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so thrown their shadows before that there is no mistaking them. Prometheus has registered his vow to keep the fateful secret of which he is the depository, until he is set at liberty. Again, the introduction of Io has elicited the prophecy (v. 871), that one of her descendants shall release him. We are to suppose, then, that after a long series of years (thirty thousand, according to Schol. Prom. V., v. 94), Prometheus is brought back from Tartarus, with the eagle preying on his liver. Time and suffering have now bowed the Titan's heart; while his constancy has wearied out the inveteracy of his tormentor. All, therefore, is ripe for a compromise. Hercules appears to shoot the eagle. The Titans are present in full chorus to console their brother. Prometheus and Hercules hold high converse, during which the wanderings and labours of the hero (as those of Io in the extant play) are prophesied. Chiron, who, though immortal, had been incurably wounded by one of the poisoned arrows of Hercules, offers to satisfy Destiny by surrendering his helpless eternity of suffering, and becoming the substitute of Prometheus in the nether world. Zeus sets Prometheus at liberty, on the condition (for he, too, had sworn an oath) that he always wears, as nominal bonds and symbols of captivity, a wreath of the agnus castus, and an iron ring made from the metal of his fetters. The secret is then revealed, that a son more mighty than his father is to be born of Thetis, whom Zeus is at that time wooing. On this she is condemned to marry Peleus; and at their nuptial feast, where all the gods are present, Prometheus-sits, the reconciled friend and honoured guest of Zeus,

Extenuata gerens veteris vestigia pœnæ, Quam quondam, silici restrictus membra

catenâ,

Persolvit, pendens e verticibus præruptis.'t

ART. III.-The Coltness Collections, M. DC.VIII-M.DCCC.XL.; Printed for the Maitland Club. Edinburgh. 4to. 1842. pp. 437.

ing of MSS. illustrative of Scottish history and antiquities, was followed speedily by some gentlemen of Glasgow and the neighbouring counties, who formed the Maitland Club on an exactly similar scale of expense, but undertook especially the preservation of documents connected with their own part of the country. These two clubs print their books in the same shape-handsome quartos; and they have from the beginning acted on the principle of submitting to each other a specimen of every work about to be sent to the press, and allowing additional copies to be thrown off for the members of the sister association, if these desire to have them. Each club has now put forth several scores of volumes; and though we are far from thinking that all the MSS. patronised by either deserved to be printed at length, or even in abridgment, there is no doubt that out of their two collections a highly curious library of Scottish antiquarian miscellanies may already be arranged on the shelves of any judicious subscriber. Their influence was soon felt on this side of the Tweed; and both here in London, and in several of the English counties, institutions of much the same character have met with ready support. As far as we know, the Southern clubs of recent origin affect less of luxury in the style of their imprints. The Camden, for example, produces quartos of much smaller size, and gives more matter (and good matter too) at a far less annual cost. And the Grainger, whose peculiar object is the engraving of historical and family portraits (with brief biographical accompaniments), deserves to be more particularly recommended for the extreme moderation of its demands on the purses of its members. We are of opinion that the Scotch clubs ought to have adopted from the first the plan of a double series of books -presenting works of general importance in one form, and things of inferior or more limited interest in another. By and bye, if they continue to go on and prosper, the accumulation of these bulky quartos will become alarming, even in a good-sized country house.

It is to be observed, that, though the annual subscription even for these Scotch clubs is not heavy, they seem to expect that every member shall sooner or later print

THE example of the Bannatyne Club, instituted at Edinburgh in 1823 for the print-some one book at his own expense, and

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present it to the Society. The slenderest volume thus given in either of these collections could not have been printed for less than 501. The majority must have cost 1007. each at the least; and not a few have The Duke of Buccleuch, for example, prebeen produced at a much higher expense.

