u Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2007 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation Iittp://www.arcliive.org/details/biograpliicaldict07cliam Sir o.^fetBtm Gnragr. ■ IITBLISEERS. A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OP EMINENT SCOTSMEN. IN FOUR VOLUMES. ORIGINALLY EDITED BY ROBEET CHAMBERS. NEW EDITION, REVISED UNDER THE CARE OF THE PUBLISHERS. WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL VOLUME, CONTINUING THE BIOGRAPHIES TO THE PRESENT TIME. By the Eev. THOS. THOMSON, AUTHOR OF " THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS," BTC, WITH NUMEROUS PORTRAITS. DIVISION VII. EAMSAY— WILSON. BLACKIE AND SON: GLASGOW, EDINBURGH, AND LONDON. M D C C C L V 1003^ GLASGOW : W. G. BLACKIF AXD CO., PRINTF.BS, VILLAriELD. rti mpm Ib-^scveily H. Pjfbms an. orBiNiqs. TROILAS OKLGCnKAli PAOTmrG- IN POSSESSICO'I OF SIR OAMES nAiTKIi, CtF PaKNS, BART AcwiR % SON", anA-seow, jJuiNjiUHea; fciaHuoN". mi^rffvfifi tjy S . IreeanfCD-. l:t \L V' n 'U /\\ livu iL uHllRDE. -SOK, GTiASecr.'; Si!' J. Rrjjidids. w XJSEOM.vHiASGOV. a [L [L L^ !yi' iZ ,','■' M V:/I fl TO IO'M: THT ORlG-rtSTAL IS POaSZSSIOlI Oi' m>fi ilV GATIN Bj.ACKE & sew, auASG0w;ra5iNB-uaGH &iOin)Ojr . 'iiiAsecw; EDiKBTJiieE&i,airDccfr. ;3^-ui^^ig^iiD^:' rr-ic?: the print engraved BiACKiE &sair, GiiASGOw;j:riiifBU: Engrayea.'bTTl^KnigS.t. J) h M IF, § SCOTLAND. ALLAN RA:\ISAY. 153 wai rejected by llie author, when he republished his poems. Allan had th'is yeai- been elected Poet Laureate of the club. But the rising of Mar put an end to its meetings : and Kanisay, though still a keen Jacobite, felt it to be for his interest to be so in secret. It was now, however, that lie commenced in earnest his poetical cai-eer, and speedily rose to a degree of popularity, -which had been attained by no poet in Scotland since the days of Sir David Lindsay. For more than a century, indeed, Scottish poetry had been under an eclipse, while such poetical genius as the age afforded chose Latin as the medium of coiumunication. Seniple, however, and Hamilton of Gilbertfield had of late years revived the notes of the Doric reed ; and it seems to have been some of their compositions, as published in Watson's Collection in 1700, that first in- spired Eamsay. Ivlaggy Johnston's Elegy was speedily followed by that on John Cowper, quite in the same strain of broad humour. The publication of king James's " Chi-ist's Kirli on the Green," from an old manuscript, speed- ily followed, with an additional canto by the editor, which, possessing the same broad humour, in a dialect perfectly level to the comprehension of the vulgar, while its precursor could not be read even by them without the aid of explanatory notes, met with a most cordial reception. Commentators have since that period puzzled themselves not a little to explain the language of the supposed royal bard. Rajnsay, however, saved himself the trouble, leaving every one to find it out the best way he might, for he gave no explanations ; and at the same time, to impress his readers with admiration of his great learning, he printed his motto, taken from Gawin Douglas, in Greek characters. A second edition of tliis work uas published in the year 1718, uith the addition of a third canto, which increased its popularity so much, that, in the course of the four following years, it ran tlirough five editions. It was previously to the publication of this v/ork in its extended form, that Allan Ramsay had commenced the bookselling business, for it was " printed for the author, at the Slercury, opposite to Nid- dry's Wynd ;'' but the exact time when or the manner ho\v he changed his proftssion has not been recorded. At the Mercury, opposite to the head of Niddry's Wynd, Ramsay seems to have prosecuted his business as an original author, editor, and bookseller, with great diligence for a considerable number of years. His own poems he continued to print as they were written, in single sheets or half sheets, in which shape they are reported to have found a ready sale, the citizens being in the habit of sending their children with a penny for " Allan Ramsay's last piece." In this form were first published, besides those we have already mentioned, " The City of Edinburgh's address to the Country," " The City of Edinburgh's Salutation to the marquis of Caernarvon," " Elegy on Lucky Wood," "Familiar Epistles," &c. &c., which had been so well received by the public that in the year 1720, he issued proposals for republishing them, with additional poems, in one volume quarto. The estimation in which the poet was now held was clearly demonstrated by the rapid filling up of a list of subscribers, containing the names of all that were eminent for talents, learning, or dignity in Scotland. The volume, handsomely printed by Ruddiman, and ornamented by a portrait of the author, from the pencil of his friend Smibert, was published in the succeeding year, and the fortunate poet realized four hun- dred guineas by the speculation. This volume was, according to the fashion of the times, prefaced with several copies of recommendatory verses ; and it contained the first scene of the Gentle Shepherd, under the title of " Patie ar.d Roger," and apparently intended as a mere pastoral tllalogue. Incited by liis brilliant success, Ramsay redoubled his diligence, and in the year 1722, produced a volume of Fables and Tales ; in 1723, the Fair Assembly ; and, in 1724, Health, a poem, inscribed to the earl of Stair. In the year 1719, he had published a 154 ALLAN RAMSAY. volume of Scottisli Songs, which hafi already run through two editions, hy which he was encouraged to publish in January 1724, the first volume of ** The Tea Talle Miscellany," a collection of Songs, Scottish and English. This was soon followed by a second; in 1727, by a third; and some years afterwards by a fourth. Ihe demand fur this work was so gi-eat that, in the course of a few years, it ran through twelve editions. In later times Ramsay has been con- demned for what he seems to have looked upon as a meritorious piece of labour. He had refitted about sixty of the old airs with new verses, partly by himself, and partly by others ; which was perhans absolutely necessary on ai> count of the rudeness and indecency of the elder ditties. Modern antiquaries, however, finding that he has tlius been the means of banishing the latter order of songs out of existence, declaim against him for a result which he perhaps never contemplated, and wiiich, to say the least of it, could never have occurred, if the lost poems had possessed the least merit. That Ramsay, in publishing a work for the immediate use of his contemporaries, did not consult the taste or wishes of an age a century later, was certainly very natural ; and though we may regret that the songs are lost, we cannot well see how the blame lies with him. Ramsay, let us also recollect, was at this very time evincing his desire to bring forward the really valuable productions of the elder muse. In the year 1721, he published the "Ever-Green, being a Collection of Scots Poems, wrote by the Ingenious before 1600." Ramsay, however, was neither a faith- ful, nor a well informed editor. He introduced into this collection, as ancient compositions, two pieces of his own, entitled, " The Visioi!," and ** TheEaglo and Robin Redbreast," the former being a political allegory with a reference to the Pretender. Ramsay had already written and published, in his first volume of original poetry, " Patie and Roger," which he had followed up the following year with " Jenny and Maggy," a pastoral, being a sequel to " Patie and Roger." These sketches were so happily executed, as to excite in every reader a desira to see them extended. He therefore proceeded with additional colloquies in connexion with the former, so as to form in the end a dramatic pastoral in five acts. In the following letter, published here for the first time, it will be seen that he was engaged on this task in spring 1724<, at a time when the duties of life were confining him to the centre of a busy city, and when, by his own confession, he had almost forgot the appearance of those natural scenes ^shich he has nevertheless so admirably described : — ALLAN RAMSAY TO WILLIAM RAMSAY, OF TEMPLEHALL, Esq. " Edinburgh, April 8th, 1724. *' Sir, — These come to bear you my very heartyest and grateful wishes. May you long enjoy your Marlefield, see many a returning spring pregnant with new beautys ; may every thing that's excellent in its kind continue to fill your extended soul with pleasure. Rejoyce in the beneficence of heaven, and ifct all about ye I'ejoyce — whilst we, alake, the laborious insects of a smoaky city, hurry about from place to place in one eternal maze of fatiguing cares, to se- cure this day our daylie bread — and something till't. For me, I have almost forgot how springs gush from the earth. Once, I had a notion how fragrant the fields were after a soft shower; and often, time out of mind! the glowing blushes of the morning have fired my breast with raptures. Then it was that the mixture of rural music echo'd agreeable from the sorrounding hills, and all nature nppear'd in gayety. "However, what is wanting to me of rural sweets I endeavour to make up bj ALLAN RAMSAY. 155 being continually at the acting of some new farce, for I'm grown, I know not how, so very wise, or at least think so (wliicli is much about one), that the mob of mankind atiurd me a continual diversion ; and this place, tho' little, is crowded with merry-andrews, fools, and fops, of all sizes, [who] intemiix'd with a few that can think, compose the comical medley of actors. " Receive a sang made on the marriage of my young chief — I am, this vaca- tion, going through with a Dramatick Pastoral, whicli I design to (^rry the length of five acts, in verse a' the gate, and if I succeed according to my plan, I hope to tops v.ith the authors of i'astor Fido and Aminta. " (jiod take care of you and jours, is the constant prayer of, sir, your faith- ful humble servant, " Allan Hams ay." The poem was publislied in 1725, under the title of the Gentle Shepherd, and met with instant and triumphant success, A second edition was printed by lluddinian for the author, who still resided at his shop opposite Niddry's Wynd ; but the same year he removed from this his original dwelling to a house in the east end of the Luckenbooths, which had formerly been tl e London Coffee house. Here, in place of Mercury, he adopted the heads of Ben Jonson and Drummond of Hawthornden, and in addition to his business as a booksel- ler, he commenced tliat of a circul.iting library. Eamsay was the first to es- tablish such a business in Scotland, and it appears that he did so, not without some opposition fxom the more serious part cf the community, «ho found fault with him for lending the loose plays of that age to persons whose morals were liable to be tainted by them. In this shop the wics of Edinburgh continued daily to meet for information and amusement during the days of Eamsay and his successors in trade. In the year 1723, he published by subscription the second volume of his poems in quarto, (including the Gentle Shepherd,) which was equally successful with the first. Of this volume a second edition was printed in octavo in the succeeding year. In 1730, Kamsay published a collection of thirty fables, after which, though he wrote several copies of verses for the amusement of his friends, he gave nothing more to the publia His fame was now at the full, and though he had continued to issue a number of volumes every year, ail equally good as those that preceded them, it could have received no real addition. Over all the three kingdoms, and ovev all their dependencies, the works of Ramsay were widely diiTused, and warmly admired. The whole were republished by the London booksellers in the year 1731, and by the Dublin booksellers in 1733, all sterling proofs of extended popularity, to Avhich the poet himself failed not on proper occasions to allude. Ramsay had now risen to wealth and to high respectability, numbering among his familiar friends the best and the wisest men in the nation. By the greater part of the Scottish nobility he was caressed, and at the houses of some of the most distinguished of them, Hamilton palace, Loudoun cnstle, &:c., was a frequent visitor. \Yith Duncan Forbes, lord advocate, afteruards lord president, and the first of Scottish patriots. Sir John Clerk, Sir Vrilliam Rennet, and Sir Alexander Dick, he lived in the habit of daily and familiar, and friendly inter- course. With contemporary poets his intercourse was extensive and of tlie most friendly kind. The two llamiltons, of Bangour and Gilbertfield, were his most intimate friends. He addressed verses to Pope, to Gay, and to Somerville,. the last of whom returned his poetical salutations in kind. 3Iitchell and Mallet shared also in his friendly greetings. DIeston addressed to him vei-ses liigl'.ly complimentary, and William Scott of Thirlstane wrote Latin hexameters to his praise. Under so much good fortune he could n-t escape the malignant 156 ALLAN RAMSAY. glances of envious and disappointed poetasters, and of morose and stern moralists. Uy tlie fiiit he uas annoyed witli a " Block for Allan Hamsay's \vig-, or liie I'oet fallen in a trance;" by the latter, " Allan IJanisay nielamorphosed to a lleatiier-bloter poet, in a pastoral between Algon and IMelibo?a,"\vit!i " The flight of religious piety from J^cotland npon the account of Hnnisny'S lewd books and tile hell-bred playhouse comedians, who debauch all the faculties of the souls of the rising- generation," " A Looking-glass for Allan l^anisay," " The Dying Words of Allan Hamsay," &c. The three last of these pieces uere occasioned by a speculation which he entered into for the encourage- ment of the drama, to which he appears fo have been strongly attached. For this purpose, about the year I73G, he built a playhouse in Carrubber's close at vast expense, ^vhich, if it was ever opened, was immediately shut up by the act for licensing the stage, which was passed in the year 1737. Ramsay on this occasion addressed a rhyming complaint to the court of session, which was first printed in the Gentleman's 3Iagazine, and since in all the editions that have been given of his works. It does not, however, appear that he ob- tained any redress, and the pecuniary loss which he must have suffered proba- bly affected him more than tlie lampoons to which we have alluded. He had previously to this published his " Reasons for not answering the Hackney Scribblers," which are sufficiently biting, and with which he seems to have re- mained satisfied through life. He has described himself in one of his epis- tles as a " Little mnn that lo'ed his ease, And nevtr thol'd these passions lang That rr.dely meant to do him wrang ;" which we think the following letter to his old friend Smibert, the painter, who had by this time emigrated to the western world, will abundantly confirm :-.— " My dear old friend, your health and happiness are ever ane addition to my satis- faction. God make your life easy and pleasant. Half a century of years have row rowed o'er my pow, that begins to be lyart ; yet thanks to my author I eat, drink, and sleep as sound as I did twenty years syne, yea I Liugh, heartily too, and find as many subjects to employ that faculty upon as erer ; fools, fops, and knaves grow as rank as formerly, yet here and there are to be found good and worthy men who are ane honour to human life. We have small hopes of seeing you again in our old world ; then let us be virtuous and hope to meet in lieaven. My good auld wife is still my bedfellow. My son Allan has been pursuing your science since he was a dozen years auld ; was with Mr Hyffidg at London for some time about two years ago ; has been since at home, paint- ing here like a Raphael ; sets out for the seat of the beast beyond the Alps within a month hence, to be away about two years. I'm sweer to part with him, but cmna stem the current which flows from the advice of his patrons and his own inclination. I have three daughters, one of seventeen, one of sixteen, and one of twelve years old, and no ae wally dragle among them — all fine girls. These six or seven years past I have not written a line of poetry ; I can give over in good time, before the coolness of fancy that attends ad- vanced yeai"s should make me risk the reputation I had acrpiired. " Frae twentj-five to five and forty, My muse was neither sweer nor doit}-, Bly Pegasus would break his tether, E'en at the shaking of a ftather; And tlirough ideas scour like drift, Strekiiig his wings up to the lift ; ALLAN RAMSAY. 