Society, had it in loan for some antiquarian purpose. It is a large brooch, rather more than three inches in diameter, with two concentric circles set with gems, and a raised circular stool in the centre, surmounted with a stone which looked very like a Cairngorm. We do not quite remember what the metal was, but to the best of our recollection it was gold. Altogether the brooch is a magnificent relic, as well as strong, and we are quite sure it took a good tug on the part of Bruce's assailant, whoever he was, to get possession of it.

Probably Sir Walter Scott had it in his mind when he penned the following lines :

"Whence the brooch of burning gold,
That clasps the chieftain's mantle fold,
Wrought and chased with rare device,
Studded fair with gems of price;
On the varied tartan beaming

As through night's pale rainbow gleaming
Fainter now, now seen afar,

Fitful shines the morning star."

-LORD OF THE ISLES.

In February 1818, when workmen were clearing out the site of the old Dunfermline Abbey, they came accidentally upon a vault, which they inferred from its structure to belong to some distinguished individual. And as it corresponded in every way with the place in which, according to the old chroniclers, King Robert was buried, the discovery excited much interest, and the remains-to identify them as his-were examined with great care, by well known antiquarian experts. The result proved, to the entire satisfaction of all of them, that the remains were really those of the great founder of Scottish independence. In the inner vault lay a large body, shrouded in fine linen cloth interwoven with gold-probably the historical "toldour"-a corruption, according to Dr Jamison, of the French " toil d'or," or cloth of gold. When the headstone was removed, some of those who were present observed round the head what appeared to be a crown, but which suddenly vanished on exposure to the fresh air. In 1819, when the walls of the new church were sufficiently high to exclude a crowd, a second inspection was made, and the skeleton was again examined. The teeth in the under jaw were found to be quite entire; but four or five of the upper jaw were wanting, and the jaw itself considerably fractured, no doubt in one of Bruce's early hazardous adventures. The scull, which was of the

ordinary size, was well formed. The breastbone was sawn longitudinally an operation performed after his death-that, as he had willed, his heart might be extracted and deposited in the Holy Sepulchre. His faithful coadjutor, Sir James Douglas, perished in the attempt to carry out his Royal master's wishes, and it is believed the heart of Bruce was eventually deposited in the Abbey of Melrose. Altogether the skeleton indicated great physical strength, as we would expect, from the extraordinary feats of valour Bruce performed. All these circumstances, and the fact that the remains were found "in medio choro," where Fordun says Bruce was buried, make it certain that they were those of this heroic king. After satisfying themselves of this, the bones were carefully replaced in a coffin, into which liquid pitch was poured to protect them from further molestation, and they were then laid in their old resting place, where in all likelihood they will remain undisturbed till "the crack of doom." So much for the brooch and the body that wore it. A word or two more anent other interesting Brucian relics-his sword and helmet. The sword is a two-handed sword, the handle covered with black leather. Both are of steel, and have from age acquired a clear, blackish colour. They were presented by King David Bruce, to his cousin, Sir Robert Bruce of Clackmannan, by whose descendants they have been preserved with the utmost care and veneration. Bruce died at the comparatively early age of fifty-five, of leprosy or scurvy, a disease contracted doubtless, during his early wanderings and severe privations, subsisting as he frequently did for months in succession on the scantiest and poorest fare. He lived, however, to see the grand aim of his heroic life accomplished, and to bequeath a memory ever dear to all true Scottish descendants of those

"Wha hae with Wallace bled,

Scots wham Bruce has aften led."

"O Thou who pour'd the patriotic tide

That streamed through Wallace's undaunted heart;
Who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride

Or nobly die the second glorious part.

The patriot's God peculiarly thou art,

His friend, inspirer, guardian, and reward.

O! never, never Scotia's realm desert,

But still the patriot and the patriot bard,
In bright succession raise her ornament and guard."
Kenmore.
ALLAN SINCLAIR.

THE HISTORY OF THE CAMERONS.

By the EDITOR.

XXI.

DR ARCHIBALD CAMERON OF LOCHIEL-(Continued). IT has been repeated by several writers that Dr Cameron's visit in 1753 was in connection with the money left in the Highlands by Prince Charles, after the battle of Culloden, and mention of which has been already made; while others maintain that he came over in connection with another projected rising in favour of the Prince. For the latter there does not seem to be any foundation whatever. Respecting the former T. L. Kingston Oliphant, in The Jacobite Lairds of Gask, states distinctly that it was the French money " that lured "him back to Scotland; and, in an account which the same writer gives of what became of the money, immediately after the battle of Culloden, he says that £5500 was "keept by Captain Archibald Cameron." From this, as well as from several other known facts, it is quite clear that he held a commission in the Highland army, notwithstanding what has been said by others to the contrary. That he conducted himself at the last in a manner worthy of his race, is admitted by all. His fate was universally lamented; the friends and best-wishers of the government considered his execution, so long after the attainder, a most unnecesssary and wanton act of barbarous cruelty, and the king himself when asked to sign his death-warrant, partook of the same feeling; for he expressed his unwillingness to sign it, and exclamed," Surely there has been too much blood spilt on this account already." His Majesty's advisers must have been a cruel, blood-thirsty set.

Sir Walter Scott says that his execution, so long after all hostilities were over, on his old attainder, “threw much reproach upon the government, and even upon the personal character of George II., as sullen, relentless, and unforgiving;" for the doctor was a man of mild and gentle disposition, and had uniformly exercised his skill as a medical man in behalf of the wounded of both armies.* The government of France settled *Tales of a Grandfather.

a pension of 1200 livres per annum upon his widow, and 400 upon two of his sons, then in the French service, in addition to their regimental pay.

