then went down the staircase, and burst through granted him a charter, dated at Scoone, of the the panneling of another room, where was a ma- lands of Badenoch, the castle of Lochyndorbe, hogany table. This table was picked, as if hit and the lands and forests annexed, as fully as John with very small shot. Here its force was ex-Comyn had had them. This earl married Euhausted. In July 1783, about six o'clock in the phemia, daughter of the Earl of Ross, in right of morning, a girl and boy were killed with lightning whom he had various lands. This earl proved, near Monimail. Peals of thunder, with vivid in every respect, a hateful character. Notwithlightning, were that morning loud and frequent.standing the great possessions obtained by his The mother was a helpless palsied woman, and wife, he treated her with great unkindness, and had been carried from her bed to the fire-side. The aggravated her distress by the open attentions he boy, who was much frightened with the thunder, paid to loose women. She brought her suit was standing before the fire. The girl was scated against him before the Bishop of Moray, who opposite to her mother, feeding the fire with brush-pronounced sentence, ordering him to live with his wood. On the descent of the lightning, the boy fell back, and was, for some time, believed to be the only person affected: the girl retained her sitting posture, and was not supposed to be injured. A dog lay motionless more than an hour, but on being thrown out as dead, revived and recovered entirely. The poor mother said, she thought the fire that came down from the heavens, completely involved her with the rest The shock had no effect on her health or constitution, either favourable or unfavourable.-At Cupar, on the 20th of September, 1787, four men were struck with lightning in the old correction house, at that time used as a wright's shop. Two of the four, though severely stunned and wounded, gradually recovered. The other two were found without any remains of life.

LORD'S PRAYER, old scoTTISH.

Uor fader quhilk beest i Hevin. 2. Hallowit weird thyne nam. 3. Cum thyne kinrik. 4. Be dune thyne wall as is i hevin, sva po yerd. 5. Uor dailie breid gif us thilk day. 6. And forleit us uor skaths, as we forleit tham quha skath us. 7. And leed us na intil temtation. 8. Butan fre us fra evil. Amen.-Pink. Part III. Chap. x.

WOLF OF BADENOCA.

In 1874, the title of Earl of Buchan was bestowed on Alexander Stuart, the fourth or youngest son of King Robert II. by his first wife Elizabeth More. The king had, soon after his accession,

wife, and to find security to the amount of £200 equal in amount of silver to about £400, sterling of the present coinage, not to maltreat her. Irritated at this sentence, he seized on the bishop's lands in Badenoch, which drew down upon him the spiritual vengeance of a sentence of excommunication. The earl on his part armed his followers, and in May, 1890, went and burnt down the town of Forres, and in June following came to Elgin and burnt down the Cathedral of St. Giles, which Buchanan says, was the most beautiful church in Scotland, and along with it the hospital and eighteen manses of the canons and chaplains. After this sacrilegious action he was cast into prison. On his humble submission, he was absolved by the Bishop of St. Andrew's, on condition of his making satisfaction to the Bishop and Chapter of Moray, and obtaining confirmation of the loose after this, or remained in prison, is not cerabsolution from the Pope. Whether he was let tain, for he died soon after, February 9th, 1394, dral Church of Dunkeld. There were there a monuand was interred in the middle choir of the Cathe ment and statue of stone erected to his memory, which were defaced by the soldiers of Angus's regiment, who were stationed at Dunkeld at the revolution, by king William, and who fortifled the church as a check to the pass into the Highlands.

WILLIAM FALCONER

This ingenious poet was born about 1730, and

was the son of a poor but industrious barber at Our author is supposed to have continued in Edinburgh, all of whose children, with the ex- the merchant service until he gained the patronage ception of our author, were either deaf or dumb. of his Royal Highness Edward Duke of York, by William received such common education as dedicating to him "The Shipwreck," in the spring might qualify him for some inferior employment, of 1762; and it is much to the honour of his highand appears to have contracted a taste for reading, ness's taste that he joined in the praise bestowed and a desire for higher attainments than his situa- on this poem, and became desirous to place the tion permitted. In the character of Arion, un-author in a situation where he could befriend him. questionably intended for his own, he hints at a With this view, the Duke advised him to quit the farther progress in study than his biographers merchant service for the royal navy; and before have been able to trace: the summer had elapsed, Falconer was rated a the Royal George, which at the peace of 1763, midshipman on board Sir Edward Hawke's ship,

"On him fair Science dawn'd in happier hour,
Awakening into bloom young Fancy's flower:
But soon Adversity, with freezing blast
The blossom wither'd, and the dawn o'ercast,
Forlorn of heart, and by severe decree
Condemn'd reluctant to the faithless sea."

was paid off

As Falconer wanted much of that complementary time of service, which might enable him to arrive at the commission of lieutenant, his friends advised him to exchange the military for the civil department of the royal navy; and accordingly, in the course of 1763, he was appointed purser of the Glory frigate of thirty-two guns. Soon after he married a young lady of the name of Hicks, the daughter of the surgeon of Sheerness Yard. With this lady, who had considerable taste, he appears

It must indeed have been with reluctance that a boy who had begun to taste the sweets of literature, consented to serve an apprenticeship on board a merchant vessel at Leith, which we are told he did when very young. He was afterwards in the capacity of a servant to Campbell, the author of Lexiphanes, when purser of a ship. Camp-to have lived happily, although his circumstances bell is said to have discovered in Falconer talents worthy of cultivation; and when the latter distinguished himself as a poet, used to repeat with some pride, that he had once been his scholar.

