entitled Critical Remarks upon the Public Buildings of of passages extracted from Diogenes Laertius, under London. Among his various studies was the science the title of Synopsis Locorum Communium, in qua of chemistry, and he discovered a method not only Philosophia Ortus, Progressus, &c., ex Diogene of preserving vegetables, but the lean of meat, so as Laertio digeruntur. Francof. 1612, 8vo. The same to remain uncorrupted during the longest voyages, work also reappeared under the title of Electa Lairfor which he obtained a patent; but his want of tiana: in quibus e Vitis Philosophorum Diogenis money, and entire ignorance of business, prevented Laertii totius Philosophia Ortus, Progressus, variæque him from deriving any benefit from the discovery.de Singulis Sententiæ, in Locos Communes methodice The last twenty years of Donaldson's life were years digeruntur. Authore G. Donaldsono, Scoto-Britanno. of suffering, chiefly arising from penury; his eyesight Francfurti ad Moenum, 1625, 8vo. as well as his business had failed, and he frequently was in want of the common necessaries of life. His last illness was occasioned by sleeping in a room which had been lately painted. In consequence of this imprudence he was seized with a total debility, and being removed by some friends to a lodging at Islington, he, in spite of every care they could bestow, died on the 11th of October, 1801. Such was the end of John Donaldson, a man addicted to no vice, and temperate to abstemiousness; endowed with high talent in various departments independent of that of art, and beloved by all who knew him on account of his many virtues as well as endowments. His only fault-but one which was sufficient to negative all his good qualities-was that total want of common sense which is so necessary for the business of every-day life, and without which all talent must be unavailing. After residing sixteen years at Sedan, Donaldson was invited to open a college at Charenton, near Paris; but the idea of a new Protestant seminary established so nigh the walls of the capital seems to have alarmed the dominant religion of the country, and the Papists instituted a lawsuit for the purpose of frustrating the design. It was while this suit was pending that he again exercised his pen in the service of instruction, by producing another learned work, entitled Synopsis Oeconomica, authore G. Donaldsono, Scoto-Britanno, Aberdonensi, J. C. ad celcisissimum Carolum, Wallie Principem. Paris, 1620, 8vo. Of this work there was a reprint at Rostock in 1624, and another at Frankfort in 1625, while its merits are commended in Bayle's Dictionary as a work deserving to be read. And here the record of this distinguished and valued scholar terminates. We are unable to ascertain how the lawsuit ended, or where and at what time Donaldson died. We can only learn inferentially that he was survived by his widow, whose name was either Hoffan or Goffin, and by several children. DONALDSON, WALTER. This learned writer, who is classed among the eminent scholars of the seventeenth century, was a native of Aberdeen, and was born probably about the year 1575. His father held the rank of a gentleman; his mother was the daughter of David Lamb of Dunkenny. The first DOUGALL, JOHN, was born in Kirkcaldy in notice we have of him shows that he formed part of Fifeshire, where his father was the master of the the retinue of David Cunningham, Bishop of Aber- grammar - school. After receiving the primary deen, and Sir Peter Young, great almoner of Scot- branches of education at home, he proceeded to the land, when they were sent as ambassadors by James university of Edinburgh, where he studied for some VI. to the court of Denmark, and to some of the time, with the intention of entering the Church of princes of Germany. This was probably in 1594, Scotland; but afterwards changing his design, he when the embassy was sent to announce the birth devoted himself principally to classical learning, for of the king's eldest son, Henry, afterwards Prince which his mind was unusually gifted. He also of Wales. After his return home, where he made directed his attention to the study of mathematics, a short stay, Donaldson once more visited the Con- of ancient and modern geography, and of the modern tinent, and studied in the university of Heidelberg, languages, including most of those of northern Euwhere the civil law was ably taught by the elder rope. He made the tour of the Continent several Gothofredus. While studying at this university, he times in the capacity of tutor and travelling comalso appears to have instructed private pupils, one panion. Afterwards he was private secretary to the of whom, a native of Riga, published his Synopsis learned General Melville; and ultimately he estab of Ethics, without his knowledge or consent. Don- lished himself in London, where he dedicated his aldson mentions, although not in the language of life to literary pursuits. He was the author of Milidispleasure, that the work thus surreptitiously pub-tary Adventures, 8vo; The Modern Preceptor, 2 vols. lished under the title of Synopsis Moralis Philoso- 8vo; The Cabinet of Arts, including Arithmetic, phie, went through several editions in Germany, and Geometry, and Chemistry, 2 vols. 8vo; and contrialso in Great Britain, and that the learned Kecker- buted besides to many scientific and literary works, mann had in several instances plagiarized from its particularly to the periodical publications of the