L i b r a r y »
as a p r o t e f t io n f r om th e n o r th e rn in v a d e r s , w h o p a id little rca
to th e f a n f l i t y o f th e ir ch a rad le r s .
T h e p u b l i c w a s g r e a t ly in te r e fte d in th e p r e fe rv a t io n of
p la c e , f o r it w a s th e r e p o f i to r y o f m o f t o f th e an t ien t Scotch]
c o rd s * . T h e l ib r a r y h e re m u l l a i fo h a v e b e e n in v a lu a b le ¡1
c a n d e p e n d u p o n B o e th iu s, w h o a f ie r ts , th a t F erg u s th e 1!. ¡|
in g A la r ic th e G o th , in th e f a c k in g o f R om e, b r o u g h t away
fh a r e o f th e p lu n d e r , a c h e f t o f b o o k s , w h i c h h e prefented tpj
m o n a i le r y o f J o n a . ¿E n ea s S y lv iu s ( a f t e rw a rd s P o p e P iu s II,I
t e n d e d , w h e n h e w a s in S cotla n d , to h a v e v i f i t e d th e library
fe a r c h o f th e lo f t b o o k s o f L iv y , b u t w a s p r e v e n t e d b y the da
o f th e K in g , Jam es I . A fm a l l p a r c e l o f th em "w e r e inis
b r o u g h t to A berdeen +., an d g r e a t p a in s w e r e ta k e n to tali
th em , b u t th r o u g h a g e an d th e ten d e rn e fs o f th e parchra
l i t t l e c o u ld b e r e a d ; b u t f r om w h a t th e le a rn e d w ere abkj
m a k e o u t , th e w o r k a p p e a r e d b y th e f t y le t o h a v e rather W
a f r a gm e n t o f S a llu jl th a n o f L iv y . B u t t h e r e g i f t e r and red
o f th e if la n d , a l l w r it t e n o n p a r c hm e n t , an d p r o b a b ly other ni
a n t iq u e an d v a lu a b le r em a in s , w e r e a l l d e f t r o y e d b y that w
th a n G o th ic fy n o d £ , w h i c h a t th e r e fo rm a t io n d e c la r e d war m
a l l fc ie n c e .
* Vide Mae-besszie, Stillingfltef, Lluyd.
+ Boethius, lib. vii. p. 1 14.. Paulus Jovius, quoted by XJJher, Br. Eecl. 5971 I
I am informed that numbers o f the records o f the Hehrides were prefer^
Vrontbeim till they were deftroyed by the great fire which happened in third
.either in the laft, or preient century,
t M. S. Advocates Library.
J v L V IO,
B a y o p S t .
C o l u m b a .
A t p refent, th is o n c e c e le b r a t e d fe a t o f le a rn in g is d e f t i tu t e
[of even a fc h o o l-m a f t e r ¡ a n d th is fem in a r y o f h o ly m e n w a n ts
jeven a minifter to a f f if t th em in th e c om m o n d u t ie s o f r e l ig io n .
¿rofs the iflan d o v e r a m o f t f e r t i le e le v a t e d t r a c t to th e S . W e f t
fee, to v if it th e la n d in g p la c e o f S t . C o lum b a ; a fm a l l b a y , w i th
a pebbly b e a ch , m ix e d w i th v a r ie t y o f p r e t t y ñ o n e s , fu c h as v io let
colored Q u a r tz , N e p h r itic ñ o n e s , a n d f r a gm e n t s o f p o r p h y r y ,
¡granite and Z te b litz m a r b l e : a v a f t tradb n e a r th is p la c e w a s c o -
i with h eap s o f ñ o n e s , o f u n e q u a l f i z e s : th e fe , a s - i s fa id ,
were the penances o f m o n k s w h o w e r e to ra ife h e a p s o f d im e n fio n s
equal to th e ir c r im e s : a n d to j u d g e b y fom e , i t is n o b r e a c h o f
[charity to th in k th e r e w e r e am o n g th em e n o rm o u s iin n e r s .
On one fid e is ih ew n an o b lo n g h e a p o f e a r th , th e fu p p o fe d
lite o f the v e f le l th a t t r a n fp o r t e d S t . C o hm b a a n d h is tw e lv e d if -
Iciples from Irela n d to th is iflan d .
I On my re tu rn faw , o n th e r ig h t h a n d , o n a fm a l l h i l l , a fm a l l
t e l e o f ñ one s , an d a li t t le ca irn in th e m id d le , e v id e n t ly d ru id i-
«I, but ca lled th e h ill o f th e a n g els, Cnoc n a r-a im g ea l; f r om a t r a - H i l l o r A stoels.
dition that the h o ly m a n h a d th e r e a c o n f e r e n c e w i th th o fe c e le f t ia l
beings foon a fte r h is a r r iv a l . B i ih o p P o co ck in fo rm e d m e , th a t th e
datives were a c c u f tom e d to b r in g th e i r h o r fe s to th is c i r c l e a t th e
■ ° f St. M ich a e l, a n d to c o u r fe r o u n d it . I c o n j e t u r e th a t.
4is ufage o r ig in a te d f r om th e c u f tom o f b le i f in g th e h o r fe s in th e
■ o f fu p e r ftit io n , w h e n th e p r ie f t an d th e h o ly -w a t e r p o t w e r e
■ i n : b u t in la t t e r t im e s th e h o r fe s a r e f t l l l a i fem b le d , b u t
E e a fo n fo rg o t te n .
J r e tr®veller m u f t n o t n e g l e f t to a f c e n d th e h i l l o f D r n - ii -,
| whofe fum m i t is a m o f t p i i tu r e f q u e v ie w o f th e lo n g ch a in
o f