. 
 
 For the support of the generous steeds. 
 
 The arms known to fame. 
 
 The light broad plated darts, 
 
 Of rapid flight and deadly aim. 
 
 The narrow but firm reins. 
 
 The precious highly polished bits, which shine in the mouth 
 
 Lockers containing coverlets and glistening gems. 
 
 The beautiful furniture of the steeds. 
 
 ****** 
 
 Within the car is the strong armed hero of swords, 
 
CHARIOT EXERCISE. 363 
 
 Whose name is Cucliullin, the son of Semo, 
 
 Son of Suvaltr, son of Begalt. 
 
 His red cheek is like the polished yew : 
 
 Lofty the look of his blue rolling eye beneath the arch of his brow, 
 
 His bushy hair is a waving flame, 
 
 As coming towards us, a fiery bolt. 
 
 He wields both his forward spears, s 
 
 The rest of this curious poem is wanting. It would ap- 
 pear from it that the horses were yoked in line, but other 
 translations represent them abreast. These also describe 
 the gems as ornamenting the horses' manes. 
 
 The use of the chariot was confined to kings and com- 
 manders -^ and of the two riders, the most honourable held 
 the reins, from which lie acquired the bardic appellation of 
 the ruler of the car. In drawing up au army, the Celts 
 placed the horsemen and chariots at the extremity of each 
 wing, as we learn from Polybius and Tacitus, but they 
 were also accustomed to mix light -armed foot with the 
 cavalry, for the purpose of stabbing the enemies' horses, 
 and overthrowing the riders.' The attack commenced by 
 driving furiously up and down, or rather bearing down 
 transversely along the front of the enemies' line, wlien by 
 discharging their darts, or saunians, they broke the ranks 
 and opened a way for tlie infantry. When this was accom- 
 pKshed, they dismounted and fought with their swords; 
 the drivers retiring to a little distance, placed themselves 
 in reserve to assist those that were most hotly pressed, and 
 secure the retreat of the warriors, should they be defeated.j 
 In order to avoid the danger of the furious onset, Alexan- 
 der ordered his troops, when engaged with the Thracians, 
 who had a multitude of cars, to lay themselves flat on the 
 
 s Report on the poems of Ossian, p. 205. 
 
 ^ Tacitus, Vita Agricolaj. Adomnan, i. c. 7. 
 
 i Bello Gall. vii. Amm. Mar. xvi. 10. i Bello Gall. v. 12. 
 
364 CHAEIOT EXERCISE. 
 
 ground, and, covering themselves with their shields, to 
 allow the enemies' cavaliy to pass over them. The cha- 
 riot attack was so terrific, that the noise of the horses and 
 rattling of the wheels, alone, were sometimes sufficient to 
 throw the firmest troops into confusion. The Roman le- 
 gions suffered excessively from the destructive charges of 
 the Gallic battle car. The admirable manner in which it 
 was managed by the Britons is attested by the great Cresar. 
 " In the most steep and difficult places," says he, " they 
 can stop their horses when at full speed, turn them which 
 way they please, run along the pole, rest on the har- 
 ness, and throw themselves back into their chariots with 
 incredible dexterity." Such feats are only seen in our 
 days at places for equestrian exhibitions. The choicest 
 phalanx of Roman veterans was shaken by the British 
 covinarii, whose numbers were astonishingly great, for, 
 after Cassivellanus had disbanded his army in despair, he 
 reserved four thousand cars as a small body guard, who, 
 thus reduced, were yet so formidable to the Romans that 
 Caesar strictly forbade his troops to venture any distance 
 from the camp, although his army consisted of five legions. 
 It was a favourite manceuvre of the charioteers to feign a 
 retreat, in order to draw the cavalry from the main body, 
 when, suddenly alighting, they encountered the pursuers 
 on foot, who were unable to contend with a manner of 
 fighting to which their usual tactics were so unequal, and 
 which was rendered more dangerous by the Celtic principle 
 of fighting in clans. In that most ancient poem, the Tain- 
 bo of Cualgne, a chariot fight is described. Linchets, or 
 deep cuts like terraces, on the sides of hills and in the vici- 
 nity of entrenchments, were probably for the ascent and 
 descent of the cars. 
 
 It is evident that great skill was requisite in the manage- 
 ment of the war chariot. From an ancient coin, the driver 
 
CHARIOT EACES. 365 
 
 appears to correct the horses with a Lunelle of rods in place 
 of a whip. Steadiness was most essential as well in advanc- 
 ing as in wheeling, wherein it is tlioiight that the chief 
 excellence in driving was displayed. Indeed, without an 
 amazing dexterity in managing the carbad, the whole body 
 must have been thrown into disorder and confusion, and 
 their own line of infantry broken through. The Celts, 
 more particularly the British tribes, were extremely proud 
 of this part of the army, on which they placed so much 
 dependance, and it was therefore an object of national im- 
 portance to have the troops well trained and exercised in 
 the various evolutions peculiar to the service. Chariot 
 races were undoubtedly very popular amusements of anti- 
 quity, notwithstanding the assertion of Pausanius, that the 
 practice was "neither an ancient invention nor attended 
 with graceful execution.'"' Of so much importance did the 
 Britons consider these races, that they appear to have made 
 their celebration a religious duty, from a cursus being 
 found in the immediate vicinity of places of worship, the 
 most remarkable instance of wdiich is found on Salisbury 
 plain, near the celebrated Stonehenge. This race course is 
 about three hundred and fifty feet wide, and rather more 
 than three quarters of a mile long. The seats for the 
 judges, or the career, is placed at one end, and is raised 
 terracewise. From this place the racers started, and turned 
 round two mounds at the other end. It has been observed 
 that if several chariots contended, it must follow that those 
 on the outside, having a greater circuit to make than 
 the inner rank, the equality between the competitors w^as 
 destroyed ; but I am of opinion that this would be entirely 
 obviated by the chariots being arranged, before starting, 
 in a diagonal line, from the corner of the career towards 
 
 Lib. V. c. 9 ; he ilourislaed iu 165. 
 
366 RACE COUESES. 
 
 the side of the cursus, a form that would, besides, allow 
 the judges to have a proper view of those who were to run. 
 
 There is another hypodrome about half a mile distant, 
 which is supposed to retain its ancient name in Eawdikes, 
 derived from Ehedagua, a race ground/ Another is seen 
 near Dorchester; one is in the vicinity of Royston, and 
 another exists on the bank of the Lowther, near Penrith. 
 Perhaps the annual coursing around Cnoc an geal, in lona, 
 at the feast of St. Michael, may have originated among the 
 pagan Celts. The Curragh of Kildare, in Ireland, is sup- 
 posed to have been a cursus ; its name appears to come 
 from comhruith,™ a race -course. There is also a plain 
 called Curraugh, in the Isle of Man. 
 
