potent Earl of Northumberland, and the relation of Malcolm, conducted a numerous army into Scotland, during the year 1054. The Northumbrians, led by Siward, and his fon, Obert, penetrated, probably, to Dunfinan. In this vicinity were they confronted by Macbeth, when a furious conflict enfued. The numbers of the flain evince the length of the battle, and the bravery of the combatants. Ofbert was flain: yet, Macbeth, after all his efforts of valour, and vigour of conduct, was overcome. He retired into the North, where he had numerous friends, and where he might find many faftneffes. Siward returned into Northumberland, and died at York in 1055. Meantime, Macbeth continued his bloody conteft with Malcolm. And this uncommon character was, at length, flain at Lumphanan on the 5th of December 1056, by the injured hand of Macduff.

"The fingular story of Macbeth has furnished a fubject to one of the fublimeft of poets, for one of the nobleft of dramas. The age, the fubject, the country, the notions of the times, wherein lived the dramatift himself, were all highly favourable to this great production of the human genius. Every fiction, every tradition, every locality, were allowable to Shakspeare: but no poetic licence defcended to his commentators, who were bound, in their Arictures, to adhere to the truth. Much of this drama is made to turn upon two points of hiftory, which had no foundation in fact. There was not, in the reign of Duncan, any revolt in the western ifles: for the Hebrides then belonged, not to Scotland, but to Norway: neither is it probable, though it be poffible, that Sweno, the King of Norway, landed any army in Fife during that reign; as he appears to have been much otherwife occupied, and to have died in 1035. Other fubordinate circum. ftances are egregiously mifconceived. Cumberland is faid to have been then held by Scotland of the crown of England as a fief. But we have already feen the real tenure, by which Cumberland was connected with Scotland, while fiefs were unknown in this island. The crown of Scotland is faid to have been ori ginally not hereditary: the whole history evinces, that the defcent of the crown was hereditary, in the royal family, though not in any determinate feries, while the right of reprefentation was unknown, and the brother, the coufin, or the fon, of the preceding king, who was beft qualified to wield his fceptre, and who had the strongest party, fucceeded to the vacant throne. The perfonages of the drama are egregiously misinterpreted. The filiation, and station of Macbeth; the filiation, and con nection of Lady Macbeth; are ftrangely mifconceived, as we have feen. Hiftory knows nothing of Banquo, the Thane of Lochaber, nor of Fleance his fon. None of the ancient chronicles, nor Irish annals, nor even Fordun, recognize the fictitious names of Banquo and Fleance, though the latter be made, by genealogifts, the "root and father of many kings." Even the the commentators trace up the family of Stewart to Fleance. Neither is a Thane of Lochaber known, in the Scotish history;

because

because the Scotish Kings had never any demefnes within that impervious diftri&t. Cathnefs owed but a very doubtful alle. giance to the Scotifh Kings, in that age: for Torfin, the fon of Sigurd, affected to be the independent Earl of Cathness, during the whole reigns of Duncan, and of Macbeth. Such as were Thanes, before the death of Macbeth, were now made Earls, in the fictitious parliament, at Forfar, fay the commentators, after Holinfhed, but without authority, or analogy, or probability. Such, then, are the mifconceptions of the commentators, as to the history, the drama, and of Macbeth.

"Of the real fate of Lady Macbeth, hiftory, tradition, and fable, are filent. Shakspeare, Indeed, informs us, that "the fiend-like Queen, by self and Violent hands, took off her life, as 'tis thought." Tradition, with remains, feem to evince, that a fon of Macbeth fell, with his father, in the fame engagement; and was favoured with a fimilar memorial. The name of Macbeth was long popular in Scotland. The Scotifh people faw, with indignant eyes, foreign mercenaries interpofe in their domeftic affairs. Men of great confequence confidered themselves as dignified, by the name of " this dead butcher." Whatever afperity of reproach, the poet indulged, to gratify the populace of the theatre, the plenty of the reign of Macbeth, his juttice, his vigour, his hofpitality, were long remembered in Scotland. As a legiflator, perhaps, he is entitled to lefs praife; as Macbeth's laws, which are detailed by Bocce, are obvious forgeries, though they be admitted into the Concilia Britanniæ.

