charter being genuine. It may have been a copy of the original charter, which may not have had the date; and the date may have been erroneously supplied by an ignorant person. As I only represent the second branch of the family of Thirlestane, the original charter may have remained with the elder branch; and, if so, is now probably irrecoverable, the elder branch having decayed, and fallen into obscurity.

MR. M. LAING TO MR. PINKERTON.

February 14th, 1800.

I enclose. Caldwall's list of the unfinished drawings; in addition to which I shall order the two drawings from the head, and the full length of the Earl of Argyle, and the sketch of General Lesly, to-day.

I meant to have inserted the observations on Campbell, which were too late for the last month, in one of our magazines for this month; but I find it done to my hand in such a manner in the Critical Review, that the book is irretrievably damned. It never was read here, unless as a work of no authority; and the man himself is unknown to the public. I conceive that I am not a little indebted to the same article for a favorable intimation of my Detection of Ossian. I shall be much obliged to you, if you will transcribe the original French of the first sentence

of Henry the Fourth's letter to the Duchess of Beaufort (Walpoliana, II. 108.), beginning, " My heart," if you have the rare book from which it is translated. It authenticates the initial French sentence of one of Mary's letters to Bothwell (misunderstood in Scotch) "Mon cœur, hélas !"

LORD NAPIER TO MR. PINKERTON.

Wilton Lodge, Hawick, February 24th, 1800.

You are at perfect liberty to print the charter, 1449, if you feel the smallest desire to do so. It would give me much satisfaction to have it in my power to furnish you with any useful information from my charter chests. Did not the distance between us prevent it, they should be open for your examination.

I have in my possession a three-quarter length portrait of my ancestor, John Napier, inventor of the Logarithms, which I presume is an undoubted original. Many years ago, I permitted Lord Buchan to copy it. The person he employed did so on a small scale. A print from that copy is affixed to the account of John Napier's Life and Writings, by Lord Buchan and Dr. Minto; but, since that time, my picture has been copied of the same size with the original, by Mr. Martin of Edinburgh, for the late General Christie; and I suppose is now in the hands of his son, Mr. Burton Christie, in London, where you may

I

possibly have an opportunity of seeing it. have no acquaintance with the Christie family; so that I am not certain whether the general's son now lives in London or not.

There is a picture of John Napier in the Library of the College of Edinburgh, and an old print, engraved by Cooper (without a date), which I conceive to have been done from it. I have never seen the picture in the college; but the print very much resembles the picture in my possession.

I have likewise a drawing of my ancestor, from which a small print was taken in the last century. The first time I move to the southward, I will take it with me, and contrive to forward it to you; as possibly it may answer the purpose you wish. I regret that I cannot furnish you with any account of John Napier's habits, studies, or correspondence (in case it should be your intention to give a biographical sketch with the portraits you mean to publish), having no materials for that purpose remaining amongst my family papers.

MR. M. LAING TO MR. PINKERTON.

Edinburgh, February 24th, 1800.

I received Hubert's confession safe; and, as I expected, it contains much more than Calderwood's abstract published by Goodal. It is a very curious paper; and, from the internal evidence, no doubt of the authenticity can remain. I should be happy to hear from Mr. Planta.

There is no such place as Coryton near Edinburgh, and Carreddan is fourteen miles from town. After every inquiry, I am convinced that it is a misprint for Collington, within four or five miles of Edinburgh, and surrounded with what Lightfoot called woods.

I shall ask Dr. Walker, Professor of Natural History, and minister at Collington, on his return to town, if the plants mentioned by Lightfoot are found there. I hear of no subscription for the Highlands, or Isles, to which Gibson can pay your very liberal donation. If you think the Douglas's genuine, but unfit for publication, I can dispose of them to Douglas of Cavers, who has already applied for copies of these drawings by Caldwall, with your permission. If you have no objection, Caldwall may be permitted to take other copies, on condition that Mr. Douglas communicates them to none.

An Archæological Dissertation, prefixed to a translation of Buchanan's Dialogue, by R. Macfarlane,† of which I gave you some intimation in London, has not, I hope, escaped your notice.

* See p. 142.

+ Robert Macfarlane, a political and miscellaneous Scotch writer, who died about twenty-five years ago, published George Buchanan's Dialogue concerning the Rights of the Crown of Scotland. Translated into English, with two Dissertations prefixed; one Archæological, inquiring into the pretended identity of the Getes and Scythians, of the Getes and Goths, and of the Goths and Scots; and the other Historical, vindicating the character of Buchanan as an Historian, and containing some specimens of his Poetry in English verse.—1801, 8vo.

It is not intitled to an answer; but it might deserve a review.

The red book of Clanronald's Bards is now in my hands, and appears to be a mere genealogy of the Macdonalds, written about the year 1727. I should be curious to know whether the Gaëlic manuscripts, quoted by Mr. Astle in his Origin of Writing (which are indisputably Irish), were obtained from Macpherson.

MR. VINCE TO MR. PINKERTON.

Cambridge, March 6th, 1800.

Since I saw you in town, I have considered of a plan for the Introduction to your Geography, of which the following are the outlines. The System of the World, with the Phænomena of the Planets, and their Phases; the Figures and Dimensions of the Earth; the Doctrine of the Sphere; the Length of the Year, and Procession of the Equi

* Rev. Samuel Vince, F.R.S. Plumjan Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy in the University of Cambridge, one of the most able mathematicians of the present day, and author of many works upon the subject.

The First Edition of Mr. Pinkerton's Geography appeared in 1802; and it seems as if the idea was now quite fresh in his mind; for Messrs. Cadell and Davies, in a letter written five days after this from Mr. Vince, say, "We have considered the plan you were so good as to leave with us very attentively; and, as far as our judgment goes, we think it incapable of amendment."