ELGINSHIRE, is the middle district of the ancient county of Moray. It is bounded on the north by that branch of the German ocean called the Moray Frith; on the east and south-east by Banff-shire; on the south-west, by Inverness-shire; and on the west by the counties of Inverness and Nairn. It extends about 42 miles in length, and its average breadth is about 20. The southern part is rocky and mountainous, called the district of Braemoray, which is occupied with extensive forests. The lower parts, towards the north, are rich and fertile; but might easily be rendered more
Elginshire, productive. The principal rivers are, the Spey, Findhorn, and Liffie; all of which abound with salmon. It contains two royal boroughs, viz. Elgin, the county town, and Forres; and several considerable towns, as Grantown, Garmouth, Liffiemouth, &c. The principal seats are, Gordon-castle, the seat of the duke of Gordon; Castle Grant, the seat of Sir James Grant; Altyre, the seat of Colonel Cumming, &c. Morayshire abounds with many remains of antiquity; the principal of which are the magnificent cathedral of Elgin, the priory of Plufcardine near the town of Elgin, the bishop's palace at Spynie, the castles of Lochindorb, Dunphail, and the dun of Relugas, in the parish of Edenkeillie. The ancient Scottish historians, particularly Fordun and Buchanan, give accounts of the Danes landing in Moray, about 1008, when Malcolm II. marched against them, and was defeated near Forres: after this they brought over their wives and children, and were in possession of the country for some time; until they were finally expelled by that monarch, after the victories gained over them at Luncarty near Perth, at Barrie in the county of Angus, and at Mortlach in the county of Banff. There are many monuments of that nation; the most remarkable of which is Steno's stone or pillar, on the road from Nairn and Forres, in the parish of Rafford. Except freestone, limestone, and marl, no mineral substance of value has been discovered.
unquestionably great. He did not exert his magisterial authority in the exemplary punishment of vice, and even permitted his own sons with impunity to perpetrate the most atrocious acts of impiety and debauchery. This want of firmness, to give it no worse a name, was very reprehensible in one who filled such an important office, and peculiarly so in a man who was himself a saint.
The celebrated Samson made his appearance during the administration of Eli, taking part in the management of public affairs for about twenty years, by whose astonishing deeds the independent spirit of that people was in some measure revived. The circumstances attending the death of Samson, which proved so calamitous to the nobility of the Philistines, might have induced the Jews to throw off the yoke; but they did not possess a sufficient degree of virtue and public spirit for such an exertion. Eli at this period was very far advanced in years, and, if possible, still more negligent in the discharge of his duty as a chief magistrate, allowing his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, to proceed to the most extravagant height of impiety and debauchery, whose example had a most powerful influence on the manners of the people. He was far from being unacquainted with their conduct, but he reproved them with such gentleness as was highly reprehensible, and but ill calculated to produce any change on the behaviour of his sons.
The deity was so justly offended with this deportment of Eli, that a sacred seer was commissioned to upbraid him for his ingratitude and want of resolution. Young Samuel likewise was favoured with a vision of the approaching ruin of Eli's family, which he related to the otherwise venerable old man, on being solemnly adjured not to conceal a single circumstance. When Eli heard the declaration of the young prophet, being fully convinced that his conduct had been highly reprehensible, he exclaimed, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." Soon after this the Israelites sustained a considerable loss in attempting to procure their emancipation, carrying the ark of God into their camp to animate the people, and intimidate their enemies; but the ark was captured by the Philistines, and Hophni and Phineas were slain. This intelligence having been brought to Eli, he no sooner heard that the ark of God was taken, than he fell backwards from his seat, broke his neck, and died in the 98th year of his age.