157 Then, then my pouI was in a low, That gart my numbers safely row; But eild and judgment gin to say, Let be jour sangs, and learn to pray." It is scarcely possible to conceive a more pleasing picture of ease and satisfac- tion than is exhibited in the above sketcli ; and, the affair of the theatre in Carrubber's close excepted, Kamsay seems to have filled it up to the last. Ho lost his wife, Christian lloss, in the year 174.3 ; but his three daughters, grown up to womanhood, in some measure supplied the want of her society, and much of his time in his latter years seems to have been spent with his friends in the country. It appears to have been about this period, and with the view of relin- quishing his shop, the business of which still went on prosperously, that he erected a house on the north side of the Castle Hill, where he might spend the remain- der of his days in dignified retirement. The site of this house was selected with the taste of a poet and the judgment of a painter. It commanded a reach of scenery probably not surpassed in Europe, extending from the mouth of the Fortli on the east to the Grampians on the west, and stretching far across the green hills of Fife to the north ; embracing in the including space every variety of beauty, of elegance, and of grandeur. The design for the building, how- ever, which the poet adopted, was paltry in the extreme, and by the wags of the city was compared to a goose pye, of which complaining one day to lord Elibank, his lordship gayly remarked, that now seeing him in it he thought it an exceedingly apt comparison. Fantastic though the house was, Ramsay spent the last twelve years of his life in it, except when he was abroad with his friends, in a state of philosophic ease, which few literary men are able to attain. In the year 1755, he is supposed to have relinquished business. An Epistle which he wrote this year to James Clerk, Esq. of Fennycuick, " full of wise saws and modern instances," gives his determination on the subject, and a picture of himself more graphic than could be drawn by any other person*. " Tho' born to no ae inch of ground, I keep my conscience white and sound ; And though I ne'er was a rich keeper, To make that up I live the cheaper; By this ae knack I've made a shift To drive ambitious care adrift ; And now in years and sense grown auld, In ease I like my limbs to fauld. Debts I abhor, and plan to be From shackling trade and dangei"s free ; That I may, loosed frae care and strife. With calmness view the edge of life; And when a full ripe age shall crave Slide easily into my grave ; Now seventy jears are o'er my head, And thirty more may lay me dead." While ho was thus planning schemes of ease and security, Ramsay seems ta have forgotten t!ie bitter irony of a line in one of his elegies, '• The wily carl, he gathered gear, But ah ! he's dead." At the very time he was thus writing, he was deeply afllicted with the scurvy in his gums, by which he eventually lost all his teeth, and even a portion of 158 ALLAN RAMSAY. one of his jaw bones, lie died at Edinburgh on the 7th of January, 1757, in tlie 73id year of iiis age. He was buried on the Dth of the month, without any particular honours, and with liini for a time was buried Scottish jioetry, there not being so much as one poet found in Scotland to sing a requiem over his grave. His wife, Christian Ross, seems to liave brought him seven ciiihlren, three sons and four daughters ; of these Allan, the eldest, and two daughters survi\ed him. Of the character of Ramsay, the outlines we presiaue may be drawn from the comprehensive sketch which we have exhibited of the events of his life. Pi-udcnt self-control seems to have been his leading characteristic, and the acquisition of a competency tlie great object of his life. He was one of the few poets to whom, in a pecuniary point of view, poetry has been really a blessing, and who could combine poetic pursuits with those of ordinary business. RA3ISAY, Allan, an euiinont portrait-painter, was the eldest son of the subject of the preceding article, and was bprn in Edinburgh in the year 1713. He received a liberal education, and displayed in boyhood a taste for the art which he afterwards successfully cultivated. His father, wriiing to his friend Smibert in 1736, says: " My son Allan has been pursuing your science since he Avas a dozen years auld ; was with IWr HyfFidg in London for some time, about two years ago; has since been painting here like a Raphael : sets out for the seat of the beast beyond the Alps within a month hence, to be away two years. I'm sweer [loath] to part with him, but canna stem the current which flows from the advice of his patrons and his own inclination." It is to be supposed that the father would be the less inclined to control his son in this matter, ns he was himself, in early life, anxious to be brought up as a painter. In Italy young Ramsay studied three years under Solimano and Imperiali, two artists of celebrity. He then returned to his native country, and commenced business, painting, amongst ctliers, his father's friend, president Forbes, and his own sis- ter, Janet Ramsay, whose portraits are preserved in Kewhall house, and an excellent full-length of Archibald duke of Argyle, in his robes as an extraordinary lord of session, now in the Town Hall, Glasgow. The name of Allan Ramsay junior, is found in the list of the members of the Academy of St Luke, an association of painters and lovers of painting, insti- tuted at Edinburgh in 1723, but which does not appear to have done anything vtorthy of record.' It would also appear that he employed part of his time in giving private instructions in drawing, for it was while thus engaged in the family of Sir Alexander Lindsay of Evelick, that he gained the heart and hand of the baronet's eldest daughter, Margaret — a niece of the illustrious Mansfield — by whom he had three children. In 1751, he became the founder of the Select Society, which comprised all the eminent learned characters then living in the Scottish capital, and which he was well qualified to adorn, as he was an excel- lent classical scholar, knew French and Italian perfectly, and had all the polish and liberal feeling of a highly instructed man. Previously to this period he had made London his habitual residence, though he occasionally visited both Rome and Edinburgh. In Bouquet's pamphlet on " the Present State of the Fine Arts in England," published in 1755, he is spoken of as " an able painter, who, acknowledging no other guide than nature, brought a rational taste of resemblance with him from Italy. Even in his por- traits," says this writer, " he shows that just steady spirit, which he so agree- ably displays in his conversation." He found in the earl of Bridgewaler, one of ' The rules of tliis obscure insiitution, with the signatures, were published by Mr P.itrick Gibson, in his " View of the Ai ts of Design in Britiiin," in the Edinburgh Annual Regis- ter for 1S16. his earliesVEnglish patrons. He was also introduced by the earl of Bute to the pnnce ot Wales, afteruards George III., of whom he painted portraits, both in full length and in profile, which were engraved, the one by Hyland, the other by Wool ett. He practised portrait-painting tor seve.-al years witli distin-.iishe.l success, being deficient, according to Walpole, rather in subjects than in "-eniu. His portraits are distinguished by a calm unattected representation of nature • and he is universally allowed to have contributed, with Hevnolds, to raise this branch of art in Britain. He had not long been in practice before he acquire.! considerable wealth, which, it appears, he used in a liberal spirit. When his father died in 1757, in somewhat embarrassed circumstances, he paid his debts, settling, at the same time, a pension on his unmarried sister, Janet llainsav who survived till ISOi. '' In 1767, Ramsay was appointed portrait-painter to the king and fpieen, which brought him an immense increase of employment, as porti-ails of their majesties were perpetually in demand for foreign courts, ambassadors, and public bodies at home. He was, tlierefore, obliged to engage no fewer than five assistants to forward his pictures, among whom was David 3Iartin, the predeces- sor of Raeburn, In consequence of liis enlightened and amusing conversation, he became a great favourite with their majesties, the queen being particularly pleased with him on account of his ability to converse in (ienuaii, in which he had not a rival at court, save amongst Jier own domestics. The state nobles, and other public leaders of that time, were also fond of the conversation of liamsay, who is said to have taken more pleasure in politics and literature than in his art, and wrote many pieces on controverted subjects, with the signature, " In- vestigator," which were ultimately collected into a volume. He corresponded, too, with Voltaire and Rousseau, both of whom he visited when abroad; and his letters are said to have been elegant and witty. " Ramsay, in short," says Mr A. Cunningham, " led the life of an elegant accomplished man of the world, and public favourite." He was frequently of Dr Johnson's parlies, who said of him, " You will not find a man in whose conversation there is more instruction, more information, and elegance, than in Ramsny's." He was noted in his own country for having, after the battle of Prestonpans, written an imitation of the song of Deborah in scripture, which he put into the mouth of a jacobite young lady of family, and which displayed considerable powers of satire ; and in the Edinburgh Annual Register for IS13, will be found a burlesque on Ho- race's " Integer Vitie," which shows such a dexterous union of the Latin rhythm with the English rhyme, as none but a man of a singular kind of genius could have effected.' In consequence of an accident which injured his arm, Ramsay retired from business about the year 1775. He then lived several years in Italy, amusing himself chietly with literary pursuits. His health gradually sinking, he formed the wish to return to his native land; but the motion of the carriage brought on a slow fever by the way, and he died at Dover, August 10, 17 Si, in the seven- ty-first year of his age. John Ramsay, the son of the painter, entered the army, and rose to the rank of major-general. His two daughters, Amelia and Charlotte, were respectively married to Sir Archibald Campbell of Inverness, and colonel IMalcolm o. Ford farm, Surrey. 1 The following portraits, by Mr Ramsay, have, amongst others, been engraved : — King George III. Queen Cliailotte. Frederick, prince of Wales. Lord chancellor Hardnicke. The earl of Bute. Jolm, duke of Argyle. The carl of Bath. Sir Chaii.s Pralt (lord Cambden). Tiiomas Burnet, judge of conimon pleas. Hugh Dalr}mple (lord Drummore). Dr Alexander Monro, primus. David Hume. Archibald, duke of Arg>le. President Forbes. Provost Coutts. Lady George Lennox. Lady Erskine. Ai'sn Bamsiy, the poet. 160 ANDREW MICHAEL RAMSAY. R AIMS AY, A.N'DREAT Michael, better known by the name of the Cliev.il ier de Ranisny, wns born in Ayr, 9tli June, l(iSG. He was the son of a baker, who had acfjiiired some pmperty, and was able to give him a good education. From ll'.c school of his native burgh, he was removed to the university of Edinburgh, ^vhere he became distinguished for his abilities and diligence. In consequence of the high reputation he had acquired he was intrusted with the tuition of James, afterwards fourth carl of Weniyss, and his brother David, lord Elcho, the fcr- nier of whom he attended at the university of St Andrews. Of these youths the chevalier has left a pleasing notice, dated Isleworth, February 25, 1709 : " I have nothing to interrupt me but an hour or two's attendance at night upon two of the most innocent, sweet, sprightly little boys I ever knew." Besides this notice of his pupils, we have in the same document a remarkable revelation respecting himself. That he was a young man full of literary en- thusiasm, and haunted with day-dreams of iunnortality, the history of his after life abundantly testifies; yet he professes here that all his " ambition was to be forgotten." Such a profession may reasonably be suspected in any man, for no one, in ordinai-y circumstances, can have the least reason to fear that ho will be forgotten. In young men it may always be interpreted as meaning the very reverse of the expression, being neither more nor less than the extorted bitterness of a proud or a vain spirit, sickening and sinking under the prospect of accumulating difficulties or ultimate disappointment. Before this time, Ramsay had become unsettled in his religious principles. He now visited Holland, and took up his residence nt Leyden, the university of which was at that time the common resort of the literary youth of Scotland. Here he fell into the company of Poiret, one of the most distinguished advocates of the mystic theology, then so prevalent on the continent, from whom he learned the leading dogmas of that system. Having heard of the fame of Fenelon, archbishop of Cambray, and that he had long advocated mysticism, Kamsay determined to pay him a visit, and take his advice on the subject. He accord- ingly, in I7I0, repaired to Cambray, where he met with the most cordial recep- tion. He was at this time in his twenty-fourth year, polite and engaging in his manners, and of a gentle and easy temper, every way calculated to win upon the affections of a man like Fenelon. Having received him into his house as an inmate of the family, the good archbishop listened to tlio disjointed history of his religious opinions with patience, discussed with him at large his objec- tions, his doubts, and his difRculties, and in less than six months had the satis- faction to find that he had succeeded in making his guest a true catholic, nt least as far as he could believe himself sucli, for Kamsay had most cordially im- bibed all his opinions, philosophical, moral, and religious. This strange ad- venture gave colour and consistence to the whole subsequent life of the cheva- lier. Having been preceptor to the duke of Burgundy, heir-apparent to the throne of France, Fenelon had considerable influence at the PVencIi court, and he procured for his disciple and protege the preceptorship to the duke de Chateau-Thiery and the prince de Turenne. In this situation Ram. say acquitted himself so well that he was made a knight of the order of St Lazarus, and from the commendations he received was selected by the person called the Pretender, to superintend the education of his two sons, prince Charles Ed;vard, and Henry, afterviards cardinal de York. For this purpose he left France, and repaired to Rome in the year 1724. The retirement that he had previously courted and enjoyed, was now interrupted. His literary status hin- dered him from keeping altogether aloof from the kindred spirits around him. Bloreover, he perceived that the political and religious intrigues that were cai-- ried on at the apostolic court, but ill suited the prosecution of those literary ANDREW MICHAEL RAMSAY. ICl labours in uliicli lie had embarked. He therefore, after a short res'ulonco in Italy, requested of his employer permission to return to France, whidi was readily granted. Literary leisure was what he now desired. In the oapi- tal of France, however, it was unlikely he could obtain this, as the same intol- ernnt spirit prevailed that had hastened his departure from IJome. He there- fore resolved on visiting his native country. On reaching l^ritain lie was re- ceived into the family of the duke of Argyle. Tliat repose so congenial to one of his studious habits was now alforded iiim, and he innuediately set about the preparation of those works which ho had long meditated, and tlirougli which he has become known to posterity. His largest work, " On the Principles of Natural and Kevealed Religion," contains a luminous and detailed statement of the various steps which the Divine Being, in the one of these grand divisions, has made demonstrable by human reason, and an ingenious exhibition of the othei-, as made known to man by revelation. The forcible process of deduc- tion, which, throughout the wrrk, is brought to bear upon the mind of the reader, can hardly fail in accomplishing what the author intended — an elevation of the heart of the creature to the Creator. The work has passed several times tiirough the press. Kamsay next publisiied " The 'I'ravels of Cyrus." The best criterion of judging of this publication is to be found in the great number of editions that have from time to time been laid before the public. Although the lame of ■ the chevalier, as a writer, rests chiefly upon the " Travels of Cyrus," yet on its first appearance it met with severe criticism. That a desiire to be hypercritical might sway some of his literary judges is possible ; at any rate, it has outlived their censorship. It secured for its author an honourable niche among the standard authors of Britain. It displays an intimate acquaintance with the customs, laws, learning, and antiquities of the period of which it treats, and exhibits a beautiful delineation of human character, together with the soundest principles of true philosophical discrimination. Soon after these works appeared, he was honoured by the university of Oxford with tlie degree of doctor of laws, which was conferred on him by Ur King, principal of St 3Iary'8 Hall. It ought to have been previously stated, tiiat, before receiving this honourable distinction, he had been admitted to St IMary's Hall in 1730. He afterwards returned to Fi-aiice, and resided several years at i'ontoise, a seat of the prince de Turenne, duke de Bouillion. While here, he published the life of his benefactor, the archbishop of Cambray ; a biographical sketch, cliietly re- mai-kable as containing a detailed account of the persecution to which tiie wor- thy prelate was subjected by his brother divines, for his suspected connivance at the doctrines of mysticism, and the arguments adduced on both sides on his own conversion to the catholic faith. It was reprinted in this country in a small duodecimo volume. Soon afterwards, he published, in two volumes, " The History of Viscount Turenne, marshal of France," which was also trans- lated and published in England. He resided in the prince's family in the siU-iation of intendant till the period of his death, ^hich happened at St Germain en Laye, on the 6th of 3Iay, 1743, having nearly completed his fifty- seventli year. His remains ^vere interred at the place where he died, but some time af- terwards his heart was removed to the nunnery of St Sacrament at Faris. It is supposed that when in England he did not visit the place of his birth. Perhaps his renunciation of the faith of his forefathers, and blighting the hopes of a doting parent, prevented his doing so. That he did not, however, neglect his relations is evident from the fact of his wishing to settle upon them an an- nuity, which they refused to accept. From France he remitted a considerable sum of money to his father; but on its being presented, the staunch prcsby- terian indignantly replied, " It cam' by the beast, and let it gang to the IV. IC3 DR. THOMAS EEID. lieast;" and it is not supposed that he ever profited in any manner by his son's abilities. The principal works of tlie chevalier Ramsay not yet alliuled to, are ' A Dis- course on the Kpic Poem," in French, generally prefixed to the later editions of Telemachiis, "An Essay on Civil Government;" "Keniarks on lord Siiaftes- bury's Characteristics " (French) ; a few English poem* of no value : and two letters in French to Racine the younger, upon the true sentiments of Pope in tlie Essiy on 31an. KEID, (Dr) Thomas, an eminent metaphysician and moral philosopher, and pro- fessor of the latter science in the universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow successive- ly, was born at Strachan, in Kincardineshire, in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, on the 2Gth of April, 1710, as shown by the minute researches of professor Dugald Stewart, who afi'ectionately wrote the life of his eminent friend. The family of Reid had been ornamented by producing different authors of considerable emi- nence in their age.