his annotations on the New Testa ment from their legitimate meaning into a cenfure on epifcopacy in general, and a compliant and daftardly jury found him guilty. The trial is upon record, in which the greatnefs of mind difplayed by the accufed forms a fingular contraft to the low and vulgar abufe of the illiterate Jef feries; and he appears a Socrates be fore a contemptible tribunal. He however lived to the downfall of his perfecutors, and to partake of the bleffings of liberty which were the effects of the glorious revolution of 1688; an era now equally abused by the extravagant democrats, and by the wretched and mifguided tories, but which will ever be held in juft eftimation by every man who poflef fes the genuine fentiments that be come an Englishman.

Of the celebrated Edmund Calamy we had occafion to fpeak in our laft volume his writings are more controverfial than thofe of Baxter. Dr. William Bates, the friend and coadjutor of Mr Baxter in the Savoy conference, was alfo a man of confiderable erudition. He is univerfally understood (fays the late editor of the

To

Biographia Britannica) to have been the politeft writer among the non conformists of the laft century.' thefe we may add the names of Howe, Jacombe, and Wilde, all of them eminent as preachers, and useful as writers. The former of thefe divines is characterised by Anthony Wood, who is not very favourable to the prefbyterian party, as a person of neat and polite parts, and not of that four and unpleasant converse, as most of his perfuafion were; fo moderate alfo and calm in those smaller matters under debate between the church and his party, that he had not fo much as once interested himself in quarrels of this kind, but hath applied him self to more beneficial and uteful difcoveries on practical fubjects.'

Of the theological writings of the other fectaries but few are at prefent held in much efteem; but Barclay's Apology for the Quakers will be read as long as found learning, acute reafoning, and animation and correctness of ftyle continue to be admired. The preface, addressed to Charles II, is a model of true eloquence, and the fcriptural arguments of the author againft war will never be refuted.

appertaining to the diocefe, and inti

mately acquainted, from their youth, with every thing worthy of notice, in the history of their native county: the rev. Mr Grant, of Elgin, well known as the best genealogist, and, perhaps, antiquary, of the north, has furnished the former two chapters; the latter two are by the rev. Mr Leflie, of Darkland, who, to great knowledge of the theory of agriculture adds the best information ref

pecting

pecting it's progrefs in his own neighbourhood.

Of the ancient inhabitants-on this occafion, inftead of recurring to the ridiculous fictions of monkish times, it is very candidly confeffed, that before the reign of Malcolm Canmore, all is darkness in the hiftory of Scotland at large, and ftill lefs can we expect,' adds the author, any authentic documents of what regards the province of Moray.' If we be to judge from the names of the families, called as in France, previously to the late revolution, after the places of their refidence, the more ancient appellation of the diftrict was Murref, or, perhaps, Murress, and it is undoubtedly to the writers and hiftorians of the middle age, who made ufe of the latin tongue, that it is indebted for it's more modern name of Moravia, and Moray.

Of the early hiftory of this district we have the following account:

'Tradition is filent with regard to the time when the firit colonies came into the north of Scotland from Scandinavia and Germany. We learn, from Claudian, that the Saxons were in the Orkneys before the year 390, and the picts in Thule, by which he means the north of Scotlandt. Ta. fous informs us, that about 927, the Norwegians, under the name of Sigind, Earl of Orkney, conquered Moray, where probably they built Elgin. At that period, or rather Pop. in 1755, Pop.

Sum of Prefbetry of Elgin

before it, the picts occupied a Roman ftation on the Moray firth [frith] called Ptoroton, which they named the Burgh, and established themselves under it's protection, in great numbers, as appears by the ruins of houses, that extend along the sea share to the eaft almost two miles. This, and more ancient colonies of the fame people, mingling with the British, impelled northwards by the invafions of the belge, iberians, romans, and faxons, peopled the province of Mo ray.

We are entirely ignorant of their internal ftate, and partial revolutions; but we have every reafon to believe, that they were a neceffitous, turbu lent, unfettled people. This is confirmed by their killing king Malcolm 1. at Ulrin, which, by the chartulary of Moray, is the caftle of Forres They also murdered king Duffus at Forres, about 906, when he came to punish them for their crimes. They rebelled in the reign of Malcolm IV. who, about 1160, led an army against them. They fubmitted; but to break their future licentioufnefs, in 1161 he tranfplanted all thofe engaged in the infurrection into the other counties of Scotland, from Caithness to Galloway.'

