hese
modern times by no means lagged behind the other and greater kingdoms of
Europe. This observation is attested by the rich and valuable Museum of
Scottish antiquities which this Society has gathered together--a Museum
which, exclusively of its large collection of foreign coins, now numbers
above 7000 specimens, for nearly 1000 of which we stand indebted to the
enlightened zeal and patriotic munificence of one Scottish gentleman,
Mr. A. Henry Rhind of Sibster. The same fact is attested also by the
highly valuable character of the systematic works on Scottish Archaeology
which have been published of late years by some of our colleagues, such
as the masterly _Pre-historic Annals of Scotland_, by Professor Daniel
Wilson; the admirable volume on _Scotland in the Middle Ages_, by
Professor Cosmo Innes; and the delightful _Domestic Annals of Scotland_,
by Mr. Robert Chambers. The essays also, and monographs on individual
subjects in Scottish Archaeology, published by Mr. Laing, Lord Neaves,
Mr. Skene, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Robertson, Mr. Fraser, Captain Thomas, Mr.
Burton, Mr. Napier, Mr. M'Kinlay, Mr. M'Lauchlan, Dr. Wise, Dr. J.A.
Smith, Mr. Drummond, etc., all strongly prove the solid and successful
interest which the subject of Scottish Archaeology has in recent times
created in this city. The recent excellent town and county histories
published by Dr. Peter Chalmers, Messrs. Irving, Jeffrey, Jervise,
Pratt, Black, Miller, etc., afford evidences to the same effect. Nor can
I forget in such an enumeration the two complete _Statistical Accounts
of Scotland_. But if I were asked to name any one circumstance, as
proving more than another the attention lately awakened among our
countrymen by antiquarian inquiries, I would point, with true patriotic
pride, to the numerous olden manuscript chronicles of Scotland, of
Scottish towns, and Scottish monasteries, institutions, families, and
persons, which have been printed within the last forty years--almost all
of them having been presented as free and spontaneous contributions to
Scottish Archaeology and History by the members of the Bannatyne, the
Abbotsford, the Maitland, and the Spalding Clubs; and the whole now
forming a goodly series of works extending to not less than three
hundred printed quarto volumes.

But let us not cheat and cozen ourselves into idleness and apathy by
reflecting and rejoicing over what has been done. For, after all, the
truth is, that Scottish Archaeology i