 Mis-merh, the horse-month, was the name, according to 
 Pryce, given to march, because they, at that time, went to 
 war on horse back." The Britons continued to fight in 
 cars in the time of Severus, who died 211, and the era 
 assigned to the Caledonian bard is the end of that century. 
 In the sixth century, from a quotation which Gratianus 
 Lucius inserts, we find of the Irish " coUecto quando exer- 
 citu in curribus et equitibus," &c. At this time they were 
 used also by the Scots. From some Irish writers, however, 
 if they can be credited, it would appear that, about the 
 epoch of Christianity, the carbad was scarcely known." Pin- 
 kerton quotes an " Essai sur I'histoire de Picardie," to shew 
 that, so late as 1182, cars were used in Flanders. 
 
 At the battle of Largs, in 1263, the Scots' horses were 
 provided with breastplates." It appears, from Nichols' 
 Progresses of James I., that the practice of horse racing, 
 now so popular in England, was, about that time, introduced 
 from Scotland. In the Harleian MS., No. 681, under the 
 
 ' Pownal on the study of Antiquities. ™ The mh quiescent. 
 
 ° Archieologia Cornu-Biitan. ° Ogygia, p. iii. 280, &c. 
 
 P Norwegian Account of Haco's exijeditiou. 
 
FIRE ARMS. 367 
 
 year 1593, it is stated that Earl Both. well was to be at 
 Kelso, as the rumour went, " to exercise the runuinge and 
 speed of horses." In Uist, one of the Western Islands, 
 Martin, who visited them at the close of the seventeenth 
 century, informs us there were yearly horse races. 
 
 The Gauls used dogs in war. Appian relates that a 
 Celtic Ambassador's body guard was composed of these 
 trusty animals. The AUogroges also kept numbers of 
 them for this service. The Cimbrians having left their 
 baggage in the charge of their dogs, they successfully 
 defended it, after the defeat of the army." The ferocity 
 of the Celtic dogs rendered them by no means despic- 
 able auxiliaries. Those of the Britons were particularly 
 esteemed, and great numbers were sent to Gaul, to be used 
 in war, being much superior to the continental breed. I 
 do not find that they were used by the Caledonians in 
 battle, but they were kept for the purpose of giving notice 
 of the enemy's ajiproach."' The Scots' dogs were famous 
 all over the world for their good qualities. The Eomans 
 imported great numbers from Britain, not indeed to recruit 
 their armies, but for the purpose of hunting." 
 
 Fire arms were introduced to Scotland in tlie begin- 
 ing of the fourteenth century. Barbour relates their first 
 appearance, along with another new article, at the siege of 
 Berwick, in 1338 : 
 
 ' ' Twa noweltyes that day they saw, 
 That forouth in Scotlaud had been nane ; 
 Tymmeris for helmys war the tane. 
 The tothyr Crakys were of wer." * 
 
 Guns succeeded the ancient catapultiP, formerly termed 
 gynes. The appellation was retained, the gyne became 
 
 1 Pliny, viii. 40. •• Smith's Gall. Ant. 
 
 » See the " Cynegeticon " of Gratius Falisius, p. 74, &o. ed. 1728, for 
 the excellence of dogs in war and the chase, 
 t The Bruce, B. xiv. 392. 
 
368 PISTOLS. 
 
 gun, and the gynour the gunner. The Gaelic gunna 
 seems but a variation of guineach, an arrow, or dart, which 
 is derived from guin, a sharp and sudden wound. The 
 Highlanders seem never to have made much use of can- 
 non, although some castles were provided with them, and 
 the rebel army in 1745 had several pieces. Their fire- 
 locks were chiefly obtained from the continent, for the 
 manufacture does not appear to have been encouraged 
 among themselves. The guns of the old Highlanders were 
 long, and of a peculiar construction, like that represented 
 in the hand of the Gordon in the engraving, which is 
 drawn from one of those taken in the last rebellions, and 
 now preserved in the armoury of the Tower ; where is to be 
 seen that which belonged to the unfortunate Earl of Mar, 
 curiously and richly ornamented with pearl, &c. It is of 
 the time of James VL, and was originally a match-lock. 
 
 Of PISTOLS, the Highlanders have long had a peculiar and 
 very beautiful manufacture." They are formed entirely of 
 metal, and differ in several respects from those of other 
 nations, as may be seen in the engraving. Both were car- 
 ried on the left side, one being suspended in the belt which 
 secured the breacan, and the other in one fastened across 
 the right shoulder, to which they were attached by means 
 of a long slide, but many now erroneously carry one on 
 the right side. The Highlanders were accustomed, after 
 
 " Piostal, scorns a compound of pios, a piece, the Italian pezzo, Span- 
 pie(;a, &c. Dag is also a common Gaelic name for a pistol. 
 
PISTOLS. 369 
 
 they had discharged their pistols, to throw them forci- 
 bly at the heads of the enemy, and it must be allowed 
 that a blow from so hard a weapon would make no 
 slight impression, but the policy of relinquishing either 
 pistols or musquet, during an engagement, may well be 
 questioned. The Gael alleged that they were relieved of 
 incumbrances, and that if they won the battle, they could 
 easily regain their arms, and, if defeated, their loss was not 
 of so much consequence, where their possession could only 
 incommode them, and retard the speed of retreat. Tliis 
 reasoning, I am afraid, is not altogether satisfactory, but 
 the practice was observed at Preston Pans, and at Falkirk, 
 in 1745. 
 
 The manufacture of pistols was introduced in Doune, a 
 village in Perthshire, about 1646, by Thomas Caddel, who 
 had acquired the art at Muthil, a place in Strathern, from 
 which he removed to Doune, where he settled. Caddel 
 taught his children and apprentices, one of whom, called 
 John Campbell, was a proficient in his trade ; and his son 
 and grandson carried on the business, successively, with 
 great advantage. The last-named person, who retired from 
 the concern, manufactured these pistols to the first nobility 
 of Europe. Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, the hereditary 
 Prince of Brunswick, the Duke of Cumberland, and others, 
 provided themselves with these elegant articles. John 
 Murdoch, who succeeded Campbell, carried on the manu- 
 facture with equal credit, and furnished his pistols to many 
 of the nobility and gentry, but the demand was much 
 reduced, and Doune has lost its former celebrity for the 
 fabrication of Highland pistols, which, at one time, had a 
 superior reputation in France, Germany, and other coun- 
 tries. A pair sold at from four to twenty-four guineas. 
 A tradesman, who was taught in this celebrated school, 
 
 fabricated a pair, superbly ornamented, which were pur- 
 
 2 B 
 
370 PISTOLS, 
 
 chased by the magistrates of Glasgow, and presented to 
 the Marquis de BouUe." 
 
 Campbell and Murdoch's pistols are common ; Shiel and 
 Caddel's are less so ; but all are of excellent manufacture. 
 Many pistols bear the name of Bisell, and those in the 
 Tower appear all of this person's work, which is plainer 
 and less neat than the others. I have observed some of the 
 Highland pattern, which bore the names of foreign artizans, 
 as Petit Jean, Liege, &c. They are sometimes highly or- 
 namented with silver, gold, and even precious stones, the 
 owner's arms, crests, or motto, being usually engraved. 
 The little knob between the scrolls is the top of the 
 pricker, which is made to unscrew. 
 
