600 On different Species of National Improvement. centuries; the empires which were ment. But if the French and their neighbours do not surpass in the grandeur of their bridges, the ingenuity of their inventions may well deserve an imitation, which I do not find we are ready to fall into. The simplicity and utility of their flying bridges (which convey, at once, many hundreds of persons and cattle across the largest rivers, and that by simply turning a helm, which makes the vessel borrow an impulse from the current, which acts in sending it across the stream, by means of a block running upon a cable, suspended from two large masts fixed on the opposite banks of the river, and to which block the vessel is attached by a chain (or rope), are well worthy of admiration. The bridge of Rouen, which, though paved, rises and falls with the tide, is perhaps unique of its kind; and the different wooden bridges in Switzerland are wonderful master-pieces of complicated art, and of vast utility. The canal of Languedoc has received so much praise, that I am not surprised travellers, expecting so much, should be arrested by contempt, in In This is the case in stead of wonder. every circumstance where the mind is too much pre-occupied, and where the subject is to be admired in detail, and coup d'ail. Considernot by the first ing the period of its commencement, and some of the works belonging to it, this canal is a very noble work ;' and the bason of Saint Feviole, near Soreze, where I resided many months, and which supplies it with water, is a curiosity such as is seldom to be met with; and the visit to which is, I find, mentioned by Marmontel as a part of his life well worth recording. But France must yield to England in the department of canals and bridges. Except the canal of Languedoc, and that which united the Seine to the Loire, there were none, till lately, of any consequence in France. At present we hear of several; and they seem to be carried on with spirit. It would be difficult to give a description of the canals in England, they are so numerous and well constructed. Flanders, I find by Froissart, that canals were common so far back as the 14th century; but that is so flat a country, that one level was all that was to be studied; and they ought rather to be called large ditches than canals. The munificence of government, in the present reign, has made Scotland the mistress of a canal of larger dimensions than any other counThe largest canals try can boast of. in Europe can only carry vessels of limited tonnage; but the Caledonian canal is calculated for frigates of 32 guns. It is carried on with great vigour and judgment; and, when finished, will be a noble remembrance of our excellent Sovereign. Those who had an opportunity of knowing the sentiments of the French nation during the hottest period of the revolution, are best able to appreciate how much the gratitude of a people is to be gained by works which have the benefit of the human race as their basis, and how pable little all the works of ambition are ca pable of conciliating the affection of correspondence of its sounds with the ideas attached to them, we know no language, except the Greek, which can be preferred, or even compared to it. And this certainly must be considered as an excellence of the very first order. We shall instance, out of many, canty (gay,) dour (obstinate,) cosie (snug, comfortable,) Gowk (blundering fool,) Gow! (loud anger,) slocken (to quench thirst,) steek (to shut,) cerie (superstitiously apprehensive.) The list might easily the present age, or of posterity. The SEVERUS. SCOTTISH REVIEW. Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: Illustrating the words in their different significations, by Examples from Ancient and Modern Writers; shewing their affinity to those of other Languages, and especially the Northern; explaining many terms, which, tho' now obsolete in England, were formerly common to both countries; and elucidating National Rites, Customs, and Institutions, in their analogy to those of other Nations. To which is prefixed, a Dissertation on the Origin of the Scottish Language. By John Jameson, F.R.S.E. and F.A.S. 2 vols. 4to. 41. 4s. THIS appears to us a very meritorious attempt to preserve and erect a standard of our national language, the use of which is now so rapidly decaying. The writings of Burns and Macneill have recently enabled it to emerge from that contempt with which peculiar circumstances had covered it. In fact, it possesses many claims to preservation. It does not indeed appear to us, after making every allowance for the unfortunate associations which a Scotsman, who aims at good breeding, is apt to form with it, that it can be considered as excelling either in dignity or elegance. But, in power of expression, in the August 1808. Nay, so strong does this tendency appear to be, that even words, bor rowed from other languages, are so modified as to acquire this quality. Thus the French facheux, troublesome, is changed into fashous, which has been remarked as uncommonly expressive. Grenadier, too, in a Scotch mouth becomes grandadier, a word certainly more expressive of bulk and dignity. This combination of qualities, of want of dignity, and power of expres sion, appears to arise very naturally from the peculiar circumstances in which this dialect has long been pla ced. Since the transference of the seat of empire to England, the language of the latter country became the court language, and the object of imitation to all who were ambitious of fashionable distinction. To such persons, the first object was to shun every vestige of their Scotch dialect, and their success here formed the chief outward criterion of their rank and fortune.In short, for a long time past, no disgrace