ments from such a source as evidences of fact in the tracing of a remote pedigree, every intelligent peerage-lawyer would have been delighted to have as much as could have been afforded from either Sir Archibald's or his great-grandfather's papers-and would have studied such relics, however abounding in dreamy flatteries, without the least disposition to judge harshly of the penman. Men of the calibre of Mr. Riddell, or Sir F. Palgrave, or Sir Harris Nicolas, have not dimmed their eyes over

sented, as his contribution to the Banna-, modern peerage-lawyers. We venture to tyne, the large and valuable Chartulary of say that, however slow to admit any stateMelrose, at a cost of more than a thousand guineas to himself; and the Earl of Glasgow, not contented with printing the Chartulary of Paisley at about the same rate for the Maitland, is at this moment conducting through the press the MSS. Analecta of Wodrow (the ecclesiastical historian) in a series of four or five quartos, the aggregate expenses of which cannot come short of another 10007. It is no wonder that such munificence should be imitated, according to private gentlemen's more moderate resources; and if the result is that among these already numerous volumes we find a considerable proportion to consist of documents which neither club might have been likely to print as a club, but which were recommended to individual care by feelings of family pride or tenderness, we are not those who complain of that result. The Coltness Collections' form a volume of the class now alluded to. It is edited by Mr. Dennieston, of Dennieston, a gentleman connected by marriage with the family of Stewart of Coltness, in Lanarkshire, now extinct in the male line.

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The contents are miscellaneous enough, as may be guessed from the dates on the title-page; but taken together they seem to us to form a singularly curious specimen of family history. Indeed we doubt if there be a book of the kind that throws more light on the details of Scottish life in past time-we should hardly except the Memorie of the Somervilles'-and we know of none by half so striking for its illustration of the changes that have taken place in the economical and social condition of Scotland since the period of the Union.

The first article in the miscellany is a fragment of a regular 'Genealogy' of this branch of the Stewarts, drawn up by a Sir Archibald Stewart, who died in 1773 at the age of ninety, and appears to have had for materials a vast variety of ancient family

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".... all such reading as was never read,'

without learning to smile gently and cbaritably upon the unconscious exaggerations and romantic embellishments of such worthy persons as were here in question. They know that the seemingly wildest stories found in such repositories had grown into shape by slow degrees among good, simple, sequestered people, whose historical and geographical attainments were scanty, and full of all manner of confusion ; who had not the least idea of applying critical acumen to any subject with which no immediate issue as to pounds, shillings, and pence was connected; who were probably shrewd and practical enough as to the narrow path of their direct personal interests in the world—but knew too little of anything besides that, to be able to keep reason and imagination each to its proper working-for whom all beyond their own hard beat was an intellectual desert, the natural soil of the mirage. Moreover, it is not now the fashionable canon that, because a tradition contains in it some palpable absurdity, it cannot contain anything worthy of attention even as to matter of fact. However dates and names may be perplexed and transmuted, there is very often reality in the outline of the transactions; and finally, even when the transaction can

be proved to be quite fabulous, we must remember that the story was believed; wherefore the circumstances of it must be

framed upon actual manners, and the imaginary motives and impulses such as found a ready response among existing men. As our philosophical poet says of the Roman legends dissipated in the laboratory of Nie

papers, among others a detailed Narrative' penned by an ancestor who died in 1608-of which Narrative' the original MS. has not been discovered. Mr. Dennieston gives only the latter chapters of Sir Archibald's genealogical performance; alleging for the omission of the earlier part a reason which we humbly think ought not to have had much weight at this time of day-namely, that the Narrative' from which Sir Archibald drew with unques-Complacent fictions were they; yet the same Involved a history of no doubtful sense, tioning faith, had sundry statements as to History that proves by inward evidence the primeval splendour of the tree, which From what a precious source of truth it came. would not bear the cross-examining of Ne'er could the boldest eulogist have dared

buhr:

Such deeds to paint, such characters to frame,
But for coeval sympathy prepared
To greet with instant faith their loftiest claim.**

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It seems to us extremely doubtful whether the Memorie of the Somervilles' could bear close sifting as to many of its facts,' but its details of manners hardly on that account less valuable than Pitscottie's. We are sorry, therefore, that the present editor shrunk from printing this family story entire as he found it. The chapters omitted belong, however, to the Stewarts of Alertoun (or Alanton) before the knightly branch of Coltness sprung from their tree; and of that branch we have here a sufficiently full account.

Before we come to it we must give a single extract as to the parent stem. The genealogist, treating of Sir Walter Stewart of Alertoun, the elder brother of the first laird of Coltness, mentions that he had a fifth son, who 'in his younger years was called the Captain of Alertoun,' from this incident, viz. :

changing the climate might do good, and the south of France, Montpellier, was the place. Amidst all this humanity and politeness, he omitted not in person to return thanks to God in a pointed grace after his repast, and after this hasted on his returne to joyn the army. The lady had been a strenuous royalist, and her [eldest] son a captain in command at Dunbar : yet, upon this interview with the generall, she abated much of her zeall. She said she was sure Cromwell was one who feared God, and had that fear in him, and the true interests of religion at heart. A story of this kind is no idle digression; it has some small connection with the family concerns, and shows some little of James, the captain, grew up a sagatious, pruthe genious of these distracted times. Our dent, country gentleman, not of much acquired polishing. pp. 9, 10.

