Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

216

Walk through the Highlands.-Killin..

"In rude but glad procession came
Bonnetted Sire, and coif-clad Dame,
And plaided youth with jest and jeer,
Which snooded maiden would not hear."

The curiosity of these people appeared strongly excited by our appearance, and possible occupation, but we passed each other without much converse. Another, and another group succeeded, and we were not a little surprised at observing that though it was uncommonly fine, and, to common observers, likely to continue so, almost every one of these good people was furnished with an umbrella. This was an appendage which one would hardly have expected to have found so common in the Highlands, were it not pretty well known that, though living in a very variable climate, the Highlanders are still by no means without apprehension as to any severity of weather, and that they are very careful of themselves both in cold and wet.

The crowds whom we now encountered were on their march to the kirk at Kenmore. Proceeding onwards we came to a congregation in the fields. This to us was a sight quite new, and strikingly patriarchal. The minister was holding forth with some animation in Gaelic, from the Gaelic Bible, a verse or two of which he read, and then proceeded to comment upon it. Of course we could not expect to be much edified, neither would it have been pleasant to have marched up to the congregation in our strange garb, if we had entertained such expectations. We therefore walked slowly behind some bushes, where we had an opportunity of observing at our leisure all that passed, without exciting their attention. The congregation, which was numerous, were seated at their ease on the grass, and chiefly consisted of females. The few men present were stretched out at full length, without seeming to pay much attention to the exhortations of the preacher; yet the group was picturesque. Beneath the hill on which they were reclining, rolled the broad expanse of the lake, reflecting from its unruffled bosom the foliage of the trees which adorned its banks; beyond were extensive woods and lofty mountains. The picture altogether was most impressive, and we waited for a considerable time in our hiding place to enjoy it, expecting that we might every moment be further gratified by listening to their psalmody,

[March,

which under such circumstances would have had a singular effect, but in this hope we were disappointed. We loitered till our patience was tired, the orator still increasing in earnestness and vociferation, till we again set forwards on our way. A second congregation soon presented itself, the minister holding forth from a sort of sentry-box. But the sight had lost its novelty, and we passed quickly by, arriving at Killin at five.

Next morning we made an early visit to some interesting ruins on the other side of the river. In their neighbourhood was a most beautiful and extended avenue of limes, dispensing around the most agreeable fragrance, and resounding with the murmurs of whole hosts of insects. It was impossible to contemplate this light and graceful arch without much pleasure. From this spot we proceeded directly to the Hall of Finlarig, which is now, from the changes and chances of hu man life, become a place of habitation for rooks, a large flock of which quitted their airy turrets at our approach. This castle, though in ruins, has still a noble appearance, and it is impossible to behold it in its fallen state with indifference. Its ruins however are still objects of much care, perhaps rather too much so, the neat gravel walks, and somewhat fantastical ornaments, harmonizing but little with the structure they are meant to adorn. On the whole, we were greatly pleased with this domain, the lofty mountains overhanging which are extremely grand, and afford the noblest subjects for the pencil.

Quitting Killin, we once more got into a country completely highland, bleak, dreary, and uncomfortable, and where, almost of course, we met with rain. For some time we had the river, dismal and unadorned, on our right, till we quitted the road leading to Tyndrum, and struck off, nearly at right angles, to the left. The country became still more highland, the hills rose to a greater height, and we were wrapped in still more impenetrable gloom. We at length arrived at the celebrated pass of Glenogil, one of the finest and most admired of the Highlands, and once more we appeared completely shut out from the society of our fellow men. Pursuing our way through the same sort of country, we arrived at Loch Earn Head, and re

1831.]

