THE MISCELLANY OF THE SPALDING CLUB.

THE object of the Spalding Club (named after a local historian and antiquary) is to collect, edite, and publish "historical, ecclesi- astical, genealogical, topographical, and literary remains of the North-eastern counties of Scotland." The subscription is a guinea a year ; and, from a Report accompanying the Miscellany, the Society appears to consist of about five hundred members, for the most part persons connected with Scotland. The President is Lord ABERDEEN, supported by sundry other noblemen as his Vices ; and the Club seems to have been active in its functions, but the only book of their imprimatur that we have encountered is the second volume of the Miscellany before us.

This publication is highly creditable to the Club. The docu- ments are well selected and well varied ; the contents often more broad and interesting than is frequently the case with anti- quarian publications, throwing a strong light upon manners, his- tory, or historical characters ; whilst the drier and minuter papers mostly contain some point, or some principle, which gives them a value beyond their mere rust. The editing has also been care- fully, completely, and pleasantly performed, by Messrs. JOHN STUART and JOSEPH ROBERTSON; a sufficient preparatory coup d'cell being presented of the contents of the volume, and much illustrative matter with occasional critical remarks introduced.

The papers, or more properly the series or classes of papers in the volume, are sixteen in number, sometimes consisting of a single document, at other times extending to numerous and various muniments, arranged according to their subjects, but deriving their generic name from the family which has furnished them—as "the Errol Papers," "Papers from the Charter-chest of Monymusk." The time over which they extend is from the latter part of the twelfth century (1188) to the middle of the eighteenth ; coming down, in fact, to the '45, and later in reference to the last of the STUARTS. The bulk of the documents, however, refer to the six- teenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries ; the most striking and characteristic papers to the sixteenth century, and to the period between the Revolution and the destruction of the last hope of the Jacobites at Culloden. The habits of the great, as well as the method of conducting public business, and the extraordinary powers possessed or assumed by the Scottish Crown and Council, are not merely well illustrated as regards the first period, but with some of the breadth and spirit of history. There is not so much of this larger interest as respects the earlier part of the last cen- tury, but more of a social, personal, and characteristic kind : the state of the country, the condition of society, the politics, or rather the palpable jobs, of the Scotch nobility and gentry, with strong traits of personal character, making this quite as attractive in its way as the more historical illustrations. But as these marked passages are mixed up with others of less,strength, and as the circulation of the volume is limited to the members of the Club, we will enter at greater length into the nature of its contents, and be somewhat fuller in our quotations than we might otherwise have been. Of the sixteen sections or classes eight relate to single subjects. One of these is a Bull of Urban the Fourth to the Prior and Brethren of the Monastery of Pluskardyn, not incurious in itself, and of the early date of 1263. The "Memoir of John second Earl

of Perth " is a pleasing piece of autobiography, by a quaint, learned, and pious old nobleman; who gives, among other things, an un- enviable sketch of the youth of a second son at the beginning of the sixteenth century. " The Order of Combats for Life in Scot- land" is an authoritative description, quaint but particular, of the legal and formal mode of proceeding in these cases. The "Decreet of Spulzie of the House of Petty " (1517) is of a purely antiquarian character ; being a list of goods, the property of JOHN OGILVY of Stratherne, destroyed or carried off (" masterfule spoliatioun and away-taking") by Leueueesie MACINTOSHS and others ; with an order for the seizure of the lands of the offenders, and to "mak penny of their radiest gudis, and failzeing of their mouabill gudis, that ye apprise their landis eflir the forme of our act of parliament, to the avale of the said soumes of money, vittalis, and gudis above written," &c. An "Act for Delyverie of Dead Bodies to the Colledge of Aberdene" (1636) is not only curious, as the editors remark, for the promptness with which encouragement was given to science at so early a period so far North, (costing nothing, how- ever,) but also for the care taken of the "quality." "They [the Lords of the Secret Council] findeing the desire thairof to be reasonable, thairfore the saids Lords gives and grants warrand and direction, be thir presents, to the sheriffs, and provest, and Willies of Aberdene and Bamff, to delyver to the said supplicant tua bodies of men, being notable malefactors, executte in their bounds, especialie being rebells and outlawis ; and failzeing of theme, the bodies of the poorer sort, dieing in bospitalls, or abortive bairnesa, fundlings, or of these of no qualitie, who bee died of there diseases, and has few freinds or acquaintance that can take exception, and this be the approbation of the bishop of Aberdene, chanceller of that vniversitie, and one of hts Majesties privie councell, who may eaus vse the said warrand with suche moderationn and discretion as nether the vniversitie may wrong anie man of qualitie, nor be irnpedit be anie evill disposed persons, without a lawfull caus and entres."