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Robert, the youngest, was of a strange mixture of mind, had frequently a diabolick amania, would for days curse and blaspheme, and have returns of deep remorse and prayer, and then seemed to incline to what was best. He

He

'Oliver Cromwell, Captain-General of the had intelligence of all that passed in the counEnglish sectarian army, after taking Edinburgh try, and was naturally satiric to every one he Castle, was making a progress through the west stumbled on, saying bitter things, and was exof Scotland, and came down towards the river cessively pleased with his own sarcasms. Clyde, near Lanrick, and was on his march back scarce spoke intelligibly but to such as were acagainst King Charles II.'s army, then with the quent with his dialect. He was a great freKing at Stirling; and, being informed of a near quenter of Knowsyde* preachings, (so he called way through Aughtermuir, came with some field conventicles), and was much disgusted at general officers to reconaiter, and had a guide his mother's brother for accepting a bishoprick; along. Sir Walter, being a royalist and cove and when the Bishop of Galloway was praying nanter, had absconded. As he passed, he called in Alerton's family, that God would heal the in at Alertoun for a further guide, but no men rents and divisions in the church, Robert called were to be found, save one valetudinary gentle-out thrise in the tyme of prayer audibly, "Wayt man, Sir Walter's son. He found the road not th'self, auntie's Bille,f the Bish'p!" He meant practicable for carriages, and upon his returne all the episcopall clargie by the Bishop, and it he called in at Sir Walter's house. There was went into a proverb when any one did wrong, none to entertain them but the lady and chil- contrair to light and knowledge. He lived till dren, and her sickly son. The good woman after King William's death, and was a strong was as much for the King and Royall family as Revolution man, and upon Queen Anne's accesher husband, yet offered the generall the civili- sion grumbled much. His course expression ties of her house, and a glace of canary was was- "Hussy King! no God's will a Hussy presented. The generall observed the formes of King!" and mocked extremely at it. He had a these times (I have it from good authority), and sagatious wise face and look, but had ane unihe asked a blessing in a long pathetick grace versall palsy. His sinows shrunk, and his body before the cupe went round; he drunk his good gradualy contracted; and when I first saw him, wishes for the family, and asked for Sir Walter, about fifty, he walked with staffs; in his older and was pleased to say his mother was a Stew-age he lost the use of his limbs, and carryed art's daughter, and he had a relation to the himself about by the strength of his armes. I name. All passed easy, and our James, being give his character more fully, because it affected a lad of ten years, came so near as to handle me much to see the various schemes pass in his the hilt of one of the swords, upon which Oli- mind, and there was somewhat more singular ver strocked his head, saying, “You are my lit-in the clouds, and the seren intervalls in his tle captain ;" and this was all the commission our Captain of Alertoun ever had. The general called for some of his own wines for himself and other officers, and would have the lady try his wine, and was so humain, when he saw the young gentleman maiger and indisposed, he said,

* Wordsworth's 'Poems, chiefly of Early and Late Years.' 1842. p. 116.

knew; and if ever there was in our time what temper, than in any human creature ever I we call a possession by devils, there was at times a legion in this man. He expressed himself sensible thereof at times, and said the devil was running away with his heart, when the

* Knoll-side.

"Blame thyself, aunt's brother, the Bishop."

burgh, and his son, by Bessie or Elisabeth Cum ming, is marked as a member of our first Protestant Generall Assemblie, anno 1560. This gentleman, in way of his business, went to France to purchase velvets, silk, gold and silver laces, &c., and at Paris married one Jagish or Jacoline de Tot, and of this marriage was Hendry Hope, father to Anna; though this Hendry, the elder brother, had no sons, yet his younger brother, Lord Advocate Sir Thomas Hope's fam

fitt seased him, and in his penitancy charged al | these blasphemies to the evil feind. At times he was in a high flow of spirits, and in his mirth had much the air of his cusin-german, the great and wise Sir James Stewart, Lord Advocate; and David Earle of Glasgow, his nephew, had much of his look and likeness. He was a great smoker of tobacco, and in his frensies would promise to smoke a pipe at the devil's fyersyde, and seemed to converse with him under kind | epithets but of this more than enough.'-pp.ily spread in many beautiful male branches. 11, 12.