^ One of his ancestors, James Reid, was the first minister of Banchory-Ternan (a parish in the neiglibourhood of Strachan) after the Re- formation. His son Thomas has been commemorated by Dempster, (whose praises of a protestant clergyman's son may be deemed worthy of credit,) as a man of great eminence. He collected in a volume the Theses he had defended at foreign universities ; and some of his Latin poems were inserted in the Delitice Poetarum Scotoruin. He was Greek and Latin secretary to James L, and bequeatiied to Mnrischal college a sum for the support of a librarian, which has since disappeared, or been directed to otlier purposes. Alexander, a brother of Thomas, was physician to king Charles L, and published some for- gotten works on medicine and surgery. Another brother translated Buchanan's History of Scotland into English. The father of the subject of our memoir was the reverend Lewis Reid, for fifty years minister of the parish of Strachan ; and his mother was daugliter to David Gregory of Kinnairdie, elder brother of James Gregory, the inventor of tlie reflecting telescope. After spending two years at the parisli school of Kincardine O'Neil, Thomas Eeid was sent, for the farther prosecution of his studies, to Aberdeen, where, at the age of twelve or thirteen, he was entered as a student of i\Lirischal college. Little is kno^vn of his early studies or qualifications, with the exception of the not very flattering remark of his master, " That he would turn out to be a man of good and well-wearing parts." In a letter to a friend, written late in life, he has stated some circumstances connected >vith his habits of body in youth, M'hich he appears to have recollected merely as the data of some of his philo- sophical speculations. They are perhaps not the least interesting, as showing that the physical state of the body produces eftects in the procedure of the mind, different from what might be presumed as the mental characteristics of the individual, as derivable from his opinions. " About the age of fourteen," he says, " I was almost every night unh.appy in my sleep from frightful dreams ; sometimes hanging over a dreadful precipice, and just ready to drop down ; sometimes pursued for my life, and stopped by a wall, or by a sudden loss of all strengtii ; sometimes ready to be devoured by a wild beast. How long I was plagued with such dreams, I do not recollect. I believe it was for a year or two at least ; and I think they had quite left me before I was sixteen. In those days, I was much given to what Mr Addison, in one of his Spectators, calls castle-building : and in my evening solitary walk, which was generally all the exercise I took, my thoughts would hurry me into some active scene, where I generally acquitted myself much to my own satisfaction ; and in these scenes of imagination, I performed many a gallant exploit. At the same time, in my 1 Stewart's Biographical Memoirs, p. 400. m\. THOMAS IlEID. 1G3 dreams I found myself tlie most anaiit coward that ever was. Not only my courage, but my strength failed me in every danger; and I oflen rose from my bed in the morning in such a panic, that it took some lime to get tiie better of it I wished very much to get free of these uneasy dreams, wliich not only made me unhappy in sleep, but often left a disagreeable impression in my mind for some part of the following day. I thouglit it was worili trying whether it was possible to recollect that it was all a dream, and that I Mas in no real danger, and that every fright I had was a dream. After many fruitless attempts to recollect this when the danger appeared, 1 efl'ectcd it at last, and have often, when I was sliding over a precipice into the abyss, recollected tliat it was all a dream, and boldly jumped down. The effect of this commonly was, that I immediately awoke. Eut I awoke calm and intrepid, which I thought a great acquisition. After this, my dreams were never very uneasv ; and, in a short time, I dreamed not at all." Tliat a mind such as Keid's should have been subject to " castle-building,"' and to singular dreams, must be accounted for from the state of his body ; while the strong active powers of his mind are shown in the mastership which he at length acquired over the propensity. AYliile he remained at Marischal college, Held was appointed to the librarian- ship, which his ancestor had founded. During this period, ho formed an inti- macy with John Stewart, afterwards professor of mathematics in 3Iarischal col- lege. In 173G, he accompanied this gentleman to England, and they together visited London, Oxford, and Cambridge, enjoying an intercourse with Dr David Gregory, Martin, Folkes, and Dr Bentley. In 1737, the King's college, as patrons, presented Dr Reid with the living of New Jlachar, in Aberdeenshire. An aversion to the law of patronage, \\hich then strongly cliaractei'ized ninny districts of Scotland, excited hostile feelings against a man, who, if the parish- ioners could have shown their will as \\ell in making a choice as in vituperating the person chosen, would have been the very man afttr their heart. In enter- ing on his cure, he Avas even exposed to personal danger. " His unwearied attention, however," says professor Stewart, " to the duties of his office ; the mildness and forbearance of his temper, and the active spirit of his humanity, soon overcame all these prejudices : and, not many years afterwards, when he was called to a different situation, the same persons who had suffered themselves to be so far misled, as to take a share in the outrages against him, followed him, on his departure, with their blessings and tears." On his departure, some old men are said to have observed, " We fought against Dr Keid wlien he ranie, and would have fought for him Avhen he went away." It is said that, for at least a considerable portion of the time which he spent at New 3Iachar, he was accustomed to preach the sermons of Dr Tillotson and Dr Evans, instead of his own ; a circumstance which his biographer attributes to modesty and self-diffi- dence. In 1740, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of his uncle, Dr George Reid, physician in London. About this period, he is said to have spent his time in intensely studying moral philosc phy, and in making these observations on the organs of sense, and their operation on tlie external world, which formed the broad basis of his philosophy. Reid was not a precocious genius; and whatever he wrote in early life, is said to have been defective in style : but he busied himself in planting good seed, which, in the autumn of his days, pro- duced to himself and to the world a rich and abundant harvest. His first public literary attempt was an " Essry on Quantity, occasioned by reading a Treatise, in wliich Simple and Compound Ratios are applied to Virtue and Merit," published in the Transactions of the Royal Society, in 1743, This paper is levelled at the " Inquiry into the Origin of our ideas of Beauty and V\v- tue," by Dr Hutcheson, who had conuiiitted the venial pliilosophical sin, of IG'l DR. THOMAS REID. making use of a science, wliich can only be broiiglit to bear on moral science as a means of ilUistratiiig it, and abbreviating tlie nietliod of reasoning, as aftbrding grounds for reasoning by analogy. I'erhaps, on a fair consideration, Hutcheson may not bave intended to carry bis system to tlie extent presumed in tliis valu- able little treatise, most of tbe argmnents of wbicb are made to meet tbe appli- cation of tbe mathematics, not only as forming a regular series of analogies lit to be used in moral science, but likewise as so accurately corresponding, tbat, as it is all mensurable itself, it serves tbe purpose of a measurer in moral science. Tbe following sentence contains tbe essence of bis argument on this last point, and it is conclusive. " It is not easy to say how many kinds of improper (juan- tity may, in time, be introduced into the mathematics, or to what new subjects measures may be applied : but this, I think, we may conclude, that there is no foundation in nature for, nor can any valuable end be served by, applying measure to any thing but what has these two properties : First, it nuist admit of degrees of gi'eatcr and less ; secondly, it must be associated with or relates? to something tbat has proper cjuantity, so as that when one is increased, tlie other is increased ; when one is diminished, the other is diminislied also ; and every degree of the one must have a determinate magnitude or quantity of the other coi'responding to it."" Reid seems not to have been very certain whether the person ivhom he opposes, (styled by him Dr M.,) did actually maintain mathematics as being a proper measure in the moral sciences, or that it merely aftbrded useful analogies ; and perhaps some who are disposed to agree with Reid as to the former alternative, may not be prepared to join him in attacking the latter. He continues: " Though attempts have been made to apply mathema- tical reasoning to some of these things, and the quantity of virtue and merit in actions has been measured by simple and compound ratios; yet Dr IM. does not think that any real knowledge has been struck out this way : it may, perhaps, if discreetly used, be a help to discourse on these subjects, by pleasing the imagination, and illustrating what is already known ; but till our affections and appetites shall themselves be reduced to quantity, and exact measures of their various degrees be assigned, in vain shall we essay to measure virtue and merit by them. This is only to ring changes on words, and to make a show of ma- thematical reasoning, without advancing one step in real knowledge.""* In 1752, tbe professors of King's college in Aberdeen, elected Dr Reid pro- fessor of moral philosophy, *' in testimony of the high opinion they had formed of his learning and abilities." After having taken up his residence in Aber- deen, he became one of the projectors of that select society of philosophers, which then dignified tiie northern city. It is perhaps partly to the influence of this association, that, among many other works, we owe the " Inquiry into the Human IMind upon the Principles of Common Sense," which Dr Reid pub- lished in 1764. As tliis work developed an argument against the sceptical philosophy of 3Ir Hume, the author, with more magnanimity than some mem- bers of his profession displayed at the time, procured, by the interposition of Dr Blair, a perusal of the maimscript by Hume, in order that any of those dis- putes, from mere misunderstanding of words, so pernicious to philosophical discussion, might be avoided. Hume at first displayed some disinclination, founded on previous experience of others, to encourage this new assailant. "I wish," he said, " that the parsons would confine themselves to their old occupation of worrying one another, and leave philosophers to argue with tem- 2 ReiJ's litisajs, (1820,) vi. S Essa3S, viii. Stewart, who praises the principles of this Essay, (Life ut sup. 510,) was more than most philosophers of his eminence, addicted to the vice detected in one of its forms, viz., compaii^cm between nient;il and physical nature, not merely to the extent of illustration, but oianahgij. DR. THOMAS REID. 165 per, moderation, and good manners." But his liberal mind did not permit hiiT), on seeing- tlie manuscript, and knowing- tlie \vorth of its author, to yield to liis liasty anticipations. Writing personally to l\eid, he said, " By Dr Blair's means I have been favoured uitli tlie perusal of your perfurniance, which I liave read with great pleasure and attention. It is certainly very rare, that a piece so deeply philosophical, is wrote witii so much spirit, and allbrds so much en- tertainment to the reader, though I nuist still regret the disadvantages under wiiich I read it, as I never liad the whole performance at once before me, and could not be able fully to compare one part with another. To this reason chiefly I attribute some obscurities, which, in spite of your sliort analysis or ab- stract, still seem to hang over your system. For I must do you the justice to own, that, when I enter into your ideas, no man appears to express himself with greater perspicuity than you do ; a talent Avhich, above all others, is requisite in that species of literature which you have cultivated. There are some objec- tions, which I would willingly propose, to the chapter Of Sight, did I not sus- pect that they proceed from my not sufficiently understanding it; and I am the more confirmed in this suspicion, as Dr Black tells me that the former objec- tions I had made, had been derived chiefly from that cause. I shall, therefore, forbear till the whole can be before me, and shall not at present propose any farther difficulties to your reasonings. I shall only say, that if you have been able to clear up these abstruse and important subjects, instead cf being morti- fied, I shall be so vain as to pretend to a share of the praise ; and shall think that my errors, by having at least some coherence, had led you to make a more strict review of my principles, which were the common ones, and to perceive their futility." It may be as well here to pass over the intervening events of Dr Reid's life, and give a brief sketch of the principles of his philosophy, as developed in his other works, to which, as IMr Stewart has properly remarked, the Inquiry into the Human Blind forms an introduction. In 1785, he published his " Essays on the Intellectual Powers of 3Ian," and in 17SS, tiiose on the "Active Powers." These two have been generally republished together, under the well known title, " Kssays on the Powers of the Human 3Iind ;" a work which has gradually gained ground in the estimation of intelligent thinkers, and is now used as a text book by many eminent teachers of philosophy. ^^ hen it is said that Dr ileid's philosophy is entirely, or intended to be entirely syntheti- cal, and that it adopts no theory, except as an induction from experiment, it will readily be understood, that a view stead, therefore, of appealing to any tlieories of his own (which ho knew would require to be founded on vague speculation, and independently of observation,) on tlie essence of the mind, when he tried the trutli of his observations, he appealed to what lie called " common sense," or that sense, however acquired, which prompls us to believe one thing, and disbelieve another. Hence it might bo said, in common language, tliat, instead of making his inquiries by means of subtle and metaphysical reasonings, he stated his views, trusting that his readei-s would believe him from their common sense, and, if they did not choose to do so, knowing that tlie greater part of the world was on liis side, despite of any fine-spun objections which might be produced by the sophist. The following, perhaps, more than most other pass;iges in his works, bears a marked stamp of his method of reasoning : " Perhaps Ues Cartes meant not to assume liis own exist- ence in this enthymeme, but the existence of thought, and to infer from that the existence of a mind, or subject of thought. But why did he not prove the exist- ence of his thought? Consciousness, it may be said, vouches that. But who is voucher of the consciousness ? Can any man prove that his consciousness may not deceive him ? No man can : nor can we give a better reason for trust- ing to it, than that every man, while his mind is sound, is determined, by the constitution of his nature, to give implicit belief to it, and to laugh at, or to pity, the nian who doubts its testimony. And is not every man in his wits as determined to take his existence upon trust, as his consciousness ?"