State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THERMOMETER 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 May 31ft, to June 29th, within one mile of the Caftle of Edinburgh. Quantity of Rain, 1.07 DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEW. ROOKSTONE CASTLE is fituated on a beautiful eminence about two miles from Paifley. It was originally the property of the Crocs, a potent people in this county; but in the reign of Malcom H. was conveyed, by the marriage of the heiress, daughter of Robert de Crac, into the family of Stuart's, in after times Earls and Dukes of Lennox, who had great poffeffions in thefe parts. Here, Fame fays, that Mary first refigned herself to the arms of Lord Darnley, beneath a great yew tree, ftill exifting, as it appears in the view, to the left of the Caftle. The remains of a Ditch are ftill to be tra ced round the Castle, and the ruins are picturesque, though not extenfive. In examining the interior part of this old manfion, you can ftill diftinguish the lofty hall where the tender Mary, among a race of barbarian and ruffian Lords, difplayed the refinements of France, and the charms of Venus. You can also trace her favourite apartment where The dedicated the foft hours of her retirement to the Loves and Graces. Lady Glasgow, much to her praise, has lately contributed to the prefervation of this interefting Ruin, by a well-timed fupport to its decayed foundations. TALE THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR JUNE 1794 With a View of Crookstone Castle, near Paisley. MEMOIRS OF COUNT DE HORDT.. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH. [CONTINUED FROM Page 248.] was the most favourable occafion for our attack on the Ruffians. An asfembly extraordinary, of the States was convoked at Stockholm, altho the last diet had but newly rifen. Ct. St Severin managed fo well, that war was publicly proclaimed, with drums and trumpets founding; before time had been given to the Generals commanding in Finland, to mufter and draw together their troops, then difperfed thro' that large Duchy, than an hundred German miles in extent more. NEXT year was the elector of Bavaria, by the force of the French arms, crowned Duke of Auftria, at Lintz, at Prague king of Bohemia, and at Frankfort Emperor of Germany, by the name of Charles the Seventh. It had been fettled, that Sweden was on her fide, to kinder Ruffia from aiding the Queen of Hungary; and the hopes of our fuccefs were very high; as a revolution had been plotted at St Petersburg,in favour of Elizabeth, daughter to Peter the Great; whom the Emprefs Anne had, by her will, excluded from the The fame thing almost always harthrone; having nominated to the fuc-pens, whenever a nation divided into ceffion, Prince Iwan, the fon of Duke different parties, are greatly influenced Anthony Ulric of Brunswick, by by the intrigues of a Foreign Power. the princefs Anne; under the tuition Each party then think of nothing, of her favourite, the Duke of Cour- but how to give efficacy to their own land. The court of France gave no principles and counfels; and to extice to the Swedish fenate, that this tinguish the Oppofition. The grand 3 E 2 " point, point, fay they, is gained; time and circumftances will do the reft. But, what is the confequence of refolutions fo precipitate? Rarely are they crowned with fuccefs; for the molt part, they occafion lofs or difgrace, both to the advifers, and to the followers of the advice. M. de Buddenbrock, foreseeing the confequences of his precipitancy, reprefented to him strongly the neceffity of preventing the Ruffians by forced marches. He would not take their advice, but perfifted in his foolifh fecurity. He, however, detached Major-General Wrangelly at the head of three hundred dragoons, and five battalions, with orders to post himfelf between Fredericksham and Willmanftrand; that he might be ready to cover thefe two places, and to relieve that one of the two which fhould be reduced to the most urgent neceffity for relief. Count Lewenhaupt, marfhal of the diet, in reward for the ardour with which he had feconded the purpofes of France, obtained the command of the army, deftined for action, which was how reinforced with four regiments of cavalry, two battalions of foot guards, fifty field pieces, and all the regiments already in Finland;" ? fo that this army amounted to twenty-the Ruffians, immediately after the feven thousand men. Thefe forces were fufficient for the operations intended; if all other measures had been taken in a manner correfpondent to the importance of the expedition. Twenty fhips, and forty gallies were, at the fame time, fitted out. This fleet failed for Finland: where all at length, rendezvouzed, except the General in Chief; who could not leave Stockholm, till the rife of the diet. He fent before him a manifefto, or declaration of war, which was received by General Buddenbrock, who fent it immediately to the first poft on the Ruffian frontiers: our regiments were then ordered to quit their quarters and advance. Another fuch delirium could not be easily imagined. Why not affemble our whole forces before the public declaration of war? Was it not eafy to forefee, that