But it is time to take up the chapter in which the author introduces directly the founder of his own branch, James Stewart; and here he gives many particulars which the student of old manners and habits will consider curious and instructive. James, he says, " was a promising genious, and soon put to his apprenticeship with a marchant in Edinburgh,' whose favour he gained by steady attention and a winning behaviour.' When his time was up he established himself in the marchant-factor and banker way;' and had he only minded the private affairs in his employment, and not by little and little been dragged into high spheres of politicks in Church and State,' his descendant doubts not that he

must have become

immensely rich. But his generous principles did not incline to graspe at welth, but rather to be useful, benevolent, and beneficent. The patriarchal characteristick has alwise much of the benevolent patriot or hero in it, and Providence has for ordinary distinguished by some eminence of genious such as are to be, as it were, the root of nations, or more eminent families, and even small families have this in proportioun. In otio et negotio probus. Thus probity and benevolence were the shining characteristicks of Sir James, the first of Cultness: in these he excelled, and was a true Christian | heroe.

This is our family tradition of the Hopes, however fictitious genealogies may be invented to flatter a noble overgrown rich family, as is now

Earl Hopton's.

Thus was Anna Hope descended from creditable, substantiall burgar families; it was not her being niece to Thomas Hope was the motive induced the marriage, but her intrinsick virtue, with her prudence to conduct a family, and their loves were mutuall and reciprocall. A trifling story may illustrate this, and that plain downright ingenuity of these times. I have heard that James Stewart, when exercising his agility near where Heriot's Hospitle was then building, and in jumping across a draw well, now the covert well in the middle of the square, (his mistress was by accident walking at some little distance), in this youthful frolick, his hat struck on the pully of the well and dropt into the pitt; Anna, hearing of this accident, in surprise fainthe escaped, as was said, a great danger, and ed away. They made some innocent mirth after, and she was by this discovered to be James Stewart's sweetheart; by this name a mistress was then called.

'At this time he was one-and-twenty, and she about a year younger. They were wedded in about a year after, and his mother's brother, James first Lord Carmichel, the Lord Treasur our-depute, on his part, and Sir Thomas Hope, Lord Advocate, for her, takes burthen on him for the conditions on his niece's parte, for Anna's father was now sometime dead. It were needless to narrate articles and conditions in this contract;-it is not the largest provisions at first outsett that makes the happiest marriages or the richest testaments. Both were in the marchant way, he in the marchant-factor and exchange Entering into the marriage state was earely business, and she following a branch of her Sir James his cair. Wedlock is a more solemn father's traffick in the retealing shop trade, which concerning caise than most men imagine; the she prosecute thereafter to good account, and contexture of all economicall blessings arises had her distinct branch of business in accurate out of a wise choise. Here our young banker account and method, for she purchased these did not sett himself to court what is called a shops in Luckenbooths that had been in her fortune, nor a distinguished beauty; a helpe- father's, grandfather's, and great-grandfather's mate for him was his devout wish, a compain- possession as tennants, and a chamber over ion he might be assured of, in good or bad con-them; and she left at death to her husband and dition. And such was Anna Hope, daughter of family 36,000 merks, thus acquired by her inHendry Hope, and Katherine Galbreath, a dustry, enduring the sixteen or eighteen years daughter of Galbraith of Kilcroich; and Kath- the marriage subsisted. She made few demands erine's mother was a daughter of Provost Little. for family expenses, but answered most of these The Hopes are of French extraction, from Pi- from her profites in her own way. "Many cardy: it is said they were originally Houblon, daughters have done virtuously, (as in the Heand had their name from the plant, and not from brews), and gott riches, but thou excellest all.” esperance, the virtue in the mind. The first "The offspring of such perfect love and industhat came over was a domestick of Magdelene try must needs resemble their parents, and have of France, Queen to King James V., and of him a happy turne. She brought her husband seven are descended all the eminent families of Hopes. sons and one daughter, youngest child of all. This John Hope sett up as marchant of Edin-She was not of those that choose to lett out

