Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]
[graphic][merged small]

THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY, For SEPTEMBER 1813.

Description of CASTLECARY.

THE remains of this very ancient

fortress are situated four miles west of Falkirk, on the borders of the county of Stirling, where it joins that of Dumbarton. It lies immediately to the South of the Roman wall, built by Antoninus Pius, and extending from the Firth of Forth to that of Clyde; and it forms one of the forts erected by Agricola for the defence of that frontier. Its situation, as usual in such stations, is high, and commanding an extensive prospect. It is of a square form, and surrounded with a high wall, enclosing several acres of ground. The whole space within the wall has been occupied by buildings, the ruins of which, having raised the ground ten or twelve feet above its original level, give to the fort the appearance of the top of a hill surrounded with a sunk fence; the rubbish above the stones has been ploughed, and yielded tolerable crops.

ing erect, about two feet in length, and bearing evident marks of fire. They appeared to have been designed to support some vessel, under which fire was put, and perhaps the place might have been once a Roman Balneum. In the middle of the station, where the Prætorium stood, large ruins were also discovered; but the men not finding stones for their purpose, soon gave over digging.

The outer wall of the fort has been surrounded with a double ditch, or vallum, which is still filled with water upon the south side, where the entry was formed by a large causeway intersecting the ditch. Upon the west is a steep descent into a glen, through which a rivulet runs; and, on the north, lies a low and barren muir, where is a free stone quarry,

out of which the stones of the fort

have been dug, as appears from their being of the same grain,

TISH VICTORIES.

TO THE EDITOR.

In 1770, while the great canal On a recent Mode of celebrating BRIwas building, Castlecary being in its vicinity, workmen were employed to search in the ruins for stones, that might be applied to its use. They then discovered sundry apartments built with stone and lime, in one of which were a number of stones stand

SIR,

AM far from wishing to convey any censure on our Magistrates, for wishing to give some public tes

timony of their exultation at the successes of the British arms. On the great occasion of Vittoria, they were accused of being somewhat remiss in this particular. But they have certainly, on recent occasions, shewn an extraordinary zeal to wipe off this aspersion. I only incline to doubt if some of the methods taken be exactly suited to the dignity of their station, or to the reputation of this learned and famous city. I allude particularly to the pasting up of placards, and above all of such placards as have been recently exhibited. The following, which is the last, I will venture to say, can produce only one sentiment in the mind of any person who has the least idea of taste or elegant composition. All attempts to illustrate the beauties of this production were superfluous; they must be obvious to the most superficial reader. I content myself, therefore, with transmitting a simple copy of it, preserving that arrangement of breaks and capitals on which the pungency and emphasis of the composition materially depends.

VICTORY!

[blocks in formation]

Defence of the Situation of the New POLICE OFFICE.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR, YOU are certainly right to be im

partial in taking notice of any Improprieties, either in the intended Improvements or Police of this metropolis; at the same time, this very impartiality will equally incline you to admit of any explanation, or vindication of public measures, in favour of the party who is accused.

I am led into this remark by observing, in the two last numbers of your useful periodical publication, some pretty severe strictures on our Magistrates for converting the north aisle of St Giles's Church into a Police Office. Tho' I have no connec tion with these gentlemen, or look for any favour from them, yet justice obliges me to take their part on this occasion.

The writer of these papers endeavours to point out how sacrilegeous it is to convert any part of a building, originally intended for sacred purposes, into an office for civil use. He appears, however, to have altogether forgot, that this part of the building has, it is believed, for those two centuries, been occupied as such, though in a different way; and it seems to be of very little consequence, whether it is now to be used as one Law of fice or another.

Your correspondent is also pleased to remark, that there was no occasion Office, from a place so well adapted whatever, for changing the Police for its purposes, to its new station.

With regard to the former Office, I need hardly remark, that altho' it may have made a shift to answer for useful and necessary establishment, it a temporary accommodation for this was by no means an eligible situation for it. Besides the narrowness of the entry into it, I have observed that the Court Room was too small and inconvenient.

But

But this is not all. Was there no hardship in subjecting the several private families in the neighbourhood to all the noise and trouble, which they have put up with for years past, rather than complain, when they were satisfied, that the first proper opportunity would be gladly embraced by the Magistrates to rid them of so great a disturbance, as the conveyance of prisoners to and from the office, net to mention the greater nuisance of some of these unhappy persons, knocking and crying, night and day, at the windows of the apartment in which they were confined? this I myself have witnessed. Nay, further, I know a respectable family in the close, who were obliged to remove to another house, solely on account of this troublesome neighbour!

Your correspondent further proposes still to remove this establishment

Edinburgh Improvement Bill to be brought into Parliament, impowering them to purchase, by valuation of a jury, this old tenement, and of rebuilding it in the same form with the other houses of this commodious court. And I can have little doubt, (from what I know of the prices lately given for some houses in the square,) that the city would be refunded by the sale of the first two flats for a Coffee - house, Banking - house, or wholesale Ware-house; of the two upper storeys for dwelling-houses; and of the sunk flats for cellars; while light could still be preserved to the stair in the corner, by one or two grated windows sunk in the extended pavement. I am,

[ocr errors]

SIR,

Your most obedient Servant,

A. B.

to the Signet Office. After what I Edinburgh, 9th Sept. 1813.
have just now mentioned, however,
I suppose he would be inclined to stop
short with this suggestion, and not
wish to see a still more respectable
neighbourhood distressed with it.-
And, indeed, considering that the
situation of the new Office prevents
it from annoying any citizen's family,
it is just in the very part of the town
which answers best for the purpose-
in the centre betwixt the Council
Chamber, and the intended new prison
and county hall.

Biographical Sketch of THOMSON, the
Poet of KENLEITH, with a desul-
tory description of his celebrated
PARNASSUS.

As to the expence which he complains has been incurred in fitting up the new office, it would have cost the community more than triple the sum, to have, purchased ground in an equally eligible place, and to have erected the walls of the building.

There is still a greater objection, however, to the Signet Office being converted into the Police Office. I trust our respectable Magistracy will not let slip the present favourable opportunity of, in some measure, completing the plan of the Royal Exchange, by introducing a clause into the first

Full many a gem, of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower but springs to blush un-

seen,

And waste its sweetness on the desart air.
GRAY.

MEN situated in private life sel

dom attract observation, unless by the coincidence of accidental circumstances. Far from the noise and bustle of the world, their days glide on in a calm uniformity, till at last they drop into the grave, " unnoticed and unknown." But when the inherent spark of genius is elicited by the collision of a kindred mind; when the horizon is lighted up by the first dawnings of intellectual greatness, we gaze with wonder and aston ishment on the prodigy, and, anxious for the result, watch its approximation

to

« PoprzedniaDalej »