Edinburgh Magazine,

OR,

LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR SEPTEMBER 1790.

With a View of DUNFERMLINE ABBEY *;

CONTENTS:

Situated in the western part of Fifefhire. Dunfermline was at times, from very dif-

tant periods, the residence of the Scottish Monarchs. The prefent Palace, now only mag-

nificent ruins, was built by ANNE of Denmark in 1600. In this palace fhe brought forth

the unfortunate CHARLES I. The Abbey was begun by MALCOM CANMOR, and finish-

ed by ALEXANDER 1.

State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THER MOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning before fun-rife, and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from the 31st August 1790, to the 29th of September, near the foot of Arthur's Seat.

SIR,

It is

To the Publisher.

in the

is curious to fee what ftrange maTearing of a fyftem.

Dr Anderfon, in a late publication, undertakes to prove "the fuperior

value and finenefs of British wool in former times" the fit evidence which he produces is Cambden's Britannia, tranflated by Gibson, p. 118. He fays "the fineness of British "wool was fuch as to induce the "Romans, while they were in poffef"fion of this island, to establish a "cloth manufacture at Winchester, "for the use of the Emperors: it appears from the fact above stated, "that it was here that the Roman Emperors, during their moft luxu"rious æra, chofe to fupply them“felves with their, moft fumptuous "robes."

46

46

46

As Dr Anderson has quoted Gibfon's tranflation of the Britannia, inftead of the original, that tranflation fhall be fet down at full length. "This city [Winchefter] no doubt was very famous in the Roman "times; for it is here the Roman "Emperors feem to have had their "imperial weaving fhops; this city being the chief of all the British "Venta, and lying neareft Italy, for "in the Notitia, there is mention "made of a procurator or governor "of the Cynegrum Ventenfe, or Bentenfe, in Britain; which Jacobus Cijacius, that most eminent civilian, reads Gynæcium, and interprets "it the Royal weavery, in his Para"titles to the Codes. Guidus Panci"rollus is of the fame opinion, and "writes that thefe Gynæcia were ap"pointed for weaving the cloaths of "the Emperor and army, for making "of fails, linen fhrouds, [tragula] "and other neceffaries for the furni"ture of their manfions or quarters. "Yet Wolphangus Lazius thinks that the procurator here took care

"of the Emperors dogs, and this in"deed is certain, that our dogs have "been preferable to all others in Eu"rope."

Had it not been for the spirit of emendation, which, till of late, was confined to commentators, Cynegium might have kept it place in the Notitia Imperii as being perfectly intelligible, and implying just this, that the Emperors had a deg-kennel at Winchester.

Since, however, it as pleased commentators of great name to Convert Cyregium, a dog-kennel, into Gynæcium, a work-houfe for women, I am willing that the fair fex fhall have the preference, and take the place of the dogs.

But this will not aid the hypothefis of Dr Anderfon in the leaft.

One ought not to meddle with matters of antiquity without a confiderable degree of previous ftudy of an cient authors.

The Roman Emperors had large families of flaves difperfed over the Empire, and employed in various bufinels. This practice which took place under the Heathen, was continued under the Chriftian Emperors, and I obferve by the way, that not only Christian Emperors, but Chrif tian Bifhops of approved fanctity, never entertained a thought of the unlawfulness of flavery. He who fhould affert the contrary would difccver his ignorance of hiftory.

I fhall admit on the authority of Cujacius, that the Roman Emperors had a work-houfe for their female flaves at Winchester, as in fifty other places of the Roman Empire: bet is there any evidence that thofe flaves fpun or wove fine worsted yarn, rather than coarfe linen yarn Dr Anderfon's quotation from the tranflator of Camden does not prove the one more than the other: what is there T 2

in