 It is surprising that the pistols and shot pouch, so es- 
 sential and elegant adjuncts to the costume, should not now 
 appear in the dress of Highland officers. The policy of 
 depriving them of these useful and ornamental ax^pendages 
 to their uniform, is not by any means apparent. 
 
 About seventy years ago, shooting at a mark was a favo- 
 rite recreation of the Highlanders. It was much practised 
 in Aberdeenshire, especially about Christmas, and it was 
 the usual method for the decision of all raffles, or lotteries ; 
 but the disarming act brought these amusements to decay. 
 The Highland Club of Edinburgh, which cherishes the 
 sports and pastimes of the Gael, has annual competitions 
 in various athletic and manly exercises ; and, at the last 
 meeting, the first prize for rifle shooting was awarded to 
 Cluny Mac Pherson, chief of Clan Chattan. 
 
 The Highlanders advanced to an attack with rapidity, 
 and reserved their fire until within musquet length of the 
 enemy, when they gave a general discharge, and threw 
 them down. They then drew their swords, and, grasping 
 
 ' Stat. Account, xx. 86. 
 
DISAEMING OF THE HIGHLANDEES. 371 
 
 their target, darted with fury on their adversaries, and 
 fought in the manner before described. They frequently 
 used the dirk, also, in their left hand, in which case the 
 target was borne on the wrist. An officer of great mili- 
 tary experience, in 1745, suggested some means, practised 
 by Count Munich against the Turks, to counteract the 
 effect of the Celtic weapons and mode of attack, which he 
 thought much superior to those of the regidar troops. 
 
 On the passing of the disarming act, after 1715, the 
 Highlanders were ordered to deliver up all their arms ; but 
 it was not difficult, in many cases, to evade the operation 
 of the law. The loyal clans were allowed to retain arms to 
 protect themselves from the rebels, who, when obliged to 
 lay down their weapons, brought all those that were use- 
 less, and retained most of the serviceable part, which en- 
 abled them to take the field, in 1745. General Wade was 
 appomted to receive the arms and submission of the dis- 
 affected, in 1724; and, as the Mac Kenzies had been most 
 active in the rising of 1715, they were first called upon, 
 and the inhabitants of eighteen parishes summoned. They 
 expressed their willingness to submit to his Majesty, but 
 requested that their submission should not be in presence 
 of any other clan, but to the King's troops only. Their 
 desire was complied with, and they were also allowed to 
 name the place where they chose to make their submission. 
 Having selected Castle Brahan, the principal seat of their 
 chief, the Marshal proceeded thither with 200 men, and 
 was there met by the chieftains of the several tribes, who, 
 with their followers, " marched in good order through the 
 great avenue, and, one after another, laid down their arms 
 in the court yard in great quiet and decency, amounting to 
 784 of the several species mentioned in the act." The 
 number of weapons of all kinds collected during the year 
 was 2685; 230 drovers, foresters, &c., being licensed to 
 retain theirs. 
 
372 FIXING OF THE ARMS. 
 
 In concluding this description of the Celtic weapons, some 
 singular customs of the ancient Scots may be noticed. It 
 was usual to exchange arms with guests for whom they en- 
 tertained particular respect, or they did so as a testimony of 
 sincere friendship, and a pledge of lasting peace.* Those 
 arms were long preserved, in the different families, as mo- 
 numents of former transactions. " Nor forgot did my steps 
 depart : the chiefs gave their shields to Carul ; they hang 
 in Col amon in memory of the past," To tell one's name 
 to an enemy, is said to have been deemed an evasion of 
 combat, because, when it was known that friendship had 
 formerly subsisted between their ancestors, the fight ceased. 
 "I have been renowned in battle, but I never told my 
 name to a foe. Yield to me, then shalt thou know that 
 the mark of my sword is in many a field." 
 
 When a warrior became old, or unfit for the field, he 
 fixed, with certain formalities, his armour in the hall or 
 house; and this impressive period was called the time of 
 fixing the arms. The last of a race resigned his arms to 
 
 * There was a curious sort of game among the old Highlanders foimded 
 on an exchange of arms, called lomlaid Bhiodag. When a large company 
 was assembled, and the game was to be played, the lights were extinguished, 
 and every man drawing his "Sgian dubh," or dirk, threw it on the floor 
 under the table. The dirks were then shuffled, and as much as possible 
 intermixed by one of the company with a staff. A man was then blind- 
 folded, and his right arm tied to his side ; a glove or other covering was 
 put on his left hand, and thus prepared he was put under the table to hand 
 out a dirk to every man who had thrown a dirk into the lot. The dirk that 
 fell to a man in this way he was bound to be content with, and 
 keep, whether it was a good or a bad one, handsomely mounted or the 
 reverse. Lachlan Mac Kinnon or Lachunn Mac Thcarlaich Oig, a bard of 
 the seventeenth century, has a very amusing song on a misadventure which 
 befel him in a dirk exchanging game of this kind. The song is called 
 " Sgian Dubh an Sprogain Chaim," 
 The Dirk with the neck aurg. 
 
 See Mackenzie's Beauties of Gaelic Poetry. Ed. 
 
TOWNS, OR FORTS. 373 
 
 the tutelary guardians of liis house. These weapons, with 
 the spoils of war, formed the chief ornaments in the dwel- 
 lings of the ancient Celts : they continued to grace the walls 
 of castles in after ages, and are still displayed in the man- 
 sions of those who preserve the ancient and imposing style 
 of decoration. The favorite weapons of the Celts werd 
 distinguished by appropriate appellations. The sword of 
 ringal was called "Mac an Luin," from its celebrated 
 maker Luno. Others were denominated "the bird of 
 prey," " the flame of the Druids," &c. This practice was 
 common to the Northern nations ; in Suhne's History of 
 Denmark, the names of several famous swords are pre- 
 served. 
 
 The British tribes, at the period of the first Eoman 
 descent, appear to have been all more or less advanced 
 beyond that state, in which mankind are but little superior 
 to the animals with whom they contend for the dominion of 
 the woods, and whose destruction they pursue as a chief 
 means of subsistence. Those Avho, either from choice or 
 ignorance, neglected the cultivation of the fertile earth, 
 were not likely to have made much advance in architecture, 
 domestic or military. 
 
 In the most early state of society, a natural cave, or an 
 artificial excavation, is a sufficient protection from the seve- 
 rity of climate, or the pursuit of enemies.'" In mild wea- 
 ther, and in the security of peace, the savage beings repose 
 and shelter themselves like the animals of the forest on the 
 verdant bank, or beneath the umbrage of the leafy grove. 
 
 When mankind begin to domesticate the wild herds, 
 their condition becomes greatly meliorated. In those pri- 
 mitive ages, the cattle and their owners partake of nearly 
 
 ''Some barrows, or cairns, in Scotland, having been found to contain 
 skeletons in an upright posture, they are supposed to have been hiding 
 places for individuals. 
 