day. He also engaged in the translation of works from the French and Italian languages. For many years he employed himself, under the patronage of the late Duke of York, in preparing a new translation of Casar's Commentaries, with copious notes and illus trations. This work, however, he did not live to complete, which is much to be regretted, as from his classical knowledge he must have rendered it highly valuable. He had likewise intended to prepare an English translation of Strabo, as well as to clear up many doubtful passages in Polybius, for which he was eminently qualified; but the want of encouragement and the narrowness of his circumstances frustrated his wishes. Reduced in the evening of his life to all the miseries of indigence and neglect, he sunk, after a long and severe illness, into the grave, in the year 1822, leaving his aged widow utterly destitute and unprovided for; and affording in him. pages. From Germany Donaldson repaired to France, where he permanently settled, and was appointed principal of the Protestant university of Sedan. Here, besides performing the duties of principal, he taught moral and natural philosophy, and the Greek tongue-a proof of the variety of his attainments, and the high estimation in which they were held. In this university were also two of his learned country men, one of whom was John Smith, one of the professors of philosophy, and the other the celebrated Andrew Melville, who occupied one of the chairs of divinity. Besides such multifarious teaching, Donaldson had leisure to compose a large and learned work for the use of students, extending to nearly 700 pages, and the plan of which had been suggested to him by Gothofredus, his teacher at Heidelberg. It was a systematic arrangement, in Greek and Latin, SIR CHARLES DOUGLAS self an instructive but painful example of the hardships to which, unless under very favourable circumstances, men even of extraordinary attainments are apt to be reduced, when, forsaking the ordinary paths of professional industry, they yield to the captivations of literature. | able day, it was my duty to attend both on him and the captain of the fleet, as occasion might require. It so happened, that some time after the battle had commenced, and whilst we were severely engaged, I was standing near Sir Charles Douglas, who was leaning on the hammocks (which in those days were stowed across the fore-part of the quarter-deck), his DOUGLAS, SIR CHARLES, a distinguished naval head leaning on his one hand, and his eye occasionofficer, was a native of Scotland; but we have not ally glancing on the enemy's line, and apparently in learned where he was born, nor to what family he deep meditation, as if some great event were crossbelonged. His education must have been very ing his mind: suddenly raising his head, and turning good, as he could speak no fewer than six different quickly round, he said, 'Dash, where's Sir George? European languages with perfect correctness. He In the after-cabin, sir,' I replied. He immediately was originally in the Dutch service, and it is said went aft: I followed; and on meeting Sir George that he did not obtain rank in the British navy coming from the cabin, close to the wheel, he took without great difficulty. In the Seven Years' war, off his cocked hat with his right hand, holding his which commenced in 1756, he was promoted through long spy-glass in his left, and, making a low and the various ranks of the service till he became post-profound bow, said 'Sir George, I give you joy captain. At the conclusion of the war, in 1763, he of the victory!'-'Poh!' said the chief, as if half went to St. Petersburg, his majesty having previously angry, 'the day is not half won yet.'-'Break the conferred upon him the rank of baronet. On the line, Sir George!' said Douglas, 'the day is your war breaking out with America in 1775, Sir Charles own, and I will insure you the victory.'-'No,' said had a broad pendant given him, and commanded the admiral, 'I will not break my line.' After the squadron employed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. another request and another refusal, Sir Charles His services on this station were, after his return to desired the helm to be put a-port; Sir George England, rewarded with very flattering honours, and ordered it to starboard. On Sir Charles again he soon after obtained command of the Duke, 98 ordering it to port, the admiral sternly said, 'Reguns. Sir Charles was remarkable not only as a member, Sir Charles, that I am commander-in-chief, linguist, but also for his genius in mechanics. He suggested the substitution of locks for matches in naval gunnery—an improvement immediately adopted, and which proved of vast service to the British navy. On the 24th of November, 1781, he was appointed first captain to Sir George Rodney, then about to sail on his second expedition to the West Indies. Sir George having hoisted his flag in the Formidable, Captain Douglas assumed the command of that vessel, and they sailed on the 15th of January, 1782, from Torbay. On the 12th of April took place the celebrated engagement with the French fleet, in which the British gained a most splendid victory, chiefly, it is supposed, in consequence of the Formidable having been directed across the enemy's line. In our memoir of Mr. Clerk of Eldin we have recorded part of the controversy which has been carried on respecting the originator of this idea. It was there shown that Sir Charles Douglas