their infant children to hyrlings. Her children, tionate or over-fond wife; she was sometimes sucked genuine food from her tender breasts, in the streets, then at the Privy-Councell door, and so may be said to have imbibed their vir- and many times crying and in tears. To give tues from a loving mother's heart. This she one remarkable instance: her husband was a could undergoe among all her other toyls, and staunch Protestant of the Geneva forme, and she neglected no duty of a most affectionate thought our nationall covenant a barrier or outmother during their most tender years. When work of his religion, and some may think he her husband from affection pressed her upon was too much upon the punctilio in this. He these points, she said alwise she should never gave remarkable offence to King Charles's think her child wholly her own, when another Court thus. When that King in person held discharged the most part of the mother's duty, his Parliament in 1633 in Scotland, after his and by wrong nourishment to her tender babe | coronation, our Mr. Stewart was Town-com. might induce wrong habits or noxious diseases, mandant, or Moderator-captain, as it was then or words to this purpose; and she added, "I called, and the City of Edinburgh's melitia or have often seen children take more a strain of train-bands were then the Parliament's guards. their nurse than from either parent." Thus Commandant Stewart was upon duty; the was Sir James happy in a nursing mother to a King at this time had some English and Irish numerous family, for six children survived her, popish Peers in his retenew and train; Stewart and came to man's estate.' gave strict orders that none of his Majesty's popish Lords or gentry should enter the Parliament-house or Tolbooth, and when the dispute ran high, the commandant snatched a halbert, stood cross the entry, and checked their insolence. Privy-Councell where the King was present, He was upon this called before the and with surprising firmness stood his ground, and was dismissed; but ane expedient was found; for the popish gentry gott hattons of privilege, as the High Constable's and Chief Marischall's guards. However, this fixed Mr. Stewart high in the esteem of all or most citizens, and though it made him obnoxious to the Court frowns, yet many of our Scotish Lords underhand approved his conduct.'-pp. 15-19.

If our reader be acquainted with Mr. R. Chambers's Traditions of Edinburgh' (1825)-or indeed with the latter notes to the Waverley Novels, he will not be surprised with the familiar intermixture of social orders and employments, now and long since widely separated, which this extract sets before us. Until the Scotch had free admission to the English colonies, their gentry, and even their nobility, considered it as no derogation to breed younger sons for the industry of the shop; and while the wives and daughters of tradesmen, of every description, took a principal part, as a matter of course, in the business by which the family subsisted, unmarried and widowed gentlewomen, when scantily provided for in worldly goods, appear very often to have preferred establishing themselves as mereers, milliners, or the like, to encroaching on the resources of a father or elder brother, who had probably enough to do to support the dignity of his ancient Towerhouse' on the edge of the Moorland. It may be seriously doubted whether the modern changes, in some of these matters, have not operated unfortunately on the substantial happiness of the men, and still more so of the women. But to proceed with the history:

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In process of time James Stewart came to be a Baillie of Edinburgh, and was knighted; and, not to contradict the old adage, that as soon as a Scotchman gets his head above water he becomes a landed man,' Sir James turned his attention to a property then in the market, situated in the same parish with his elder brother's bereditary lairdship. This Coltness is two miles west from Alertoun, and had a convenient little Tower-house: it is a freehold of the crown, and gives a vote at elections.'

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'After Sir James had made the above purchase, he lost the most loving wife and carefull Pprovident mother any family was ever blessed with. He bewailed the death of Anna Hope sincerely and as a Christian husband. This If the wife had any fault, it was in being considerable turne in his family fell out in anno too anxious, either when she imagined her hus- 1646. The marriage had subsisted sixteen or band in any danger, or upon his necessary ab- seventeen years, it may be said in a kind of prisences abroad. No occasion of writing was to mitive innocent state, for there were no broylls be omitted, else it was next to death, and with nor differences. She was laid in Sir James his her even writing in ordinary course was not suffi- burying-ground, in the higher parte of the Greycient to satisfy that affection, which could figure friars' church-yard, Edinburgh, on the west side from love's diffidency a thousand disasters. wall, near where the passage goes to Heriot's Soon after their marriage religious and political Hospitle; and on account of the publick passage disputes ran so high, that there were frequent being too near this grave, Sir James, by act of occasions for her first kind of disquiet. In Town Council, had the entrie removed, and it such giddy times 'tis impossible one can stand was carryed about fifty yards farther south, to neuter, without being obnoxious to both parties, the place where it now is: the vestige of the and, where all are embroyled, men are surround- old entrie is yet to be seen, on the back parte of ed with perils. It is easy to imagine what im- the wall, near by where she lyes interred. pressions distracted the mind of such an affec

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Sir James was soon sensible what a loss it

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