"Every object, which is in any wife connected with this famous character, is interefting. When we approach "high Dunfinan hill," we tread on claffic ground. Yet, this wellknown fortrefs, on this pap-like height, has every appearance of having been conftructed by the human hands of the ancient Britons, without the wizard aid of the weird fifters. It is fimilar to the priftine ftrengths, on Barra-hill, to the Cater-thuns, and to feveral hill forts, in South-Britain. Dunfinan hill is one of the Sidlaw chain, and is feparated from the neighbouring hills by a deep valley, and is about eight miles north-east from Perth. It towers, in an oval form, to the height of a thousand and twentyfour feet above the level of the fea. The fummit was furrounded by a strong rampart of ftones. It had the additional defence of a foffe and a ledge of rocks. The original height of the rampart is uncertain; as the part of it which remains entire is fix feet high, and is covered with an immenfe mafs of ruins, the height muft have once been confiderable. A road, which takes the hill, on the north-eaft, afcends in a flaunting direction, croffes the efplanade, and enters the rampart, and area, on the fouth-f uth-weft. Another road, which was cut through the rock, wet up from the Longman's grave, in a ftraight direc tion, and enters the centre of the efplanade. The interior area of the fortress was of an oval form, two hundred and ten feet in length, and one hundred and thirty in breadth, When an inquifitive

quifitive antiquary furveyed Dunfinan hill, in 1772, he was induced, by tradition, to fuppofe that "a high rampart environed the whole, and defended the castle, itself large, and well for. When the fame height was afterwards infpected by feveral minifters of the neighbouring parishes, the high rampart, and well-fortified caftle, were no longer vifible. The weird fifters continue,it fhould feem, to hover around this enchanted feat of bloody ufurpation. In the fair form of fond tradition, they difplayed to the inquifitive eyes of the youthful antiquary towered embattlements, and a lofty caftle: but, when the fpell-diffolving minifters approached, the high rampart, and large caftle itself, appeared to them, like the baseless fabric of a vifion, in the shrunken shape of "a large mafs of ruins, which was covered with a green fward."

"Tradition relates, that Macbeth refided ten years, after his ufurpation, at Carnbeddie, in the neighbouring parish of St. Martin's. The veftiges of his caftle are ftill to be seen, which the country people call Carn-beth, and Macbeth's caftle. The celebrated name of Dunfinan is faid to fignify, in Gaelic, "the hill of ants;" with an allufion to the great labour which was neceffary for collecting the immenfe materials of fo vaft a building. Gaelic scholars, who delight to fetch from afar what may be found at home, approve of this etymon, as very apt. Yet, is it Dun-feangain, in the Irish, which would fignify the hill of ants. Dunfinin fignifies, in the Scoto-Irish, a hill, refembling a nipple; and, in fact, this famous hill does appear, at fome diftance, to refemble what the Scoto-Irish word defcribes, with the ufual attention of the Gaelic people to picturefque proriety in their local names." P. 404.

We exceedingly regret that we cannot allow greater fpace for examples from this curious and valuable work. The arguments and authorities on the Pictifh question, from Ferdun to our late lamented and accomplished antiquary, Mr. King, are deduced with great perfpicuity and energy, and well deserve the most ferious attention. The hiftories alfo of the origin of commerce, arts, and manufactures, in NorthBritain, is detailed with a precifion which nothing but the most unexampled diligence could have collected, and the cleareft comprehenfion of the fubject arranged. Throughout the volume reference is given to every cited authority with the most punctilious and confiftent accuracy. An elaborate index is fubjoined, and the work is illuftrated by a British-Roman map of Caledonia, a plan of the Roman camps at Normandykes, (p. 125.) never given before; a plan of the Roman fort at Clattering-Brig, which alfo is new (p. 178); fketches of the Roman Tueffis on the Spey (p. 129); of the Roman Varis, now Forres, (p. 131); and finally, the British Hill Fort at Barra Hill, (p. 90.)