Falconer, probably by means of this friend, was made second mate of a vessel employed in the Levant trade, which was shipwrecked during her passage from Alexandria to Venice, and only three of the crew saved The date of this event cannot now be ascertained; but what he saw and felt on the melancholy occasion made the deepest impression on his memory, and certainly suggested the plan and characters of his celebrated poem. Whether before this time he had made any poetical attempts we are not informed. The favours of a genuine muse are usually early, and it is at least probable that the classical allusions so frequent in "The Shipwreck," were furnished by much previous reading

were reduced for want of employment. That this was the case appears from a whimsical incident related by his biographer. "When the Glory was laid up in ordinary at Chatham, commissioner Hanway, brother to the benevolent Jonas Hanway, became delighted with the genius of its purser. The captain's cabin was ordered to be fitted up with a stove, and with every addition of comfort that could be procured, in order that Falconer might thus be enabled to enjoy his favourite propensity, without either molestation or expense."

Here he employed himself, for some time, in various literary occupations. Among others he compiled an "Universal Marine Dictionary,” a work of great utility, and highly approved by professional men in the navy.

The Marine Dictionary was published in 1769, before which period he appears to have left his naval retreat at Chatham for an abode in the me

COUNTESS OF BUCHAN.

Inchgarvio seems to have been employed as a state THE LAST OF THE DOUGLASSES. prison, to which the celebrated secretary Panter was committed by that weak, capricious, and ty- The last of the Douglasses certainly died at rannical governor. When Albany went to France Lindoris. James, Earl of Douglas had forfeited, in 1517, he left Inchgarvie, together with Dunbar and had been banished in the reign of James II. and Dumbarton, garrisoned with French soldiers, He was well received in England, where the value to the great oppression of the nation, as they of so illustrious a traitor, of great influence on the complained, because each soldier was allowed borders, was duly estimated. Supported by Enfour pounds Scottish money of monthly pay.-glish power, he had made several unsuccessful inThe fortifications of this isle seem to have been roads into his country. At last, wearied with much neglected till Paul Jones appeared in the banishment, he and the exiled Albany resolved to frith in 1779, when they were repaired, and four attempt their re-establishment in Scotland, now twenty pounders mounted on them. And in the peculiarly open to invasion, from the tyranny and late war, when an invasion was threatened from weak councils of James III. They gathered some France and Holland, some additions were made, hundreds of horse and infantry, hoping that their and more guns placed on the battery; the range friends and followers would soon swell their array. of which crossing that of the batteries on the And advancing towards Lochmaben during a fair, shore, was judged sufficient to protect the upper Douglas swore in the spirit of the times, that he part of the frith from any hostile attempt. would lay his offering on the high altar of that place on St. Magdalen's day (1483). But the influence of Douglas was forgotten, even by his former vassals; and that of Albany was despised: the neighbouring gentlemen collecting some hasty bands, the occasion furnished numbers, fury, arms; and after a conflict, or rather affray, which lasted from noon till night, while Albany found his safety in the swiftness of his horse, the last Douglas remained the ignominious captive of a vassal's hand, a son of Kirkpatrick, of Closeburn. A grant of lands had been offered for his person : Carry me to the king!" said Douglas to Kirkpatrick "thou art well entitled to profit by my misfortune; for thou wast true to me, while I was true to my self." The young man wept bitterly, and offered to fly with the Earl into England. But Douglas, weary of exile, refused his proffered liberty, and only requested, that Kirkpatrick would not deliver him to the king till he had secured his own reward. Kirkpatrick did more. When Douglas, now old and unwieldy, was conveyed to the royal presence, either from shame or scorn, he turned his back on the son of James II. the destroyer of his house; a ray of pity illuminated the despotie mind of the king, who had now himself tasted mis

A brilliant instance of the effect of patriotism was manifested at Bruce's coronation at Scone, March 29th, 1806. When Malcolm Kenmore had returned from England, he had granted to the family of Macduff, Earl of Fife, the hereditary honour of putting the crown on the king's head, at the ceremony of coronation. The descendant of Macduff was then in England, but his sister was married to John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, and was then in that province. Animated by the spirit of her ancestors, and forgetting the injury done to the family of her husband, she availed herself of his absence, and provided her warlike retinue, and came to Scone, and herself put the crown on the head of Bruce. The event proved unfortunate to herself. The fatal battle of Methven compelled the king to retreat, and the countess was made prisoner, and along with Lady Mary, the king's sister, was sent to England. Edward ordered two cages or chambers of wood to be made for them in the castle at Berwick, such as to afford them necessary accommodation, but might prevent their escape.