374 TOWNS, OR FORTS. 
 
 the same accommodation, but the flocks — their only riches 
 and means of subsistence — are guarded with the utmost 
 solicitude, and in times of danger are protected with the 
 most anxious care. For this purpose, fortifications or 
 strongholds are constructed, sufficiently large to receive the 
 whole tribe, and the cattle, when threatened with danger. 
 
 The acquisition of the riches of numerous flocks leads 
 to the division of land, and induces the settlement of a 
 tribe in one place, which is, in some measure, restrained 
 from roaming, by the opposition of others, jealous of en- 
 croachment on their territories. This early association 
 soon begins to cultivate a portion of the ground, and hence 
 arises a stronger attachment to one position, and a greater 
 necessity for securing the additional property that may 
 be acquired, which offers so strong a temptation for the 
 attacks of less fortunate, or more ferocious tribes. Thus, 
 in the most early ages, arise those places of strength, which 
 are the towns of a rude people. Before the epoch of Chris- 
 tianity, the Southern inhabitants of Britain were in this 
 state of civilization, and, about a century afterwards, the 
 Northern clans were found in nearly the same condition. 
 
 From the commentaries of Cffisar, it has been inferred, 
 that there were no towns in this island when he visited 
 it ; and from the words of Tacitus, who says that the Ger- 
 mans did not live in cities, but settled just as a field or a 
 fountain might invite, it is supposed that that people were 
 equally destitute of towns. The Celtic race were not, in- 
 deed, partial to a residence within walls, but they were 
 sufficiently careful to construct many fortifications which 
 received the name of cities, and, from their strength and 
 magnitude, deserved the appellation. Josephus says, there 
 were twelve hundred cities in Gaul ;'' and Ptolemy enu- 
 
 ^ By the Notitia Imperii, there were only 115. Gibbon, i. c. i. 
 
TOWNS, OR FORTS. 375 
 
 merates ninety in Germany. The Semnones inhabited one 
 hundred towns, the Suessiones had twelve, ^nd the Nervii 
 had as many.'' In Spain, there were three hundred and sixtyf 
 and at the period of tlie first settlement of the Eomans in 
 Britain, its Celtic tribes, in England and Wales, possessed 
 upwards of a hundred." Dio Nicseus, who flourished in 
 the beginning of the third century, says, neither the Cale- 
 donians nor Meats had towns, or walled forts. They may 
 not, in his meaning ; but Tacitus informs us, that beyond 
 the Forth were "amplas civitates." There is every rea- 
 son to believe, that, even among the rudest of the Caledon- 
 ians, there were many of those strengths which, in other 
 places, have been dignified by tlie name of cities. The 
 Celts, who constructed their forts as places of retreat, were 
 not likely to discover them to enemies, whom they always 
 endeavoured to meet in the open field ; and it is to this 
 principle that we must ascribe Cassar's ignorance of those 
 astonishing places, which were undoubtedly in existence 
 previous to his arrival in the island. " What the Britons 
 call a town," says this accomplished writer, " is a tract of 
 woody country, surrounded by a vallum and ditch, for the 
 security of themselves and cattle against the incursions of 
 an enemy ; for, when they have inclosed a very large cir- 
 cuit with felled trees, they build within it houses for them- 
 selves and hovels for their cattle." In this description, he 
 is less satisfactory than on other occasions ; for it gives no 
 just idea of those places. Some were, no doubt, of a rude 
 construction, from having been formed in haste, or for 
 temporary occupation; in which cases, the thick forests 
 afforded a ready and well-adapted means of raising a strong 
 barrier of prostrate trees with an accompanying ditch ; but 
 the Celtic fort was a work of regular and judicious design, 
 and must have been executed with prodigious labour. 
 
 y Bello Gall. ii. 3. ^ Pliny. « Whitaker. 
 
376 FOKTIFICATIONS. 
 
 The Nervii protected themselves from the attacks of the 
 Eomaii cavahy hj a fence of young trees, bent, and inter- 
 laced with brambles and thorns. These continuing to grow, 
 and the breadth of the whole being considerable, it was a 
 fortification which could not by any means be entered, or 
 even looked into.'' We find Ambiorix, when unexpectedly 
 attacked, taking refuge in an edifice environed with wood, 
 which, says the same intelligent writer, was the case with 
 most of the dwellings of the Gauls, who, in order to avoid 
 the heat, resorted to the neighbourhood of woods and 
 rivers : hence the Eomans carefully avoided the forests, 
 where they suffered so much from ambuscades.'' 
 
 The Celtic towns were sometimes placed on peninsulas, 
 or constructed in marshes, difficult of access ; but the fa- 
 vorite positions were the summits of precipitous elevations, 
 where the natural strength was increased by ditches and 
 ramparts, sometimes of astonishing magnitude ; and, not- 
 withstanding CiEsar's sarcastic remark, the British and 
 Gallic fortresses resisted the continued assaults of the Eo- 
 man troops — the best soldiers in the world ; and, although 
 these places were rude and incommodious, compared with 
 the elegant cities of Italy and Greece, yet the conquerors 
 themselves repeatedly acknowledged that they were excel- 
 lent fortifications. The Britons, according to Dio, either 
 inhabited the tops of barren mountains, or resided in plains, 
 rendered secure by surrounding marshes. These last do 
 not retain much visible marks of ancient habitation :^ the 
 vestigia of Celtic castrametation are most conspicuous on 
 the summits of hills, where nature assisted the labours of 
 the architect and engineer. In the formation of these en- 
 trenchments, the plan generally coincided with the figure 
 
 •• Bello Gall. ii. c. 17. <= Polybius iii. 
 
 ^ Ambresbury banks, in Essex, are the remains of a Lowland town. 
 Gougli's Camden, ii. p. 49. 
 
FOETIFICATIONS. 377 
 
 of the hill, and hence the form was usually circular or ob- 
 long. Sometimes there were several ditches, or embank- 
 ments, that increased in number and strength where the 
 sides were naturally weakest ; and the area has frequently 
 one or more divisions, which are reasonably presumed to 
 have been intended for the separate reception of the cattle 
 and inhabitants. The Celtic towns were not protected by 
 wooden ramparts only, nor did they occupy a small spot 
 of ground. Alesia and Gergovia are represented as sur- 
 rounded with walls of great strength, that appear to have 
 been erected about mid-hill, six feet in height, and com- 
 posed of great stones* 
 
 It being in contemplation among the Gauls to burn 
 Avaricum, the Bituriges fell on their knees, praying that 
 they should not be compeUed, with their own hands, to 
 set fire to a city, the most beautiful nearly of all Gaul, 
 and equally an ornament and protection to the state. They 
 represented that, from the nature of the place, it could 
 be easily defended, being surrounded on all sides by a 
 river and marsli, except where there was but one very 
 narrow entrance. After much discussion, their petition 
 was granted, and proper persons were appointed to conduct 
 the defence of the place.^ 
 
 In Britain, the valla^ are most commonly of earthwork : 
 sometimes they are composed of stones, piled up without 
 mortar; and sometimes there is a mixture of both. The 
 renowned Caractacus, or Caradoc, we are told, reared 
 huge ramparts of stone around his camp. In Scotland, 
 where this material is plentiful, the walls of the ancient 
 forts are most commonly built of it. There is sometimes 
 only one entrance ; more frequently there are two ; and 
 
 e Bello Gall. vii. 43. f Bello GaU. vii. 14. 
 
 s Balla, Gaelic, a wall. 
 
