VICTORIA. SCOTLAND. ITS CONNECTION WITH ENGLAND.

ing a melancholy example of the state of public morals, and the corrupting influence of power in the nation of which he was the head. The maxim that the king can do no wrong, originally intended only to throw the blame of his political errors on his ministers from whom they emanated, has been strangely perverted to justify the grossest immoralities. William died in 1836, and the crown descended to Alexandrina Victoria.

VICTORIA, the present queen of England is the daughter of the late duke of Kent, deceased, who was the fourth son of George III. Victoria was born the 24th of May, 1819; she succeeded to the crown before held by her uncle, William IV., June 20, 1837; on the 10th of February, 1840, she was married to Prince Albert, of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. On the 21st of November, 1840, Queen Victoria gave birth to a female child, who is the heir presumptive, and in default of male issue, succeeds to the crown, as did her mother.

The nation now pays by annual grants of parliament to the descendants of George III., other than the reigning queen, and to their connections by marriage, upwards of $700,000, and $93,240 to two of king William's cousins, the descendants of George II. to support the dignity of the collaterals of the blood royal.

SCOTLAND. Scotland, the northern section of the island of Great Britain, is separated from England by the river Tweed on the east, Solway frith on the west, and a line between these waters, without a natural boundary. Including its islands, it is situated between 54° and 61° north latitude. Its area is 30,000 square miles, or 20,000,000 acres, 5,000,000 of which only are cultivated. The residue is mountain and lake. Its population by a late census, amounts to 2,365,114.

ITS CONNECTION WITH ENGLAND. Until the death of queen Elizabeth, and the accession of James VI. of Scotland to the English throne, in 1603, it had no other connection with England, than what originated in its occasional subjugation. Up to that time, its history exhibits a desperate and almost constant struggle against its more powerful neighbor, for the preservation of its independence. The union of the two kingdoms under one crown, put an end to these wars, but was attended with no political change in their condition. James I. as king of England, had no power or jurisdiction in Scotland. He was at the same time James VI. of Scotland, but choosing his residence in the southern, and more powerful kingdom, he exercised the powers attached to the crown of Scotland by a lieutenant. The seventeenth century, during which this union of crowns and separations of kingdoms continued, was one of the most tumultuous periods in English history. Charles I., the son and

successor of James, was brought to the block in 1649, for attempting to exercise undefined powers. Cromwell's usurpation immediately followed, with far greater despotism than Charles ever attempted to exercise. This again was followed by the restoration of Charles II. in 1660. Next came the change of dynasty in 1688, from James II. to William prince of Orange. Scotland was not bound by any of these revolutions in England. James VI. and his heirs, according to the order of succession in Scotland, were its legitimate monarchs. The nation, however, was compelled to submit to these changes.

During the latter part of this period, propositions were made at various times, for the union of the two nations under one parliament, which was finally perfected in 1707, under the reign of queen Anne. Scotland was allowed a partial representation in the parliament, consisting of sixteen peers, and forty-five commoners, a number something short of one half she was entitled to by her population. The parliament of the United kingdom, now first taking the name of the parliament of Great Britain, was to make general laws for the whole realm, but Scotland was to retain her local usages, her court, and her forms of administering justice. She also retained her presbyterian creed, and form of worship, which had been ordained by the Scotch parliament in 1696.

PRESBYTERIANISM. This differed from the English church not so much in its doctrines, as on the question of different ranks among the clergy. The Scotch system is founded on a perfect equality of ecclesiastical authority, excluding all pre-eminence. The clergy have no tithes. There are 910 parishes, and 938 clergymen, who discharge the pastoral duties. In the government of the church, they are assisted by a number of elders, selected from its members, who with a minister form a kirk session, the lowest ecclesiastical judicature in Scotland. The ministers of several contiguous parishes, form a presbytery, which has cognizance of the conduct of the clergy, and of other ecclesiastical matters within its bounds. Synods are composed of several presbyteries, and of a ruling elder from each kirk session, and constitute courts of review from the presbyteries. The general assembly is a representative body, consisting of a delegation from the whole church. There are few dissenters in Scotland, the whole number not much exceeding a hundred thousand.

LITERATURE. In no country in Europe is more ample provision made for general education. As early as 1700, an act of the Scotch parliament ordained, "that there shall be a school, and school master in each parish." These establishments, in all of which the elements of learning are taught, and in some of them

FACE OF THE COUNTRY.

the higher branches also, have had a happy effect in diffusing a spirit of inquiry and improvement among all classes.

There are four distinguished universities in Scotland, to wit: Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, where edu- · cation of the highest order is obtainable.

