Comments in refutation of pretensions advanced for the first time, and statements in a recent work "The Stirlings of Keir and their family papers"

COMMENTS, &c.
CHAPTER I.
THE RECENT IvEIR PERFORMANCE, AND PRELIMINARY REMARKS DETAILS EVINCING, infer
alia, THE NECESSITY OF THE PRESENT EXPOSITION, AFTER PROVOCATION IN THAT WORK,
PROM THE ADVISERS OF KEIR, WHO IS A STRANGER IN THE MATTER IN QUESTION
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASE, WHICH IS FORECLOSED IN FAVOUR OF DRUM-
PELLIER, WITH OTHER PARTICULARS, INCLUDING ARMORIAL BEARINGS, ETC.
Seldom, perliaps, may Scotch antiquaries, especially those addicted to genti-
litial or genealogical inquiries, family histories, or memorials, have been more
interested than they doubtless were at a first survey of the work recently
printed and circulated, entitled " The Stielings of Keir and thetr Family
Papers."
It comprises a thickish smaller quarto — comparatively speaking — of rather
unsymmetrical proportions — " dumpy," we would almost say, so denounced
by Byron in the case of the female form — for which we are indebted to
the liberahty and munificence of Mr Stirling of Keir, the eminent and
accomplished representative of the above ; and we certainly concm- in hoping, referred to,
with the editor/ that the " example thus set — probably the first work of the p. xv.
kind executed by a Scotch proprietor at his own sole chai'ge — may yet be
generally followed by the owners of other ancient charter-chests." Not only
are such performances valuable and interesting in regard to their main object
— the descents and connections of families, their fate and private fortunes —