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century, which intervenes between Fingal and the reign of Fergus, the fon of Erc or Arcath, tradition is dark and contradictory. Some trace up the family of Fergus to a fon of Fingal of that name, who makes a confiderable figure in Offian's poems. The three elder fons of Fingal, Offian, Fillan, and Ryno, dying without iffue, the fucceffion, of courfe, devolved upon Fergus, the fourth fon, and his pofterity. This Fergus, fay fome traditions, was the father of Congal, whofe fon was Arcath, the father of Fergus, properly called the firft king of Scots, as it was in his time the Caël, who poffeffed the western coaft of Scotland, began to be distinguished, by foreigners, by the name of Scots. From thence forward, the Scots and Picts, as diftinct nations, became objects of attention to the hiftorians of other countries. The internal state of the two Caledonian kingdoms has always continued, and ever must remain, in obfcurity and fable.

It is in this epoch we must fix the beginning of the decay of that fpecies of heroilm, S which fubfifted in the days of Offian. There are three ftages in human fociety. The firft is the refult of confanguinity, and the natural affection of the members of a family to one another. The fecond begins when property is eftablished, and men enter into affociations for mutual defence, against the invasions

and injuftice of neigbours. Mankind fubmit, in the third, to certain laws and fubordinations of government, to which they truft the fafety of their perfons and property. As the first is formed on nature, fo, of course, it is the most disinterested and noble. Men, in the last, have leisure to cultivate the mind, and to restore it, with reflection, to a primæval dignity of fentiment. The middle ftate is the region of compleat barbarism and ignorance. About the beginning of the fifth century, the Scots and Picts were advanced into the fecond ftage, and, confequently, into those circumfcribed fentiments, which always diftinguish barbarity. The events which foon after happened did not at all contribute to enlarge their ideas, or mend their national character.

About the year 426, the Romans, on account of domestic commotions, entirely forfook Britain, finding it impoffible to defend fo diftant a frontier. The Picts and Scots, feizing this favorable opportunity, made incurfions into the deferted province. The Britons, enervated by the flavery of feveral centuries, and thofe vices, which are infeparable from an advanced state of civility, were not able to withstand the impetuous, though irregular attacks of a barbarous enemy. In the utmoft diftress, they applied to their old mafters, the Romans,

and (after the unfortunate state of the Empire could not spare aid) to the Saxons, a nation equally barbarous and brave, with the enemies of whom they were fo much afraid. Though the bravery of the Saxons repelled the Caledonian nations for a time, yet the latter found means to extend themselves, confiderably, towards the South. It is, in this period, we muft place the origin of the arts of civil life among the Scots. The feat of government was removed from the mountains to the plain and more fertile provinces of the South, to be near the common enemy, in cafe of fudden incurfions. Instead of roving through unfrequented wilds, in fearch of fubfiftance, by means of hunting, men applied to agriculture, and raising of corn. This manner of life was the firft means of changing the national character. The next thing which contributed to it was their mixture with ftrangers.

In the countries which the Scots had conquered from the Britons, it is probable the moft of the old inhabitants remained. These incorporating with the conquerors, taught them agriculture, and other arts, which they themselves had received from the Romans. The Scots, however, in number as well as power, being the moft predominant, retained ftill their language, and as many of the cuftoms of their ancestors, as suited with

the nature of the country they poffeffed. Even the union of the two Caledonian kingdoms did not much affect the national character. Being originally defcended from the fame stock, the manners of the Picts and Scots were as fimilar as the different natures of the countries they poffeffed permitted.

What brought about a total change in the genius of the Scots nation, was their wars, and other transactions with the Saxons. Several counties in the fouth of Scotland were alternately poffeffed by the two nations. They were ceded, in the ninth age, to the Scots, and, it is probable, that most of the Saxon inhabitants remained in poffeffion of their lands. During the feveral conquefts and revolutions in England, many fled, for refuge, into Scotland, to avoid the oppreffion of foreigners, or the tyranny of domeftic ufurpers; in fo much, that the Saxon race formed perhaps near one half of the Scottish kingdom. The Saxon manners and language daily gained ground, on the tongue and cuftoms of the antient Caledoniaus, till, at laft, the latter were entirely relegated to the inhabitants of the mountains, who were ftill unmixed with ftrangers.

It was after the acceffion of territory which the Scots received, upon the retreat of the Romans from Britain, that the inhabitants

of

of the Highlands were divided into clans. The king, when he kept his court in the mountains was confidered, by the whole nation, as the chief of their blood. Their fmall number, as well as the prefence of their prince, prevented those divifions, which, afterwards, fprung forth into fo many feparate tribes. When the feat of government was removed to the fouth, thofe who remained in the Highlands were, of course, neglected. They naturally formed themselves into small focieties, independent of one another. Each fociety had its own regulus

who

either was or in the fucceffion of a few generations, was regarded as chief of their Blood-The nature of the country favoured an inftitution of this fort. A few valleys, divided from one another by extenfive heaths and impaffible mountains form the face of the Highlands. In these valleys the chiefs fixed their refidence. Round them and almoft within fight of their dwellings, were the habitations of their relations and dependents.

The feats of the Highland chiefs were neither difagreeable nor inconvenient. Surrounded with mountains and hanging woods, they were covered from the inclemency of the weather. Near them generally ran a pretty large river, which, difcharging itself not VOL. III.