Lock Katrine.-The Trosacks.-Stirling.

freshed, our repast being spread before us by a damsel whom I found designated in the window as "Puellarum Caledoniæ pulcherrima, munditiis simplex, insigni lepore, et morum suavitate." We then marched through another pass, extremely romantic, and most beautifully wooded, to Callender, which we found crowded with visitors. We proceeded to Loch Katrine on horseback, and seldom have I felt more gratified than when borne at full speed against the wind on an aged but fleet hunter of M'Nab's, "the high-maned, broad-breasted, proud, wide-leaping, strong steed of the hill." Bright are the sides of the steed! His name is Sulin-Sifadda! The road possesses no great interest till you arrive almost at the neighbourhood of the Trosacks. It is then indescribably wild and romantic. Passing leisurely by "the copse-wood grey That waved and wept o'er Loch Achray," we came to a sort of hut or inn, the general receptacle of all strangers. We joined another party, and arriving at the lake, the rain fell in torrents; notwithstanding, we embarked, and made the usual rounds, but with less satisfaction than we might have done under brighter auspices. The lake was far from being that "burnished sheet of living gold," so beautifully described by the Bard, who has rendered it immortal. Yet was it lovely in its storms. The view of the Trosacks from its bosom is extremely striking for its wildness and beauty, and we observed with much delight the clouds flitting along the rugged sides of Ben Venue. We rowed twice round the celebrated" islet in an inland sea," and as many times sought shelter from the rain under the branching and dark green canopy of Ellen's oak. The rain continuing, we made for land, and ordered out our steeds. Mine excited greater admiration than ever. He bounds from the earth as if his entrails were hairs, le Cheval volant, the Pegasus, qui a les narines de feu! We speedily reached Callender. Next day we visited the Bracklin Brig, which has a terrific effect, and the passage over the narrow plank thrown across the chasm, any thing but agreeable. After purchasing a true Trosack stick, we commenced our march at one, finding the road inGENT. MAG. March, 1831.

217

different, but the country rich, cheerful, and picturesque. We passed by the venerable ruins of Doune Castle, together with several handsome and pleasantly situated villas, and arrived at Stirling at six, the Castle and surrounding country strongly reminding us of Edinburgh. The view from the hill is one of the richest and most extensive in the kingdom. From this place we proceeded by coach; we travelled pleasantly, and with great expedition. The day was fine, though rather cold, and the views varied and delightful. The eye wandered with the greatest satisfaction over the windings of the Firth, and the villas, woods, and corn-fields ornamenting its banks, The scenery however was no longer "such as Nature brings together in her sublimest moods-sounding cataracts, hills which rear their scathed heads to the sky-lakes, that winding up the shadowy vallies, lead at every turn to yet more romantic recessesrocks which catch the clouds of heaven," and was consequently contemplated with far less interest than had been inspired by our more northern and more Alpine rambles. Yet we did not fail to observe, amongst other sights, the vast volumes of smoke arising from the works at Carron, exhibiting, as a picturesque traveller somewhat whimsically expresses it, "a set of the most infernal ideas.”

At an early hour in the day we once again caught sight of the Pentlands, the Castle, Arthur's seat, and all the romantic precincts of the Scottish metropolis! Our vehicle rolling rapidly onwards, we soon afterwards had a full view of the " gude toun" itself, as we exclaimed loudly, and not a little delighted, "Aye, bonnie Edinbro', we ken ye noo." Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

A SUBSCRIBER.

Bristol, March 1. THE sentiments I wish to communicate to you have appeared in the columns of the well known journal of Felix Farley, and it having been suggested to me that they would not be unacceptable to the venerable pages of the Gentleman's Magazine, I have ventured to offer these hints and remarks to all those who, with me, are deeply interested for "that pure and apostolic religion which has been established among us for many genera

218

Cathedral Universities.

