SIR, T To the Publifher. HERE is extant in MS. an account of the tranfactions in Scotland, during fome part of the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. The author, one Spalding, Commiffary of Aberdeen; his principles were thofe of a loyalift, but he writes with great appearance of impartiality, and like an honest man. Some years ago there was a plan for the printing of Spalding's Memoirs; but, at that time, there was not the fame curiosity for anecdotes as now. Should the plan be refumed, I would advife, that all the intelligence from England, and all public papers already printed, be omitted; according to that rule, Spalding's work will be comprehended within moderate bounds; quarto is indifputably the best fize. I fend you a fpecimen, which I tranfcribed from the MS. From it we may fee the miferies of civil war, and how thankful we ought to be for the tranquillity which we now enjoy. P. 128. The Covenanters wore blue ribbons. P. 138. Men and women were urged to fwear, that they did subscribe and fwear this covenant willingly, freely, and from their hearts, and not from any fear or dread. P. 153. Marquis of Huntley's declaration to the Covenanters, "For took offence, and killed all their dogs.' P. 390. Lord Ludovic Gordon left his father (1642), and carried off a little cabinet, containing his jewels, and went to Holland. P. 462. Upon a fast-day, Mr And. Cant (minifter of Aberdeen) would not give the bleffing after the fore noon's fermon, but after the afternoon's fermon, once for all. P. 503. Lord Sinclair's foldiers (covenanters) did no good, but much evil, daily debauching in drinking, whoring, night-walking, combating, fwearing, and brought fundry honest women's fervants to great misery, whofe bodies they had abufed-the regiment confifted of 260. Besides the women who went with them, information was lodged against fixty-five of their whores. P. 967. Montrofe, on his return to Aberdeen-fhire burnt the village of Echt, and most of the corn and straw, and carried off the cattle, burnt the houfe of Pittodrie and Dorlatham.P. 980. The proprietors fought redrefs from the Committee of Estates. The Committee ordered them, for their indemnification, to take poffeffion of the eftates of certain Roman catholics in Aberdeenshire. P. 971. About November 1644, Ludovic Gordon married Mary, daughter of Sir John Grant of Frenghie, her portion 20,000 merks. P. 1004. Montrofe wafted the lands of the covenanters in Moray, he burnt the houfes of Bandalloch, Grangehill, Brodie, Cubin, and Innes; plundered Burgie, Letham, and Duffus, deftroyed falmon-boats and nets. P. 1002. 19th Feb. 1645. Lord Gordon joined Montrofe at Forres. Ludovic Gordon alfo joined him. P. 1005. Elgin plundered, efpecially by the Laird of Grant's foldiers. P. 1006. P. 1006. Lord Graham, a youth of 16, died at Bog (Gordon Caftle) "A proper youth, and of fingular "expectation." P. 1007. Cullen houfe plundered, the Countefs of Findlater by promife of a ranfom of 20,000 merks, redeemed the house and the rest of her hufband's houfe from fire. Boyne burnt, Banff plundered, every man feen on the street was ftripped na ked. P. 1010. The eftate of Frendraught laid defolate. P. 1015. Durie's and Fintrie burnt and defolated. P. 1016. Barns of Dunother burnt, and town of Stonehaven. P. 1017. Cowie, Fettereffo, Urie, Arbuthnot, "The "people of Stonehaven and Cowie came out, men, women, and child" ren at their foot, and children in "their arms, crying, howling, weep ❝ing, praying the Earl (Qu. who?) "for God's caufe to fave them from "this fire how foon it was kindled ; "but the poor people got no answer, 60 nor knew they where to go." P. 1017. Brechin plundered, 60 houfes burnt. P. 1026. The troops of Harvie, at that time ferving with the core nanters, plundered Newton and Hart hill. P. 2028. Montrofe's troops burnt Coupar of Angus, and flew Mr Robert Lindsay minifter at Coupar, and fome others. P. 1031. Lieut. General Baillie burnt Athole, he commanded the co venanters. P. 1034. The overthrow of the covenanters at Aldern attributed to one Major Drummond, who wheeled about unfkilfully through his own foot, and broke their ranks; he was condemned to be fhot, and fentence was executed against him. P. 1035. Campbell of Lawers, Sir John Murray, and Sir Gideon Moor, killed at Inverlochie. P. 1035. Montrofe plundered the priory of Elgin. "But being church"building, he would not burn the "fame;" much burning in Elgin. P. 1031. Cullen burnt up, this means the Royal Borough, vulgarly called Cullen, properly Inver Cullen; in the fame way Inver Bervie is call ed Bervie. ca. Extrad from Bourgoanne's Travels in Spain. HE English reader may not, perhaps, be difpleafed