mentioned, in fome parts of the work; particularly in the ge nealogical recitals with which we are prefented. To develope the lineal fucceffion through a numerous race of ancestors, who are diftinguished by no illuftrious atchievements, may answer the purpofe of delineating the tree of a family, but can never afford a reader either inftru&tion or entertainment; and though dry details of this kind be requifite, for marking the charms of history, refpe&ting regal progenitors, of whom we know ever Hittle more than the names, the lineage of perfons of inferior rank is only a fit fubje&t for books of heraldry.

Mr. Shaw juftly obferves, it was the misfortune of the northern parts of Scotland, that the Romans never penetrated into them, except in one unfuccefsful expedition in the reign of the emperor Septimus Severus ; fince, wherever they fettled, they introduced civilization, and cultivated the arts of peace. On this account, no information, relative to those parts, can be derived from the Roman writers, who are the beft authorities for afcertaining the ancient state of the fouthern provinces of the kingdom; a defect the more to be regretted, as it is not fupplied by domeftic records. Our author therefore has had no other guides in his researches than the inci dental information he could collect from general hiftory, and the teftimony of credible tradition,

Mr. Shaw begins with giving an account of the name, extent, fituation, and divifion of Moray. Under this province. he includes not only the country at prefent diftinguished by that name, but the whole tract of territory from the mouth of the river Spey, to the river of Farar or Beaulie, at the head of the frith; and all the vallies, glens, and ftraths, fituated betwixt the Grampian mountains, fouth of Badenoch and the frith of Moray, and which difcharge rivers into that frith. The following are the reafons he produces for giving the country this large extent.

The plain country by the fea fide, from Spey to Nefs, is always called Moray, and I fee no reafon for extending it eastward beyond the mouth of Spey: but that it extended westward to the river of Beaulie, is probable from the notation of the word Morav: for fo far the Frith extends, and the country taking its name from the Frith, it is reasonable to extend the 'one as far as the other. This is much ftrengthened by what we find in Dalrymple's Collection, p. 199; "That king Alexander I. purfued the Moray-men that confpired against him, from Innergoury over Spey into Murray-land, and at the Stockford above Beaulie paffed over to Rofs." This fixes the boundaries both to the east and weft, viz. the rivers of Spey and Beaulie. The fituation of the country of Rofs, northward from Moray,

confirms this. Its name, Rofs, fignifieth a peninsula, or a head, or a point of land jutting out between rivers or friths; and it is the frith of Moray with that of Tain, that form this pe ninfula, or Rofs.

. The bounds by the fea-fide being thus fixed, Moray extended towards S. S. W. to the head of Loch Lochie, on the borders of Lochaber. This one obfervation throweth abundant light on this affertion. Our historians agree, that the caftie of Urquhart in Moray held out bravely for king David Bruce against Edward Baliol. This caftle did not ftand in Urquhart naar Elgin; for there are no veftiges of a fort or caftle there, nor any tradition that ever there was fuch a fort. But on the west bank of Loch nefs, there was a strong fort, the walls whereof do still remain. This fheweth, that Lochnefs, with the glens around it, was in the country of Moray. And that the whole courfe of the river Spey, even to Lochaber, was in the province or country of Moray, may be gathered from king Robert Bruce's charter of the Comitatus Moravienfis to Thomas Randulph earl of Moray: (Append. No. J.) to all which let me add, that the highlanders always did, and as yet do, march and bound the countries by the hills and rivers.

According to this view of the country of Moray, it extends from east to west by the fide of the Frith, i. e. from Speymouth to Beaulie 39 Scottish, or about 60 English miles: and the river Farar, from Loch-Monar to Beaulie, runneth 30 Scottish miles from S. W. to N. E. Thus the utmost extent, from N. E. to S. W. is 62 Scottish or 104 English miles. And, if we take the breadth from the Frith at Invernefs, to the braes of Glenfeshie in Badenoch, it is about 38 Scottish, or 57 English miles.'