tions." The great progress which has
been made by the advancement of
learning and the arts, has given rise
to several new institutions for the pur-
poses of education, of which a College
(as it is designated), lately opened in
the City of Bristol, is one not sanc-
tioned by the Episcopal authority of
the place; this circumstance, with
many others, has led me to give pub-
licity to a scheme which I have long
had in view, for forming minor Uni-
versities on a more orthodox and sound
plan. It is an undeniable fact that,
in consequence of the peace which we
have been so long enjoying, those
young men who would have taken up
arms in time of war, in defence of
their King and country, have been in-
duced by a change in political affairs,
to embrace the learned professions, by
which means the Universities are over-
flowing. At this momentous crisis, is
it not greatly to be wished that some
pious, influential persons in Church
and State, would form the resolution
of founding one or more Colleges in
each University? but, if it be urged
that there are already too many young
men congregated together, and that it
incurs a very heavy expense to families
in bringing up their sons in these seats
of learning, and which the plan of the
Bristol College, and all others of the
same kind, is intended to obviate, I
suggest that every City shall be a
minor University, the Lecture Rooms
(the Schools) to be in the Close or
Cloisters of its Cathedral, under the
superintendance of the Dean and Chap-
ter, with the Bishop of the Diocese for
its visitor. Let the Cathedrals be di-
vided between the Universities, sub-
ject to the statues and regulations of
either, as the case may be; the Pro-
fessors to be chosen from or by the
Dignitaries and other Clergy of each
Cathedral; terms to be kept in strict
accordance to time with each Univer-
sity, and when the period arrives for
the young men to graduate, let them
repair for that purpose alone to Ox-
ford or Cambridge, according to which
their Cathedral is tributary. These
minor Universities are to be an exact
epitome of the greater ones, and during
term time the students are to be dis-
tinguished in their habiliments by
wearing square caps and gowns, and
when attending Divine service in their
College Chapel (namely the Cathedral
of the Diocese), they are to be habited
in surplices. Proctors to be annually

[March,

elected, and all other officers, which
may add dignity to these miniature
Universities. In prosecution of my
scheme, I will now make a distribu-
tion of the several Episcopal sees to
be attached to the two Universities.
OXFORD.

Winchester, Salisbury, Wells, Exe-
ter, Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester,
Hereford, Lichfield.
CAMBRIDGE.

Canterbury, London, Lincoln, Peterborough, Norwich, Rochester, Chichester.

For obvious reasons the Cathedrals of Oxford and Ely are not included in this list.

It has long been my most earnest wish that a regular constituted University, with the power of conferring degrees, should be founded in the north of England, and I cannot think of any place so proper as York, the see of a metropolitan, the splendour of which undertaking would be heightened by having that magnificent fabric, York Minster, the glory of the Church of England, and of all other Protestant Churches, for the Chapel of this anticipated University. The Archbishop presiding as visitor. To this province I assign its suffragan Cathedrals of Durham, Carlisle, and Chester.

The College at Llampeter, founded by the piety and zeal of the present Bishop of Salisbury, who formerly presided over the see of St. David's, entirely supersedes the necessity of making any new arrangements for the Dioceses of North and South Wales. Yours, &c. EVA.

Mr. URBAN,

Upper Southernhay, Exeter, Feb. 12. PUBLIC affairs present strange turns, changes, and appearances, at different periods. About two centuries ago, an occurrence was agitating, which appears to us now much ado about nothing; a whole nation in an uproar and wrangling about a farthing; and this farthing actually not one fifth the value of one of our late King George the Fourth's current farthing. However, it is upon record, that in the early part of the reign of Charles the First, one William Hawks and several others were fined, placed and exposed in the pillory in London, for counterfeiting this Royal token farthing of Charles the First.

This diminutive copper coin is dis

1831.]

