torians have attributed it to corruption. By one of the articles it was provided, that as an equiva lent for the customs and excise money of Scotland, henceforth applicable to the payment of the English national debt, Scotland should receive the sum of 398,0851. 10s. sterling. That this money should be applied 1st. To pay the national debt of Scotland. 2d. To refund the whole capital stock of the Darien company. Ed. To compensate losses incurred by the reduc tion of coin. 4th. To form a fund for encouraging fisheries, manufactures, and other national improvements. On the credit of this equivalent, the English exchequer advanced 20,0001. during the last session of the Scottish parliament; 12,000l. were expended for the commissioner and his table. Scotland must have been poor and venal indeed if the remaining 8000l. were the price paid for her sovereignty-her parliament-her independence as a nation. Let us rather suppose tht the victorious party did not sacrifice their own importance as legisla tors of a free people-did not persist in exposing themselves to their country's hate, without an entire conviction of the expediency and necessity of so momentous a step, without anticipating what we now witness, that posterity would bless the day when two rival nations were linked by their un shaken patriotism in one indisoluble tic. During the lengthened discussion in parliament, several tu mults arose in Edinburgh, which were suppressed by the guards. In the West, the Cameronians deeming their cause to be that of heaven, rose in arm arms, took possession of the town of Glasgow, and drove from the city the magistrates, who kad re fused to address parliament against the union. On the intelligence of the insurrection, a party of dragoons was immediately dispatched from Edin burgh. The Cameronians had proceeded as far as Kilsythe, on their way to the capital, but hearing of the military marching against them, they retreated in haste to Glasgow, and dispersed. The dragoons met with no resistance: they seized o artizans, the ringleaders of the mob, and conducted them prisoners to Edinburgh. On the third and last reading of the union treaty, the first article, as being most important, was debated during two days. Great eloquence was displayed on both sides. At last the majority declared in favour of the article in debate. The second article, which conferred the crown on the house of Hanover, was strongly resisted by the Jacobites, in particular by the duke of Hamilton, the next in succession. No better success attended this attempt: the second article was carried, as were the third and fourth, however keenly contested. Despairing now of parliamentary success, the opposition had recourse to the expedient of assembling in Edinburgh all the freeholders averse to the union, with a view to address the commissioners to urge the treaty no further. This plan misgave through the weak conduct of the duke of Hamilton. It was betrayed to the ministers, and the gentry were forbid by proclamation" from Assembling. The last and only remaining remedy for the minority was to depart from parliament, violently protestin protesting against their unconstitutional proceedings. The duke of Hamilton earnestly recommended this measure, and undertook to make the motion. Had this secession actually taken place, the ministerial party was undone. They could not have withstood so respectable a body, backed by the whole nation; and had agreed in that ease to abandon their scheme as impracticable. But Hamilton once more betrayed his cause by refusing to make the motion, though he seemed ready to second it. By his refusal their design was utterly frus trated. At length, on Thursday the 16th of January, 1707, the whole articles of the union were, without any material alteration, approved by a legal majority, and the lord high commissioner touching the act with the sceptre, sanctioned it with that consent of the crown which was requisite to give it in Scotland the force of a law *. The treaty of union thus finally ratified by the Scottish parliament, was, without delay, transmitted to London, where it was equally honoured by the sanction of the parliament and the royal consent. The Scottish parliament was, on the 28th. of April, dissolved, never more to be assembled. The Scots and English were henceforth to be one people. * In this account of the union we have chiefly followe Heron's History of Scotland, a modern work of gr merit. HISTORY OF IRELAND. CHAP. I. General Description of the Country. Its first Inhabitants, their Manners and Customs. The Introduction of Christianity. View of the State of Ireland previously to the Invasion under Henry the Second THE HE noble island of Ireland is situated to the west of Great Britain in nearly a parallel latiade, and consequently possesses a similarity of clinate with the sister isle. Ireland is about three undred miles in length, and about one hundred nd sixty at the greatest breadth. The face of the ountry is pleasing, being level, fertile, and abunant in pasturage. One striking feature of the il consists in the calcareous stones, which apear at no great depth from the surface, even in e most flat and fertile parts, but which produce injury to its fertility. It has been observed by very competent judge, that the quantity of nd cultivated in Ireland exceeds in proportion at of England. The mountainous chains in this land are neither numerous nor important; but aupland ridge divides the country from the N. E. the S. W. giving birth to several rivers. mong the chief rivers of Ireland the Shannon is re-eminent. This noble river rises from the lake Allen, and passing through two other large kes, Lough Ree and Lough Derg, afterwards ttends below Limerick into a vast estuary or * Arthur Young. firth firth about sixty miles in length and from three to ten in breadth; and almost through the whole of its course is so deep and wide as to afford an easy navigation. There are many other rivers in Ireland, but they are small in comparison with the Shannon. The lakes of Ireland are numerous, and some of them extensive. The chief lake of fresh water is that of Earn, which exceeds thirty British miles in length, and twelve in its greatest breadth; it is divided by a narrow outlet from the southera part into the northern of about four miles in length. Another remarkable feature of this country is formed by the bogs, or moors. Boate divides these into several genera and species, forming an ela borate scale of sterility. It is remarkable that ornaments of gold, and other relics of antiquity, have at different times been discovered at great deptis below these bogs, which with other circumstances seem to indicate that they are of very remote or gin. The author of a late valuable work, whose indefatigable researches and judicious op nions we have been under infinite obligations the compilation of the present history, makes the following remarks upon these bogs, or moor "Many unsatisfactory conjectures have been ma of the original causes and formation of bogs * Francis Plowden, esq.—The public are indebted :: this gentleman for "A Historical Review of the Sta Iread, from the Invasion of that Country under Hary li. its Union with Great Britain on the 1st of January, 182 vols. 4to. Egerion" a work which has thrown co derable light upon a history hitherto involved in great scurity; has reconciled many seeming contradictions, has stripped the writings of former historians of that f colour ng which their gross partialities have given to events which they have recorded. Ireland |