or the place where regular and ftated lodges had first been held in Scotland.

Archery, though now difufed in moft other places of Scotland, is ftill continued here. This fociety is very ancient, there being evidence of its existence as far back as the 1488. The amusement is practifed annually at a certain time of the year, generally in the month of June. What has contributed perhaps more than any other thing to its continuance, has been the Monaftery: this fuppofition is rendered highly probable from the fpecies of archery in ufe here from time immemorial. It is of two kinds.The one is at a perpendicular mark called a popingue. The popingoe is a bird known in heraldry. It is on this occafion cut out in wood, fixed on the end of a pole, and placed 120 feet high on the fteeple of the Monaftery. The archer who fhoots down this mark, is honoured with the title of the Captain of the Popingoe. He is master of the ceremonies of the fucceeding year, fends cards of invitation to the ladies, gives them a ball and supper, and tranfmits his honours to pofterity, by a medal with

SIR,

fuitable devices appended to a filver arrow. The prize from 1488 to 1688, was a fafh, or, as it was called, a Ben: this was a piece of taffeta of different colours, chiefly red, green, white, and blue, and not lefs in value than 201. Scots. This honourable badge was worn by the Captain, which he kept, and produced another of equal value the following year. In the year laft mentioned, there was fubftituted a piece of plate, which continued to be given by every Captain till 1723, when the prize was converted into the prefent filver arrow. The other kind of archery is for prizes at butts point blank diftance (about 26 yards.) The prize at butts is fome useful or ornamental piece of plate, given annually to the fociety by the senior surviving archer.

In the fteeple of the Abbey is a very large bell with an infcription, which the present writer could not get transcribed, from its being placed in an inacceffible fituation; neither is it mentioned by the author of the ftatistical account of this parish, from whofe authority are taken many of the facts in this defcription.

J. D.

CLEANTHIS HYMNUS IN JOVEM,.

THE opinions of men upon religious and political fubjects have feldom been carried to a greater length than at prefent. Whether we are to attribute it to that free and

WEST.

bold spirit of inquiry, which is the glory of the prefent age, or to that love of novelty and fondnefs for new opinions, fo natural to the human mind; it is certain, that the authori

ty

ty of maxims and principles which have been almoft univerfally acknowledged, by the learned as well as the ignorant, are now by fome called in queftion, by others totally rejected. Such bold and fingular fteps, we might naturally conclude, have not been taken without mature deliberation, and fincere conviction. To oppofe long-established opinions, to overturn a fyftem of religious belief, founded on ancient and deep-rooted prejudices; and to eradicate from the human heart whatever has been a folace under misfortunes, and confidered as a guide to happiness, required, undoubtedly, no common exertions, and were executed by no vulgar and unfkilful arm. It is not an extraordinary thing to hear the truths of the Chriftian religion called in queftion, however pure and noble they be, fince they militate against human pride, and condemn the vices and impure defires of the heart. Philofophers, guided, as they fay, by reason, have gone a ftep farther. They have, by lowering the Deity in our esteem, weakened the force of moral obligations, and taken off from the human heart one powerful reftraint against the commiffion of crimes. Such is the tendency of the opinions of fome philofophers in this country, and more particularly on the continent. Some of them, indeed, have proceeded with great caution in promulgating principles repugnant to the general fentiments of mankind. But others have not acted with fuch diffidence. They have fet both reafon and common fenfe at defiance, and have reverted to the exploded fyftems of antiquity, regardless of all the arguments which have been adduced against them; and all the information which a fuccessful and extenfive fearch into nature has enabled us to acquire.