As

As the prefent volume communicates the hiftory of the feveral PEOPLE of Caledonia, the volume immediately to fucceed is to exhibit a dictionary of PLACES, chorographical and philological, for the investigation of the various languages which have ever been spoken in that country. This, we prefume, is already at the prefs. The two concluding volumes are to contain the local hiftory of every fhire in Scotland, upon an entirely new plan. The materials for the whole are collected and in part arranged. It is our fincere wish that the learned author may fee the accomplishment and enjoy the fruits of his labours; nor can we better exprefs the fenfe we entertain of the value of this great work than by adopting the words which are quoted from Verftegan, at the conclufion of the preface:

"FACILIUS CARPERE
QUAM IMITARI.”

ART. II. A Chemical Catechifm, for the Ufe of Young People; with copious Notes for the Affiftance of the Teacher; to which are added a Vocabulary of Chemical Terms, ufeful Tables, and a chapter of Amufing Experiments. By S. Parkes, Manufacturing Chemift. 8vo. pp. 607. Symonds, Hat

chard, &c. 1806*.

IN N the preface of the prefent Chemical Catechifm, which, by the bye, might, with more propriety, have been called by fome other name, this author mentions the circumftances which gave origin to his work; he briefly sketches the plan of it, and offers the ufual excufes for its imperfections; viz. that the original compilation of this elementary treatise was undertaken for the use of his fon; but as it appeared useful and important to inspire a taste of chemical knowledge in early life, the work was enlarged and publifhed for the ufe of young people in general; propofing that by them it fhould be read with the affiftance of preceptors. For this purpose the text, which confifts of questions and answers, is very fhort, while the notes are very extenfive; thefe being principally intended for

* Having just found room for this article, which we have had prepared fome time, we fee a new edition of the book advertised. We infert this, however, without alteration.

the

the affiftance of the preceptor, who may thereby be enabled to expatiate upon, and to explain, a variety of facts, or to anfwer fuch queftions as the pupil may be led to ask. With refpect to the extent of the work, Mr. P. fays, that his object was to explain the rudiments of chemiftry in fuch a manner as to invite a youth to ftudy other more extensive works, and to enable him to imbibe that part of the theory, which he can fubftantiate by the performance of experiments with his own hands. In excufe for the imperfections of his work, this author principally alledges the interference of his profeffional occupations.

Next to the preface comes the table of contents, which is as follows:

"An Address to Parents on the Importance of Chemical Inftruction. Chap. I. Introductory and Mifcellaneous. II. Of Atmospheric Air. III. Of Caloric. IV. Of Water. V. Of Earths. VI. Of Alkalies. VII. Of Acids. VIII. Of Salts. IX. Of Single Combustibles. X. Of Metals. XI. Of Oxides. XII. Of Combuftion. XIII. Of Attraction, Repulfion, and Chemical Affinity.-Additional Notes;-Chemical Tables;Select Instructive Experiments;-Vocabulary of Chemical Terms; —And a General Index.”

In the addrefs to parents, which runs through 32 pages, this author propofes, that children, at a very early age, be invited to employ an hour or two of each day on the science of chemistry; by fhowing them a few eafy and ftriking experiments, fome of which they may repeat with their own hands; and by endeavouring to make them understand the rationale, or theoretical explanation, of each procefs.

"As foon," this author obferves, "as children begin to talk freely. they discover adefire to know every thing around them, and to be ac quainted with the cause of every effect which arifes in their prefence. Curiofity and a thirst for knowledge feem to be natural to man. The great art of EARLY education, then, confifts in fupplying this curiofity with such a series of gratifications as is calculated to keep the principle alive, and to depofit at the fame time thofe feeds which cannot fail to produce useful and valuable fruit in future life.

"If the child have the ufual activity of children, curiofity will be found to be the prominent feature, and if the parent do not beftrew his path with innoxious flowers, he will not fail to find fomething to ftrike his fancy, among the destructive allurements which every where furround him." P. 1.

Amusement is undoubtedly the child's objeft; but if

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXI. JAN. 1808.

amufement