has by a Scotsman been consi dered as equal to that of speaking his mother tongue. This language, there fore, has been daily losing ground; from the higher ranks it is now pretty completely dislodged, and its use is daily diminishing among the middling classes. It has been thus left chiefly in the hands of the lower or ders, of those who use language merely to express their ideas, and are little ambitious of any thing farther. In the the gay circles of a court, where vanity is the ruling passion, speech is used less for the conveyance of ideas, than for the purpose of giving a favourable impression of the speaker. Men are therefore led to refine, to polish, to study elegance alone, and to regard expression as a very secondary object. But where the only aim is to impress forcibly on the hearer the ideas of the speaker, elegance and dignity, indeed, not being aimed at, are not attained; but we have instead, a language, in a high degree, natural and forcible.Such appear to us to be the present character of our native language, and the chief source whence that character arises. As a preliminary to the Dictionary, Dr Jameson has given a dissertation on the origin of the Scottish language, which involves also enquiries into its early history and inhabitants. Its basis, like that of the English, is Teutonic, with a strong mixture of Gaelic and French. The question then is, whether the first ingredient has been derived from intercourse with Eng land, or has been directly imported from Germany, by early migrations of its rude inhabitants? Our author decidedly adopts the latter opinion, and contends that the Picts were a Teutonic race, who invaded Scotland about the same time that England was over-run by the Anglo Saxons. By these he conceives the whole of the low country to have been conquered and colonized, while the Gaelic natives, like their Welsh neighbours, took refuge in the mountainous and more inaccessible districts. He urges, that there was little likelihood of the Scots borrowing the language of a foreign. nation, whom they regarded with a rooted enmity. Nor does he conceive it likely that they should borrow the language of those English refugees, who were driven into their country by the Norman conquest. Such a class of men would, it is probable, be more the objects of contempt than of imitation. We are rather surprised that our author should take no notice of the strong infusion, both of French words and idioms, which prevails in our language, and many of which could not be derived from that of our sister country. It appears very evidently to have arisen from the intimate connection which was long cemented between the two nations, by their common enmity to England, and by the frequent introduction of French auxiliaries, which took place in consequence of that alliance. The following specimens may enable our readers to form an idea of the manner in which Dr Jameson has conducted this elaborate work : BOODIES, pl. Ghosts, hobgoblins. A berd. "By this time it wis growing mark, and about the time of night that the boodies begin to gang." journal from London, p. 6. It might be deduced from A. S. (Angbod, bud, Belg. boode, a messenger, from lo-Saxon) boda, Su. G. (Suio Gothic) bodian, to declare, to denounce; spectres being considered as messengers from the dead to the living; and A. S. boda, and E. bode, being used to denote an omen. But it seems to be rather originally the same with C. B. (Cambro Bri tannic) bugudhai, hobgoblins; Lhuyd. It confirms the latter etymon, that Gael. Bodach is used in the same sense. It seems properly to denote a sort of family spectre. "Every great family had in former times its demon, or genius, with its peculiar attributes. Thus the family of Rothiemurchus had the Bodach an dun, spectre of the bloody hand. Gartinleg or ghost of the hill. Kinchardine's, the house was haunted by Bodach Gartin; and Tulloch Gorm's by Mary Morlach, or the girl with the hairy lett hand. I think your love be in no weir; Therefore I rede you make good cheer The meaning is uncertain. Shall we suppose the term in this application, allied to Teut. coosen, to flatter? Or is it used as before; viz. "you will not change your mind?" FASTRYNGIS-EWYN, Fastronevin, S. The evening preceding the first day of the fast of Lent. Fasterns-een, (Scottish) Fastens een, (North of England, and Border.) This, in England, is called Shrove Tuesday, because then the people, in times of popery, used to apply to the priests to shrive them, or hear their confessions, before entering on the fast. And on the Fastryngis-ewyn rycht, Barbour, x, 373. M.S. "It bebuifit them to banquet hir agane; and so did banquetting continew till Fastronewin, and after. Knox's Hist. p. 346. The Scotch designation is much older than the English. For Shrove Tuesday is not to be found in Anglo-Saxon. Nor does it appear that there is any particular name for this day in that language. Anglo-Saxon faesten signifies a fast in general. But allied to our word, as desoting Shrove Tuesday, we find German. Fastnacht, Fastelabend, Su. G. Fastelagen, Dan. Fastelaun, Belg. Vastenavond; abend, agen, aun and avon, all signifying evening, as nacht is night. Our language retains not only Fasterns een, but Yule-een and Hallow. een. They were thus designed, because all the feasts began and ended with the evening. The northern nations, even in the time of Tacitus, began their computation of the day in this manner. Apud illos nox diem ducerit. De Mor. Germ. This indeed was the original mode."The evening and the morning were the first day." We have a remnant of Scottish Literary Intelligence. IR George Stewart M'Kenzie of "A Coul, Bart. has in the press, Treatise on the Anatomy, Diseases, and Management of the Sheep, with an Appendix, containing