378 FORTIFICATIONS. 
 
 not seldom, several are observed ; all contrived with much 
 art, being rendered secure by traverses. 
 
 The Herefordshire Beacon, situated on one of the high- 
 est of the Malvern hills, is a remarkable specimen of a 
 British hill fort. A steep and lofty vallum of earth and 
 stones, with a wide and deep ditch on the outside, in- 
 close an irregular oblong space of 175 feet by 110. At- 
 tached to the principal area are two outworks, lower 
 down the hill, evidently adapted for the reception of cattle, 
 horses, or chariots, and several banks and ditches guard 
 the acclivity of the hill. In King's Munimenta Antiqua, 
 Stukely's Itinerarium Curiosum, and Hoare's Ancient 
 Wiltshire, will be found extended notices, with views of 
 various British towns and earth-works. In Scotland, the 
 two Catherthuns in Angus, Barra Hill, Aberdeenshire, 
 and many others, are singular monuments of the skill of the 
 Caledonians, in fortifying the summits of elevated hills, 
 with formidable earth-works. The magnitude of these 
 valla excites astonishment, and we wonder by what means 
 they were raised. The labour of forming works so vast, 
 in those rude ages, must have been great, and could only 
 be accomplished by the united exertions of whole tribes. 
 A curious account of the operation is given by Csesar. The 
 Servians surrounded their camp, with a line of which the 
 rampart Avas eleven feet high, and the fosse fifteen feet deej), 
 and having no other implements, they cut the turf with 
 their swords, and digging the earth with their hands, car- 
 ried it away in their cloaks. In less than three hours, they 
 completed a circuit of fifteen miles ! ^ 
 
 On a hill, in the parish of Echt, in the county of Aber- 
 deen, is a well preserved fastness, the walls of which are 
 formed of stone, without the addition of any cement. This 
 
 ^ Bello Gall. v. c. 3i. 
 
FOKTIFICATIONS. 
 
 379 
 
 fortress is called the Barmekin, a term derived from the 
 old word, barme, or bawne, a bank or wall, for the purpose 
 of defence, applied, in many instances, tQ the outer ballium 
 of a fortress. The term is used by Gawin Douglas, and 
 in 1509, a charter, given to John Grant, of Freuchie, of 
 the lands and fortalice of Urquhart, enjoins him to " big 
 the houses with Barmekin walls.'" It will be seen, from 
 the engraving, that these remains consist of five concentric 
 
 ramparts and intermediate ditches, inclosing an area of 347 
 feet diameter, according to a measurement I took some 
 years ago. The inner wall is the most perfect, and is about 
 
 'Harl. MS. 4134. 
 
380 FORTIFICATIONS. 
 
 five feet high, and ten or twelve thick at the base. The 
 others appear to have been of nearly similar dimensions, 
 and the exterior wq^s formed with large flat stones, pitched 
 edgewise, in manner of a casing, to strengthen and secure 
 the smaller ones in the body of the wall. Large stones are 
 also observable on each side the openings, by which access 
 was obtained to the interior, and which are six or eight 
 feet wide. Extended lines, the remains of walls, run a 
 considerable way towards the north, accompanied by 
 tumuli, and the vestigia of stone circles. 
 
 In Ireland similar remains are found. On the top of 
 Gauir Conrigh, a high mountain near Tralee, is a circu- 
 lar inclosure of stones, piled on each other, some of which 
 measure ten cubical feet, and the hill being very steep, it 
 is matter of wonder how they could have been conveyed to 
 their elevated situation. 
 
 In Gaul, the art of fortification was well understood. 
 The Celtse, when they contended for their liberties with 
 the Eomans, were not always actuated by that feeling 
 which leads a rude and gallant people to despise artificial 
 protection, and prefer contention in the open plain. In 
 Gaul, were numerous towns, constructed as in Britain, on 
 the summits of the steepest and most inaccessible heights, 
 and they were formed with so much care and strength, that 
 they seemed impregnable, and cost the Eoman Generals 
 exceeding trouble to reduce. A description of the walls is 
 given by Cassar, who does not hesitate to bestow his un- 
 qualified praise on tlieir skiKul erection. " The valla are 
 formed," says he, " of long beams driven into the ground, 
 at two feet distance from each other, which are bound 
 together in the inside with stout planks, and farther 
 strengthened by an earthern bank. The intervals on the 
 outside, or face of the w\all, are filled up with several 
 courses of large stones, well cemented with mortar, a way 
 
CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS. 381 
 
 of building beautiful and efficient, that resisted both fire 
 and the battering ram, and coukl neither be broken through 
 nor drawn asunder.'"' 
 
 In Celtiberia were a sort of walls reared by filling a 
 wooden frame with earth or clay.^ When Csesar led his 
 army towards the Alps, the inhabitants of Larignum, 
 trusting to the natural strength of the place, and the 
 efficiency of their fortifications, refused to surrender ; the 
 emperor, therefore, ordered it to be assaulted, and, after 
 an obstinate defence, the city was finally reduced. That 
 which the inhabitants chiefly relied on, when they resolved 
 to resist the Eoman arms, was a tower, said to have been 
 erected before the gate of the castle, and constructed of 
 alternate beams, raised in manner of a pyre, and carried so 
 high that it commanded the whole place. From this 
 tower stakes, stones, and other missiles, were unremittingly 
 hurled on the besiegers, who, on their part, strenuously 
 endeavoured to set it on fire. This mode of attack having 
 no effect, it was stormed ; when they learned that the fort 
 was built of certain trees, very difficult to be burned, that 
 grew plentifully in the neighbourhood, and were called 
 larigna,from which the place received its name."" 
 
 Those singular remains, known in Scotland by the name 
 of Duns, are curious monuments of the skill of the ancient 
 inhabitants in military architecture. I do not here confine 
 myself to those round towers of admirable structure, 
 distinguished by this appellation, which, though undoubt- 
 edly erected as places of defence, will more appropriately 
 be described in the following Chapter. The vestigia of the 
 aboriginal fortresses are called Eaths by the Irish, and both 
 terms anciently denoted a precipitous elevation, the natural 
 
 ' Bello GalL vii. c. 12. ^ Pliny, xxxv. 14. 
 
 " Viti'uvius Archit. ii. c. 9. 
 
