a parliament-town of Scotland, and capital of the county of that name, situated in N. Lat. 56° 25'. W. Long. 2° 32'. This town, with Dundee, Cupar, Perth, and St Andrew's, jointly send one member to the British parliament. It stands in the great valley of Strathmore that runs from Perth north-east to the sea, almost in a straight line, about 50 miles long and betwixt four and five miles broad, bordered on either side by hills, rising gently on the south side, and on the north by the famous Grampians, a little more elevated.

Though history is silent as to the etymology of the name Forfar, yet we are sure it is of very ancient date, and that in the days of old it was the residence of royal majesty. Here Malcom Canmore, a wife and magnanimous prince, held his first parliament in 1057. The ruins of his palace are still to be seen on the top of an artificial mound of a circular form, resting upon a base of about three acres of ground, and rising 50 feet high above the level of the circumambient plain. A wall of stone of a great thickness, so strongly cemented with run-lime that it is scarce possible to break the cement with the stroke of a hammer, environed the place; and a moat of at least 20 feet broad, and in some parts a great deal more, and 12 feet deep, encompassed the whole. Adjoining to this is a field of about six acres of ground called the Queen's Manor, surrounded in those days with a large sheet of water, and accessible only by boats. In clearing away some of the rubbish of the palace a few years ago, a tea-kettle of a conical figure, and a bunch of barbed arrows, were found in the ruins. A pit of about 18 feet deep, very prettily built of hewn stone, with a human body in a state of extreme putrefaction, was also discovered. The lake of Forfar, stretching two miles in length from east to west, and half a mile in breadth, and covering the palace on the north, afforded not only a plentiful supply of water for every purpose, but also added to the strength of the place. This lake abounds with trout, pike, perch, and eel. Of late years it has been greatly reduced by draining; to which the immense quantity of fine marl at the bottom was the principal inducement. This excellent manure is found here in large strata from two to six and eight feet deep, and generally below most ten feet deep.

This lake has proved fatal to many of the human race; but particularly and deservedly so to the murderers of Malcom II. who having fled after perpetrating the bloody deed at the castle of Glamis, about five miles distant, in the year 1036, missed their way, owing to a deep fall of snow, and wandered in the fields for some time, till at last they came upon the ice on the lake, which not being firm, suddenly gave way under them, and they all perished. When the thaw came... came; their bodies were found; and being discovered to be the murderers of the king, they were all hung on gibbets on the sides of the highways.

Within this lake were formerly two islands raised by art; with buildings on each; to which Margaret, Malcom Canmore's queen, retired after the decease of her husband. Part of the ruins of these edifices are still to be seen. To this queen, tradition says, we owe the custom of the grace-drink; she having established it as a rule at her table, that whoever said till grace was said was rewarded with a bumper.

From this time we have little or no accounts of Forfar till the middle of the 17th century, except an act passed in the 13th parliament of James VI. 21st July 1593, in the following words: "Our sovereign Lord, understanding that he acte and ordinance maid aent observation of the Sabbath-day within this realme, the mercatte-day of the burgh of Forfar, being the head burgh of the shire, quilk was Sundaie, is taken from them; and his hienefit not willing that they in onie wales fuld be prejudged hereby, therefore his beneffe, with adwise of the eldaites of this present parliament, alters and changis their said mercatte-day from Sundaie to Fridaie, and willis the famen Fridaie onkly to be their mercatte day to them in all times hereafter; and the samin to stande with the like privileges and freedomes as the Sundaie did of before." Whether this change took place, or how long it continued, is uncertain; but the market-day is presently held on Saturday, and has been so past memory of man.

During the usurpation of Oliver Cromwell, a detachment of his forces, after sacking Dundee, came to Forfar and burnt all the public records of the place; and the only charter the town now has is one granted by Charles II. after his restoration, confirming all its ancient rights and privileges.

As an evidence of the ignorance and barbarity of the times, it appears from the records of the trials kept in the charter-chest of Forfar, that nine persons were condemned and burnt here for witchcraft betwixt the years 1650 and 1662. These innocent people were all tried by a special commission from the lords of the privy-council at Edinburgh; and although the commission expressly discharged torturing them on purpose to extort a confession of their guilt, yet, as it was then thought meritorious to obtain confession of guilt by whatever means, many inhuman cruelties were exercised upon the unfortunate objects; particularly, an iron boot was drawn upon one of their legs, and a wedge driven with great force between it and the leg. Another instrument, still carefully preserved here, was likewise used, and is called the witch-bridle. It is made of iron, in the shape of a dog's collar, with two pikes on the inside, about four inches distant and two and a half long. These pikes were put into the mouth, and the collar afterwards buckled tight on the back of the head, to which was affixed an iron chain, whereby the condemned persons were led to the place of execution called the Play-field, about a quarter of a mile to the northward of the town.

The inhabitants of Forfar are a hospitable, free, and generous set of people: they are at least doubled in number within these 30 years, being now about 3300: the houses have also increased more in proportion, besides being vastly improved. The church here has just been rebuilt on an elegant and extensive plan calculated to contain 2000 hearers.

Forfarshire, a county of Scotland, of which Forfar is the capital. Including Angus, Glenluik, Glenesk, and Glenprailin, it extends 29 miles from east to west, and 16 where broadest; though in some places the breadth does not exceed five miles. On the north it is divided from the Brae of Mar by a ridge of the Binchinin mountains; it is bounded on the south by the Firth of Tay and the British ocean, on the east by Mearns, and on the west by Perthshire. Part of the Grampian mountains runs through this county, which is agreeably diversified with hill and dale. It produces lead and iron in abundance, together with quarries of freestone and slate, with which the inhabitants drive a considerable traffic. The county is well watered with lakes, rivers, rivulets, and fountains, shaded with large forests, roughened with brown mountains, and waved with green hills interspersed with fields and meadows, and adorned with fine seats and plantations. Their heaths and woods abound with hart, hind, roebuck, and moor-game; their streams are stocked with trout and salmon. Their hills are covered with flocks of sheep, and their fields afford plentiful harvests of wheat and all sorts of grain. The mountains to the west and north are inhabited by Highlanders; but the Lowlanders possess the towns and champaign country, and are remarkable for their politeness and hospitality.