The mandate for the extirpation of the Clan Chattan (1528) is a remarkable document, showing the peremptory manner in which a remorseless war was declared against a whole tribe and district, by the mere command of the King and Council. "The Account of the Watch undertaken by Cluny Macpherson," (1744)—being the vaunting prospectus of a Highland gentleman who levied "black mail," to praise his own merits and depreciate his rivals—is not only curious for its exposition of the practice, and the state of the country which rendered such a mode of police necessary, but as affording a comparison between Scores Fergus M`Ivor in Waverley and an original of the profession. The "Chronicle of Aberdeen" (1491-1595) is a narrative of public events, compiled by a Vicar of the place ; his prose history being occasionally interspersed with poetry, which, contrary to the usual rule, is of more attraction than the facts, as they are dry and meagre. Of the collections, the Papers from the Charter-chest of Mony- musk extend from 1590 to 1720; the first, a bond of friendship between Lord ATHOLL and others, and the last, a sketch of the state of Aberdeenshire in the early part of the last century, being of the most general value. The Arbuthnott Papers (1487-1681) consist of nineteen articles ; the earliest relating to the religious practices of a devout family in the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- turies, and some of the middle ones throwing a very curious light upon manners under JAMES the Sixth. The extracts from the Wodrow Manuscript Collections are chiefly of a professional religious character ; but there is a capital letter from Lord BIN- NING IO JAMES the Sixth, giving a graphic account of an as- sembly of " vulgar" ministers at St. Johnstone, and the way taken to manage them. Papers from the Charter-chest at Pittodrie (1524-1628) principally consist of documents and letters relating to Sir THOMAS ERSKINE, who was Secretary to JAMES the Fifth ; and possess no very broad attraction. The Erroll Papers (1188-1727) are very numerous, reaching to nearly one hundred and fifty articles; arranged under the heads of documents connected with the office of Constable (hereditary in the family), Bonds of Manrent, Friend- ship, and Alliance, that is compacts of the subscribers to support one another in feuds, &c. ; Letters, Charters, and Miscellaneous. "Extracts from the Register of the Regality Court of Spynie" is a series of abstracts of cases tried by what we should call the bailiff of the lord of the manor; and besides its picture of the state of the times, which criminal trials always afford, is valuable to the historical investigator, as an illustration of one of the worst feudal evils under which Scotland laboured till the act for the abolition of "heritable jurisdictions," that followed the rebellion of 1745. Papers by THOMAS INNES, the Scotch archwologist, either relate to antiquarian or scholastic matters, or consist of epistles from the exiled family. Six letters from the celebrated Smears Lord LOVAT, bead of the FRASER clan—an unprincipled nobleman, who, after a life of cunning, intrigue, and would-be circumvention, fell at last in his own snares, and suffered for his connexion with the rebellion of 1745. In a certain sense, these are the most popularly interest- ing things in the volume : for they' are written in a more modern style ; they have the impress of a very strong character; the man of the world--Sir Pertinax M'Sycophant—is visible on every occasion where it admits of display, whilst the ingrained and elaborate selfish rogue shines glaringly through his verbose attempts to hide it un- der the guise of straightforward simplicity. They also contain seve- ral descriptive sketches of the condition of the country and the manners of the time.

In selecting extracts, we shall, as far as our limits permit, aim at furnishing a series of Scottish traits from the earliest to the latest time embraced in The Miscellany of the Spalding Club. The first we shall take is the "Kingis Letters of Fire and Sword" to the Earl of MURRAY, already alluded to, to "pass upon the Clan Hattan and Bayenacht " "for to destroy theme alvtherlie " ; an order which, however bloody, was much more conformable to the prac- tices and spirit of the age than the late atrocities at Istalif, and has

ibis further advantage, that the Clan Rattan (or whatever its true name was) could not have been nearly so numerous as the Afghans in that devoted city. We have preserved the original spelling in all the extracts; as its gradual change will make a sort of illustra- tion of the language, and little inconvenience will result from it if the reader attend to the general march of the meaning, instead of halting upon the spelling of particular words; for, with few excep- tions, the words and the structure of the sentences are modern English—most surprisingly so for a Scottish document of 1628.

PUNISHING AN UNRULY CLAN, 1528.

