a decent twelve shillings octavo. Even this was not enough; they could not think of the King's departure, while a single vestige of doubt could possibly remain in his mind, as to their wonderful acquirements. They accordingly held "Theses Theologica de Potestate Principis," with great parade of logic and learning; and, (not to let the King escape without a compliment,) we are informed, that when any difficulty worthy of regal solution occurred, that is to say, when the Principal and Professors were fairly baffled, his Majesty interfered, and so successfully, "ut omnes (qui et plurimi et dictissimi interfuerant) auditores in summam rapuerit admirationem."

Philosophical problems, on a subsequent day, were also propounded, no doubt, to the great illumination of his Majesty, who departed for Stirling, where he was met by the whole posse of Professors from Edinburgh, Adamson, Fairlie, Sands, Young, Reid, King, &c. who spouted their philosophical theses by the hour. The King, when at supper the same night, is said to have produced the following jeu d'esprit in compliment to them, which is fully as good as any dusty metaphysics he got from them, and certainly far more ingenious :

"As Adam was the first of men, whence all beginning tak,
So Adamson was president, and first man in this Act.
The Theses Fairlie did defend, which thogh they lies contein,
Yet were fair lies, and he the same right fairlie did maintein.
The feild first entred Master Sands, and there he made me see,
That not all Sands are barren Sands, but that some fertile bee.
Then Master Young most subtilie the Theses did impugne,
And kythed old in Aristotle, althogh his name bee Young.
To him succeeded Master Reid, who, thogh reid be his name,
Neids neither for his disput blush, nor of his speach think shame.
Last entred Master King the lists, and dispute like a King,
How Reason, reigning as a Queene, shuld anger vnder-bring.
To their deserved praise have I thus playd upon their names,
And wiss their colledge hence be called, the Colledge of KINGJAMES."

His Majesty having arrived at the city, which was then called Glasgow, and now the West Country, Mr. William Hay, of Barro, delivered a most luminous oration,

which, however, the sight of such a splendid cavalcade very nearly made him fall through, as he fairly confesses:

"Seing euerie thing heere about mee magnificent, high, and glorious, I am become like one tutched with a Torpedo, or seen of a Woulfe; and my words, as affrayed, ar loath to come out of my mouth; but it shall be no dishonour to mee to succombe in that for the which few or none can be sufficientlie able."

But he afterwards cheers up, and proceeds in the following strain, which we boldly stake against the finest things ever uttered by Counsellor Phillips :

"O, day! worthie to bee marked with the most orient and brightest pearls of Inde, or with them which that enamoured Queen of Nile did macerat to her valorous as vnfortunat lover! O, day, more glorious (becaus without blood) then that in which, at the command of that imperious captain, the sune stayed his course, and forgot the other hemisphere! Thou hast brought vs againe our prince, by three diadems more glorious than hee was in that last day, when with bleeding harts and weeping eyes wee left him. Those who never looked on our horizon but as fatall comets, nor ever did visit vs but heavie with armes, and thirstie of blood-Thou, O day! as benigne planets, friends, and compatriots, bringest vnto vs.'

When he concludes, forward steps Master Robertus Bodius, in the name of the University, and delivers a glorious Latin speech, copiously interspersed with Greek quotations, and concluding with the words, "Amen. Amen. Vivat Rex Jacobus in æternum."

The Glasgow scholars were not deficient in their turn, but thundered forth Latin poems, signed Robertus Blarus, and Greek congratulations, ending with David Dicksonus.

Paisley would appear to have been a city, noted for its extensive literature even at this remote era of our history; and, what is still more remarkable, their knowledge appears to have come to them by intuition; a great proof of which is exhibited in the volume before us, wherein is a clever oration, delivered in the Earl of Abercorn's great hall, "bya prettie boy, William Semple," which commences with the following noble similie :

"A graver orator, Sir, would better become so great an action, as to welcome our great and most gratious soveraine; and a bashfull silence were a boye's best eloquence. But seeing wee read, that in the salutations of that Romane Cæsar,a sillie pye, amongst the rest, cried, Ave Caesar, to: Pardon mee, Sir, your M. owne old parret, to put furth a few words, as witnesses of the fervent affections of your most faithfull subjects in these parts, who all by my tongue, as birds of one cage, crye with mee, Ave Cæsar, Welcome most gratious Kinge.”

When Master Williame had made an end of speaking, another good thousand hexameters were produced in the shape of a Carmen Panegyricum.