382 YITRIFICATIONS. 
 
 site of Celtic strongholds. lu like manner the Latin arx 
 signified both the top of a hill and a castle ; and ban, that 
 denoted a wall for defence, is still apjilied by the native 
 Irish to a mount. 
 
 The term dun, originally applied to the site of a fastness 
 of whatever construction, was given to those astonishing 
 works peculiar to Scotland, and distinguished by their for- 
 mation from all others. 
 
 The viTKiFiED FORTS have excited a great degree of 
 curiosity, and must continue to be objects of wonder, from 
 their magnitude and singular construction. The dry stone 
 walls of the original hill fort were, by a process of vitrifica- 
 tion, rendered a mass of impregnable rock ; but the means 
 used to effect this change, can only be guessed at. These 
 forts appear to have been first noticed, in a scientific 
 manner, by John Williams, mineral surveyor, in 1771, 
 since which time various essays have appeared, in different 
 publications, with a view to determine the manner by 
 which the singular appearance of these remains was pro- 
 duced. The walls, or masses of rampart, consist of stones, 
 of various sizes, that have been at one time in a state of 
 semi-fusion, and are consequently so very hard, that it is 
 necessary to use force to detach any part. This mode 
 of building, which seems confijied to Scotland, is so 
 different from all others, that it could not fail to engage the 
 attention of antiquaries ; and the difficulty of accounting 
 for the formation of these walls, led many to believe them 
 produced by lightning, while some have considered them 
 the craters of exhausted volcanoes ;" and others have con- 
 cluded that they were vitrified by accidental conflagration." 
 It seems agreed that the people who raised these works, 
 
 " Phil. Trans. 1777, Part ii. No. 20. Eobert Eiddel, Esq., F.S.A. 
 Archaeo. x. 100. Hon. Daines Barrington. Ibid. vi. 101. 
 ° Chalmers in "Caledonia." Titler in Phil. Trans. Edin. 
 
VITRIFICATIONS. 383 
 
 were ignorant of the use of lime or other cement ; and it is 
 not improbable that accidental conflagration may have at 
 first given the hint for so peculiar a mode of architecture ; 
 but whether a process like the burning of kelp, or the 
 addition of any particular substance to the part exposed to 
 the heat, produced the fusion of the mass, is not known. 
 It has been conjectured, that vast defences of wood may 
 have surrounded the ramparts, by the casual burning of 
 which they were vitrified; but this supposition is as 
 objectionable as others, even although, in some instances, 
 the walls may have been exposed to the heat on one side 
 only. In no buildings that have been destroyed by fire, 
 are effects observable at all similar to these vitrifications. 
 
 A letter appeared in the Edinburgh Magazine, for 
 September, 1787, written, as Pinkerton tells us he was 
 informed, by the learned George Dempster, on the authority 
 of Gordon's MS. History of the Sutherland Family, which 
 Sir Eobert Sibbald seems to have seen,P and its tendency is 
 to reduce the supposed antiquity of these forts by many 
 ages. It is there said that Dun Criech, in Sutherland, was 
 built by one Paul Mac Tyre, between 1275 and 1297, a 
 hero whose history is allowed, even by the writer, to 
 savour more of fable than reality, the stories concerning 
 him being believed only "amongst the vulgar people." 
 He is said to have used a "kynd of hard mortar." It 
 would be more satisfactory were it proved that he had any 
 hand in its erection. 
 
 The Castle of Dun'a deer, in the district of Gariach, 
 Aberdeenshire, is a curious vestige of vitrification. Dr. 
 Anderson, who bestowed considerable attention to the 
 investigation of these remains, says the masses in this Dun 
 are the firmest he had ever met with. He accompanies a 
 
 P Vera Scot. Descriiit. MS. iu Lib. Advoc. Edin. 
 
384 VITKIFICATIONS. 
 
 long and minute description with accurate plans and views, 
 adhering to the belief that vitrifications were produced by- 
 artificial process. The opinion that this ruin, and the 
 more wonderful ramparts on the summit of Noth, several 
 miles westward, are volcanic remains, is scarcely entitled 
 to notice. The rock, on which Dun'a deer stands, is a sort 
 of slate which, I believe, is never found in decayed craters. 
 The ruins cover the summit of a beautiful green hill, and 
 formerly consisted of a double court of building, inclosed 
 by a massy rampart and two wide trenches, strengthened 
 with additional works where naturally weakest. These 
 latter parts are now very imperceptible ; but forty-two feet 
 of the western wall, in the interior building, is about 
 thirty feet high, and ten or twelve thick. So complete a 
 fragment induces Dr. Anderson to think that the upper 
 part was built on the site of a more ancient structure ; yet, 
 from personal observation, I am inclined to believe that all 
 the walls are of equal antiquity. A heat, sufficient to 
 vitrify the base of the walls, might not affect the upper 
 part in a similar way ; but if it was a later erection, it is 
 difficult to account for the appearance; for the building is 
 square, a form, I believe, unknown in any other vitrifica- 
 tion; in some parts, also, we perceive ashler work, and 
 portions of other good masonry. If this building was 
 submitted to the above process, it is, perhaps one of the 
 latest instances : Dun'a deer was a royal residence, and it 
 is a historic fact, that Gregory the Great died here in 892. 
 The following extracts from Dr. Anderson's communica- 
 tion to the Society of Antiquaries, in 1777, respecting 
 these most remarkable of all Scotish Antiquities, will be 
 found interesting, but his curious theory is not quite 
 satisfactory. 
 
 1 Arcliseo. and The Bee, Vols. ix. and x. 
 
VITRIFICATIONS. 385 
 
 The jfirst fortification of this kind, which he examined, is 
 situated on the top of a steep hill, called Knockferrel, two 
 miles west of Dingwall, in Eoss-shire ; and, as he observes, 
 an idea of others may be formed from a description of this 
 one : it is, in most respects, applicable to that of ISTuth. 
 The fort is placed on the ridge of an oblong shaped hill, 
 very steep on three sides, the walls being raised on the edge 
 of a precipice all round, except the end where you can 
 enter the area ; the inclosed space of nearly an acre being 
 almost level. It is to be observed, that, in all these forts, 
 the places where it is possible to approach the walls, are 
 strengthened by additional lines of rampart, and here both 
 ends had been so guarded. "Those at the entry," says 
 the doctor, " had extended, as I guessed, about one hun- 
 dred yards, and seem to have consisted of cross walls, one 
 behind another, eight or ten in number ; the ruins of which 
 are still plainly perceptible. Through each of these walls 
 there must have been a gate, so that the besiegers would 
 have been under the necessity of forcing each of these gates 
 successively before tliey could carry the fort ; on the oppo- 
 site end of the hill, as the ground is considerably steeper, 
 the outworks seem not to have extended above twenty 
 yards. Not far from the further end was a well now filled 
 up. The wall, all round from the inside, appears to be 
 only a mound of rubbish, consisting of loose stones, — the 
 vitrified wall is only to be seen on the outside. It appears, 
 at first sight, surprising, that a rude people should have 
 been capable of discovering a cement of such a singular 
 kind as this is ; but it is no difficult matter, for one who 
 is acquainted with tlie nature of the country where these 
 structures abound, to give a very probable account of the 
 manner in which this art has been originally discovered, 
 and of the causes that have occasioned the knowledge of it 
 