Forsarnekill as Johne M‘Iiinla, Thomas Makkinla, Ferqubar brethir, Donald Glass, Angues Williamsone, his bruthir William, Lauchlane M.Eintoschis sou, throcht assistance, and fortifying of all the kin of Cliumu- battens, duelland within Baienach, Petty, Brauchly, Strathnarne, and vther parties thairabout, committis daly rasing of fire, slauchtir, murthur, heirschip- pis, fplundering,J and waisting of tbecuntre, ea that oure trew liegis in their partm about thaim may nocht lief in peace, and mak ws sernice. And in speciale, the midis personis and their complices hes cumm laitlie to the landis pertening to James Dunbar of Tarbert, in the Bray of Murray, and their hes resit fire, shine, and murtharit vj men and twa wemen, and mutilate vther v men, and maid plane beirschip of nolt, scheip, hors, gait, swyne, cornis, and jusycht

layand the land waist, and makand depopulation of the cuntre, and tendis in conternption of mire autorite to ourthraw all landis about thaim with their nmisterfull oppressionn, heirschippis, and destruction, and suffir na man to brook landis that thai may wyn to, and will na wayis obey to oure 1awis. And we and our consale avisitlie considerand the grete barmy s and contemptionis done be the said kin of Clanquhattane, and thair amistaris, aganis the common wele, hes concludit and determit to mak vtir exterrnina- twun and destructioun of all that kin, their assistrais, and parte takaris. And thairfore it is our will, and we charge straitlie and coin mandis yow, our said lieu- tenent, and ahirreffis foirsaidis, and your deputia, and ytheris, our shirreffis in that parte aboue exprimit, that incontinent thir our lettres sane, ye pass all at aoys, or as ye may cum to, as salbe ordourit be yow, our said lieutenant, with all your powaris and convocatioun of our liegis in thai partis, in feir of weir, [ warlike array,] vpon the said Clanquhattane, and invaid theme to their vter destruc- tioun, be slauchtir, byrning, drowning, and vthir wayis ; and leif na creator levand of that clann, except preistis, wemen, and barnis. And that ye tak to your self, for your laubouris, all their gudis that may be apprehendit, and held the samyn to your avne vse; and tbair attour ye sail bane reward of ws for your gude seruice in the premissis. And gif ony personie assistis to theme, that is nochte of their kin, or takis thair parte, that ye iovaid thai assistaris, in lykewyse as the principale, to their vtir destructioun. For the quhikis in- nasionis, slauchteris, birningis, taking of gudis, or vthir skathis, done or to be done vpon the said Clanqubattane, or their assisteris, their salt neuir actioun nor cryme be impute to you, nor vtheris, our trew liegis, donna, or committaris thairof ; nor accusatioun, nor restitutioun follow thatrupou in the law, nor by the law, in tyme to cum. Bot all schairpnes done and to be done vpon theme Babe haldin and repute lauchfull and richtuuslie done, be command of WS and oure consale, for the common wele of oure realme; and ale that he tak the wemen and barnis of the said clan to sum partis of the sey, nerrest land, quhair schippis salbe forsene on our expenssie, to sail with theme furth of our realme, and land with them in Jesland, Zeeland, or Norway ; bccaus it wer inhumanite to put handis in the blude of women and barnis. This ye do, and ilkane of yow for your awne parte, as ye lufe the common wele of our realme, and will haue thank of ws thairfore and ansueir to we tbairvpoun. The quhilk to do we committ to yow, coniunctlie and seueralie, our full power be thir our lettres.

The approach of Parliament, and the circulars of Premier and Opposition leader, attach some curiosity to the following analogous document of the year 1568. The spelling had become more mo- dernized in forty years, but we doubt whether the style had im- proved in a corresponding degree.

PARLIAMENTARY CIRCULAR, 1568.

James, Earl of Murray, to the Laird of Arbuthnot. Traist Freind, eftir oure maist hertlie commendationes, now, as is nocht vnknawin to yow, approaches the tyme of the Parliament, quhairin diners materis ar to be intreatit to the glory of God, the promoting of the king oure lordis authoritie and seruice, and the publict quietness and commoditie of this his realme. At quhilk Parliament it is convenient that all nobill men and gentilmen quha hes declairit theme obedient to his hienes and his authoritie, be present, that be their presence and avyse materis may the bettir and mair substantiouslie proceed. Quhairfoir we pray you effectuislic, as ane of this Lorimer, that ye prepare and address your self, accurnpanyit with your honest freindis and servandis, in your maist substantious maner, to be in Edinburght, the xiii day of August nixtocum, providit to remane quhill the end of the said Parliament, to the effect aboue specifeit, as ye will declair your gude will and effectioun to our souerane, his authorite, and scruice, and do ws maist thank- full and special! plesour. Sa we comit yow to God. At Edinburgh, the xiii day ofJulii, 1568.