* It is easier to find objections to, than to erect a system of metaphysical philosopliy ; and that of Keid atlbrds ample room for controversy. Admitting tiiat tlie only ground on whicii we can ever place metaphysical truths is, the general belief of men of sound mind, it must still, in every instance, be a very questionable matter, wliether these men of sound mind have come to the rir/Jit conclusion, and whether it may not be possible, by a little more investigation and argu- ment, even though conducted by a sceptical philosopher, to show reasons for coming to a different conclusion, and to establish it upon the very same grounds, viz., the general belief of men of sound mind. \Yhen Galileo dis- covered that nature abhorred a vacuum, and was afterwards obliged to admit that this abhorrence did not extend above thirty-three feet, many men of sound mind probably lelt themselves " determined, by the constitution of their nature, to give implicit belief" to both positions, until one discovered the effect of at- mospheric pressure, and got men of common sense to admit that nature had no greater horror at a vacuum than at a plenum. It became a necessary conse- quence of this method of reasoning, that Eeid's first, or instinctive principles, ■were less simple and more numerous than those of other philosophers ; and his opponents accused him of having by that means perplexed and complicated the science of mind. In simplifying this science, there are two evils to be avoided ; a propensity to i-efine every thing into first principles, unsupported by reason ; and the lesser vice of producing confusion, by not extending speculation so fai towards the establishment of first principles, as tliere may be good reason for proceeding. It was probably in his anxiety to avoid the former, that Eeid in- <;urred not unjust censure for sometimes embracing the latter alternative. The " Principle of Credulity," and the *' Principle of Veracity," are certainly ob- jectionable. Eeid lias had many warm followers, and many who have looked on his philosophy with great contempt. Tliose who conceive that all systems of mental philosophy are merely useful for the exercise they give the mind, 4 Inquiry-, (1819,) 28. DR. THOMAS EEID. 1G7 and the undoubted truths ^vliicli they occasionally hy open, will perhaps mal* the fairest appreciation of his merit, and by such it may perhaps be allowed, that the broad method he followed, has enabled him to lay before the world a greater number of interesting circumstances connected witii moral science, than most ether philosophers have been enabled to display. ]3efore leaving the sub- ject of his works, it may be mentioned, that lie composed, as a portion of lord Karnes' Sketches of the History of Man, " A brief Account of Aristotle's Logic;" the chief defect of this production is, its professed brevity. It is very clear and distinct, and leads one to regret, that so accurately thinking and un- prejudiced a writer, had not enriched the world with a more extensive view of the Aristotelian and oilier systems. In 17G3, while he was, it may be presumed, preparing his Inquiry for the press, a knowledge of what was expected to come from his pen, and his general fame, prompted the university of Glasgow to invite him to fill the chair of na- tural philosophy there. In this office, professor Stewart remarks, that " his researches concerning the human mind, and the principles of morals, which had occupied but an inconsiderable space in the wide circle of science, allotted to him by his former office, were extended and methodized in a course, which em- ployed five hours every week, during six montiis of the year. Tlie example of his illustrious predecessor, and the prevailing topics of conversation around him, occasionally turned his thoughts to connnercial politics, and produced some in- genious essays on different questions connected with trade, which were com- municated to a private society of his academic^al friends. His early passion for the mathematical sciences was revived by tiie conversation of Simson, Moor, and the Wilsons ; and at the age of fifty-five, he attended the lectures of Black with a juvenile curiosity and enthusiasm." Dr Eeid's constant desire for the acquisition of facts on which to raise his deductions, kept him continually awake to all new discoveries ; and he spent many, even of the latter days of his long life, in observing the truths which were developed by this illustrious chemist. The biographer, after observing that tiie greater part of the course of lectures delivered by Dr Reid at Glasgow, is to be found in his published works, pro- ceeds : " Beside his speculations on the intellectual and active powers of man, and a system of practical ethics, his course comprehended some general views with respect to natural jurisprudence, and the fundamental principles of poli- tics. A few lectures on rhetoric, which were read at a separate hour, to a more advanced class of students, formed a voluntary addition to the appropriate functions of his office, to which, it is probable, he was prompted i-ather by a wish to supply what was then a deficiency in the established course of educa- tion, than by any predilection for a branch of study so foreign to his ordinary pursuits." It may be right to quote, from the same authority, those observa- tions as to his method of teaching, which none but an ear-witness can make. " In his elocution and mode of instruction, there was nothing peculiarly attrac- tive. He seldom, if ever, indulged himself in the warmth of extempore dis- course ; nor was his manner of reading calculated to increase the eftect of what he had committed to memory. Such, however, was the simplicity and perspi- cuity of his style; such the gravity and authority of his character; and such the general interest of his young hearers in the doctrines whicii he taught, that by the numerous audiences to which his instructions were addressed, lie was heard uni- formly with the most silent and respectful attention. On this subject, I speak from personal knowledge, having had the good fortune, during a considerable part of winter 1772, to be one of his pupils." In 1781, Dr Reid retired from tiie duties of his professorship; and while his labour and assiduity had earned for him a full right to enjoy his old age in literary retirement, his mental faculties 1G8 JOHN KENNIE. remained unimpaired. After this period, lie cominiJincatcd some essays to the Philosophical Society. Tiie most important Morc: "An Examination of Priestley's Opinions concerning flatter and 3Iind ;" " Observations on tlio Utopia of Sir Thomas iMorc ;" and " Physiological lieflections on 3Iusrular Motion." By this time Reid had suffered considerable domestic afliiction; four of his cliildren had died after reaching the age of maturity, leaving one daugh- ter married to Patrick Carmichael, IM. D. After his retirement, his uife died. In a letter to professor Stewart, he thus aflectingly describes his situation after that event: " Py the loss of my bosom friend, with uhoni I lived fifty-two years, I am brought into a kind of new world, at a time of life when old habits are not easily forgot, or new ones acquii-ed. But every world is God's world, and I am thankful for the comforts he has left me. Sirs Carmichael has now the cai'e of tuo old deaf men, and does everything in her power to please them ; and both are very sensible of her goodness. I have more health than at my time of life I had any reason to expect. I walk about; entertain myself with reading what I soon forget ; can converse with one person, if he arti- culates distinctly, and is within ten inches of my left ear; and go to church, without hearing one word of what is said. You know I never had any preten- sions to vivacity, but I am still free from languor and ennui." In the summer of 1796, he spent a few weeks in Edinburgh, and his biographer, who was then his almost constant companion, mentions, that, with the exception of his memory, his mental faculties appeared almost unimpaired, while his physical powers were progressively sinking. On his return to Glasgow, apparently in his usual health and spirits, a violent disorder attacked him about the end of September ; and, after repeated strokes of palsy, he died on the 7th October following. The atlectionate biographer, in dra\ving a character of this eminent and excel- lent man, may be said to sum up the particulars of it in the woi'ds with which he commences. " Its most prominent features were — inti-epid and inflexible rectitude ; — a pure and devoted attachment to truth ; — and an entire command (acquired by the unwearied exertions of a long life) over all his passions." IIENNIE, John, a celebrated civil engineer, was the youngest son of a re- spectable farmer at Phantassie, in East Lothian, where he \vas born, June 7, 1761. Before he had attained his sixth year, he had the misfortune to lose his father ; his education, nevertheless, was carried on at the parish school (Prestonkirk) by his surviving relatives. The peculiar talents of young Rennie seem to have been called forth and fostered by his proximity to the workshop of the celebrated mechanic, Andrew Sleikle, the inventor or improver of the thrashing-machine. He frequently visited that scene of mechanism, to admire the complicated processes which he saw going forward, and amuse himself wiih the tools of the workmen. In time, he began to imitate at home the models of machinery which he saw there ; and at the early age of ten he had made the model of a wind-mill, a steam-engine, and a pile-engine, the last of which is said to have exhibited much practical dexterity. At twelve, Rennie left school, and entered into the employment of Andre\v Meikle, with whom he continued two years. He then spent t\vo years at Dun- bar, for the purpose of improving his general education. So early as 1777, when only sixteen years of age, his Uunbar master considered him fit to super- intend the school in his absence, and, on being removed to the academy at Perth, recommended Rennie as his successor. This, however, was not the oc- cupation which the young mechanician desired, and he renewed his former la- bours in the workshop of Andre^v iMeikle, employing his leisure hours in model- ling and drawing machinery. Before reaching the age of eighteen, he had erected two or three corn-mills in his native parish ; but the first work which JOHN EENNIE. 1G9 he undertook on his own account was the rebuilding of the flour-mills at Inver- gowrie, near Dundee. Views of an ambitious kind gradually opened to him, and, by zealously prosecuting his professional labours in summer, he was enabled to spend the winter in Edinburgh, where he attended the lectures of professor Kobison on natural philosophy, and those of Ur Black on chemistry. Having thus fitted himself in some measure for the profession of an engineer, he proceeded to Soho, with a recommendation from Robison to 3Iessrs Eolton and Watt. Cn the way, he examined the aqueduct bridge at Lancaster, the docks at Liver- pool, arid the interesting works on the Bridgewater canal. At Soho, he was immediately taken into cmploynfent, and it was not long ere iMr A\ att discov- ered the extraordinary talents of his young assistant. In the erection of tiie Albion mills in London, which was completed in 1789, 3Ir Eennie was in- trusted by his employers with the construction of the mill-work and machinery, which were admitted to be of superior excellence. These mills consisted of two engines, each of fifty horse power, and twenty pairs of millstones, of which twelve or more pairs, with tlie requisite machinery, were constantly kept at work. In place of wooden wheels, so subject to frequent derangement, wheels of cast-iron, with the teeth truly formed and finished, and properly proportioned to the work, were here employed ; the other machinery, which used to be made of wood, was made of cast-iron in improved forms. This splendid establishment, which IMr Watt acknowledges to have formed the commencement of the modern improved system of mill-work, was destroyed in 1791, by wilful fire, being ob- noxious to popular prejudices, under the mistaken supposition of its being a monopoly. The mechanism, however, established JMr liennie's fame, and lie soon after began to obtain extensive employment on his own account. The earlier years of his professional life were chiefly spent in mill-work; and his nierlls in this line may be briefly stated. One striking improvement was in the bridge-tree. It was formerly customary to place the vertical axis of the running mill-stone in the middle of the bridge-tree, Avhich was supported only at its two extremities. The effect of this was that the bridge-tree yielded to the variations of pressure arising from the greater or less quantity of grain admitted between tlie mill-stones, which was conceived to be an useful effect. IMr Rennie, however, made the bridge-tree perfectly immovable, and tlnjs freed the machinery from that irregular play which sooner or later proves fatal to every kind of mechanism. Another improvement by IMr Rennie has been adverted to in the above account of the Albion mills ; but the principal one was in the comparative advantage which he took of the water power. He so economized the power of water as to give an increase of energy, by its specific gravity, to the natural fall of streams, and to make his mills equal to fourfold the produce of those, which, before his time, depended solely on the impetus of the current. IMr Rennie was gradually attracted from the profession of a mechanician to that of an engineer. In tiie course of a few years after his first coming into public notice, he ^vas employed in a considerable number of bridges and other public works, all of which lie executed in a manner which proved his extraor- dinary genius. His principal bridges are those of Kelso, Leeds, 3Iussclburgh, Newton-Stewart, Boston, and New (^alloway. Tlie first, which was erected be- tween 1799 and 1803, has been greatly admired for its elegance, and its hap- py adaptation to the beautiful scenery in its neighbourhood. It consists of a level road-way, resting on five elhptical arches, each of which has a span of seventy-three feet, and a rise of twenty-one. The bridge of 3Iusselburgh is on a smaller scale, but equally perfect in its construction. A remarUable tesli- 170 JOHN RENNIE. mony to its merits was paid in 3Ir Reniiie's presence, by an untutored son of nature. He was taking tlie work oft" llie contractor's hands, when a magistrate of the town, who was present, asked a countryman who was passing at the time with his cart, how he liived tiie new bridge. " Crig," ansivered the man, " it's nae brig ava ; ye neither ken whan ye're on't, nor whan ye're aft"t." It must be remarked that this bridge superseded an old one in its immediate neigh- bourlioood, wliicii liad a very precipitous road-way, ai;d was in every respect the opposite of the new one. Mr Kennie was destined, however, to leave more splendid monuments of his talents in tliis parti(;ular department of his profession. The \\ aterloo bridge across the Tliames at London, of whicli he was the architect, would have been sufficient in itself to stamp him as an engineer of tlie first order. This magni« ficent public work was commenced in 18II, and finished in 1817, at the ex- pense of rather niore than a million of money. It may safely be described as one of the noblest structures of tiie kind in the world, whether we regard ihe simple and chaste grandeur of its architecture, the impression of indestructibili- ty which it forces on the mind of the beholder, or its adaptation to the useful ])urpose for whicli it was intended. It consists of nine equal arches, of 127 feet span ; the breadth between the parapets is 42 feet ; and the road-uay is perfectly ilat. IMr Rennie also planned the Southwark bridge, which is of cast- ir(m, and has proved very stable, notwitlistanding many prophecies to the con- trary. The plan of the new London bridge was likewise furnished by him; but of this public work he did not live to see even the commencement. Among the public works of difierent kinds executed by iMr Kennie may be mentioned ; — of canals, tlie Aberdeen, the Great Western, the Kennet and Avon, the Portsmouth, the Birmingham, and the Worcester ; — of docks, those at Hull, Leith, Greenock, Liverpool, and Dublin, besides the West India docks in the city of London ; — and of harbours, those at Berwick, Dunleary, Howlh, New- haven, and Queensferry. In addition to these naval works, he planned various important improvements on the national dock-yards at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Chatham, and Sheerness ; and the new' naval arsenal at Pembroke was con- structed from his designs. But by far the greatest of all his naval works was the celebrated breakwater at Plymouth, It is calculated that he planned Avorks to the amount of fifty millions in all, of which nearly twenty niillior.s were expended under his own superintendence. jMr Rennie died, October 16, 1821, of indammntion in the liver, ;\liich had afllicted him for some years. By his wife, whom he married in 1789, he left six children, of whom the eldest, iMr George Rennie, followed the same pro- fession as his father. This eminent man was buried with great funeral honours, in St Paul's cathedral, near the grave of Sir Christopher Wren. The grand merit of 3Ir Rennie as an engineer is allowed to have been his almost intuitive perception of what was necessary for certain assigned purposes. With little theoretical knowledge, he had so closely studied the actual forms of the works of his predecessors, that he could at length trust in a great measure to a kind of tact which he possessed in his own mind, and which could hardlj have been communicated. He had the art of •'•pplying to every situation where he was called to act professionally, the precise form of remedy that was want- ing to the existing evil, — whether it was to stop the violence of the most bois- terous sea — to make new harbours, or to render those safe which were before dangerous or inaccessible — to redeem districts of fruitful land from en- croachment by the ocean, or to deliver them from the pestilence of stagnant marsh — to level hills or to tie them together by aqueducts or arches, or, by embankment, to raise the valley between them — to make bridges that for JAMES RENWICK. 