Caledonia (Defoe)

by Daniel Defoe

For works with similar titles, see Caledonia.

CALEDONIA, &c.
A
POEM
In Honour
OF
SCOTLAND,
AND THE
SCOTS Nation.

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In Three Parts.

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EDINBURGH,

Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer
to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, Anno Dom. 1706.

 

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At Holy-rood-house, the third of December, 1706.

HIS GRACE Her Majesty's High Commissioner, and Lords of Privy Council, having considered a Petition given in to them by Daniel De Foe Esq;: And the samen being read in their Presence, his Grace, and the saids Lords do hereby grant Licence to the Petitioner and his Assigneys, to publish the Poem Entituled Caledonia, a Poem, in Honour of Scotland and the Scots Nation, and discharges any other Person to Print, Vend, Import, or Sell the said Poem during the space of Seven Years, without the Petitioner or his Assigneys Warrand or Commission, under the pain of forefaulting and seising the Copies so Printed, Imported, Vended, or Sold for the Use of the Petitioner and by his Assigneys, and under the Penalty of Ten Pound Sterling for each Hundred of the saids Copics Imported, Printed, Vended or Sold in manner foresaid, and proportionably for a greater or lesser Number.

Extracted by me A. MAITLAND. Cl. Scti. Concilii.

 

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To his Grace the Duke of Queensberry, &c. Her Majesties High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland.

May it please your Grace,

SCOTLAND her self is my Advocate, to entreat your Graces Pardon for this Attempt; An Essay to rescue her from Slander in Opinion, and Reproach in the Mouths of the partial World, however meanly performed, cannot but engage her in my Behalf.

SCOTLAND has had many an ill Picture drawn for her in the World; and as she had been represented in False Draughts, no Wonder the Injurys she has suffered are intolerable.

All the Spies sent hither have carry'd back an ill Report of the Land, and fill'd the World with weak Banters and Clamour at they know not what.

If I can give a better turn to the Work, and show Scotland's true Picture to the World; if I can rescue her from the Malice and Ignorance of Men, they that do'nt like it may be angry, and your Grace, discerning the Imperfection, may think me an ill Painter; but I am confident will pardon that, and approve the design, as a step to abler hands in time to do the Nation more Justice.

This Attempt, may it please your Grace, shall clear the way to that general Character, in which Scotland shall in time, come behind no Nation in Europe, and in which she know differs only thus, That they obtain a Glory they cannot merit, and Scotland merits a Glory that she has not obtain'd; and the Consequence of this must be, That she shall no more be ill treated in Words by those who dare not look her Sons in the Face.

When a Stranger cones into Scotland, Fill'd with those formidable Ideas which the Enemies of the Nation ignorantly and maliciously have form'd in him, he is confounded and asham'd of himself, the cultivated Lands, the Noble Harbours, the numerous Villages, the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, and the Plenty of all things are perfect Surprizes, and he is apt to enquire whether this be Scotland or no.

When I come farther, and view the Inhabitants, when I see the Politeness of the Schollars, the Courtesie of the Gentlemen, the Beauty of the Ladies, and at last the Grandeur of your Graces Court, the Illustrious Nobility, and all the Oeconomy of State and Government: Amaz'd at these things, I can only acquaint your Grace, that it Produc'd the following Poem.

For all its Imperfections, Meannesses, and whatever may render it or its Author despicable in your Grace's, or the Nations Opinion, he depends upon that Principle of Generosity inherent in the Scottish Gentlemen, and which makes them deservedly esteemed all over the World, to cover it with their Goodness, and look rather at the sincerity and Justice of the Design, than the perfection of the Work.

And yet, as if I did not think it was perform'd to some Advantage, I should be unaccountably to blame, to present it to your Grace; So I acknowledge my self in some streight, when I must either profess to believe it worth your Grace's Perusal and Acceptance, or reflect on your Grace's Judgment and my own Modesty, to offer your Grace what merited only to be rejected.

I come off of this, by assuring your Grace, that I have two Merits to plead for the Acceptance with your Grace, and the whole Scottish Nation. First, That the attempt is perfectly new, and as Inventions Generally find Improvement in those that come after; so I hope this shall have the same Fate, and be a step to some Gentleman, of which Scotland is far from wanting a sufficient Number to perfect this Embrio, and do their Countrey more complaet Justice. And Secondly, That it coming from a Stranger, and in meer Sense of Justice to your Grace's Countrey, the Gentlemen of Scotland however exceeding me in the performance, shall never have Advantage of me there, who have had the Honour, however rudely, to be the first Man that ever attempted to rescue Scotland out of the Jaws of Slander, that Grave of her Character, and the Gulph in which all the great Actions of her Nobility and Gentry, are too much buried, and if it were possible for Vertue to dye, would be forgotten.

Other Merit than this, and being a Lover of Scotland, I plead none, except only that I may have the Honour to subscribe.

Your Graces most Humlble and most obedient Servant,

DANIEL DE FOE.

 

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Chapters (not listed in original)

• Preface
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3