Your guide freiod) JAMES, Regent. To our truist freind the Lard of Arbuthnot.

RING JAMIE FORAGING FOR HIS WEDDING ENTERTAINMENT.

James VI. to the Laird of Arbuthnot.

Richt traist friend, we greit yow weill. Our manage now, at Godis plea- sour, being concludit, and the Queue our bedfellow hourlie looked for to arrive, it becummis ws to haue sic as accompanies his weill and honorablie interteinet, as our ambassadoure hes fund the lyk in pruif already. To the furtherance quhairof, we mon employ the gudewill of our loving subiects, of best effectioun and habilitie, and thairfor eirnistlie and effectwuslie desyris yow that ye will send hither to the help of the honorable charges to be maid in this actioun, sic quantitie of fatt beif and muttoun on futt, vyld foullis, and venysoun, or vther stuff, unlit for this purpois, as possiblie ye may provide and furneueis, of your awin, or be your moyanc, and expeid the samyn heir with all diligence, efter the ressait of this our letter, and delyuer it to our seruitour, Walter Neasch, master of our lairdner, quhome we haue appoyntit to reassaue the samyn, and gif his ticket thairrpon. That we may particularlie knew the gude willis of all men, and acknawledge it accordinglie, quhen tyme Beryls; and that ye de- lyuer your ticket of that quhilk ye send, to ane of our master househaldis, quha sall attend thairvpoun, aduertising him quhat salbe lipnit for, [what may be expected,] that we be nocht disappointit; as ye will do vs richt acceptable Oeasour and service. And sa for the present committis yow to God. At Edinburght, the penult day of August, 1589. JAMES R. To our right traist freind, the Laird of Arbuthnot. There are other curious documents illustrative of this century ; but we must take a leap over a hundred years, and come to the age of some of SCOTT'S most attractive romances for a picture of

THE LAND OP ROMANCE, BY A CONTEMPORARY.

In my early days, soon after the Union, husbandry and manufactures were in low esteem. Turnips in fields for cattle, by Ede of Rothes, and very few Others, were wondered at; wheat was almost confined to East Lothian ; inclo- sures few, and planting very little ; no repair of roads, all bad, and very few wheel carriages ; no coach, chariote, or chaise, and few carte benorth Tay. In 1720, I could not, in chariote, get my wife from Aberdeen to Monymnsk. Collonel Midleton, the first who used carts or waggons there; and he and! the first benorth Tay who had hay, except very little at Gordon Castle. Mr. Lockart of Carnwatb, author of Memoirs, the first that attempted raising or feeding cattle to size. Mrs. Miller of [ 3, who had made noise about

kValkenshawe succeeded. These the first who attempted threed or fine linnen ; and the Mis

first to3k place about Glasgow and Renfrew, 3, s by which, and other industry, their towns made rapid encrease ; Edinburgh then, and most others, having little but retail trade. Aberdeen was then poor and smalle, haveing some Dutch and French trade by salmond, and stockings, and serges, and plaiding; had first use of tea, then very scarce, and little used at Edinburgh, supplyd Edinburgh with French wines, where, notwithstanding towns dueties, it sold in retail in and from taverns, at 10d. per chopping or English quart. Few families, except dealers, had it in cask for [ 3 use, haveing it from taverns, which were then much used ; and table and body linnen seldom shifted, and but course, except for extraordinary occasions, moveing necks and sleeves of better kinds being then used by best. Many wooden, mud, and thatched houses, within gates at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen ; few others without gates there or in other towns. The churches,

abbys, castles, and all large stone edifices [ 3 by foreign contributions, or the slavery and want of other employ of the people, and all in friendahip aideing each other. Nobles and chiefs were tyrants, and kings according to dispositions, by their means. After union of crowns, (before that of nations) privy council tyranuicall, and neither fixed property or liberty. All improve- ments of security, husbandry, manufactures, commerce, or police, are since 1707; with which literature in any extensive degree, except scool jargon, bath keeped pace.—Memorandum by Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk, one of the first Scottish agricultural improvers.

We now come to Lord LovAT's letters. Here is a picture (car- rying out the above sketch) of

A JOURNEY FROM INVERNESS TO EDINBURGH IN 1740.