171 beauty, surpass all others, and for strength seem destined to last to the latest posterity — Rennie had no rival, Thougii he carried the desire of durability almost to a fault, and tluis occasioned more expense, periiaps, on some occa- sions, than other engineers would have considered strictly necessary, he was equally admired for his conscientiousness in the fulliiment of his labours, as for his genius in their contrivance. He would sutler no subterfuge for real strength to be resorted to by tlie contra(;tors who undertook to execute his plans. Elevated by his genius above mean and immediate considerations, he felt in all his proceedings, as if he were in the court of posterity : he sought not only to satisfy his employers, but all future generations. Although Kennie did not devote himself to the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, excepting to that general extent which is required by every well- informed engineer, he was fond of those investigations of a mixed character, where the results of experiment are combined by mathematical rules, and a train of inquiry directed and modified by the lights of theory. In his instru- ment for ascertaining the strength of llouing water, he has made a contribu- tion to science of no small importance. In person, Mr Hennie was greatly above the usual size. His figure was commanding, and his features massive and strong, but with a mild expression. He was endeared to all who knew him by the gentleness of his temper ; and the cheerfulness with which he communicated the riches of his mind, and for- warded the views of those who made useful improvements or discoveries in machinery, procured him universal re^pect. RENWICK, Jamks, a celebrated non-conforming clergyman, was born in tl.o parish of Glencairn, Dumfries-shire, on the 15th of February, i()G2. His pa- rents, who were in humble circumstances, and of whom ]ie was the only surviv. ing child, seem to have looked upon him with peculiar fondness — especially his mother, who regarded him as a special gift, an answer to her prayers, and one who was intended to be more tlian ordinarily useful in the world. His child- hood was watched over ^vith peculiar solicitude ; and their hopes were still fur- ther excited, and their confidence strengthened, by the sweetness and docility of his disposition. Piety marked his earliest years, and his attention to his books was unwearied ; circumstances which induced his parents, amidst many difiiculties, to keep him at school, till he found the means of putting himself in the way of attaining greater prnficiency in the city of Edinburgh, where, by at- tending upon, and assisting in their studies, the children of persons mora wealthy than himself, he was enabled to prosecute his own. After having at- tended the university there, however, he was denied laureation, in consequence of refusing to take the oath of allegiance, and was under the necessity of prose- cuting his studies more privately, and in the best manner he could. In the mean time, he was a diligent attendant on the secret meetings of the persecuted presbylerians, and took a deep interest in the questions which at tliat time were so keenly agitated among, and at lengtli so widely divided, that unfortunate party. Of the unfaillifulness of tlie indulged ministers in general, he li£'i long had strong impressions, and these seem to have been confirmed, by hear- ing the testimony, and witnessing the martyrdom, of 3Ir Donald Cargill, en the 27th of July, 16SI ; an event which determined him to attach himself to the small remnant which adhered to the principles of that sincere and excellent Christian. It was on the death of 3Ir Cargill, when, being deprived of public ordi- nances, this portion of the sulferers formed themselves into particular so<;ieties, united in one general correspondence, in which Mr Renwick was particularly active. In the month of October, he held a conference with a number of the 172 JAMES RENW'ICK. moi-e influential of the party, concerning the testimonies of some of the martyrs lately executed ; when, it is said, he refreshed them much, by showing them liow much lie was grieved to iiear tliese martyrs disilaiufully spoken of; how much he was ollbnded with some that attended the curates, pled for tiie paying of cess, and for owninn- and defending the autiiority of tlie tyrant, and how much he longed to Bee a formal testimony lifced up against all those, with their attendant defec- tions. On the 15th of December, in tlie same year in which Mr Cargill suflered, his adiierents held their first general meeting, at which was drawn up the paper, known by the name of Tlie Lanark Declaration, from tlie place where it was proclaimed, on the 12tli day of January, 1GS2. Mr Ken wick was not the writer of this document, some parts of wliich he always allowed to be " incon- siderately worded ;" but he was one of the party who proclaimed it, and at tlie same time burnt the test, and the act of succession of the duke of York to the crown. The boldness of this declaration, which embraced both the Rutherglen and Sanquhar declarations, emitted in the years 1679 and IGSO, and declared the whole acts of the government of Charles Stuart, from his restoration in 1(360, down to that day, to be utterly illegal, as emanating from a pure usurpation upon the fundamental laws of the kingdom, and many of them, in their own na- ture, tyrannical, and cruel in tJie highest degree, astonislied their enemies, and astounded not a few of their best friends, who, to correct the unfavourable re- ports concerning them, wliicli, through the malice of their enemies, were circulated among the churches of the low countries, found it necessary to commission Gordon of Earlston to the United Provinces, to state their case as it actually stood, and to solicit that compassion and sympathy which was denied them by their own countrymen. Earlston met with a very favourable recep- tion ; and it was proposed, seeing the universities in Scotland were closed against all such as were desirous of maintaining a clear conscience, to have students educated under tiie eye of these churches at their universities, who miglit be ordained to the work of the ministry, and that there should thus be a succession of faithful labourers kept up for the benefit of the present and of future generations. Tiiis proposal was at once embraced by the societies, as tlie only probable method of being supplied with a dispensation of gos- pel ordinances ; and IMr Ren wick, along witli same others, was accord- ingly sent over, and admitted into the university of Groningen. After he had attended six months, the progress he had made was such, together with the urgency of the case, (for the societies had not so much as one preacher all this time,) that it was thought proper he should be ordained, and sent back to his native land. He was, accordingly, after no little trouble, through the interest of 3Ir liobert Hamilton, who was well known there, ordained by the classes of Groningen ; when, longing to employ any little talent he possessed for tlie advancement of the cause of Christ, and the benedt of his suf- fering people, he proceeded to Rotterdam, intending to avail himself of the first opportunity of a ship going for Scotland. Finding a ship ready to sail, Mr Renwicli embarked at the Brill for his native country ; but, after being some time on board, he was so much annoyed by some profane passengers, tiiat he left the vessel, and entered another tliat was going to Ireland. In consequence of a violent storm, the vessel put into the harbour of Rye, in England, where he was in no small danger from the noise and disturbance created at the time by tlie Rye-house plot. He, howevei", got safely oil', and, after a tedious and stormy passage, was landed at Dublin. In a short time he embarked for Scotland, and with no little ditficulty and danger, succeeded in landing on tiie west coast of that kingdom, where he commenced tiiose weary wanderings which were to JAMES EENWICK. 173 close only with his capture and death. His first public sermon was delivered in tlie moss of Dariuead, in the month of September, 1683, where he was cor- dially and kindly received by a poor and persecuted people, wlio had lost, for the gospel's sake, whatever they possessed of temporal enjoyments, and were ready for that consideration to peril their lives. On this occasion, for his own vindication, and for the satisfaction of his hearers, he gave an account of his call to the ministry, and declared his adherence to the doctrine, worship, dis- cipline, and government of tlie church of Scotland. He, at the same time, gave theui his opinion upon the particular questions which were agitating the minds of men at the time ; stating particularly what class of ministers and professors he was willing to hold fellowship with, and also that with which he could not. In this statement, as he studied to be plain and particular, he mentioned several names, which gave great offence to some, and was employed with much assiduity to excite prejudices, and create slanders, against both his person and ministry ; and, with all the other iiardships of his lot, he was pursued everywhere by misrepresentation and calumny. Amidst so much clamour of friends and of enemies, he soon attracted the no- tice of the council, to whom nothing was so terrible as field-preaching. He was speedily denounced as a traitor, and all who followed him were pursued aa abettors of rebellion. No house that he entered, if it was known, escaped pil- lage ; and no one who heard him, if he could be found, escaped punishment. Nothing can be conceived more desperate than his situation ; not daring to ven- ture abroad, yet finding no place of rest, except in the most remote and inac- cessible retreats. Called upon nightly to confer, to preach, to pray, to baptize, and to catechise, Avith no better accommodation than the cavern of the rock, an e.'ccavation in the moss, or, at the best, a ruined and deserted sheplierd's shiel, where a fire of sticks or heath, and a scanty morsel brought from afar by the hands of children, were his greatest luxuries ; yet he prosecuted his labours with remarkable success, greatly increasing the number of his followers in the course of a few months. In the succeeding year, lGS4,his difficulties and discouragements were consider- ably increased. The revilings of those who should have been his helpers, became more bitter, and the vigilance of his persecutors more unremitting. Often was he pursued for days and nights together, and to all appearance left without the possibility of escape ; yet he still escaped as if by miracle. Enraged be- yond measure at the increase of his followers, and their want of success in so many attempts to apprehend him, the council, in the month of September in this year, issued out letters of intercommuning against him ; which, reducing the whole body of the sufferers to the most incredible hardships, drove them, between madness and despair, to publish, in the month of October following, their apologetical declaration ; wherein, after stating their abhorrence of the idea of taking the lives of such as differ from them in opinion, they declared their firm persuasion of their right, from the word of God, and fundamental laws of tlie kingdom, to defend themselves in the exercise of their religion : and, after naming the persons whom they supposed to be their chief persecutors, and whom they tlueatened with innnediate and full retaliation, they add, "Now, let not any think, our God assisting us, we will be so slack-handed in time coming, to put matters in execution as heretofore we have been, seeing we are bound faithfully and valiantly to maintain our covenants and the cause of Christ. Therefore, let all these foresaid pei-sons be admonished of their hazard. And particularly all ye intelligencers, who, by your voluntary informations, en- deavour to render us up to the enemies' hands, that our blood may be shed — for by such courses ye both endanger your inanorial souls, if repentance prevent 174 JAMES EENWICK. not, seeing God will make inquisition for shedding the precious blood of his saints, wh.itever be tlie tlioiights of men ; and also your bodies, seeing ye render yourselves actually and maliciously guilty of our blood, whose innocency the Lord knowelii. However, we are sorry at our very hearts, that any of you should choose such courses, eitlier with bloody Doeg, to shed our blood, or with the flattering Zijiliites, to inform persecutors where we are to be found. So \\s say again, we desire you to take warning of the hazard tliat ye incur by follow- ing such courses; for tlie sinless necessity of self-preservation, accompanied with holy zeal for Christ's reigning in our land, and suppressing of profanity, wiil move us not to let you pass unpiinislied. Call to your remembrance, all that is in peril, is not lost ; and all tiiat is delayed, is not forgiven. Therefore, ex- pect to be dealt with, as ye deal with us, so far as our power can reach; not because we are incited by a sinful spirit of revenge for private and personal in- juries; but, mainly, because by our fall, reformation suffers dauiage, yea, the power of godliness, through ensnaring flatteries, and terrible threatening will thereby be brought to a very low ebb, the consciences of many more dreadfully surrendered, and profanity more established and propagated. And as upon the one hand, we have here declared our purposes anent maliciotis injurers of us; so, upon the other hand, we do hereby beseech and obtest a'l you who wish well to Zion, to show your good-will towards us, by acting with us, and in your places and stations, according to your abilities, counselling, encouraging, and jtrengthening our hands, for this great work of holding up tlie standard of cur Lord Jesus Christ. Think not that in anywise you are called to lie by r.eutral and indiii'irent, especially in such a day ; for we are a people, by holy covenants dedicated unto the Lord, in our persons, lives, liberties, and fortunes, for de- fending and promoting this glorious work of reformation, notwithstanding all opposition that is or may be made thereunto, yea and sworn against all neutrality and indifferency in th.e Lord's matters. And, moreover, we are fully peisuadeIr Robison's tried friend, admiral Knowles, was appointed president of the Russian Board of Admiralty. It had been his intention to recommend Robison for the situation of ofKcial secretf.ry to the Board, but finding such an office incompatible with the constitution of the Russian Board, he contrived to engage his sei vices to the public, in the capacity of his private secretary, and in the end of December, 1770, both proceeded over land to St Petei-sburgh. For a year after his arrival, he assisted the admiral in forcing on the attention of the Russians such improvements in ship-building, rigging, and navigation, as their prejudices would allow them to be taught by foreigners, backed by the influence of government. Meanwhile he had sedulously studied the Russian language, and in the summer of 1772, the reputation of his accomplishments induced the offer of the vacant mathematical chair attached to the Sea cadet corps of nobles at Cronstadt. On his acceptance of the appcintment, his pre- decessor's salary was doubled, and he wns raised to the rank of colonel, an ele- vation to which he could not step with proper Russian grace, w ithout producing such docuraerts as bore the appearar.re of evidence to the ncbility of his birth. Besides his duties as mathematical professor, he acted in the room of general Politika, who had retired, as inspector-general of the corps ; a duty in which he had to inspect the conduct and labours of about forty teachers. He did not long remain in this situation. In 1773, from the death of Dr Russel, a vacancy occurred in the natural philosophy chair of Edinburgh, which the patrons, at the instigation of principal Robertson, invited 3Ir Robison to fill. On hearing of this invitation, prospects of a still more brilliant nature were held out to him by the empress : he hesi- tated for some time, but, being apart from such society as even tiie more enlight* ened parts of Russia afforded, he finally preferred the less brilliant, but more pleasing offer from his native country, and in June, 1777, he set sail from Cron- stadt to Leiih. The empress, on his departure, requested that he would under- take the care of two or three of the cadets, who were to be elected in succession, and promised him a pension of 400 rubles or ^SO a-year. The pension was paid for three years, and is supposed to have been discontinued because Robison had not communicated to the Russian government the progressive improvements in British marine education. In the winter of 1774, he commenced his lectures in Edinburgh. " The sciences of mechanics, " says his biographer, " hydro- dynamics, astronomy, and optics, together with electricity and magnetism, were ER. JOHN ROBISOX. liJT tlie subjects uliidi his lect tres embraced. These were given with great fluency and precision of language, and w ith the introduction of a good deal of matiie- niatical demonstration. Kis manner was gi-ave and dignified. His vicAvs, al- ways ingenious and compreliensive, were full of information, and never more interesting and instructive than uhen they touched upon the history of science. His lectures, however, were often complained of as difficult and hard to be fol- lowed; and this did not, in my opinion, arise from the depth of the mathemati- cal demonstrations, as was sometimes said, but rather fi'om the rapidity of his discourse, which was geneiuliy beyond the rate at which accurate reasoning can be easily followed. The singular facility of his o\vn apprehension, made him judge too favourably of the same power in others. To understand his lectures completely, was, on account of the rapidity and the uniform flow of his discourse, not a very easy task, even for men tolerably familiar Avith the subject. On this account, his lectures were less popular than might have been expected from such a combination of rare talents as the author of them possess- ed." Mr Robison had exerted himself with zeal in the revival of that