In the fecond part of the work, the author furveys the country geographically, and defcribes the feveral parishes it contains; mentioning the extent of each, and the fituation of the church, with the principal baronies, heritors, and most remarkable feats or dwellings. In the courfe of this narrative we meet with an account of the fubfequent families, viz. Gordon, Grant, Duff, Grant of Rothemurchus, Shaw of Rothemurchus, Farquharfon of Invercauld, MacIntosh, Mac Pherfon, Innes, Gordon of Gordonstoun, Morays of Duffos, Leflie of Fintoffie, the Dunbars, the Dunbars of Weftfield, Cummine, Cummine of Rylucas, earls of Moray, family of Brodie, Calder, Rofe of Kilravock, Forbes of Culloden, Robertfon of Inches, Lovate, and MacDonald of Glengary.

The late revival of the infignia of the Knights Baronets, of Scotland induces us to prefent our readers with the author's account of the origin of that order, and a detail of the ho nours and privileges annexed to it, which he has collected from a perufal of the patent.

In the year 1621, fir William Alexander of Menstry, undertook to plant a colony in Nova Scotia in North America, and was joined in that undertaking by the earls Marshal, Melrofe, and Niddifdale, viscount Dupplin, and the lairds of Lochinvar, Lefmore, Clunie, and Gordonstoun. For their encouragement the king granted them feverally, large districts of land in that country, and propofed to create a new title of honour that fhould be hereditary. This order was erected in 1625, and fir Robert Gordon is the firft knight of it, whofe patent beareth date at Whitehall, the 28. May 1625.'

(1) In all writings, they are ftyled knights and baronets. (2.) In addreffing them they are called Sir. (3.) Their wives have the honour of Lady. (4.) They have precedency of all knights, lairds, efquires, and gentlemen, except the king's commiffioners, counsellors, and knights bannerets, dubbed in the field of war, under the royal standard, rege prefente. (N. B. The order of the Thistle or St. Andrew, was not revived at that time). (5) Their wives, fons, daughters, and fons wives, have precedency as themselves have. (6.) Their eldest fons, when twenty-one years of age, in their father's life, fhall receive the honour of knighthood, if they afk it, upon paying only the fées of the fervants. (7) In royal armies, they fhall have place near to the royal standard. (8). No other degree of honour fhall ever be created betwixt them and lords, nor any degree equal to them, and inferior to lords. (9.) The honour is by patent under the great feal, and hereditary as that of peerage. (ro.) There fhall not be in Scotland, at any one time, more than 150 fuch knights. (11.) They may bear the arms of Nova Scotia in a canton, or fhield of pretence: and the fame enamelled on an oval medal of gold on their breafts, hanging at a broad orange ribband round their necks: as by royal warrant (Appendix, No LIII.) from king Charles I. dated at Whitehall 17. November 1629, and recorded in the lord Lyon's regifters. (12.) They are allowed two gentlemen affiftants of their body, ad Jupportandum vetamen; and at their funerals they are allowed one principal mourner, and four affiftants.

Befides these privileges common to the order, fir Robert Gordon's patent beareth, That he is the first knight in the order, and that no one has had, or ever hall have the precedency of him. And he had 16,000 acres of land in Nova Scotia difponed to him and his heirs, with ample privileges. The like privileges had alfo the rest of the baronets, till the French took poffellion of that province; after which there is no mention of lands in any of the patents.

The arms of this order are, an efcutcheon arg. charged with a faltire, az. The field and crofs of St. Andrew, the tinctures counterchanged, and thereon the royal arms of Scotland, with an imperial crown above this laft fhield. Motto, FAX MENTIS HONESTE GLORIA. This (without the motto) may be placed in a canton, or a shield in furtout.'

Part

Part III. treats of the natural hiftory of Moray. Mr. Shaw here informs us, it is generally, and he thinks with justice, obferved, that in the plains of Moray they have forty days of fair weather in the year, more than in any other country in Scotland. As a proof of the falubrity of the air, he mentions a few inftances of perfons who have lived to an uncommon age; and we are told that, in general, eighty years are reckoned no great age to the fober and temperate.

The next divifion of the work contains the civil and political hiftory of the province; where the author delivers an account of the inhabitants, their language, way of living, agriculture, manufactures, &c. He likewife traces the commencement of the feveral titles of honour in Scotland, and enumerates the regalities, and baronies, with the different burroughs in the country.

