SCOTLAND.
THE early history of Scotland, like that of all other countries, and like that of Britain in general, is lost in obscurity. Hence fable has as usual been substituted for reality, and hence we have not been without the appearance at least of an early history. That these fables have received the sanction of Buchanan, is not a reason why they should longer be repeated. It re mained for Hailes, in our own day, and for Chalmers, still later, to clear up such of these obscurities as ad mitted of arrangement and illumination, to reject fable, and to add from authentic and new documents, much that had been neglected and forgotten by those who were more desirous to construct a continued narrative, than willing to search for what was difficult of attain ment. In this narrow sketch we must not only reject much of what used formerly to pass for history, but must even condense into a dry and meagre chronicle, that which, better treated, would be utterly incompa tible with our limits.
From the number of our Celtic topographical names, from our possessing a living dialect of this ancient language, and from the general knowledge of the Celtic migrations, we have reason to believe that the first population of Scotland, as of England, was a Cel tic race, of which we still possess the remains. But, at a very early period, the doubtful and disputed date of which lies probably about the first and second centu ries before Christ, a Gothic race, known by the name of Pets, or Picts, settled in Scotland, occupying entire ly the northern islands, and probably establishing themselves by the conquest of the original Celts, as the Danes and Ostmen, in general did, in after-times, in Britain and Ireland generally. That they were, in fact, the very same people, the progenitors of those whose invasions and conquests were so often repeated in after-times, seems almost proved; and hence did the low country of Scotland derive its Saxon, or rather Danish language, the very language which it possesses to this day.
That these were the Caledonians who so long and successfully resisted the Romans, is proved, partly by their geographical position, but most unquestionably by the evidence of Tacitus, who describes their tall stature, light hair, and blue eyes, and who adds that their German origin is thus evinced. It is well known
that the Celts, on the other hand, were a small and dark people, with black eyes and hair.
Henceforward we have no knowledge, we cannot even form a conjecture respecting the state and history of Caledonia till the arrival of the Romans; and the little which we thus possess, we must borrow from Roman history. It was in the year 75 A. D. that the Romans, who had originally invaded Britain 130 years before, first prolonged their investigations to Scotland. But it was in 78 that Agricola assumed the command in Britain, and, two years after, he entered the coun try with an army; repeating his campaigns for suc cessive years, till, in 84, he extended his attack, and fought against Galgacus, the celebrated battle of the Grampians, on the borders of the mountains, and ap parently near Stonehaven.
Having gained a victory, and accepted hostages, his Rea circumnavigated Scotland; and the result of their discoveries is embodied in the ancient Geography of Ptolemy and others. But, in 85, he was removed and recalled; and henceforward there is a long period of silence and darkness until the visit of Adrian.
The Emperor Adrian visited Britain to correct abuses and restore tranquillity. The better to secure the frontiers, he built a rampart between the Firth of Solway and the river Tyne; providing a security against the attacks of the refractory tribes in the South, who could not be restrained by the military posts be tween the Firths of Forth and Clyde.
Upon the death of Adrian, Antoninus assumed the purple, and appointed as his lieutenant in Britain, Lol lius Urbicus. It was during the government of Ur bicus that the second Roman Wall was erected, which extended from Carron on the Forth to Dunglass upon the Clyde. Its total length was sixty-three thousand nine-hundred and eighty-yards, and this stupendous rampart was defended by nineteen forts. This wall was obviously intended to overawe the tribes that lived on the south side, as well as to repel the incursions of the northern Caledonians. The same policy which suggested the expediency of erecting such a formida ble barrier along the course of Agricola's military stations, suggested also the necessity of constructing roads and fixing stations throughout the Roman terri tories in Britain.