associa- tion of philosophers, ^vhicli merged itself into the Koyal Society of Edinburgh ; and on its being incorporated by royal charter in 1783, he was appointed secre- t.nry ; an office in which he signalized himself, by attention to the interests of the society. In March, 17 86, he read to the society a paper, entitled " Deter- mination of the Orbit and iJIotion of the Georgium Sidus, directly from Obser- vations." In this paper, he is generally understood by scientific men to have with some haste drawn conclusions for which the limited time during which Herschel's newly discovered planet had been observed by philosophers, did not afford data. His next paper to the society, " On the iMotion of Light, as af- fected by Refracting and Reflecting Substances, which are themselves in Mo- tion," was of more utility to science. In Deccmbei", 1785, he began to be at< tacked by a chronic disease, which gradually undermined his health, but did not for some time interrupt his ordinary labours. Twelve volumes of the third and much enlarged edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica had been published, when the editor turned his eyes on Mr Robison, as a person likely to give it lustre from his scientific knowledge. He commenced his contributions with the article *' Optics,'- in 1793, and contributed a vaiiety of useful treatises, till the com- pletion of the work in ISOl. Kis biographer remarks, that " he was tiie first contributor who was professedly a man of science ; and frons that time the En- cyclop3Bdia Britannica ceased to be a mere compilation." The observation must be received witli limitations in both its branches. To the Supplement, he con- tributed the articles " Electricity " and " Magnetism." At the period while he was acquiring fame by his physical researches, he chose to stretch his studies into a branch of knowledge, which he handled with scarcely so much effect Along with many people, among whom a philosopher is aluays to be found with regret, a panic that the whole " system," as it was termed, of society, was in progress of demolition by the French revolution, seized on liis mind. He strayed from more accordant subjects, to look for tiie causes of all the confusion, and had the merit of attracting some of the maddened attention,of the period, by finding an untrodden path, which led him farther from the highway than any other speculator had ventured. In 1797, he published " Proofs of a Con- spiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe." This work is now forgotten ; and it will serve for little more than amusement to know, that the crimes, so evidently prompted by forcibly carrying the usages and exclusions of a dark age, when tlie people respected them, into an age when they were not respected, were traced to the machinations of the illuminati and free masons. Professor Robison had the merit of quoting authorities net much read, and in the 188 DR. JOHN ROBISOX. iullaiueil I'oeliiigs of the period, the secrecy of the sources, instead of proTing a prima facie objection to the probability that a tissue of open national outrages, prompted by passion, and unguided by pre-arranged motive, could be the con- sequence of wiiat was so carefully concealed, or i-ather overlooked, served to in- flame the spirit of mystery, \\liich other branches of literature were then foster- ing; and the book was rr.pidly sold to the extent of four editions, and Avas oreedily read. In an age which has acquired the power of influencing masses of men by public opinions, secret tenets or intentions do not acq\iire numerous followers. That there were some grounds in opinion, and even in intention for many of the statements of 3Ir llobison, may be granted ; but a few German enthusiasts, pleased with mysticism, were the only conspirators, and the appall- ing statements in the works which he used as authorities, were from men still more given to credulity, than the persons of whom they spoiie were to mjstery. In 1799, professor Robison was employed in the diiTicult task of preparing for the press the manuscript lectures and notes of Dr Black, who had just died. *' Dr Black," says Robison's biographer, " had used to read his lectures from notes, and tiiese often but very imperfect, and ranged in order by marks and signs only Icnown to himself^ The task of editing them was, therefore, ditli- cult, and required a great deal both of time and labour ; but was at last accom- plished in a manner to give great satisfaction." IMeanwhile, however, the dis- coveries of Dr Black had produced many alterations in chemistry, and the science had assumed a new aspect. Among other things, the new nomenclature of Lavoisier, had been almost universally received, and rendered any work which did not adopt it, antiquated, and comparatively useless. It was supposed that Robison, with some labour, but without any injustice to the labours of his friend, might have adopted it; but he preferred the system in the original : a choice attributed by some to respect for the memory of his friend, and by others to prejudice. He sent a copy of his publication to the emperor of Russia, and i-eceived in return a box set in diamonds, and a letter of thanks. Professor Robison had long intended to digest his researches into a work, to be entitled " Elements of Blechanical Philosophy, being the Substance of a Course of Lectures on that science." The first volume of this work, containing Dynamics and Astronomy, he published in 1804 ; but he did not live to com- plete it. In tlie end of January, 1 805, he yielded to the lingering disorder, which had long oppressed his body, before it enervated his mind. His bio- grapher gives the following account of his character. " He possessed many accomplishments rarely to be met with in a scholar, or a man of science. He had great skill and taste in music, and was a performer on several instruments. He v/ns an excellent draughtsman, and could make his pencil a valuable instru- ment, either of record or invention. When a young man, he was gay, con- vivial, and facetious, and his vers de societe flowed, I have been told, easily and with great effect. His appearance and manner were in a high degree favourable and imposing ; his figure handsome, and his face expressive of ta- lent, thought, gentleness, and good temper. When I had first the pleasure to become acquainted with him, the youthful turn of his countenance and mannei's was beginning to give place to tlie grave and serious cast, which he early as- sumed ; and certainly I have never met with any one whose appearance and conversation were more impressive than his were at that period. Indeed, ids powers of conversation were very extraordinary, and, when exerted, never failed of producing a great effect. An extensive and accurate information of parti- cular facts, and a facility of combining them into general and original views, were united in a degree, of which I am persuaded there have been few exam- ROBERT ROLLOCK. 189 pies. Accordingly, he would go over the most difficult subjects, and bring out the most profound remarks, with an ease and readiness which was quite singu- lar. The depth of his observations seemed to cost him nothing : and when he said any thing particularly striking, you never could discover any appearance of the self-satisfaction so couiiiiou on such occasions. He was disposed to pass quite readily from one subject to anotlier : the transition was a matter of course, and he had perfectly, and apparently without seeking after it, that light and easy turn of conversation, even on scientific and profound subjects, in which we of this island are charged by our neighbours with being so extremely deficient. The same facility, and the same general tone, were to be seen in his lectures and his writings. He composed Avitli singular facility and correctness, but was sometimes, when he had leisure to be so, very fastidious about his own compositions. In the intercourse of his life, he was benevolent, disinterested, and friendly, and of sincere and unafiected piety. In his interpretation of the conduct of others, he was fair and liberal, while his mind retained its natural tone, and had not yielded to the alarms of the French Revolution, and to the bias which it produced." Mr Robison's various uorks, printed and unprinted, wei'e, after his death, put into the hands of professor Playfair ; but that gentleman finding that he could not devote his time sufficiently to them, they were afterwards published, with notes, by Dr Brewster, in four volumes octavo, 1822. This work consists of some manuscript papers on Projectiles and Corpuscular Action, and the papers which the author prepared for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, abridged of some of their digressions. ROLLOCK, Robert, an early and zealous promoter of Scottish literature, was born in the year 1555. He was nearly related through his mother to tlie noble family of Livingston. Discovering an early aptitude for letters, he was sent by his father, Mr David Rollock, to the grammar school of Stirling, at that time taught by Mr Thomas Buchanan, nephew to the author of the History of Scotland. Under the care of this teacher he continued till he was fit for en- tering the university, when he uas sent to the college of St Salvador, St Andrews. By his docility, modesty, and sweetness of disposition, young Rol- lock had already engaged the affections of his preceptor, and laid the founda- tion of a friendship which continued till his death. The possession of these virtues also procured him, in a short time, the particular and favourable notice of the whole university. Having gone through the regular course of four years' study, which was at that time the prescribed period in all the Scottish colleges, and taken out his degree, he was immediately elected professor of philosophy, being then only in the twenty-third year of his age. Here he continued for four years, discharging the duties of his office with singular diligence, and with a success almost without example in Scottish colleges. It was at this time, and long after this, the practice in the Scottish universities, for the same professor to conduct the studies of the same set of students through the whole course ; and the remarkable progress of his pupils, with the public applause he received at their laureation, induced the magistrates of Edinburgh to fix upon 3Ir Rollock as a fit person to open their university, for which they had obtained a charter from king James the previous yeai-. This invitation IMr Rollock was persuaded to accept, and in the beginning of winter 15S3, he entered, with all his accus- tomed zeal upon his L borious office, being the sole teacher, and in his own person comprising the character of principal and professors to the infant estab- lishment. The fame, however, of so celebrated a teacher as IMr Rollock opening a class for philosophy in the newly erected seminary, operated as a charm, and multitudes from all corners of the kingdom hastened to the capital to 190 ROBERT ROLLOCK. take tlie benefit of liis prelections. Having no assistant, Mr Rollock joined .nil liis students at first into one class, whicli, from tlic want of preparation on tlic part of the students, rendered Ids labours at first of little utility. All the books used, all the lectures delivered, and the whole business of tlie class was transacted in Latin, -vvitliout some competent knowledge of which, the student could not possibly make any progress. From a defective knowledge in this re- spect among the students, IMr Rollock was soon under the necessity of dividing his class into two, with one of Avhicli he found it the most profitable mode of proceeding to begin them anew in the rudimental parts of humanity. At the recommendation of Mr Rollock, however, the patrons of the college elected a young man of the name of Duncan Nairn, a second master of the college, who undertook the charge of this first class in the month of November, 1583. Mr Nairn, who was the second professor in the college of Edinburgh, taught his class Latin the first year, Greek the second, there being properly no humanity professor in the university till a number of years after this. The emoluments of office in the new university must have been very moderate, for the students paid no fees, and any funds which had j'ct been provided were altogether trifling. The town council, however, seem to have been careful of the comfort of the now professors, as they allowed Mr Rollock on the I7th of Sep- tember, 1583, twenty pounds Scots for his expenses in coming from St An- drews to Edinburgh at the commencement of his regency, and on the 25tli of the succeeding month of October, thirty pounds Scots for his services. They also, in the month of November, ordered Robert Rollock, first regent, and Duncan Nairn second, twenty pounds Scots each for boarding till Candle- mas, and in the succeeding year a committee was appointed to confer with the former "ancnt taking up house." It no doubt required all the patronage the city of Edinburgh could bestow, and all the exertions of Rollock and his as- sociate to carry on the seminary successfully with so little means, and in an age of so much ignorance and jiovertj'. Circumstances, too, were greatly against it. In the year 1585, the plague made its appearance in Edinburgh on the fourth day of May, and raged till the succeeding month of January, during which time the city was deserted by all who had the means of leaving it. The univer- sity was thus wholly deserted at a time when the students were in the very middle of their course, a circumstance which, considering that it was but the third j'car of the establishment, must have been highlj' prejudicial to its interests. The i^rofessors, however, returned about the middle of January, and the students, by an order of council, were ordered to be in their places upon the 3d of February. In this same year the national covenant, or confession of faith, was introduced into the college, and tendered to every student. Mr Rol- lock was also created principal, though he still continued to teach his class. His associate, Duncan Nairn, died the succeeding year, and the council having resolved to have three classes taught, Messrs Adam Colt and Alexander Scrim- ger were elected in his place. Mr Rollock continued to teach his private class till the first laureation, which was public, and attended by all the nobility in town. The number graduated, and who of course signed the covenant, was forty-eight. As soon as this cere- mony was concluded, Mr Rollock resigned his regency, retaining the prinei- palship, to which was now annexed the professorsliip of theology, for which, and preaching regularly on the S ibbath, he was allowed four hundred merks yearly. It was the practice of Mr Rollock to pray in public with the students every morning, and on one day of the week to explain to them some passage of Scripture, which he never failed to conclude with most pertinent and practi- cal exhortations. With the more advanced students he was particularly' careful EOBEIIT R0LL0C5. 191 that they might enter upon the work of the ministry, not only in some measure prepared for, but with a deep ieeling of its important duties. With all this dili- gence among- his pupils, he was a faithful and acceptable minister cf the gospel. With literary ardour, however, almost boundless, and the warmest piety, Wrl'd- lock's simplicity of character degenerated into, or rather originally possessed a na- tural imbecility, not at all uncommon in minds of this description, which disquali- fied him from acting a consisteit, or a profitable part in the conduct of the public affaire of the church, which at this period were of paramount importance ; in- volving at once the civil, and the religious rights of the comnmnity. This facile disposition was at once seen, and appreciated by king James, who, having now matured his plans for reducing the church to an entire dependence upon himself, was sedulously employed in carrying them into effect. For ad- vancing this purpose he had procured a meeting of the clergy at Perth in tiie month of February, 1597, which by tlireatenings, tlatteries, and bribes, and by preventing some individuals from giving their opinion in tlie matter, he managed to have set down for a general assembly, whose conclusions were to be considered as binding upon the whole church. Naturally endowed, however, with a more than ordinary share of cunning-, he proceeded with the utmost caution. Disclaiming all intention of introducing anything like change in any part of either the worship, government, or discipline of the church, and profess- ing the utmost reverence for religion, and respect for its ministers, he submit- ted to this assembly only thirteen articles to be reasoned upon ; all of them worded in a manner so gentle, and so ambiguous, as to conceal from all but acute and narrow observers their real spirit and true meaning ; which was, in the first place, to lay open the present established order of the chui'ch to be called in question, though it was supposed to have been set at rest by the solemn r.atlis of his majesty, his council, his household, and by all who had any concern in the matter ; secondly, to circumscribe the liberty of the pulpit, so that no warning might, through that medium, be given to llie people of the designs of the king and his courtiers, when they should come to be discovered ; and thirdly, that a commission of a few of the most pmdent and orderly of the ministers should be appointed to confer with his majesty and council, upon all these or other questions, as opportunity or necessity might call for, subject to the after consideration of a general assembly, to be indicted only by his majesty, which was in the above articles not unequivocally claimed as one of the prerogatives of his crown. With all the diligence he exerted, however, he carried his purpose no very great length ; some of his articles being answered doubtfully, some of them disallowed, and some of them not answered at all. Still greater diligence was therefore necessary to prepare matters for the assem- bly that was to meet at Dundee in the month of May the same year, where there was not only danger of gaining nothing further in his advances towards episcopacy, but of all that had been gained in the last assembly being lost. Cai'e was taken to prevent the regular meeting of the assembly which should have been held at St Andrews in tlie month of April. Only a very few of the commissioners ventured to appear, \vho, along with the moderator, made humble confession of their sins, formed, or constituted the assembly, and took protes- tations for the liberty of the kirk, continuing all summonses, references, and appellations to the assembly following. In the following month, the assembly met at Dundee, but it was in the new fashion ; the difference between which and those that had been held previously to that at Perth, of which we have spoken above, is thus stated by a writer of that period of the highest respecta- bility. " 1st, Christ by his spiritual (ffice having convocated and appointed times and places before ; now tim':s and places are appointed by the king. 192 EGBERT ROLLOCK. claiming this as his only due. 2nd. The moderatoi* and brethren were directed by the word of God, and his Spirit ; now and hereafter they are to be directed by the king', his laws, and stale policy. 