utterly denied the claims of Mr. Clerk: we must now show what claims have been put forward for himself. Douglas, it must be remarked, was an officer of too high principle to make any claims himself. He thought it a kind of insubordination for any one to claim more honour than what was allowed to him by his superiors in the despatches or in the gazette. Hence, whenever any one hinted at the concern which he was generally supposed to have had in suggesting the measure, he always turned the conversation, remarking in general terms "We had a great deal to do, sir, and I believe you will allow we did a great deal." The claim has been put forward by his son, Majorgeneral Sir Howard Douglas, who, at the same time, speaks in the following terms of his father's delicacy upon the subject:-"He never, I repeat, asserted, or would accept, when complimented upon it, greater share in the honour of the day than what had been publicly and officially given him, and I am sure his spirit would not approve of my reclaiming any laurels of that achievement from the tomb of his chief." The principal proof brought forward by Sir Howard consists of the following extract from a letter by Sir Charles Dashwood-a surviving actor in the engagement of the 12th of April, though then only thirteen years of age. "Being one of the aidesde-camp to the commander-in-chief on that memor starboard, sir,' addressing the master, who during this controversy had placed the helm amidships. The admiral and captain then separated; the former going aft, and the latter going forward. In the course of a couple of minutes or so, each turned and again met nearly on the same spot, when Sir Charles quietly and coolly again addressed the chief-'Only break the line, Sir George, and the day is your own.' The admiral then said in a quick and hurried way, 'Well, well, do as you like,' and immediately turned round, and walked into the after-cabin. The words 'Port the helm,' were scarcely uttered, when Sir Charles ordered me down with directions to commence firing on the starboard side. On my return to the quarter-deck I found the Formidable passing between two French ships, each nearly touching us. We were followed by the Namur and the rest of the ships astern, and from that moment the victory was decided in our favour." Referring the reader for a further discussion of this controversy to the 83d number of the Quarterly Review, we may mention that Lord Rodney never failed to confess that the advantages of the day were greatly improved by Sir Charles Douglas. After the conclusion of the war, the gallant officer was intrusted with the command of the Nova Scotia station, which, however, he resigned, in consequence of some proceedings of the navy board with which he was displeased. During the preparations for war in 1787, he was promoted to the rank of rearadmiral, and next year he was reappointed to the Nova Scotia station. He expired, however, Januuary, 1789, in the act of entering a public meeting at Edinburgh, a stroke of apoplexy having cut him off in a single moment. Over and above all his claims to the honours of the 12th of April, he left the character of a brave and honest officer. His mechanical inventions have been followed up by his son, Sir Howard, whose work on naval gunnery is a book of standard excellence. DOUGLAS, DAVID. It seldom happens in the present day, when the path of knowledge is accom. panied with the comforts and facilities of a railway, that the pursuit of science is closed with the honours of martyrdom. In this case, however, the subject of the present memoir forms a rare and mournful excep- | Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia, where his proper tion. David Douglas was born at Scone, in Perthshire, in the year 1798, and was the son of a working mason. After having received a common education at the parish school of Kinnoul, he was, at an early period, placed as an apprentice in the garden of the Earl of Mansfield, at Scone Palace. In this occupation his favourite pursuit had full scope and development, so that he soon became remarkable in the neighbourhood for his love of reading during the winter, and his researches in quest of wild plants during the months of summer. Thus he continued till his twentieth year, when a still more favourable opportunity of improvement presented itself at Valleyfield, the seat of Sir Robert Preston, in whose garden, famous for its store of rich exotics, he became a workman; and the head gardener of the establishment, Mr. Stewart, having observed the ardour of his young assistant in the study of botany as a science, procured him access to Sir Robert Preston's rich botanical library. From Valleyfield, David Douglas removed to Glasgow, where he was employed as gardener in the botanic garden of the university; and here the valuable knowledge he had acquired was so highly estimated by Dr. (afterwards Sir) William Hooker, the professor of botany at Glasgow, that he made him the companion of his professional explorations while collecting materials for his Flora Scotica. In this way Douglas had ample opportunity of improving his knowledge of plants in the Western Highlands, over which these scientific tours extended, as well as securing the approbation of one who could well appreciate his acquirements. The result was, that Professor Hooker recommended his talented assistant as a botanical collector to the Horticultural Society of London, by whom he was sent in 1823 to the United States, for