they would fall upon us affoon as they should know our defigns? It should feem that the Swedes thought they had fill to do with thofe fame Ruffians whom they had formerly defeated in the battle of Narva. It might have been faid, that, in Finland, as in Stockholm, they fought to diftinguish themfelves, only by vain, perile bravadoes The Cenerals who ferved under We foon received information that communication of our manifesto, had begun their march to our frontiers, to the number of fifteen thousand men, under the command of Marshal Lafcy, M. de Buddenbrock followed Wrangell with the rest of his army; the regiments of which having been too widely difperfed, came in but flowly; that in which I served joined ameng the firft. We encamped round Fredericksham; and inftead of attacking the enemy, which was naturally to have been expected, as we had firft declared war, we thought only of putting ourselves in a fit ftate for defence. Marfhal Lafcy was not ignorant, that our troops were both diftant from the frontiers, and scattered at a distance, one regiment from another. He wifely availed himfelf of thefe circumftances, and advanced to attack us in detached parties before we fhould be embodied. He directed his march toward Willmanftrand, which had but a weak rampart, and was garrisoned only by a single battalion. Wrangell's dragoons bringing him notice of thefe movements, he quitted his camp, which was four leagues from Willmanftrand, and put himself in a pofture to cover this place with the five battalions under his command. He let General de Bruddenbrock know, know, at the fame time, what was paffing, in the hope that he would make hafte to join him, and hinder Marshal Lafcy from making farther progrefs. In expectation of this junction, he pofted his troops under the cannon of Willmanftrand, and on an eminence, as advantageoufly as the fituation would admit of. He called out the battalion in the town, with fix pieces of cannon, to reinforce his little army. He ranged all these fix battalions in one line, the three hundred dragoons being placed on the wings of his infantry, and all the cannon on the height of the hill. fome of those who fled. We were then not more than a day's journey from Willmanftrand, and halted to allow the troops to reft till the morning. M. Buddenbrock had nothing more to do than to order a retreat, and to lead us back into our formfer camp. Marthal Lafcy, on his part, alfo retired, drew his army into Winterquarters behind Wiburgh, and left, to obferve our motions, none but a body of Coffacks; who, agreeably to their manners, and after their ufual practice, ravaged the whole country, and exercised unheard - of cruelties. On our return to the camp, we found that General Count Loewenhaupt had at laft arrived. The reft of our troops likewife affembled. But we had received the first stroke, and the poffibility of preventing it was paft. Such ill conduct and misfortune in the beginning of a war, feldom fail to influence all its fubfequent events. The courage of an army is depreffed when they form an unfavourable opi Affoon as General Buddenbrock received Wrangell's meffage, he ordered thofe feven battalions which 2 were arrived to advance, the rest of the army being ftill at a great diftance. An incredible panic prevailed among us. The most injudicious mea- ! fures were taken, and we loft four and twenty hours. Lafcy, learning from his fpies that it was impoffible for us to bring feasonable affistance to Wrangell, determined to attack him instant-nion of their leaders; they fear that ly, with all his forces. The Swedes defended themselves with an intrepid valour, which even their enemies could not help prailing. They, for a long while maintained their post, but were at laft obliged to yield to fuperior numbers. They were all dif perfed or taken prifoners. Wrangell, being feverely wounded, was made prifoner, with a number of other officers; the Swedish artillery was taken, and Willmanftrand became the prize of the victors. I fhall not detail the particulars of this unfortunate day; I was not in, the battle. Thofe who defire to know its circumstances, may find them in the Memoirs of General Manftein, who was then in the Ruffian fervice, and diftinguished himself at the head of the regiment of infantry under his command. This disagreeable news was brought to us in the courfe of the night by future operations may be equally ill conducted; and fuch was truly the ftate of our difpofitions and opinions through the fequel of this war. We continued in our camp, crowded within too narrow a space. Finland is not a country in which any large body of troops can be maintained conveniently together but the nature of the country affords at least this advantage, that, with vigilance, a few may here defend themselves against any enemy, however powerful; if they abandon not, as we did, in the next campaign, all their pofts fucceffively, for want of experience, kill, or honour,-it must be impoffi ble to force them. Count Lowenhaupt ordered us u pon no movement, although the eneny had retired to the diflance of more than twenty miles from us, Their Generals had gone for St Peterburg; having ordered, before their depar ture, |