From the following fummary, entitled Abstract of population table, it will be feen, that the number of inhabitants has decreafed in the courfe of the laft fifty-two years: in 1797. Increase. Decrease.

By

By the above table, the population upon the amount of the forty-five parishes, feems to have rather decreafed fince the year 1755. In the country parishes, the decrease feems to be more general in the moft fertile and beft cultivated diftricts, where the extent of the farms has been of late increased. In the interior parifhes, where much of the land is occupied in small poffeffions, and where improvers have occafionally fettled in the skirts of the country, the population feems to have rather increased. The population of the town of Elgin, has not, however, diminished, but remains ftationary at about 3000; towards the conclufion it is, however, conjectured, in oppofition to the above table, that an increase of you inhabitants has taken place in the whole province.

Antiquities of the Province.-Dr. Johnfon once emphatically obferved of the natives of North Britain, that he must be a turdy moralift, indeed, who was not more a friend to Scotland, than to truth.' This remark implies a high compliment to the morality of the reverend author, for he actually allows, in oppofition to the fuggeftions of national vanity, that the romans penetrated to the northern part of Scotland,' and adds, thefe prejudices now begin to fubfide; and scotsmen allow equal weight to the fame degree of evidence, of the roman progrefs in their native country, as they do with regard to Germany, or any other province in that empire, they are not particularly interested in. This evidence and in formation is not to be derived from the legendary tales of our historians, or the crude theories of our antiquarians, founded on fiction, and fupported by credulity. The genuine fources it is to be drawn from are, the roman, and greek writers. The hiftory they give us of the roman progrefs in this island is confirmed by thofe ftupendous monuments of their

power and induftry that remain, as walls, ftations, military roads, and ruins of towns.'

Agricola is allowed to have advanced as far north as Stone-haven and it is conjectured, that his fucceffor Lucullus pufhed his conquefts at leaf to Inverness.

Of the vitrified forts' the most extraordinary is Craig Phadrick; and the most celebrated of the obelisks' is the Forres pillar.

Kinlofs and Plufcarden were, the one, a famous abbey, and the other a priory filled with cistercian monks. The cathedral church of Elgin was, in point of grandeur, perhaps the fecond or third edifice in Scotland, and it's ruins, at this day, convey a high idea of it's ancient stateliness:

The cathedral, when entire, was of gothic, or rather faracenic architecture, uncommonly elegant and magnificent, all built of free-ftone. Its pofition was due caft and weft, and form, that of a paffion, or Jerufalem cross, with five towers, of which two were on the corners of the east end, one in the middle, and two on the weft end. Between the last towers was the great entrance. This gate, an arch terminating in an angle, is twenty-four feet broad at the base, and twenty-four feet in height. The elegant engraving given along with the volume, reprefents it to more advantage than any defcription. There were aifles on each fide of the church, eastward from the tranfept, which were eighteen feet broad outfide the walls. To afford due light to fo extenfive a building, befides the large windows in the aisles, there was a range of fmall windows above the aifles, each fix feet high. In the weft gable, above the gate, there was a window, in form of an acute-angled arch, twenty-feven feet in height, and nineteen feet wide at the base.

In the east gable was a range of five parallel windows, each ten feet by two; and above these five more,

each

each feven feet high, and over all a circular window, near ten feet high in diameter. In the middle of the wall of the church, and leading to the upper windows, is an alley round the whole building. Every part of the whole is richly ornamented with carvings, foliage, devices, and embellishments peculiar to this fpecies of architecture, and all finished in the beft and most elegant manner.