Documents, exhibiting the value of the Merino breed, and their progress in Scotland.” Treatises in Natural Philosophy and Mechanics, by the late Professor John Robison, L. L. D. will speedily be published *. In October, Mr Watt of Paisley will publish a work on Diabetes, consisting chiefly of cases, accompanied with Observations, on the origin, nature, and treatment of that disease.The practice adopted is new, and nearly the reverse of that which has been so generally followed of late years. Several cases are subjoined of diseases nearly allied to Diabetes, where a similar treatment has been successful. Proposals have been circulated for publishing by subscription, in two voiumes octavo, the Posthumous Works of the late Rev. John Skinner, Episcopal clergyman in Longside, Aberdeenshire; to which will be prefixed, a Biographical Memoir of the learned and venerable author. the same ancient customs in the Eng. Literary Intelligence, ENGLISH and fish words, seenight and fortnight, instead of seven or fourteen days. The barbarous custom of cock-fighting, still permitted in some schools on Fasterns even, is a relic of the popish Carnival, or Bacchanalian revels, which it was customsry to celebrate at this time, as a preparation for the fast. THE FOREIGN. HE public will observe with satisfaction, that Parliament has voted 3,000l. * Erratum in last Literary Intelli. gence. For Works of the late Lord So mers, read Tracts. 3,000l. to the Board of Agriculture, to enable it with greater rapidity to complete the Surveys of the Kingdom. As soon as the whole of the County Reports have been printed, it is intended to publish an Analysis of the whole, to lay before his Majesty, and both Houses of Parliament, a work which, for useful and, authentic information relative to the actual state of the empire, is likely to prove never to have had its equal in any country. A school has been opened at Cam bridge by one of the young men trained by Joseph Lancaster, to spread his new system of education, under royal patronage. Above 250 children have been admitted, and are already in high order. The school at Cambridge, we are happy to state, has the approbation, sanction, and support of the whole University, as the subscription lists clearly shew. The committee consists of a number of the most intelligent and respectable persons in that seat of learning. The school is about to be extended to fifty additional children. One of Joseph Lancaster's young men has opened a school for 300 boys, under the patronage of many of the most benevolent citizens of Bristol. It was proposed to him not to take so many in at once, but to admit them in divisions. His reply was, "No, it is only one trouble," and he has brought them into the most complete order, without rod or cane in the school. It is intended to extend the school to a thousand children. A report of the committee of the Canterbury Royal Lancastrian Free School, held in the Archbishop's palace, Canterbury, represents, that within the last six months 321 children had been admitted. Above 10 did not know a letter, but have learnt to read since their admission; above 250 have been taught to write; and 120 made considerable progress in arithmetic. It passes many encomiums on the master, whose instructions in the plans were received at one of Lancaster's schools, and the school itself organized by one of his boys. The same boy has organized the school near Wind sor, which the royal family visited some time ago. Dr Reid, author of the Reports of Diseases in the monthly Magazine, in tends to collect those which have appeared, into a small volume, to be published early in the winter, printed uniformly with his Treatise on Consumption. Mr Wilkins, jun. M.A. F.‚S. author of the Antiquities of Magna Græcia, has announced a translation of the Civil Architecture of Vitruvius, comprising those books of the author which relate to the public and private edifices of the ancients, illustrated by numerous engravings, exhibiting a parallel of ancient architecture, with an introduction, containing the history of the rise, progress, and decline of architecture amongst the Geeeks. The Rev. J. S. Clarke proposes to publish a work, entitled Naval Records of the late and present Wars, consisting of a series of engravings from original designs, by Mr N. Pocock, illustrative of our principal engagements at sea, since the commencement of the war in 1793, accompanied with historical accounts. The engravings will be executed by Fittler, Landseer, and other eminent artists. The second volume of Biographical Memoirs of the late Rev. Dr Joseph Warton, by the Rev. John Wool, with a selection from his poetical works, and literary correspondence between eminent persons, left by him for publication, will shortly make its appearance. The Life of Romney, by Mr Hayley, is nearly finished. This is expected to be an interesting work, that will tend to make that eminent painter more universally known-he to whom Hayley has paid so classical a tribute of affection. The Rev. Dr Edward Clarke, of Cambridge, has in the press an account of his Travels through Russia, the territories of the Don Cossacks, Kuban Tartary, the Crimea, &c. in one volume, quarto, with numerous engravings. Mr Laurence Dundas Campbell is preparing for the press an account of the Kingdom of Nypal, in the East Indies, from a memoir of the embassy deputed in 1793, by the Marquis Cornwallis, then governor general of British India, to the court of Catmondu, written originally by Col. Kirkpatrick, the British envoy on that occasion, Nypal is a country singularly interesting, not only from the beauty of its scenery, the uncommon salubrity of its climate, the variety and value of its physical productions, the character and customs of its people |