At Hamilton, Sir William Mure, younger of Rowallan, presented a copy of English verses, which, in despite of their quaintness and classical affectation (which, it would appear, were characteristic of the times), possess no mean degree of poetical merit. We quote the following stanzas as a specimen :

"Great JAMES, whose hand a thre-fold scepter swayes,
By heavens exalted to so high a place,

Both crown'd with gold and never-fading bayes,
Who keps three kingdoms in so still a peace;

Whose love, cair, wisdome, grace, and high deserts,
Have maid thee monarch of thy subjects' harts.
"Thogh thou by armes great empyrs may'st surprise,
Mak Europe thrall, and over Asia reigne,
Yet at thy feet, despysed, Bellona lyes:

No crownes thou craves which bloody conqueis stain.
While others aim at greatness boght with blood,
Not to bee great thou stryves, bot to bee good.
"Whome snakie hatred, soul-conceiv'd disdaine,
Hart-rooted rancor, envy borne in hell,

Did long in long antipathie detaine,

To either's ruine, as they both can tell,

Uniting them, thou hast enlarged thy throne,
And maid devyded Albion all bee one."

At Sanquhar, and Drumlanrig, his Majesty was also greeted in Latin poems; and, returning by Dumfries to his English dominions, Mr. James Halyday, in the name of the town,scattered the flowers of rhetoric on the King's head, with a most lavish hand.

To the "Muses Welcome to King James, on his return to Scotland," are appended the " Planctus, et Vota Musarum in Augustissimi Monarchæ Jacobi, Magnæ Bri

tanniæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ Regis, &c. Recessu è Scotia in Angliam, Augusti 4, Anno 1617, 's EuXÓλWS πιπίεσιν οι λαμπραί τυχαι ! Edinburghi, Excudebat Andreas Hart, Anno 1618." It is a collection of Latin poems, equally honourable to the loyal feelings and to the erudition of our ancestors, but of which our limits preclude us from exhibiting any specimen.

But we must make an end. What we have said and quoted is sufficient to convince our cotemporaries, both here and in Dublin, that it may be as difficult to imitate the expressions of the loyalty of King James's time, as it was at the coronation of George IV. to find patterns for the dresses of that age.

When his Majesty visits Scotland, we shall be quite content if the memorials which will probably be compiled of the event convey to posterity specimens, as honourable, of the genius, the taste, and learning, not only of the universities, but of the merchants, and other civil citizens, as the curious and amusing volume to which we have referred.

Blackwood's Magazine.

ON THE KNOWLEDGE, RELIGION, AND MORALS OF THE ENGLISH.

WHAT Constitutes the knowledge of a nation are sound political ideas spread through every class, and general information in science and literature. In the first respect, the English have no rivals in Europe; in the second, I know no people who can be compared to them, except the Germans of the north. Still the English would have an advantage which can belong only to their institutions, which is, that the first class of society devotes itself as much to study as the second. Mr. Fox wrote learned dissertations in Greek during his hours of leisure from parliamentary debates; Mr. Windham has left several interesting treatises on mathematics and

literature. The English have at all times honoured learning; Henry VIII., who trampled every thing under foot, yet respected men of letters, when they did not come in opposition to his ungoverned passions. The great Elizabeth was well versed in the ancient languages, and even spoke Latin with facility. The foppery of ignorance, with which we had reason to reproach the French nobility, was never introduced among the princes or nobility of England. One would think that the former were persuaded that the divine right, by which they hold their privileges, entirely exempted them from the study of human science-Such a manner of thinking could not exist in England, and would only appear ridiculous. Nothing factitious can succeed in a country where every thing is subjected to publicity. The English nobility would be as much ashamed of not having had a distinguished classical education, as men of the second rank in France were, heretofore, of not going to court; and these differences are not connected, as some pretend, with French frivolity. The most persevering scholars, the deepest thinkers, have belonged to that nation, which is capable of any thing when it chooses; but its political institutions were so defective, that they perverted its natural good qualities.

In England, on the contrary, the institutions favour every kind of intellectual progress. The juries, the administration of counties and towns, the elections, the newspapers, give the whole nation a great share of interest in public affairs. The consequence is, that it is better informed; and that, at a venture, it would be better to converse with an English farmer upon political questions, than with a great number of men on the continent, even the most enlightened. That admirable good sense which is founded on justice and security exists nowhere but in England, or in the country that resembles it, America. Reflection must remain a stranger to men who have no rights; since as soon as they perceive the truth, they must be first unhappy, and soon after filled with the spirit of revolt. It must be admitted also, that in a country where the armed force has almost