The chapter houfe, commonly called the apprentice aifle, placed on the north fide of the cathedral, near the east end, and communicating with the choir by a vaulted veftry, is an uncommon piece of architecture. It is an octagon, thirty-four feet high, and within the walls, the diagonal breadth is thirty-feven feet. The vaulted roof is fupported by one cluftered pillar in the centre, nine feet in circumference. From this pillar ribs fpread along the roof, to each angle of the octagon. There is a large window in each of feven of the fides, and the eighth fide joins the choir. In the north wall of the chapter house, there were five ftalls, in nitches [niches] for the bishop and dignified clergy to fit in. The middle ftall for the bishop, or dean, is larger, and raised a step higher than the others.' Of the prefent flate of the province. The low-land or champaign' of Moray is here described as a long extended valley, bounded by the Frith on the north, and by a winding range of mountains on it's fouthern extremity. The furface is diverfified by hills, and interfe&ted by four rivers, the Loffy, Findorn, Nairn, and Nefs, all of which wind their refpective ftreams at equal distances, yet almoft parallel to each other, from the mountains, across the plain, into the fea.

The rev. Mr Leflie, author of this part of the work, after fome other preliminary obfervations, defcribes the various parishes of Speymouth, Urquhart, St. Andrews, Drainy, Duffers, Spynie, Elgin, Birnie, Alves,

&c. in fucceffion. Under the head of Parish of Speymouth,' we learn, with great fatisfaction, that the poorest of the people have all their children taught to read, and most of the boys are taught also arithmetic, and to write.

• Poor's rates,' adds Mr L. are not known in this country; yet, with fuch labour as themselves are able for, all are, by voluntary charity, provided with the neceffaries of life: very little is fuffered by want, there is no abufe, and little temptation to idlenefs.'

On the fate of agriculture, roads, and hints for improvements.-Before he enters on the prefent practice of husbandry, the author thus describes the ancient :

By that fyftem, the whole of each farm was managed in four pretty equal allotments; one of which was yearly prepared in rotation, by two or three plowings and manure, for a crop of barley, fucceeded by three fucceffive crops of oats, raised by one plowing only; varied in fome cafes by a crop of rye, where the foil was fuited to that grain. The whole of every farm was under corn by the fir of June, when the plough, with all its tackle, repofed upon the joifts till the conclufion of the harvelt. The live ftock, which in every farm confifted of black cattle, horses and sheep, were maintained, during the winter, on the ftraw from which the corn was threshed, and in fummer on the uncultivated pafturage which nature prefented on the farm itself; or, where that was infufficient, upon the more diftant common pafturage of the mountains, from which they were brought back in harveft, little im proved in weight or figure.

Plowing and threshing corn was the great bufinefs of the winter: fecuring the stock of fuel, and making a collection of earth, moorish turf, fand, or clay, for mixing with the dung produced from the fooder,

formed

The rents, during the prevalence of this fyltem, were almoft wholly paid in grain, with mutton, lamb, fowls, eggs, and variety of trouble. fome but infignificant fervices, exacted from every farm : little grain feems, however, to have been exported from Moray; where it was not known that a boll of oats at Leith was lefs than their own provincial measure of five firiots.

A refpectable land holder, a bout fixty years ago, fold 400 bolls, deliverable at that port. The price had fallen confiderably before the cargo arrived. The merchant, in that fituation, complained of the addition of a fifth more than the quantity bought; but, after fome epiftolary correfpondence, imputing mutual breach of bargain, the land-holder's law agent difcovered the fimplicity of the mistake, and the business was accommodated entirely to the merch. ant's fatisfaction.' Had this country

at that time difpofed yearly, as it does at prefent, of nearly 16,000 bolls of grain, this misunderstanding could not have happened.

It is evident then, that there is more corn raised at present, and that the people are, in every respect, more wealthy, more fumptuous in their buildings, furniture, and attire, more delicate and plentiful in their tables, vaftly more enlarged in their civil rights and liberties, and alfo in their mental powers, both as to religious and common information, than their ancestors were, during any period of the ages that are paft. Even the cattle share in fome of these improvements : they are, in general, better treated, in every refpect, than was practicable in former times.'

We are forry to learn, that, in the highland districts, the timber fpade with the edge only of iron; the kellach, or conical dung basket, and the tim ber toethed harrow' are ftill in ufe.

The fyftem of agriculture has, however, been greatly meliorated of late years, in the lower parts of the province; crops of oats, turnips, barley, wheat, clover, and rye grafs, are raised as in England; but, we believe, fainfoin and lucerne are unknown, except in confequence of a few experiments, on a fmall fcale, by the ingenious Dr. Walker.