the purpose of enriching our home collection in botany with choice transatlantic specimens; and this he successfully accomplished, by bringing home before the close of the year many fine plants, as well as a valuable collection of fruit-trees, by which the store of the society in the latter important production, was materially augmented. The zeal and ability which Douglas had shown on this occasion soon procured employment in a wider field of enterprise. This was to explore the botanical resources of the country adjoining the Columbia River, and southwards towards California, and ascertain its multifarious productions. He left England for this purpose in July, 1824, and as soon as the vessel | touched the shore he commenced his operations. This was at Rio-de-Janeiro, where a large collection of rare orchidaceous plants and bulbs rewarded his labours. Among these bulbs was a new species of Gesneria, hitherto unknown to the botanists of England, and which Mr. Sabine, the secretary of the Horticultural Society, named the G. Douglasii, in honour of its discoverer. So rich was the soil and so plentiful the productions of this part of South America, that Douglas, who could here have increased his scientific treasures to an indefinite extent, was obliged to leave it with regret. In doubling Cape Horn, he shot several curious birds, only to be found in these latitudes, and carefully prepared them for being brought home. The vessel touched at the island of Juan Fernandez, that romantic residence of Alexander Selkirk; and Douglas, who was delighted with its wooded scenery and soil, sowed here a plentiful collection of garden seeds, in the hope that some future Robinson Crusoe would be comforted by the produce, should such a person again become its tenant. On the 7th of April, 1825, he arrived at mission was to commence; and here his fitness for it was well attested by the immense collection of seeds and dried specimens which he transmitted to the Horicultural Society at home. Among his discoveries were several species of a pine of enormous size, one of these, belonging to the class which he called the Pinus Lambertiana, in honour of Mr. Lambert, vicepresident of the Linnæan Society, measuring 215 feet in height, and 57 feet 9 inches in circumference. The cones of this forest Titan, of which he sent home specimens, were 16 inches long and II in circumference. But they had something else than mere bulk to recommend them; for their kernel, which is pleasant to the taste, and nutritious, is roasted or pounded into cakes by the Indians, and used as an important article of food; while the resin of the tree, on being subjected to the action of fire, acquires a sweet taste, and is used by the natives as sugar. After having spent two years in the country adjoining the Columbia, and exploring it in every direction, Douglas, in the spring of 1827, left Fort Vancouver, and crossed the Rocky Mountains to Hudson's Bay, where he met Sir John Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and Captain Back, on their way homeward from their second overland Arctic expedition, with whom he returned to England. His successful labours in botanical science, and the important additions he had made to it, insured him a hearty welcome among the most distinguished of the scientific scholars in London; so that, without solicitation, and free of all expense, he was elected a fellow of the Geological, Zoological, and Linnæan Societies. He was also requested to publish his travels, and a liberal offer to this effect was made to him by Mr. Murray, the publisher; but though he commenced the undertaking, he did not live to complete it, so that his authorship was confined to several papers which he contributed to the Transactions of the three societies of which he was elected a fellow; and extracts from his letters to Dr. Hooker, which were published in Brewster's Edinburgh Journal for January, 1828. After remaining in London for two years, Mr. Douglas resumed his duties, and set off upon that last scientific tour which was destined to a melancholy termination. He returned to the Columbia River in 1829, and after some time spent in exploration among his former fields of research, which he prosecuted with his wonted ardour and success, he went to the Sandwich Islands. The inhabitants of these islands being in the practice of trapping wild bulls in pits dug for the purpose, Mr. Douglas, one evening, after a few months' residence, fell into one of these excavations, in which an animal had been previously snared; and the fierce creature, already maddened by its captivity, fell upon him, so that next morning he was found dead, and his body dreadfully mangled. This tragical event occurred on the 12th of July, 1834. Thus prematurely, in the thirty-sixth year of his age, was the life of this enterprising traveller and skilful botanist cut short. The value of his discoveries, even in so brief a career, it would be difficult fully to appreciate. He introduced into our country almost all the new hardy plants that enrich our gardens. To these may be added many ornamental shrubs, as well as valuable timber-trees that adorn our sylvan plantations, and give promise of extensive future advantage to Britain. Of the plants alone, which are too numerous to specify in this work, he introduced 53 of the woody and 145 of the herbaceous genus, while his dried collection of Californian plants alone consists of about Soo different kinds. He was thus no