with a relation of what paffed in the Academy of hiftory at Madrid, on the fubject of Dr Robertfon's History of AmeriThis work was received in the manner it deserved, and great praifes were bestowed on the author for ha ving spoken with more moderation than others, of the cruelties exercifed by the firft Spaniards in the new world. A tranflator was chofen from among the members of the Academy, that the hiftory of Dr Robertson might be known throughout the whole kingdom of Spain, and become, if I may fo fpeak, a national book. M. ་ Campomanes was defired to write to this refpectable hiftorian, in the name of the Academy, and to inform him, that he was admitted a member, as a proof of their acknowledgment, and of the esteem they had for his work. M. Campomanes, accordingly wrote to Dr Robertfon the following letter; IT appears to me unneceffary to inform you of the folid and merited • esteem which every well-informed Spaniard has for your works, or of the motives by which I am induced to write to you. After having • written • written with precifion, truth, and an accuracy equally admirable and worthy of you, the history of your own country, you undertook that of Charles V. to defcribe the most delicate crifis in which Europe ever was fituated. In this work you 6 acquitted yourself in such a man· ner, as to gain general admiration ; 6 you penetrated the most profound fecrets of our Monarchy. But • what fhall I fay of your excellent • difcourfe on the feudal government • from the decline of the empire of 'the West, to the age of Charles V? In this we fee new light thrown upon thofe peculiar manners which the Barbarians, in their proud con⚫tempt for the vanquished, introduced into Europe; and their extreme indifference relative to eve ry city except the small number of those which were privileged. At ⚫ that time there was no real love of the arts; the most useful difcoveries in the sciences were abandoned, and their place fupplied by the fub⚫ tilties of the schools, firft confined ⚫ to the obfcure and folitary receffes • of cloisters, but foon afterwards ⚫ brought to light in literary univers ⚫fities. It is certain, that the difcoveries • in the East and Weft were among ⚫ the causes which delivered Europe ⚫ from the feudal fpirit. You give • to these discoveries in the two first ⚫ volumes of your history of Ameri'ca, an order, a continuation, and • connexion fo natural between an cient and modern hiftory, that I ⚫ know but few men capable of doing 'it with equal fuccefs. I have read the first book with pleasure, and an • admiration which I cannot express. I alfo felt the fame fentiments from the relation of the celebrated dif 'pute of the Bishop of Chiapa, which you have explained with fo much art and ability. I at firft imagined I fhould be able to write to you 'more fully; but for the prefent, I The tranflation which Don Ramon de Guevara is writing, under the infpection of the Academy, of your Hiftory of America, is truly in an original ftyle, and appears to me to render, with great propriety, the elegance, ardour, and energy of your diction. I make you my personal acknow'ledgements for the honour you have ⚫ done me in your writings. My occupations are fuch as do not leave me fufficient leifure to reflect fo feriously as I could wish upon the difference of ages, manners, and governments, and the caufes which have had an influence on the political catastrophes of the • most celebrated nations. This you ⚫ know as well how to do in your closet, and as uninfluenced by partiality, as if you were in this country. I fincerely avow to you on my own part, and can affure you 'without flattery, that but few books have acquired amongst the learned of my countrymen, fo folid a reputation as yours poffefs. I pray God to preferve you for a great number of years. • Madrid, 29th Sept. 1777. 'Dr Robertson's answer to this ' letter was in Spanish, the tranfla'tion of which is as follows: College of Edinburgh, Jan. 3. 1778. Sir, Lord Grantham has had the goodnefs approbation of a fociety, fo juftly diftinguished by its merit, and the talents of the individuals of whom • it is compofed! When in my Hiftory of Charles • V. I was obliged to retrace the ancient conftitution of the Spanish 'monarchy, and afterwards when I • ventured to develope the plan and ⚫ interior government of its colonies in the New World, I perceived all the difficulties, which a ftranger muft neceffarily have to encounter in a work of fuch a nature. 