It is, Sir, a melancholy confideration, that the increase of knowledge fhould be employed in the corruption of morals, in the extinction of reli

gion, and in the fubverfion of government; that the free fpirit of enquiry fhould be directed, not to build up the fhattered pillars of virtue, and raise a bulwark in defence of religion and civil fociety; but fhould exert all its force and influence in the deftruction of a noble fabric, which has been the admiration of wife men in every age. Under the plausible pretence of refcuing human reafon from the dominion of fuperftition, impofed by artful men to work upon their fears, and as a proper engine of tyranny, thefe modern infidels, in effect, rob the human heart of its greatest comfort, unhinge the principles of virtue, and give full play and energy to the paffions. Under the appearance of vindicating the natural liberty of the human race, they take the moft effectual means of deranging the whole fyftem of fociety, and introducing into the world anarchy and mifrule. Under the idea of introducing a proper mode of inveftigating truth, and of freeing the mind from ancient prejudices; they labour to account for what is inexplicable, and plunge into all the wildness of hypothefis and conjecture. Had these philofophers poffeffed lefs vanity and lefs affurance, the world, at this time, would have been free from many dangerous opinions, which have done incredible mischief among credulous and profligate men. Had they confined them to their own bofoms, they would have been lefs known, but more refpected; and, though deftitute of many good qualities, would be free from the reproach of acting fyftematically in the deftruction of virtue, and of reafoning mankind out of their inbred honefty of foul. Speculations upon fubjects in which the bulk of mankind are very little interefted, give no concern. It is only when they interfere with our notions of religion or morality; when they would eradicate our political opinions, and fubftitute in their place a

new

new order of things that never was realized, that we begin to take the alarm, and watch their progrefs with fufpicion and dread. They tell us, that the human race are oppreffed under the yoke of fuperftition, prejudice, and tyranny; and that these neceffarily follow from the nature of their religious opinions, and the ideas entertained concerning government. No thing, therefore, can cure the evil but an univerfal abjuration of these opinions, a complete fubverfion of all government, that requires fubordination, and deprives any man of perfect liberty and equality. But is there no middle way by which we may get rid of fuperftition without, at the fame time, banishing religion; and eftablishing a juft and equitable form of government, without first melting it down in the crucible, and reducing it to one unformed, difproportionate mafs? Has the general confent of all nations, the refpectable authority of wife and upright men, the unequivocal declaration of the moft diftinguished and learned philofophers which the world ever faw, no weight, when they all go to eftablifh the fundamental principles of religion and government? With candid minds they will have very great weight. It is only on thofe who have imbibed unhappy prejudices against the inftitutions of their country, that they have no effect.

But, after all, what could be the motives which could impell men of learning to create all this uproar and confufion in the world? Was it really a defire to enlighten the human mind, by freeing it from grofs prejudices and delufions? Was it the magnanimous with of doing every thing in their power to promote the happiness of the human race? Was it the noble idea of cementing difcordant opinions, and binding all under one great law of love and affection? Was it the god-like plan of extending their benevolence to all

mankind, and of forming them to vir tue by their own examples? Yes, they reply, thefe were our motives. What motives? You indeed hold fuch language to the world; but while you fpeak after the manner of men, we perceive that you are afraid openly to meet their cenfure, by unfolding to them your real defigns. When you talk of enlightening the human mind, we know your meaning. We must take the converfe of the prepofition to underftand you aright. Indeed your system is otherwife unintelligible. The nobleft end of fcience and of the arts is, to give us more determinate and fublime notions of a Supreme Being, to furnish us with useful inftruction in the affairs of life, and to confine our talents to a fubordinate or higher sphere according to their kind, and the direction which they are enabled to take. But the fcience you recommend leads to no determinate end. It tends to bewilder, and involves mankind in doubt, distraction, and defpair.

We lament the unhappy diffentions which have arifen from a difcordancy in religious opinions. The interested policy of thofe who have made religion an engine of fuperstition, and have employed it as a means of fubjugating mankind under their odious and ufurped dominion, is worthy of the deteftation of every liberal mind. But it is not its corruptions which have given always a handle to reproach. Crafty men, feparating themfelves from eftablished inftitutions, either through difguft or vanity, have drawn over to their opinions ignorant and credulous men, eafily allured by the charms of novelty, to follow a difcontented and popular leader, and by the virulence of their invectives have occafioned much fcandal and reproach to the interests of religion. But can these philofophers make no diftinction between things of themselves intrinfically good, and the bad ufe which may be made of them by defigning men?

The