 to be lost. Through all the Northern parts of Scotland, a 
 
 2 c 
 
386 VITRIFICATIONS. 
 
 particular kind of earthy iron ore, of a very vitrescible 
 nature, much abounds. Tliis ore might have been acci- 
 dentally mixed with some stones at a place where a great 
 fire was kindled, and, being fused by the heat, would 
 cement the stones into one solid mass, and give the first 
 hint of the uses to which it might be applied. The wall 
 of Knockferrel all round is covered on the outside with a 
 crust of about two feet in thickness, consisting of stones 
 immersed among vitrified matter : some of the stones 
 being half fused themselves — all of them having evidently 
 suffered a considerable heat. The crust is of an equal 
 thickness of about two feet, from the top to the bottom, so 
 as to lie upon, and be supported by, a backing of loose 
 stones, forming, in section, an acute angle. Within the 
 crust of vitrified matter, is another stratum, of some thick- 
 ness, parallel to the former, which consists of loose stones, 
 which have been scorched by the fire, but discover no 
 marks of fusion." . The doctor believes, that the wall being 
 raised, and the interstices filled full of the vitrescible ore, 
 " nothing more was necessary to give it the entire finishing 
 but to kindle a fire all round it sufficiently intense to melt 
 the ore, and thus to cement the whole into one coherent 
 mass, as far as the influence of the heat extended."* 
 
 By whatever process the walls were thus strengthened, 
 all these works are, in every respect, except the vitrifica- 
 
 * A few miles from Fort-William in Locliaber is " Dxtndheardiul" or 
 Dundhearsail, a hill, on tlie summit of which is an irregular circumvalla- 
 tion of vitrified stones. Various theories more or less plausible have been 
 started to account for the origin and rcdson d'etre of these "vitrified 
 forts" as they have been called. Sir George Sinclair, Dr. MacCulloch, Dr. 
 Anderson, Dr. Tytler, and many others, have -wi-itten on the subject. 
 
 Mr. Tytler's theory seems to us more likely to be the true one than any 
 other that has as yet been advanced. They were forts or places of defence, 
 built originally by the erection of a double row of palisades, or strong 
 wooden stakes interwoven with branches of trees. This double fence ran 
 
FORTRESSES. 387 
 
 tion, similar to other liill forts ; both are situated on emi- 
 nences, both have the usual appendages of wells, circles, 
 tumuli, roads, &c., and both have ramparts formed of stone, 
 without cement. 
 
 In the elaborate work of Mr. King, various castles in 
 England, of unknown antiquity, are asserted to be the 
 work of ages long anterior to the Saxon invasion. This 
 writer indulges his favourite hypothesis in assigning several 
 of these structures " to PJiosnician settlers, or some other 
 foreigners from the east," but he allows that the Britons 
 may have also erected them. The instances which he 
 adduces are unlike all castellations of the Eomans, or any 
 other known invaders of this island ; and we may safely 
 believe that they were constructed by the Celtic inhabi- 
 tants while they retained their independence. These 
 buildings are generally situated in secluded parts of the 
 country, on elevations difficult of access, and it may be 
 consequently presumed, that they would long escape the 
 destructive assaults of the sordid spoliator. To demolish 
 bulwarks so solid and massy, would have been a work of 
 labour equal to that of their erection. In assigning any 
 building to the early Britons, it must indeed be observed 
 that no positive demonstration of the fact can be given, 
 nor any certain date ascribed to a ruin, yet the peculiar 
 style of these castellations, different from all the varieties 
 ado]jted in known periods, gives them a reasonable claim 
 to high antiquity. 
 
 round the summit of the hill parallel to each other, and di\ided from each 
 other but by a small interval. Into this interval, or intermediate space, 
 were thrown trees, branches, stones of all sizes, earth, and whatever came 
 readiest to hand. A very strong rampart was thus formed. The most 
 natural engine of attack against such a structure would be fire. Once set 
 on fire the wooden parts of the structure would burn fiercely, and the stony 
 pai'ts would finally remain a mass of vitrified matter. Vide Transactions 
 of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ed. 
 
388 FORTRESSES. 
 
 Before dismissing the subject of the military erections 
 of the Southern Celts, it may be desirable to describe 
 some of those castellated remains that are supposed to 
 be of British origin, but are of unknown date. Of these 
 Launceston castle, in Cornwall, described in the Beauties 
 for that county, is a curious example. On the top of a 
 conical hill of great height, is a round keep or tower, the 
 walls of which are ten feel in thickness, while the clear 
 area does not exceed eighteen feet and a half in diameter. 
 This tower is surrounded by three concentric walls of 
 stone, a fourth having been carried round the base of the 
 rock on which the castle is placed. The erection of this 
 edifice must have been attended with much laborious 
 exertion. 
 
 Castell Corndochon, situated on the summit of a high 
 rock, near Snowdon, and some remains at Caeiieon, in 
 Wales, are attributed by Mr. King to British attempts, in 
 imitation of Eoman architecture ; and Carn-bre in Corn- 
 wall, is supposed to have been erected by the natives 
 before the conquerors had finally evacuated the island. 
 Brynllys castle, in the county of Brecknock, being situated 
 in a district which does not afford a rocky elevation like 
 that on which Launceston is planted, is built of peculiar 
 strength, its base assuming the appearance of an artificial 
 mount of stone. It is to be observed, that in most of the 
 ancient castellated buildings throughout England and 
 Wales, innovations have been made by successive occu- 
 piers, which the architectural critic can easily distinguish 
 from the original work. A perusal of the " Introduction 
 to the Beauties of England and Wales," or the study of 
 Mr. Britton's works on English architecture, will enable 
 any one to discriminate the styles that prevailed in dif- 
 ferent ages. 
 
 The vast entrenchments which the Celts threw up, and 
 
METHODS OF DEFENCE. 389 
 
 the massy walls which they reared in places the most 
 difficult of access, which still remain the wonderful monu- 
 ments of their skill and labour, attest the care which they 
 • bestowed on the construction of strongholds, capable of 
 resisting the assaults of an enemy. These people had, 
 indeed, an aversion to a residence in towns, yet were they 
 not inattentive to their utility, and sometimes, by neces- 
 sity, they were compelled to retire to them, where they 
 defended themselves by various means, with desperate 
 resolution, raising walls, towers, galleries, and other works, 
 which struck their enemies with admiration. When be- 
 sieged in the city of Avaricum, or Bourges, where the 
 Itomans assaulted them with incredible bravery, they be- 
 haved with a resolution and activity that long baffled the 
 attempts of their enemies. With long ropes they turned 
 aside the hooks of the besiegers, and when they caught 
 them, they drew tliem into the town by means of engines. 
 They also endeavoured to undermine the mount which was 
 raised against the walls, and by various contrivances and 
 incessant exertions, rendered the efforts of the Eomans 
 ineffectual. They raised towers on all parts of their ram- 
 parts, and covered them very carefully with raw hides, to 
 prevent their combustion; and, continuing their sallies, 
 day and night, they either set fire to the mount, or fell on 
 the workmen and put them to flight. As the Eoman 
 towers increased in height, so they diligently raised 
 those on the walls — continually adding one story after 
 another, to prevent being overtopped. They also counter- 
 worked the mines ; sometimes filling them up with large 
 stones, sometimes pouring scalding pitch on the miners, or 
 attacking them with long stakes burned and sharpened at 
 the ends.' Caesar observes, that from working in their 
 
 ' Bello Gall. ii. 
 