3rd. Blatters were before proposed simply, and the bretliren sent to seek light out of the word by reason- ing, conference, meditation, and piayer ; now means are devised before in the king's cabinet, to bring his purposes to pass, and heed is taken in public and private wiiat may hinder his course, lie that goeth his way is an honest man, a good peaceable minister ; those tliat mean, or reason in the contrary, are seditious, troublesome, cofled, factious! Ith. In reasoning, the word was alleged, the reason weighed, and if of weight yielde.l unto willingly ; now the word is passed by, or posted over and shifted, and if the reason be insisted upon, the reasoner is borne down and put to silence. 5th. The fear of God, the care of the kirk, learning, the power of preacliing, motion, and force of prayer, and other gifts shining in those who Avere present, procured before esti- mation, reverence, and good order; now the person, presence, and regard to the prince's favour and pin-pose swayeth all. If any had a gift, or measure of learning, utterance, zeal, or power in exhortation beyond others, it was em- ployed at these assemblies ; now plots are laid how none shall have place, but such as serve for their purpose. Gth. The assemblies of old aimed at the standing of Clirist's kingdom in holiness and freedom ; now the aim is how the kirk and religion may be framed conform to the political state of a monarch, and to advance his supreme and absolute authority in all causes. In a word, Avhere Christ ruled before, the court now beginneth to govern. The king's man may stand at the king's chair, use what countenance, gesture, or language he pleaseth, but good men must be taunted, checked," &c. Such, according to Calderwood, was the assembly held at Dundee, 1597. According to the same authority, " After exhortation made by the last moderator, the assembly was delayed, and the commissioners wearied till the coming of Mr Robert Rollock, Vihom the king", and such as were to further his course, intended to have moderator. He was a godly man, but simple in the matters of the church government, credulous, easily led by counsel, and tutored in a manner by his old inaster, Thomas Buchanan, ivho was now gained to the king's course. Many means were used to have him chosen, and the king and his followers prepared him for the purpose. Sir Patrick Murray (brother to the laird of Balvaird, tiie same who had been his majesty's agent for corrupting the assembly at Perth,) and such ministers as were already won, travailled with others of chief note, and brought them to be acquaint with the king, which was their exercise morn- ing and evening." Mr Rollock having been appointed moderator, tlie assembly proceeded to pass several acts strongly tending to support the whole superstruc- ture of episcopacy. This was eft'ected chiefly by a representation of his majesty " anent a solid order to be taken anent a constant, and perpetual pro- vision for the sustentation of the whole ministry within this realnie, to the end that they be not, as in time bygone, forced to depend, and await upon the commissioners appointed for modifying of tiieir stipends, and so to absent them- selves the most part of the year from their flocks, to the great disgrace of their calling, dishaunting of the congregation, discontentment of his majesty, whose care ever hath been, and earnest desire continueth as yet, that every congrega- tion have a special pastor, honestly sustained for the better awaiting upon his cure, and discharging his dutiful office in the same. Therefore, his majesty desired the brethren to consider, whether it were expedient, that a general commission should be granted to a certain number of the most wise, and discreet of the brethren to convene w ith his majesty for effectuating of the pi'emises. This, his majesty's advice, the assembly judged to be necessary and ROBERT EOLLOCK. 193 expedient, and therefore gave, and granted their full power and commission to the brethren," &c., &c. These brethren, fourteen in number, seven of Avhom uith his majesty were to be a quorum, were unliappiiy, with the exception of one or two that were named to save appearances, already captivated with the hopes, some of them with the express promise, of preferment, and the assembly was scarcely risen when they began to display all the arrogancy of a bench of bishops or a high commission court. In the month of June they con- vened at Falkland, called before them the presbytery of St Andrews, upon a complaint by Mr John Rutherford, who had been deposed from the ministry of Kinnocher by that presbytery, and reduced the sentence. The culprit had purchased the favour of the court by forging calumnies upon Mr David Black, " who was a great eye-sore," says Calderwood, " to negligent, loose, and unfaith- ful ministers, of which number this Mr John Rutherford Mas one, but he lived in disgrace ever after, and was condemned by the bishops themselves, because he could serve them to no further use." Proceeding to St Andrews, they cast out Mr Wallace and Mr Black, who had but lately been restored ; banishing the latter to Angus, whence they brought Mr George Gladstanes, soon after created a bishop, to fill his place. While they thus broke down the hedge of the church, by thrusting out two of her most faithful ministers, and bringing in Mr Gladstanes without the con- sent of either presbytery or people, they also interfered with the laws of the university ; obliging Andrew Melville to demit his rectorship, and forbidding all professors within the university, especially professors of divinity, to sit in the presbytery upon any matter of discipline. Robert Rollock, moderator of the last assembly, and consequently of the meetings of the commissioners with the king, betrayed, according to Calderwood, " great weakness, which many that loved him before construed to be simplicity." By the aid of IMr Rollock, and his friends the commissioners, however, his majesty was enabled to restore the popish earls of Huntly, Angus, and Errol, with whose assistance he carried in parliament an act for ministers of the gospel to have a place and a vote in that assembly. This act declared, *' that such pastors and ministers, Avithin the same, as at any time his majesty shall please to provide to the office, place, title, and dignity of a bishop, abbot, or other prelate, shall at any time here- .ifter have vote in parliament, siclike and as freely as any other ecclesiastical prelate had at any time bygone. It also declared, that all or whatsoever bishoprics presently vaiking in his majesty's hands, which are yet undisponed to any person, or which shall happen at any time hereafter to vaik, shall be only disj30sed by his majesty to actual preachers and ministers in the kirk," &c. Soon after this, Mr Rollock was seized with an illness, which confined him to his house, and finally terminated his existence. While on his death-bed, he requested two friends, who called upon him, to go from him, as a dying man, to the king, and exhort him to cherish religion and the church, and to protect and comfort its pastors, and to proceed with these good works with an unfalter- ing step till the last hour of life ; and not allow himself to be drawn from it, either by the hope of enlarging his authority, or by the evil advices of wicked men. To the same persons he added, " You will remember that I was chosen by the assembly at Dundee, to watch for the interest of this church. In this 1 had the glory of God, and the safety of the church, miserably tossed with tem- pests and shaking, before mine eyes; and I can no\v declare, that my conscience does not smite me with any wicked departure froniduty, in doubling the number of the ministers of Edinburgh ; and particularly, in my activity to bring in two (iMessrs Robertson and Stewart) who studied under me, Avhen I thought I saw in them gifts suitable to such a trust, and hoped God would bless their labours. I 194: GEORGE ROSE. am so far from i-epenting any share I had in this, that to this hour it is satisfy- ing to nie. I am persuaded the wise JIaker of the world lias tied the church and state together with a brotherly and adamantine cliain ; and it hath been my great care to advance the good of botli : and yet the love of peace hath not so far bewitclied nie, that I could not distinguish between genuine and adulterous peace ; neitlier liatli my affection to my sovereign carried me that lengti), that to please him I should submit to the least stain on my conscience. I hope the integrity and candour of my conduct shall appear when I am dead. In a word, bretiu-en, join together with the most intimate love and concord in the Avork of the Lord. Let me put you in mind to pay every obedience to the king. You live in happy times, and enjoy a singular felicity. You are blessed with a prince who drank in religion with his milk ; who liath guarded your doctrine with a right discipline, and covers both the doctrine and discipline of religion with his protection ; who hath taken the church so much into his care, as by open and plain unanswerable documents, to make it evident, that he will never desert her while he breathes. Therefore, what you may easily and pleasantly enjoy, it will be folly to seek after by harsh methods. You will, then, take particular care, that the church be not ruined by a fall from such high happi- ness," 3Ir RoUock died on the Sth of January, 159 S, in the forty-third year of his age. His remains were attended to the place of interment by nearly the whole population of Edinburgh, who considered him as their spiritual father, and regarded his death as a public calamity. The town council had paid his house rent for many years, and they allo)ved his widow the one lialf of his salary for five years, and to his posthumous daughter they gave, from the city funds, one thousand merks, by way of dowry. He published several works, chiefly commentaries on parts of Scripture, several of which were printed at Geneva, and obtained the warm approbation of the learned and judicious Beza. These works are still to be met with, and, though tinged with the scholas- tic theology of tlie times, discover great natural acuteness, a full acquaintance with his subject, and very extensive learning. His whole life seems, indeed, to have been devoted to literature. ROSE, George, an eminent modern political character, was born at Brechin, June 11, 1744. He was the son of a poor non-jurant clergyman of the Scot- tish episcopal communion, who, through the pei-secution which his order en- dured from the government after the insurrection of 1745, seems to have lost the means of supporting his family. Under these unfortunate circumstances, Geoi'ge Rosa was received by an uncle who kept an academy near Hampstead, by whom he was, at a very early period of life, placed in a surgeon's shop. Not liking this employment, he had the good fortune to attract the attention of the earl of Marchmont, who, from sympathy for the cause of his father's dis- tresses, and other considerations, procured him a situation on board a ship of war. Here the office of purser, to which George soon attained, enabled him to display his qualities of activity, industry, and punctuality in so extraordinary a manner, as to attract the notice of the earl of Sandwich, then at the head of the admiralty. After occupying several subordinate situations in the public of- fices, he was appointed keeper of the records, for which his qualifications were entirely suited. The confused mass of papers which filled ihis office, were by him aiTanged and classed in such a manner, that any one could be found im- mediately when Avanted. This achievement was attended witii such extreme convenience to the ministry, that it attracted the particular attention of lord North, and established 3Ir Hose as the man whose services v/ere to be resorted to for all such systematic and laborious work. In 1767, he was appointed to complete the Journals of the House of Lords in GEORGE ROSS. 195 thirty-one folio volumes; a laborious and creditable duty, for uliich he received a very handsome sum. Blr Rose from this time found regular employ- ment in the public offices ; but it was not till the Pitt and Dundas administra- tion, that he was raised to any eminent station in the public service. He was then appointed joint-secretary to the treasury, and introduced into that depart- ment his habits of order, of regularity, and of careful attention to details. IMr Rose's qualifications were not of that order which make a great display ; but which, nevertheless, are so necessary, that the want of them soon becomes conspicuous. In the business of every administration, there is a great deal of laborious second-rate work, which cannot be conveniently executed by the hiirhest class of statesmen. The bold and comprehensive plans which they are called upon to form, require talents and habits which are very seldom found united with the power of minute calculation and patient inquiry. A laborious man, therefore, whose diligence and accuracy can be depended on, is an im- portant acquisition to every administration. Such a one, who does not venture into the high and uncertain ground of political contention, may survive many ministerial shocks, and may recommend himself without discredit to cabinets differing considerably in their political aspect. Such an assistant was found by Sir Pitt in the subject of the present memoir, who, with the exception of two short intervals, continued, during half a century, a sort of ministerial fixture, carrying on the routine of public offices, with many useful plans and objects of a subordinate nature. While superintending the business of the treasury, his vigilance was unremitted in inspecting and keeping on the alert every depart- ment of the widely ramified system. Trade also occupied a considerable share of his attention ; and no man was more intimately acquainted with its facts and details ; though he does not seem to have reached those sound and comprehen- sive views which were familiar to Mr Pitt. Amid a variety of delicate employ- ments, no charge was ever made against his integrity, except one, which turned out quite groundless. On the accession of the Addington administration in 1301, and afterwards on the formation of that of the Talents in 1S06, Mr Rose retired along with I\Ir Pitt, but resumed the public service in both cases on tlie restoration of the Tories. On Mr Pitt's return to power, he was made^vice-president, and soon after, president of the Board of Trade, with a salary of £4000 a-year ; in which situation, excepting during the Talents administration, he continued till liis death. As a matter of course, Mr Rose was in parliament during the greater part of his public career. His speeches in that assembly were generally on subjects connected with trade, and were confined chiefly to details of factSj which he stated in a manner chat aimed at nothing like ornament. He de- serves particular praise for the zeal with which he engaged in plans no way connected with ministerial influence, and having for their sole object to im- prove the condition of the indigent classes of society. He gave his full support to friendly societies and savings' banks ; and introduced laws to encourage, and secure the property of those establishments. In questions relating to the corn laws, he usually took part with the people against the landed interest The plans for taking a census of the population were conducted under his auspices. Early in life, Mr Rose married a lady connected with the island of Dominica by whom he had a large family. He purchased the estate of Cuffnells, in the New Forest, which he spent a large sum in ornamenting. His regular and temperate life was prolonged to a greater extent, than might have been ex- pected from the laborious way in which he had spent it. He died at Cuffnells, January 13, 1818, in the 75th year of his age. It was the singular fortune of Mr Rose, that he could declare in his last moments, in reference to his family. 