Part V. relates the military hiftory of Moray; the fubje&s of which are, the royal forts, and fortalices in the province, the battles that have been fought in it, with the military roads, and military cuftoms. Among the battles here mentioned, we fhall felect the account of one fought at Invernahavon, in the year 1386, between two of the highland clans; the circumftances of it being taken from tradition, but such, however, as is unvaried.

• The occafion of the conflict was as follows: the lands of MacIntosh in Lochaber being poffeffed by the Camerons, the rents were feldom levied, but by force and in cattle: the Camerons, irritated by the poinding of their cattle, refolved to make reprisals, and marched into Badenoch about four hundred men ftrong, commanded by Charles MacGilony. MacIntosh informed of this, in hafte called his friends and clan to meet together; the MacIntoshes, MacPherfons, and Davidfons, foon made a force fuperior to the enemy; but an unfeasonable difference was like to prove fatal to them: it was agreed by all, that MacIntosh, as captain of the clan Chattan, fhould command the centre of their army; but Cluney and Invernahavon contended about the command of the right wing. Cluney claimed it as chief of the ancient clan Chattan, of which the Davidsons of Invernahavon were but a branch. Invernahavon pleaded, that to him, as the oldest branch, the right hand belonged by the custom of Scottish clans. The contest was fpun out, till the enemy were at hand; and then MacIntosh, as umpire, imprudently gave it in favour of Invernahavon. The MacPhersons, in whole country they were met, and who were as numerous as both the MacIntoshes and the David fons, being greatly offended, withdrew as fpectators. The conflict was very fharp, by the fuperior number of the Camerons; many of the MacIntoshes, and almost all the Davidsons were cut off. The MacPhersons

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could no longer bear to fee their brave neighbours and friends overpowered: they rushed in upon the Camerons, and foon gave. them a total defeat: the few that escaped, with their leader, were purfued from Invernahavon, the place of battle, three miles above Ruthven in Badenoch, over the river Spey; and Charles MacGilony was killed in a hill in Glenbenchir, which is ftill called Cor-Harlich, i, e. Charles's Hill.'

Mr. Shaw delivers a particular account of an obelisk, accompanied with an engraving, which ftands a little east of Forres, called Sueno's Stone, and reckoned one of the moft curious and ftately monuments of that kind in Britain. Mr. Gordon, in his Itinerarium Septentrionale, fuppofes this obelifk to have been erected after the battle of Murthlac, 'and in memory of the Danes leaving the kingdom; but our author, with great probability, confiders this opinion as erroneous !

· Why, fays he, fhould there be erected at Forres a monument of a battle, fought at more than twelve miles from it? And after the battle of Murthlac, the Danes fought at Balbryde, Aberiemno, Gemri, and Cruden in Buchan, where they engaged to leave the kingdom; which places were more proper for fuch a monument than Forres."

Part VI. of the work is employed on the ecclefiaftical history of Moray; in which the author takes a view, under diftinct fections, of the Heathen or Pagan church, the primitive church, and those of the Roman and Proteftant perfuafion. In the last of thefe fections we are prefented with a lift of the fucceffive minifters of the different parifhs in Moray fince the Reformation, with the names of the patrons, the value of the ftipend, the number of catechifable perfons, and other circumftances. According to our author's calculation, which, though he cannot affirm it to be ftrictly exact, he confiders as very nearly approaching to the truth, the number of catechifable perfons in Moray, from feven or eight years of age and up. wards, amounts to 57,678. To which, if, for children under that age, there be added one fifth more, or 11,535, the number of fouls in the whole province will amount to 69,213. We fhall lay before our readers the author's account of the ftate of popery in this province, and likewife of the beneficial effects refulting from the laudable munificee of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Chriftian Knowledge.

The favour fhowed by our kings to Roman Catholics, ever fince the Reformation, is well known. King James VI. did not diffemble, that he would meet them half way; his fon, though called a zealous Proteftant, protected, employed, and encouraged Papifts, duting his unfortunate reign. King Charles 11. was known to be, and died, a Roman Catholic; and his

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