that the magnanimous Catharine could have been so perfect a master of her passions, after having perused the King of Sweden's pamphlet on the Balance of Power? You ought indeed to use us well; us who never have failed to be the faithful friends of England, though sometimes treated with little kindness. We are sensible of it, and therefore ascribe the destruction of the Icelandic colonies in Greenland, at least, to your dear North. Britons. Some accounts we have discovered, which state, that the Scots have fitted out ships and made a descent on Greenland in the four teenth century. Have you ever heard such things? Tyme tryeth truth. It will for ever prove to you that I am, with the most sincere esteem for you and Mrs. Pinkerton, &c. &c. MR. ASTLE TO MR. PINKERTON. Dec. 14th, 1791. Your observations concerning the chronology of our kings, appear to be well founded. Our kings generally dated their instruments from the day of their respective accessions. I have observed the mistakes you mention respecting the years of the reigns of our kings. There are upwards of seventy seals of the kings and magnates of Scotland, drawn from original instruments in the Chapter-house and elsewhere; and I have already illustrated about twenty of them by historical observations, which have been read at the Society.* There are some curious seals of towns, as Berwick, Perth, &c., appendant to deeds dated temp. Edward I. I shall be glad of your assistance in illustrating the figures and ornaments on them. They are at present at Mr. Longmate's, the engraver's, in Noel-street, Wardour-street. I shall be glad if you can call on him, and tell him I wish you to see them as well as the rest of the drawings. I have left a dissertation on a curious instrument, dated at Newcastleupon-Tyne, Jan. 2, 1292. I have directed Mr. Haynes to show it you at the Paper-office, together with the drawings of the seals, in case you should call there. I agree with you in opinion. that the deed which we saw at the Chapter-house, attributed to King David II., is one of Harding's forgeries, for which he obtained a pension from King Henry VI. I have much to say on the subject of the forgeries. Can you contrive to see the seals at Longmate's, in the course of this week, and to meet me at the State Paper Office on Tuesday next? MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN.+ *Five plates of the seals of kings, magnates and royal boroughs in Scotland, with an account by Mr. Astle, were published by the Society of Antiquaries, in the 3rd vol. of the Munimenta Antiqua, No. 26—30. + Indorsed by the Earl of Buchan-" Homoumbratilis — se, ipse dixit. It is his best apology; yet, undoubtedly, he has been a benefactor to literature." and have a due sense of your goodness on this and other occasions. It will take some little time to find out a proper engraver of some substance to undertake the work, and perhaps I may not succeed; but I shall in this case be equally obliged by your lordship's condescension. I am indebted to Dr. Anderson for his handsome permission to my friend; and the condition was previously intended, though I forgot to mention it, or imagined it implied. Being a homo umbratilis, of a hypochondriac, unsocial disposition, I have hitherto abstained from any intention or exertion to become a member of literary societies; but, having received a diploma of election as an honorary member of the Royal Society of Icelandic Literature at Copenhagen, under the patronage of the Prince of Denmark, and being about to be elected a member of the Royal Society of Sciences in Norway, under that of the Danish king's brother, I should wish to be a member of your Antiquarian Society at Edinburgh, as I am of that of Perth. I must confess I should prefer such titles from my own country to those from any other; but I leave this matter entirely to your lordship's discretion, and believe that your lordship will not propose it, if not certain of success; for I have, it seems, enemies at home, who prefer what is sweet in the mouth to those bitter draughts which invigorate the body. THE EARL OF ORFORD* TO MR. PINKERTON. Berkeley Square, Dec. 26th, 1791. As I am sure of the sincerity of your congratulations, I feel much obliged by them, though what has happened destroys my tranquillity; and, if what the world reckons advantages could compensate the loss of peace and ease, would ill indemnify me, even by them. A small estate, loaded with debt, and of which I do not understand the management, and am too old to learn, a source of law-suits amongst my near relations, though not affecting me, endless conversations with lawyers, and packets of letters to read every day and answer,-all this weight of new business is too much for the rag of life that yet hangs about me, and was preceded by three weeks of anxiety about my unfortunate nephew, and a daily correspondence with physicians and mad doctors, falling upon me when I had been out of order ever since July. Such a mass of troubles made me very seriously ill for some days, and has left me and still keeps me so weak and dispirited, that, if I shall not soon be able to get some repose, my poor head or body will not be able to resist. For the empty title, I trust you do not suppose it is * The Hon. Horace Walpole succeeded to the title of Earl of Orford, Dec. 5th, 1791, upon the death of his nephew, George, the 3rd Earl. He died, unmarried, Mar. 2nd, 1797, at the age of 79. any thing but an incumbrance, by larding my busy mornings with idle visits of interruption, and which, when I am able to go out, I shall be forced to return. Surely no man of seventy-four, unless superannuated, can have the smallest pleasure in sitting at home in his own room, as I almost always do, and being called by a new name. It will seem personal and ungrateful too, to have said so much about my own triste situation, and not to have yet thanked you, Sir, for your kind and flattering offer of letting me read what you have finished of your History; but it was necessary to expose my position to you, before I could venture to accept your proposal, when I am so utterly incapable of giving a quarter of an hour at a time to what I know, by my acquaintance with your works, will demand all my attention, if I wish to reap the pleasure they are formed to give me. It is most true that for these seven weeks I have not read seven pages, but letters, states of account, cases to be laid before lawyers, accounts of farms, &c. &c., and those subject to mortgages. Thus are my mornings occupied: in an evening my relations and a very few friends come to me; and, when they are gone, I have about an hour to midnight to write answers to letters for the next day's post, which I had not time to do in the morning. This is actually my case now. I happened to be quitted at ten o'clock, and would not lose the opportunity of thanking you, not knowing when I could command another hour. |