Royal token Farthing of Charles I.

tinguished as one of the least intrinsic value in the series of British medallic history, but its currency was most rigidly and forcibly circulated throughout the realm by Royal authority. Letters patent were granted in 1625 to the Duchess of Richmond* and Sir Francis Crane, of the exclusive right of making these farthing tokens for 17 years, and to weigh six grains each, and for this privilege they were to pay the King 100 marks (13s. 4d.) yearly; and the patentees, to encourage the circulation, used to sell a guinea's worth for 12 shillings; also they had them distributed in all the cities and towns of the kingdom; and all Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, &c. were charged to assist the patentees on pain of his Majesty's high displeasure, and counterfeiters and offenders to be proceeded against, as transgressors of his Majesty's authority and Royal prerogative. King Charles and his cabinet were so anxious to check the counterfeiting of them, that they published four successive proclamations to prevent it, and also issued prosecutions from the Star Chamber repeatedly. This coin, after a lapse of more than 200 years, is become scarce. I have a genuine and fine specimen in my possession, which I will describe, viz. it is struck on good copper, about one third of an inch diameter; Mint mark, a crescent. Obverse: two sceptres crossed, with a crown on them in the centre; legend is within two circular lines, "Carolu' D. G. Ma.

* In the fourth proclamation, possessed by Henry Lord Maltravers.

219

Bri." Reverse: full rose in the centre, with a crown upon it; legend, "Fra. et Hi. Rex," within two circles. The extreme smallness of the coin was so powerful a temptation for gain, as to induce many to counterfeit it, which so much annoyed the King and patentees, who, to render it more difficult to imitate, ordered it to be plugged through with a small piece of brass of less than a quarter of an inch diameter. The profits were considerable, as one ounce of metal which cost a penny, made 80 farthings, and the amount circulated was not less than 100,000l. sterling. The Duchess and the Knight had their little tokens well executed, and aimed to compensate for the deficiency of metal by the goodness of the workmanship; for the letters are well shaped, and the neatness in which they are plugged, must have made it difficult for a private mechanic to imi

tate.

N. Briot, a celebrated French artist came to England about this time to seek employ, and was engaged by King Charles. He struck his superior gold and silver coin, and most likely superintended the patentee's concerns, at least assisted in the best ones, as there were several different dies. SHIRLEY WOOLMER.‡

+N. B. is marked on many of them, and fine specimens are extremely rare, especially the gold angel, I suppose worth more than 20l. at present.

We have to lament the loss of this much esteemed and frequent correspondent. He died on the 18th of February, six days after the date of this letter.-EDIT.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE.

New Translation of the Book of Psalms,
By Wm. French, D. D., and George
Skinner, M. A.

it is in the original work) the narrowness of our columns renders impracticable. We shall, perhaps, but discharge our duty by presenting a few specimens of improved translation, and especially of judicious annotation.

In Psalm LV., 6 and 7, we observe the sense more correctly represented than in any versions we have yet seen, as follows:-"Oh that I had wings, like a dove,-I would fly away, and I would dwell,-Behold! I would flee afar off;—I would make my abode in the desert."

(Concluded from p. 31.) IN resuming our remarks on this valuable publication, we would commence by observing, that it is difficult to do justice to its merits, by merely presenting specimens of the execution. If we were to dissever the text from the notes, and take the former only (as in our former article) or the latter only, we should in either case do injustice to the learned translators and annotators; since their version and notes must be taken conjointly, in order to be fairly judged. And to conjoin those, or even give the text in verses (as. But the new translators have

Our two authorised versions rather follow the Sept. than the Hebrew. -Some recent translators connect

220

CLASSICAL Literature.

rightly preferred the ordinary construction, which is adopted also by the Sept. and is confirmed by a kindred passage of Aristoph. Av. 1425: elra δεόμαι πτερὰ λαβὼν κύκλῳ περισοβεῖν τὰς πόλεις καλούμενος. See also an ancient oracular response, in Plutarch Demosth. c. 19.