mere curiosity-hunter, but a benefactor to society at large; and it may be, that while new productions are implanted in our soil, and naturalized in our climate, the name of the humble but sagacious and enterprising individual who thus benefited our country for ages to come, will pass into utter forgetfulness. But if he has been unable to command immortality, he has done more-he has deserved it. DOUGLAS, GAVIN, one of the most eminent of our early poets, was the third and youngest son of Archibald, fifth Earl of Angus, by Elizabeth Boyd, only daughter of Robert, Lord Boyd, high chamberlain of Scotland. The Earls of Angus were a younger branch of the family of Douglas, and helped in the reign of James II. to depress the enormous power of the main stock; whence it was said, with a reference to the complexions of the two different races, that the red Douglas had put down the black. Archibald, the fifth earl, father to the poet, is noted in our history for his bold conduct respecting the favourites of James III. at Lauder, which gained him the nickname of Bell-the-cat. His general force of character amidst the mighty transactions in which he was engaged, caused him to be likewise designated "the great earl." According to the family historian, he was everyway accomplished both in body and mind; of stature tall, and strong made; his countenance full of majesty, and such as bred reverence in the beholders; wise, and eloquent of speech; upright and regular in his actions; sober, and moderate in his desires; valiant and courageous; a man of action and undertaking; liberal also; loving and kind to his friends; which made him to be beloved, reverenced, and respected by all men. Gavin Douglas, the son of such a father, was born about the year 1474, and was brought up for the church. Where his education was commenced is unknown; but, according to Mr. Warton, there is certain evidence that it was finished in the university of Paris. He is supposed, in youth, to have travelled for some time over the Continent, in order to make himself acquainted with the manners of other countries. In 1496, when only twenty-two years of age, he was appointed rector of Hawick a benefice probably in the gift of his family, which has long held large property and high influence in that part of the country. We are informed by the family historian that in youth he felt the pangs of love, but was soon freed from the tyranny of that unreasonable passion. Probably his better principles proved sufficient to keep in check what his natural feelings, aided by the poetical temperament, would have dictated. However, he appears to have signalized his triumph by writing a translation of Ovid's Remedy of Love. He alludes in a strange manner to this work, in his translation of Virgil; giving the following free reading of the well-known passage in the Æneid, where his author speaks of the Bucolics and Georgics as having been his former composi tions: "So thus followand the floure of poetry, The battellis and the man translate have I, In those days, it does not seem to have been considered the duty of a translator to put himself exactly into the place of the author; he was permitted to substitute modern allusions for the original; and, as this specimen testifies, to alter any personality respecting the author, so as to apply to himself. The translation of the Remedy of Love, which must have been written before the year 1501, has not been pre served. In the year just mentioned, he wrote his Palace of Honour an apologue for the conduct of a king, and which he therefore addressed very appropriately to his young sovereign, King James IV. The poet, in a vision, finds himself in a wilderness, where he sees troops of persons travelling towards the Palace of Honour. He joins himself to the train of the muses, and in their company proceeds to the happy place. At this point of the allegory his description of one of their resting-places is exceedingly beautiful : : "Our horses pasturit on ane pleasand plane, For birdis sang, and sounding of the beis." In his last adventure he seems to allude to the law of celibacy, under which, as a priest, he necessarily lay. The habitation of the honourable ladies (which he describes in gorgeous terms) is surrounded by a deep ditch, over which is a narrow bridge, formed of a single tree; and this is supposed to represent the ceremony of marriage. Upon his attempting to pass over the bridge, he falls into the water, and awakes from his dream. Sage, in his life of Douglas, prefixed to the edition of the Æneid, thus speaks of the poem under our notice: "The author's excellent design is, under the similitude of a vision, to represent the vanity and inconstancy of all worldly pomp and glory; and to show that a constant and inflexible course of virtue and goodness is the only way to true honour and felicity, which he allegorically describes as a magnificent palace, situated on the top of a very high mountain, of a most difficult access. He illustrates the whole with a variety of examples, not only of those noble and heroic souls whose eminent virtues procured them admission into that blessed place, but also of those wretched creatures whose vicious lives have fatally excluded them from it for ever, notwithstanding of all their worldly state and grandeur." This critic is of opinion that the poet took his plan from the palace of happiness described in the Tablet of Cebes. In all probability these poems were written at his residence