In proportion to its population, Scotland has produced more men of distinguished literary talents than any other nation. Hume, Robertson, Blair, Kames, Ferguson, Smollett, Thomson, Adam Smith, and Sir Walter Scott, are but the commencement of a catalogue which may be greatly extended. Sir Walter, one of the most distinguished writers of the present age, died at Abbotsford, September 21, 1832. His seat is beautifully situated on the south bank of the Tweed, near its junction with the Ettric, and built of a fine gray stone. The expenses of the buildings, and the adjacent grounds, with some heavy losses, involved him in bankruptcy. His creditors, however, generously allowed him to enjoy it during life, and still permit his family to retain the possession. Subscriptions have been raised for preserving it in the style in which it was left by its proprietor, and for erecting a monument to his memory on one of the adjoining hills.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY. Scotland, as to the face of the country, and manners of its inhabitants, is divided into two sections. The first extends from its southern border, to the Grampian hills, and is called the Lowlands. It resembles the neighboring English counties. Its inhabitants, with a better education, exceed their neighbors south of the line, in manners, intelligence and morals. The Highlands, embracing the whole of Scotland north of the southern base of the Grampian hills, is a region of mountain, valley, and lakes or locks, as they are called in the dialect of the country. The mountains are bleak and barren,

FACE OF THE COUNTRY.

the valleys are fertile, but small. The locks, and the adjacent seas, furnish much of the support of the inhabitants. Its northern extremity is a region of almost continued night in the winter, the sun appearing but a few hours daily above the horizon. In the summer, daylight may be seen during the whole twentyfour hours. These regions are peopled by a peasantry of a peculiar character. They have a dialect of their own, derived from the ancient Gaelic, with little improvement, and unintelligible to an Englishman. Their national costume, to which they are peculiarly attached, consists of a kilt, short wide trowsers, descending from the waist to the knees, and a plaid or checkered woollen cloth of various colors, thrown over the shoulders, and fastened by a clasp. The wealth and importance of the wearer, is designated by the richness of the plaid, and the size and elegance of the clasp. The thigh is not otherwise covered than by the loose kilt, but the leg is adorned with a tartan stocking, fastened at the knee with garters of variegated woollen. A small bonnet adorned with a feather, crowns the head. The cabin of the highland peasant is built of round stone, plaistered with mud, and covered with a roof of sods or thatch. The interior is divided into two apartments, by a wicker partition, one appropriated to the cattle and fowls, and the other, the principal one, forms the kitchen, dining room, parlor and lodging place for the whole family. The bed of the Highlander is composed of heath or fern, with a woollen rug for a covering. In the middle of the room is the hearth, over which hangs the pot, in which the family repast is cooked. A hole is left open in the roof to let out the smoke, but not directly over the hearth, lest the rain should put out the fire, so that much of the smoke fills the room, and at length finds its way out at the door. Their food consists of oat meal, milk and fruit. Christmas is with them a great holiday, on which occasion they indulge in the luxury of a slice of mutton or beef. Estimating human happiness by the amount of luxury enjoyed, we should pronounce the highland peasant among the most miserable of human beings; but all experience proves this to be a false estimate. With all his poverty, the Highlander in his dreary mountain hut, is contented, robust, healthy, brave and generous. His appetite gives a zest to his meals, unknown at the table of the rich. His abstemious manner of life banishes dyspepsia, and a train of other disorders, and renders useless the skill of the physician.

There are three clusters of small islands on the coast of Scotland, the Hebrides on the west, with a population of 70,000, and the Orkneys and Shetland islands in the north, with a population of 25,000. The extreme north of Shetland is in latitude 61°, near the arctic circle. The principal occupation and means of subsistence of these islanders is fishing. A hut, a rug, a cow, a pot, a spade, two or three nets, and a boat, form a respectable domestic establishment.

IRELAND.

IRELAND. Ireland is separated from Great Britain by St. George's channel, or the Irish sea, in some places 120 miles, and in others not more than twelve miles in width, between latitude 51° and 55° north. Its length is 280 miles, and breadth 160, and superficies 30,000 square miles. Its population is estimated at 7,767,401. The history of Ireland from its earliest period to the year 1800, exhibits a series of wars on the part of Great Britain for its subjugation, and of oppressions towards a conquered people; and on the part of Ireland, of struggles to maintain her independence, and to resist oppression. For the last three or four centuries, Ireland has yielded to the domination of her more powerful neighbor, and been governed by a lord lieutenant, exercising by deputation the powers of the English monarch, having a parliament of its own, and its laws subject to an absolute negative by its English governor.

In the year 1800, Ireland reluctantly submitted to the annihilation of its parliament, and separate government, and agreed to a political union with Great Britain; with a partial representation in the British parliament, which from that time took the name of the parliament of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Its population amounts to one third of the whole kingdom, its representation in the house of commons to one sixth, and in the house of lords to one twelfth of the parliament.

Ireland suffers much from this unequal representation, especially in her ecclesiastical concerns. The great body of the people have ever been Roman Catholics. With all the aids derived from power and persecution, the reformation has made but little progress. From a calculation made on a particular examination in reference to the emancipation of the Roman Catholics in 1827, the religious character of the population of Ireland is put down at

To minister to this population of 400,000 adhering to the church of England, are four archbishops, eighteen bishops, and 1700 beneficed clergy and curates; a great portion of them nonresidents, holding their places as perfect sinecures; for the support of this establishment, the whole people of Ireland pay tithes amounting to $5,772,000. The clergy not of the established church are 2000 Roman Catholics, and 380 of other denominations. This body has an aggregate income derived from their hearers of $1,171,000, and with few exceptions are employed in active parochial duties. The great mass of the Irish population have two expensive religious establishments to support, one, the