At verse 15 of the same Psalm, the new translators well render, " May they go down alive into the grave. The quick, indeed, of our versions will express this, but obscurely. With respect to the sense of this idiomatical expression, commentators generally interpret it to mean "Let a sudden and unexpected death overwhelm them." But our learned annotators better explain thus-" i. e. not by the common death of all men," referring to Numbers xvi. 29. At ver. 23, "shalt cause them to go down into the pit of corruption," there is an obscurity in them," which the annotators explain to mean "the blood-thirsty and deceitful men" just afterwards mentioned. But it is very harsh to take an antecedent from what follows in the context. The pronoun, we think, refers to what preceded, at ver. 22 and 21; verse 22 containing a parenthetical admonition, and therefore to be arranged accordingly. Dn, or D, is meant to be emphatical, in which case it corresponds to the Greek OUTOS. We would therefore render, "But those, O God, thou wilt cause to go down into the pit of corruption."

[ocr errors]

The

Psalm LX. 2, is rendered, "Thou hast shaken the land, Thou hast rent it asunder,-Repair the breaches thereof, for it tottereth;" where it is remarked, "The effects of political convulsions are here compared with those of an earthquake." The expressions (we would observe) adopted in the Sept. are more forcible than those of any modern version, i. e. Evvéσeiσas tηv yŷ καὶ συνετάραξας αὐτὴν, ἴασαι τὰ συντρίμ ματα αὐτῆς, ὅτι ἐσαλεύθη. We could have wished that the learned translators had expressed the metaphor contained in the aσai rà σvvтpíμμara, "heal the sores," of the Sept. We have only to imagine that confusion of metaphor so often found in passages of almost lyrical sublimity, such as the present; as, for instance, in a similar passage, of unequalled grandeur, in Sophocles Ed. Tyr. 22; Tóλis yap-σaλεύειφθίνουσα μὲν κάλυξιν ἐγκάρποις χθονὸς, Φθίνουσα δ ̓ ἀγέλαις βουνόμοις, Τόκοισί τε ἀγόνοις γυναικῶν.

[March,

The bold metaphor at Psalm LXVI. 12, is thus explained : "Thou didst subjugate us to other people, as a horse is brought into subjection to its rider." We do not quite see how this applies. We should rather think that the Hebrew verb is used as καθιππάζειν often is in Eschylus, in the sense of "to triumphantly hold dominion over, to insultingly domineer;" ex gr. Eschyl. Eum. 145, νεός δὲ γραίας δαιμόνας καθιππάσω.

[ocr errors]

The metaphor in the next line

we went through fire and water," is rightly explained to be a proverbial expression for being brought into extreme danger. We would add that it is found in Liban. Orat. Parent. in Julian, § 107, C., πιστεύοντες διὰ πυpòs exeiv âv árabeîs. See the Schol.

on Soph. Antig. 364. On ver. 31, it is acutely remarked, that this appears to be the answer to the Psalmist's prayer; which is explained and illustrated by a citation from Is. LXV. 14. -At Ps. LXIX. 2, "I am sinking in the deep mire," the learned annotators remark, that it was customary to secure prisoners in cisterns or pits, referring to Jerem. xxxvIII. 6. We would add the following passage of Zachar. IX. 11, "I have sent thy prisoners out of a horrible pit." The use of pits, or subterraneous caverns, as prisons, was, indeed, a custom of the remotest antiquity; as has been fully proved by Dr. Bloomfield on Thucyd. 1, 134 (translation) where he compares the Cœadas at Lacedæmon, the Barathrum at Athens, and the Latomic at Syracuse; and traces the custom to Oriental usage, referring to Zach. ix. 11, and Ps. XL. 2.

Ps. LXXI. 7, is well rendered: "I am become a portentous sign unto many;" instead of the" monster" of our prayerbook, and the "wonder" of our bible version. The annotators subjoin the following paraphrase: "Many are willing to persuade themselves that my trials proceed directly from God's wrath, and are intended to warn them against pursuing a like course of conduct." At Ps. LXXIII. 9, there is a considerable obscurity. The new translators render thus: "They place their mouth in the heavens,-And their tongue rangeth through the earth." -The words are well explained to mean "They carry themselves loftily, and every where assert their own superiority.” At Ps. Lxxv. the second and third verses are judiciously marked as the words of the Almighty; and the

« AnteriorContinuar »