I came off onWeduceday the thirtieth of Jully from my own house, died at your sisters, and did not halt at Inverness, but came all night to Corribrough, with Evan Baillie and Duncan Fraser, and my chariot did very well. I brought my wheel-wright with me the length of Avimore, in case of accidents, and there I parted with him, because be declard that my chariot wood go safe enough to London; but I was not eight miles from the place, when on the plain road, the axletree of the hind-wheels broke in two, so that my girles were forced to go on bare horses behind footmen, aid I was oblidged to ryde myself, though I was very tender, and the day very cold. I came with that equipage to Ruthven late at night, and my chariot was pulld there by force of men, where I got an English wheel wright, and a smith, who wrought two days mending my chariot ; and after paying very dear for their work, and for my quarters two nights, I was not gone four miles from Ruthvin, when it broke again, so that I was ina miserable condition till I came to Dalnakeardacb, where my honest landlord, Charles WGlassian, told me that the Duke of Athole had two as good work- men at Blaire as were in the kingdom, and that I would get my chariot as well mended there as at London. Accordingly I went there, and stayd a night, and got my chariot very well mended by a good aright and good smith. I thought then I was pretty secure till I came to this place. I was storm stayed two days at Castle Drummond, by the most tempestuous weather of wind and rain that I ever remember to see. The Dutches of Perth and Lady Mary Drummond were excessively kind and civil to my daughters, and to me, and sent their chamberlaine to conduct me to Dumblaine, who happened to be very usefull to u8 that day : for I was not three miles gone from Castle Drummond, when the axletree of my fore wheels broke in two, in the midst of the hill, be- twixt Drummond and the Bridge of Erdocla, and we were forced to sit in the hill with a boisterous day till chamberlain Drummond was so kind as to go down to the Strath and bring wrights, and carts, and smiths, to our assistance, who dragged us to the plain, where we were forcd to stay five or six hours till there was a new axletree made, so that it was dark night before we came to Dumblaine, which is but eight miles from Castle Drummond, and we were all much fatignd. The next day we came to Lithgow, and the day after that we arrived here, so that we were twelve days on our journey by our misfortunes, which was seven days more than ordinary.

The professed object of Lord LOVAT'S journey to Edinburgh was political traffic ; perhaps with a latent view of blinding all parties to the bargain he was driving with the exiled family. Having considered his position and sounded different persons, much after the fashion in which a plausible hunks would set about the sale of a property, he united himself to his Hanoverian Majesty's Opposition, and determined to show his zeal for his new friends by bringing them a County Member ; or, as he expressed it- " After I found that those great men received me with open arms, I thought I would not in honour go into their party with bare brix. I told them that I would not only give them my vote, but that I hoped to gain them the shire of Inverness, by chasing my cousin, the Laird of M•Leod, as member." This election is a strangely fertile theme to his Lordship ; for his verbose circumlocution bears steadily upon his main point, and contains singular pictures of men and manners, distorted possibly by au- unscrupulous calum- niator, but exhibiting, no doubt, a credible delineation of the age. The following is a depreciatory account of an opponent.

THE MISHAP OF THE LAIRD'S "COAT, WAISTCOAT, AND SHIRT," 1741.

As to Sir James Grant, be is a poor weak man, that most people despise and his own wicked son despises him more than any, and for the famous young laird, he has usd use allway s as if I was an old fool, which I do not conceall from the world; and when his father askd my assistance when he was going to London, I refus'd it, and told him that his son usd me very ill, and that I woud make it publickly known. I thank God, he uses many ill as well as me, and his character now is torn to pieces. His late behaviour to Dalrachany has given him a finniehing stroake, and occasioned the unhappy .sickness of good Lady Margaret, his wife. The way that that story is publickly reported in this town, which is vouched by letters from Strathspey., is, that the Laird of Grant and Dalrachany, and one or two more, haring drunk a hearty bottle, Grant received a letter by express from the Earle of Murray, and, after reading it, he said that it was an impertinent insolent letter; and Dalrachany, thinking to mitigate and soften the laird, said that there were some things in that letter that were not so much amiss. Upon which the laird called him rogue and raskall, and took up his hand, as some say, with a kayne, and gave Dal- rachany a blow. Dalrachauy got up, and told him that he woad suffer that blow from him as his chief, but that he wood not suffer the second blow of any subject ; and the laird redoubling his blow, Dalrachany engaged with him, and took him by the collar, and, endeavouring to throw him down, he tore the lairds coat, westcoat, and shirt, down to his britches ; and when he threw him down, he thresh'd him most heartily, till the laird roard and cryd. Upon which Lady Margaret that was in the next room, came in, and seeing her husband in that pickle, she roard and cryd, and was so frightened that her head turned, and is respected in his own country. aince dilirious. I leave you to judge how that gentleman will be belovd and