1 endeavoured to remove them by carefully feeking the truth in the origi⚫nal authors, and the public laws of the country; and at the same time, guarding as much as poffible against the prejudices, which too eafily a• rife in the mind of a man born un⚫der a government, and in a religion, greatly different in form and fyftem from the state and manner of worship of the nation I had undertaken to make known to my countrymen. The favour the Academy has done me, by approving of my work, perfuades me that fewer errors than I was at first afraid of have escaped me, or that the refpectable perfons who have been pleafed to affociate me with them, have paffed favourably over my faults, in confideration of the ef. A year after this answer from Dr Robertfon (in the month of January 1779) government thought proper to prohibit the book which had given him a feat in the Academy. Orders were fent to all the custom-houses, to prevent its being received into the kingdom in any language whatsoever, and to the academy of history to name two of its members to attack and criticife the work; the Academy offered compliance, provided it might be permitted to chufe two others to make its defence. The tranflation, which was going to prefs, was included in the profcription. Sketch * Should this tranflation fall by accident into the hands of Dr Robertson, he will have the goodness to believe, that the tranflator contents himself with admiring the Doctor's file, and by no means pretends to imitate it. Sketch of the Character of Jofeph II. Major Privato vifus, dum Privatus fuit, et omnium confenfu Capax Imperii nifi impe raffet. THE HE moment of Jofeph II's birth was like the period of his death, tempeftuous and calamitous; and it was the fortune of his earlier as well as of his latter days, to be the fpectator of ftorms that menaced the dignity TACIT. and political exiftence of the Houfe of Auftria. The filent eloquence of her infant fon was one of the aids em ployed by Maria Therefa, in her appeal to theloyalty of the proud and warlike Barons of Hungary. his oppofition to monachifm, he'did not, like the enlightened legiflators, fuffer it to die by a gentle death. In his scheme for a civil reform, he contemned the obligation of laws, the fanctity of oaths. the moft established rights and privileges of his people." --Fair Auftria fpread her mournful charms, -The Queen of Beauty rous'd the World to arms. The impofing genius of the princefs, which had eclipfed and governed the mediocrity of her husband, kept her fon, during her life, in a state of pupillage. His conduct, during that period, created high expectations in Europe. The profeffed difciple of modern philofophy, the avowed admirer of Frederick the Great, he was regarded as the future reformer of that fyftem of inveterate abufe which affimilated the Auftrian dominions to the most benighted æra of feudal aparchy and fcholaftic barbarifm. It is eafy for princes to purchase popularity; and travellers, from the young Emperor's undifguifed averfion to the abfurd fyftem which prevailed, deduced the moft aufpicious auguries of the fuperiority of his talents, the wifdom of his councils, and the benevolence of his views. Had he then died, pofterity would have been taught to deplore, that a Trajan or a Titus had been loft to the world. But his acceffion to the plenitude of power deceived mankind, and it foon appeared, that the obfervation of the hiftorian was not more true of Galba than of Jofeph II.-" Major privato vifus, dum privatis fuit, et omnium confenfu Capax Imperii nifi imperaffet." A fpirit of indifcriminate innovation, ir. equal hoftility to the ftrong eft prejudices as to the moft facred rights, rendered abfurd by temerity, and criminal by rapine, guided the fyftem of his interior government. In His external adminiftration was a tiffue of rafh and vapouring ufurpation, with weak and ignominious conceffion. To enfranchise the commerce of his Flemish subjects from thofe political chains which counteracted the bounty of nature, was his firft enterprize, and his firft defeat. His Belgic provinces, where he irritated fuperftitious prejudice, and violated facred rights, were the next fcene on which he exhibited his temerity and his feebleness. The event of his Belgic policy is too well known for expanded illustration. His recently - published correfpondence with Dalton, proves that the demerit, both of the wanton cruelty formerly practifed, and the humiliating conceffions recently proffered, ought not to be attributed to the Sattellite, but to the Defpot. Hiftory views, with a tear, the crimes and the calamities of the dead, but her weeping eye is the indication of an instructive forrow, and fhe records them with rigid fidelity, as the preceptrefs of future times. His faults may be traced to the fource of an attempt to ape a charac'ter which nature denied him powers to imitate. The feductive splendour of |