3'90 METHODS OF ATTACK. 
 
 mines, they were very dexterous in sapping and overthrow- 
 ing the mounts and towers which were raised against them. 
 With that ingenuity and aptitude to learn, by which they 
 were characterized, they soon imitated the Eomans, and 
 began to understand this part of military tactics. In the 
 time of Vitellius, says Tacitus, the Germans used the 
 battering ram, an expedient altogether new to them ; but a 
 people who could fortify their towns with such admirable 
 art, were not likely to be altogether deficient in the 
 practice of assaulting them. The Celtre and Belgse, we 
 learn from Caesar, used the same methods in attacking a 
 town ; they surrounded the walls, and never ceased throw- 
 ing stones by means of their nmnerous slingers, until they 
 had swept the besieged off the walls ; when, casting them- 
 selves into a testudo, they approached the gate. The 
 Caledonians had long hooks wherewith they dragged the 
 unhappy soldiers from the walls of Severus. When the 
 Gauls, under Ambiorix, attacked Cicero's camp, they threw 
 hot clay bullets and heated darts among the Eomans. 
 
 Notwithstanding the remains of so many entrenchments, 
 constructed with amazing strength, and dispersed all over 
 the island, it is certam that the Celtee placed more depen- 
 dence on their personal valour than the strength of ramparts. 
 Towns were objects of aversion with these people, as places 
 of permanent residence ; but the safety of their wives and 
 their children, and the security of their flocks, required 
 fortifications. In these retreats, the warriors must have 
 spent the time, which was not occupied in war, or hunting, 
 along with their families, and deposited the property which 
 they possessed ; but society was too barbarous for a settled 
 life, and when their territories were invaded, the warriors 
 marched out with alacrity to repel the aggi-ession. It was 
 an unfortunate circumstance, if surprised in their retreats ; 
 and, to prevent this, they used every precaution. " They 
 
DISLIKE TO TOWNS. 391 
 
 avoided the towiis as dens and places beset with nets and 
 toils," conceiving, that, to trust for safety in the defence of 
 fortifications, was inimical to personal valour, and injurious 
 to warlike renown. When the Tencteri sent ambassadors 
 to the people of Cologne, exhorting them to resume their 
 ancient manners, from which the Eomans had induced 
 them to depart, "Demolish the walls of your city, these 
 ramparts of your servitude," say they ; " for even beasts, 
 that are naturally wild and savage, if confined, are brought 
 to forget their boldness and vigour.'" In a general council 
 of Gauls, it was determined to destroy their towns, and in 
 one day more than twenty of those in the state of the 
 Bituriges were burned." The use of machines, without 
 which places of strength cannot be attacked, or well de- 
 fended, increases in proportion to the declension of personal 
 valour, of which the Eomans furnish a striking example. 
 The Celts despised these means of conquest, although they 
 had sufficient ingenuity to construct them. The Muc of 
 the Gael was like the Pluteus ; it was moved on three 
 wheels, and was covered with twigs, hair cloth, and raw 
 hides. 
 
 As the Celts, however, disliked standing a siege, so they 
 had no great inclination, and seldom much success, in 
 attacking a city. On one occasion, they closely invested 
 Agrippina, in which the Emperor Julian lay, with only a 
 few troops; but this part of the science of war required 
 more time than their impatience would allow, and, after 
 thirty days, they retired, "muttering quietly among them- 
 selves the regret, that vainly and foolishly they had ever 
 thought of besieging the city.'" The army of the heroic 
 Bonduica studiously avoided attacking the Eoman forts. 
 
 " Amm. Mar. xvi. 1. * Tac. Auuals, iv. " Bello Gall. vii. 14. 
 
 " Amm. Mar. xvi. 
 
392 DUNS, OR SIGNAL TOWERS. 
 
 The Duns in Scotland were generally constructed within 
 sight of each other, that an intimation of danger might be 
 speedily conveyed throughout the country. The signal 
 was fire, which was also kindled on cairns, or heaps of 
 stones raised on eminences for that purpose. According to 
 Irish chronicles, certain persons were appointed to attend 
 to these fires, that were also lighted for the guidance of 
 mariners. Martin speaks of numerous cairns in the Isles, 
 on which the " warning flame " was raised by burning 
 heath, a sentinel being stationed at each, to give notice of 
 invasion or other danger; and the steward of the Isles 
 made frequent rounds to inspect these stations. If he 
 found any of the watchmen asleep, he stripped them of 
 their clothes ; but their personal punishment was the pre- 
 rogative of the chief. 
 
 In the Duns, a sentinel, called Gockman, was placed, 
 says Dr. Macpherson, who called out at intervals to shew 
 his vigilance ; and, according to the Celtic practice, he was 
 obliged to deliver all his information in rhymes ; a large 
 horn, full of spirits, stood by his side, probably for the in- 
 spiration of his muse. Martin describes Mac Niel's castle, 
 in the Island of Kismul, near Barra, on the top of which 
 one of these watchmen was stationed night and day. 
 There was, besides, a constable, who executed his trust so 
 faithfully, that Martin could not, by any entreaty, gain 
 access to the building. These men had their perquisites 
 very punctually paid at two terms, and it is not above a 
 century since the custom was disused. 
 
 Thus much it has been thought proper to say in this 
 place of the Celtic methods of constructing their strong- 
 holds. The arts of castrametation and architecture are so 
 closely aUied in that state of society in which the Celts so 
 long remained, that it was impossible entirely to disjoin 
 them in the foregoing notices. With a rude, martial, and 
 
FORTIFICATIONS. 
 
 393 
 
 unsettled people, architecture can make but slow advances, 
 and its origin is the effort of untutored man, to defend 
 himself from the rage of his enemies. The Celts fortified 
 the summits of precipitous elevations by earthworks, by 
 rude stone walls and wooden ramparts, before they were 
 able to raise the skilfully-constructed walls which sur- 
 rounded the towns of Gaul and Britain. The Gael piled 
 ■up a bulwark of rough stones, before they could form the 
 vitrifications and circular duns which so powerfully excite 
 our admiration, and they exerted their architectural skill 
 as military engineers, and for the general welfare, before it 
 was employed for domestic purposes or personal comfort. 
 
 END OF VOLUME I. 
 

 
 
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