Though it is quite true that, at the place of execution, he did not hand any documents or papers to those about him, he did so to his wife, before he left the prison; and a copy of what he "intended to have delivered to the Sheriff of Middlesex at the place of execution, but which he left in the hands of his wife for that end," has been found among the Gask papers, and is printed in the appendix to the Jacobite Lairds, as follows:

On the first slip of paper :—

TOWER, 5th June 1753.

Being denied the use of pen, ink, and paper, except in the presence of one or more officers (who always took away the paper from me when I began to write my complaints), and not even allowed the use of a knife, with which I might cut a poor blunted pencil, that had escaped the diligence of my searchers, I have notwithstanding, as I could find opportunity, attempted to set down on some slips of paper, in as legible characters as I was able, what I would have my country satisfied of, with regard to myself and the cause in which I am now going to lay down my life.

As to my religion, I thank God I die a member, though unworthy, of that church in whose communion I have always lived, the Episcopal Church of Scotland, as by law established before the most unnatural rebellion began in 1688, which for the sins of these nations hath continued to this day; and I firmly trust to find, at the most awful and impartial tribunal of the Almighty King of kings, through the merits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that mercy (though undeserved) to my immortal part which is here denied to my earthly by an usurper and his factions, though it be well known I have been the instrument in preventing the ruin and destruction of many of my poor deluded countrymen who were in their service, as I shall make appear before I have done, if opportunities of writing fail me not.

On the second slip of paper :

In order to convince the world of the uprightness of my intentions while in the Prince of Wales's army, as well as of the cruelty, injustice, and ingratitude of my murderers, I think it my duty in this place to take notice how much better usage I might have expected of my country, if humanity and good nature were now looked upon with the same eyes as in the times of our brave and generous ancestors; but I'm sorry to observe that our present men in power are so far sunk below the noble spirit of the ancient Britons, as hardly at this day to be distinguished from the very basest of mankind. Nor could the present possessor of the throne of our injured sovereign, if he looked on himself as the father and natural prince of this country, suffer the life of one to be taken away who has saved the lives and effects of above 300 persons in Scotland, who were firmly attached to him and his party; but it seems it is now made a crime to save the lives of Scotsmen. As neither the time nor the poor materials I have for writing will allow me to descend to a particular enumeration of all the services I have done to the friends of the Usurper, I shall, therefore, only mention a few of the most known and such as can be well attested. In July 1745,

soon after the setting up of the Royal Standard, before our small army had reached Corayarick, it was moved by some of the chiefs to apply to the Prince for a strong detachment of clans to distress Campbell of Invera's house and tenants in that neighbourhood, which my brother Lochiel and I so successfully opposed, by representing to our generous leader (who was always an enemy to oppression), that such proceed. ing could be no way useful to his undertaking, that the motion was entirely laid aside, to the no small mortification of the proposer. My brother and I likewise prevented another such design against Breadalbane, to the great satisfaction of our dear Prince. And on our return from Glasgow

On a third slip of paper :—

*

ARCHIBALD CAMERON.

My brother and I did services to the town of Glasgow, of which the principal gentry in the neighbourhood were then, and are to this day sensible, if they durst own the truth; but that might be construed disaffection to a Government founded on and supported by lies and falsehood. On our march to Stirling, I myself (though I am like to meet with a Hanoverian reward for it) hindered the whole town of Kirkintulloch from being destroyed and all its inhabitants put to the sword by my brother's men, who were justly incensed against it for the inhuman murder of two of Lady Lochiel's servants but two months before.

Here was a sufficient pretence for vengeance, had I been inclined to cruelty, but I thank God nothing was ever further from my nature, though I may have been otherwise represented. Mr Campbell of Shawfield likewise owes me some favours done to himself and family, which at least deserve some return in my behalf; and Lady Campbell of Lochnell, now in London, can, if she pleases, vouch for the truth of some of the above facts. ARCHIBALD CAMERON.

On a fourth slip of paper :

June 6th, 1753.

I thank kind Providence I had the happiness to be early educated in the principles of Christian loyalty, which as I grew in years inspired me with an utter abhorrence of rebellion and usurpation, though ever so successful; and when I arrived at man's estate I had the joint testimony of religion and reason to confirm me in the truth of my first principles. As soon, therefore, as the Royal youth had set up the king his father's standard, I immediately, as in duty bound, repaired to it, and I had the honour from that time to be always constantly about his person till November 1748, excepting the short time his Royal Highness was in the Western Isles after the affair of Culloden. I became more and more captivated with his amiable and princely virtues, which are indeed in every instance so eminently great as I want words to describe. I can further affirm (and my present situation and that of my dear prince can leave no room to suspect me of flattery), that, as I have been his companion in the lowest degrees of adversity ever prince was reduced to, so have I beheld him too, as it were, on the highest pinnacle of glory, amidst the continual applauses, and, I had almost said, adorations of the most brilliant court in Europe, yet he was always the same, ever affable and courteous, giving constant proofs of his great humanity and of his love for his friends and his country. What great good to these nations might not

*Note by Gask. "Mr Cameron's custom was, when interrupted, to subscribe his name, in order (as he told his wife) to authenticate what he had written, lest he should not have another opportunity of adding anything further."