in the town of Hawick, where he was surrounded with scenery in the highest degree calculated to nurse a poetical fancy. In 1509 he was nominated to be provost of the collegiate church of St. Giles, at Edinburgh, and it is likely that he then changed his residence to the capital. Some years before, he had contemplated a translation of the Æneid into Scottish verse, as appears from his Palace of Honour, where Venus presents him with a copy of that poem in the original, and, in virtue of her relation to the hero, requests the poet to give a version of it in his vernacular tongue. Douglas commenced his labours in January, 1511-12, and although he prefaced each book with an original poem, and included the poem written by Mapheus Vigus' as a thirteenth book, the whole was completed in eighteen months, two of which, he tells us, were spent exclusively in other business. The work was completed on the 22d of July, 1513. The Eneid of Gavin Douglas is a work creditable in the highest degree to Scottish literature, not only from a specific merit of the translation, but because it was the first translation of a Roman classic executed in the English language. 1 A learned Italian of the fifteenth century. 2 The near affinity of the languages of England and Scotland at this time, renders any circumlocutory mode of expressing this idea unnecessary. 2 To adopt the criticism of Dr. Irving-"Without pronouncing it the best version of this poem that ever was or ever will be executed, we may at least venture to affirm, that it is the production of a bold and energetic writer, whose knowledge of the language of his original, and prompt command of a copious and variegated phraseology, qualified him for the performance of so arduous a task. And whether we consider the state of British literature at that era, or the rapidity with which he completed the work, he will be found entitled to a high degree of admiration. In either of the sister languages few translations of classical authors had hitherto been attempted; and the rules of the art were consequently little understood. It has been remarked, that even in English, no metrical version of a classic had yet appeared; except of Boethius, who scarcely merits that appellation. On the destruction of Troy, Caxton had published a kind of prose romance, which he professes to have translated from the French: and the English reader was taught to consider this motely composition as a version of the Æneid. Douglas bestows severe castigation on Caxton for his presumptuous deviation from the classical story, and affirms that his work no more resembles Virgil, than the devil is like St. Austin. He has, however, fallen into one error, which he exposes in his predecessor; proper names are often so transfigured in his translation that they are not, without much difficulty, recognized. In many instances he has been guilty of modernizing the notions of his original. The sibyl, for example, is converted into a nun, and admonishes Eneas, the Trojan baron, to persist in counting his beads. This plan of reducing every ancient notion to a clerical standard has been adopted by much later writers; many preposterous instances occur in the learned Dr. Blackwell's memoirs of the court of Augustus. "Of the general principles of translation, however, Douglas appears to have formed no inaccurate notion. For the most part, his version is neither rashly licentious nor tamely literal. . . . Though the merit of such a performance cannot be ascertained by the inspection of a few detached passages, it may be proper to exhibit a brief specimen: merit lies. The poet has gained much greater praise for the original poetry scattered through the book. To an ordinary reader, the plan of the work may be best described by a reference to the structure of Marmion, which is decidedly an imitation of it. To every book is prefixed what Douglas calls a prologue, containing some descriptions or observations of his own, and some of which afford delightful glimpses of his personal character and habits. Those most admired are the prologue to the seventh book, containing a description of winter; that to the twelfth book, containing a description of a summer morning; and that to the thirteenth (supplementary) book, which describes an evening in June. It would appear that the author, in these and other cases, sought to relax himself from the progressive labour of mere translation, by employing his own poetical powers on what he saw at the time around him. Mr. Warton speaks of Milton's L'Allegro and Il Penseroso as among the earliest descriptive poems produced in England. Whether he be correct or not, we may at least affirm, that Douglas, in his prologues to the books of Virgil, has given Scotland the credit of producing poems of that kind more than a century earlier. These compositions being of such importance in Scottish literature, it seems proper in this place to present a specimen sufficient to enable the reader to judge of their value. It is difficult, however, to pitch upon a passage where the merit of the poetry may be obvious enough to induce the reader to take a little trouble in comprehending the language. We have with some hesitation pitched upon the following passage from the prologue to the seventh book, which, as descriptive of nature in a certain aspect in this country, is certainly very faithful and even picturesque: "The firmament owrecast with cludis black: The ground fadit, and faugh3 wox all the fieldis 2 |