190 ALEXANDER ROSS. tliat " they liad been a blessing to him during a long series of years, and had never caused him one hour's pain." JMr Kose Avas the author of a considerable number of fugitive political writings, and of a respectable historical treatise, which he pubiislied with his name, under the title of " Observations on the Historical Work of iMr P^ox." These "Observations" were prompted partly by a dissent from some of the political views in the History of James II,, and partly by a wish to clear some charges brought against Sir Patrick Hume, the ancestor of his patron and friend, the earl of jMarchmont, whose executor he was. The political opinions in the work, though opposed in some points to those of Mr Fox, are considei-ed liberal, considering the general strain of the author's political life. 3Ir Rose also superintended, under the direction of the House of Lords, the publication of a superb engraved edition of Doomsday Book. ROSS, Alexander, a very voluminous writer, but remembered less for his numerous works, than for a celebrated couplet in Hudibras : — " There was an ancient sage philosopher, Who had read Alexander Ross over." He was born in Aberdeen in the year 1590 ; but his parentage lias not been ascertained, nor have the circumstances of his early life been recorded. He has been generally confounded with a contemporary of the same name, of whom some account will be found in the next menmir. At what time he quitted Scot- land is unknown ; but it is supposed that not long after his arrival in England, he was appointed master of the grammar school of Southampton, and chaplain to Charles I. These appointments were probably procured tiirough the influence of Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he expresses his obligations in the dedication of his " Connnentum de Terras Slotu Circular! Refutatum." This work appeared at London in 1G34 ; and though professedly written against Lansbergius and Carpentarius, two advocates of the Copernican theory, con- tains, in fact, an epitome of all the arguments that have been adduced against that system. The Latinity is respectable, and the argument is managed with considerable skill. During the struggles of the great civil war, Ross espoused the royal cause, and his writings are filled with praises of the king, and de- nunciations of tlie parliament. It has been remarked by Echard, however, that he " so managed his afi'airs, that, in the midst of these storms, he died very rich, as appears from the several benefactions he made." His death took place early in lG54u AVe learn from the 31S3. of Sir Robert Sibbald, that, by his will, dated 2l8t February, 1G53, and probated 19th April, 1654, among numerous other benefactions, he left £200 to the town council of Aberdeen, for the foundation of two bursaries ; ^650 to the poor of Southampton ; £50 to the poor of the parish of All-Saints ; and ^£50 to the Bodleian library. There is scarcely a subject in the wide range of literature, on which Ross has not left a work. His first publication appears to have been poetical : " Rerum Judai- carum Libri Duo", London, 16 L7. To these he added a third book in 1619, and a fourth in 1632. The rarest of his poetical effusions bears no date, but is entitled " Three Decads of Divine Meditations, whereof each one containeth three parts. 1. History. 2. An Allegory. 3. A Prayer. With a Commen- dation of a Private Country Life." Tiiis work has been priced so high as £S 8s. " Four Books of Epigrams in Latin Elegiacs," also appeared without a date; and in 1642 he published, " 3Iel Heliconium, or Poetical Honey gathered out of the Weeds of Parnassus. Tiie first book is divided into vii chapters, according to the first vii letters of the alphabet, containing 48 fictions, out of which are extracted many historicall, naturall, morall, politicall, and ALEXANDER ROSS. 197 theologicall observations, both delightful and useful ; with 4S Meditations in Verse." Cut his most celebrated worlc in the department of poetry, is his ** Virgilii Evangelisantis Christiados Libri xiii.," which was published at Lon- don in 1634, and again in 1638 and 1659. This is a cento from Virgil, giv- ing a view of the leading features of sacred history, from the murder of Abel to the ascension of Christ. It excited considerable notice in its day, and uas more lately brought before the public attention by Lauder, avIio accused IMilton of having plagiarized it. Lauder says, that by many lioss's Christiad is esteemed equal with the yEneid. The opening lines may serve as a specimen : " Acta, Deumque cano, coeli qui primus ab oris Virginis in Icetre gremium descendit et orbem Terrarum invisit profugus, Chaiiarisaque venit Littora, multum lUe et terra jactatus et alto In superum, ssevi memorem Plutonis ob iram. " His chief works in the department of history, are, " Animadversions and Ob- servations upon Sir Walter Raleigli's History of the World, wherein his Mis- takes are noted, and some doubtful Passages noted," London, 16 53 ; and " The Histoi-y of the World, the Second Part, in six books, being a Continuation of Sir Walter Raleigh's," London, 1652. "This," says Granger, (3d edit. toL iii. p. 32,) is like a piece of bad Gothic tacked to a magnificent pile of Roman architecture, which serves to lieighten the effect of it, while it exposes its own deficiency in strength and beauty." In 1652, was published, Avith a portrait of the author, " Pansebia, or View of all the Religions in the World, with the Lives of certain notorious Hei-eticks." Afterwards reprinted in 1672, 1675, 1683, &c. Ross entered into controversy with Hobbes, Sir Thomas Browne, Hervey, and Sir Kenelm Digby ; and has left, among others, the following con- troversial writings : " Observations upon Hobbes's Leviathan," 1653 ; " Arcana Microcosmi, or the Hid Secrets of Blan's Body discovered, in Anatomical Duel between Aristotle and Galen ; with a Refutation of Thomas Browne's Vulgar Errors, from Bacon's Natural History, and Hervey's book De Generatione," 1651 ; the " Philosophical Touchstone, or Observations on Sir Kenelm Digby's Discourse on the Nature of Bodies and of the Reasonable Soul, and Spinosa'a Opinion of the Mortality of the Soul, briefly confuted," 1645. This does not exhaust the catalogue of Ross's writings. Besides many ascribed to him on doubtful authority, there remain to be mentioned: "The New Planet, no Planet, or the Earth no Wandering Star, against Galilajus and Copernicus," 1640; " Mystagogus Poeticus, or the Muses' Interpreter," 1647, which went througli six editions ;"* Enchiridium Oratorium et Poeticum," 1650; *' 3Iedicus Medicatus, or tiie Physician's Religion cured," 1645; " Meliso- raachia ;" " Colfoquia Plautina ;" " Chronology, in English ;" " Chymera Pv- thagorica," no date; " Tonsor ad cutem Rasus," 1629; " Questions and An- swers on the First Six Chapters of Genesis," 1620; "The Picture of tha Conscience," 1646 ; " God's House, or the House of Prayer, vindicated from Profaneness," 1642 ; " God's House made a Den of Thieves," 1642. These two last pieces are sermons. ROSS, Alexander, frequently confounded with the former, Avas the son of James Ross, minister at Strachan, in Kincardineshire, and afterwards at Aber- deen. The date of his birth lias not been ascertained, but it Avas probably be- tween 1570 and 1530. He was for some time minister of the parish of Insch, in 1631 he Avas appointed minister of Footdee, a catechetical charge in the close vicinity of Aberdeen ; and in 1636, Avas chosen one of the ministers of St Nicholas' church in that city._ Ross, like his colleagues, supported tlie episcopal 198 ALEXANDER ROSS. form of government, and subscribed the " Generall Demands " propounded to the commissioners, appointed by the tables, to enforce the subscription of the covenant in Aberdeen. The day before their an-ival, lie thundered from the pulpit against their proceedings, and exhorted his hearers to resist their threats. He appears also to have been in correspondence with Laud. In jMarch, 1639, the covenanting forces approached Aberdeen, and the chiefs of the episcopaj party fled. Ross was unable to quit the town from a sickness, from which he seems never to have recovered : he died on 11th August, 1639. His only publication appears to be the following, which is extant in Bishop Forbes's Funerals (p. 149 to 178) : "A Consolatorie Sermon, preached upon the Death of the R. R. Father in God, Patrick Forbes, late Bishop of Aberdene. By Alexander Rosse, Doctour of Divinitie, and Minister of the Evangell in Aber- dene, in Saynct Nicholas Churche there, anno 1G35, the xv of Aprill." ROSS, Alexander, a poet of some eminence, was born in the parish of Kin- cardine O'Neil, Aberdeenshire, on the 13th April, 1699. His father was An- drew Ross, a farmer, in easy circumstances. Ross received the first elements of his education at the parochial school, under a teacher of considerable local celebrity; and after four years' study of the Latin language, succeeded in gaining a bursary at the competition in Blarischal college, in November 1714. Having gone through the usual curriculum of the university, he received the degree of master of arts in 171S ; and shortly after was engaged as a tutor to the family of Sir William Forbes of Craigievar and Fintray; a gentleman who appears to have possessed considerable taste and learning. How long the poet remained in this situation has not been ascertained ; but he seems to have earned the good opinion of his patron, who recommended him to study divinity, with the assurance that his interest should not be wanting to procure a comfort- able settlement in the church. Favourable as this offer was, from a gentleman who had no fewer than fourteen patronages in his gift, Ross declined it, on a ground which evinces extraordinary modesty, — " that he could never entertain such an opinion of his own goodness or capacity as to think himself worthy of the office of a clergyman." On leaving the family of Sir \Villiani Forbes, Ross for some time taught, apparently as an assistant, the parochial school of Aboyne in his native county, and afterwards that of Laurencekirk, in Kincar- dineshire. While in this last situation he became acquainted with the father of Dr Beattie ; a man who, in our poet's opinion, " only wanted education to have made him, perhaps, as nmch distinguished in the literary world as his son. He knew something of natural philosophy, and particularly of astronomy, and used to anmse himself in calculating eclipses. He was likewise a poetical genius, and showed our author some rhymes of considerable meriL"' In 1726, Ross married Jane Cattanach, the daughter of a farmer in Aberdeenshire, and de- scended by the mother from the ancient family of Cuguid of Auchinhove. In 1732, by the influence of his friend, 3Ir Garden of Troup, he Avas appointed schoolmaster of Lochlee, in Angus ; and the rest of his life was spent in the discharge of the duties of this humble office. There are, perhaps, few pieces of scenery in Scotland of a more wild and poetical character than that m which Ross's lot was cast. Lochlee is a thinly peopled parish, lying in the very centre of the Grampians, at the head of the valley of the North Esk, The population is almost entirely confined to one solitary glen, the green fields and smoking cottages of which are singularly refreshing to the eye of the traveller, after the weary extent of bleak moor and mountain which hem in the spot on all sides. On a mound in the centre, stands the ruin of an * Life of Ross, by his granclson, the Rev. Alexander Thomson of Lentrathen— prefixed to an edition of the '' Fortunate Shepherdess," printed at Dundee, 1812. ALEXANDER ROSS. 199 ancient fortalice, built by the powerful family of the Lindsays of Edzel, as a jjlace of retreat, where they could defy those dangers « hich they could not cope with in their Lowland domains, in the How of the Bloarns. The loch, ^¥hich gives its name to the parish, is a very beautiful sheet of water, imbedded deep among steep and craggy mountains. The Lee, the stream which feeds it, flows through a very wild glen, and over a rocky channel, in several picturesque waterfalls. On one of the tall precipices that form its sides, an eagle lias built its nest, secure from molestation, in the inaccessible nature of the clil!^ The remains of Ross's house still exist, situated near the eastern ex- tremity of the loch, and only a few feet from the water's edge. Near al liand, surrounded by a few aged trees, is the little burying ground of the parish, the tombstones of which bear some epitaplis from Ross's pen, ard there his own ashes are deposited.' The poet's house is now occupied as a sheepfold ; and the garden, on which it is said he bestowed much of his time, can still be traced by the rank luxuriance of the weeds and grass, and the fragments of a rude wall. It is impossible to look on the ruins of this humble hut, without interest: its dimensions are thirty feet in length, and twelve in breadth ; and this narrow space was all that was allotted to the school-room and the residence of its master. The walls seem to have contained but two apartments, each about twelve square feet in size, and the eastern was that occupied by Ross, from whom one of the windows, now built up, is still named tiie Poet's win- dow. He had trained to cluster around it honeysuckle and sweet-briar ; and here, looking forth on the waters of tlie loch, is said to have been his favourite seat when engaged in composition. So deep and confined is the glen at this spot, that, for thirty days of the a\ inter, the sun never shines on the poet's dwelling. The emoluments of Ross's office were small, but perhaps more lu- crative than the majority of parochial schools in the same quarter, from his be- ing entitled to a sort of glebe, and some other small perquisites. One of his biographei-s has quoted some lines of the introduction to Helenore, as a proof of Ross's poverty and want : — " Pity anes mair, for I'm out-throw as clung— 'T«-as that grim gossip, chandler-chaftod want, \Vi' thread-bare claething, and an ambry scant," &«. It is consoling to be satisfied that these lines are not to be understood in a literal sense. We are assured by his grandson, that " no person in his station, or perhaps in any station, enjoyed a greater share of personal and domestic happiness. His living was, indeed, but small, not exceeding twenty pounds a- year, exclusive of the profits of his glebe ; but he had no desire beyond what was necessary to support himself and family, in a way suitable to his station ; and, considering the strict economy observed in his house, and the simple, though neat mode of living, to which he was accustomed, the emolupjents of his office, as well as the profits arising from his publications, rendered him in some degree comfortable and independent." It Avas not until he had resided here for thirty-six years, that, in the year 176 8, when he was nearly seventy, Ross appeared before the public as an author. So early as his sixteenth year, he had commenced writing verse ; a translation from the Latin of Buchanan, composed at that age, having been published by his grandson in the memoir we have just quoted. From that time, he seems to have cultivated his poetical talents with ceaseless assiduity : Dr Beattie, who appears to have advised 2 The only foot which a search of the kirk session register of Lochlee furnished wth regai d to Ross, is one of no very poetical nature, viz., that for some years he rented the grass of this q.uiet cemetery, at the yearly rent of £1 sterling. i/ 200 ALEXANDER ROSS. him iu the selection of his works for publication, writes, in a letter to Di Blacklock, " He put into my hands a great number of manuscripts in verse, chiefly on religious subjects : I believe Sir liioliard Blackniore is not a more voluminous autbor. He told me that he bad never written a single line with a view to publication : but only to amuse a solitary hour."^ The poems which by Ur Beattie's advice were chosen for publication consisted of " Helenore, or tlie Fortunate Shepherdess," and some songs, among Mhich were, " Tlie Rock and the Wee Pickle Tow," " To the Begging we will go," and ** Woo'd and mar- ried and a'." They appeared at Aberdeen in 17GS,^ in one volume 8vo, and a considerable number of subscribers having been procured, the profits of the publication amounted to about twenty pounds ; " a sum," says Beattie, " far exceeding his most sanguine expectations, for I believe he would thankfully have sold his whole works for five." To promote the sale, Beattie (whose in- terest in Boss was excited by tiie hitter's acquaintance with tlie doctor's father) addressed a letter to the editor of the Aberdeen Journal, together with some verses inscribed to Ross, which are remarkable from being their author's only composition in the Scottish dialect ; they have been prefixed to all the subse- quent editions of Helenore, and possess much merit. The success of the volume does not seem to have been very rapid, for ten years elapsed before the publi- cation of the second edition. While this was going through the press, Dr Beattie wrote to Ross from Gordon castle, with an invitation from the noble ownei's to pay them a visit. Though now eighty years of age, the poet at once accepted the invitation, and took that opportunity of presenting a copy of the second edition of his work, dedicated to the duchess of Gordon. He remained at the castle for some days, says his grandson, and " was honoured with much attention and kindness both by the duke and duchess, and was presented by the latter with an elegant poeket-book, containing a handsome present, when he returned to Lochlee in good health, and with great satisfaction." The next year he experienced the loss of his wife, who died at the advanced age of eighty-two, and to whose memory he erected a tombstone with a poeti- cal epitaph. He himself did not long survive : on the 20th of May, 1 784, " worn out with age and infirmity, being in his eighty-sixth year, he breathed his last, with the composure, resignation, and hope becoming a Christian." Of Roes'a uumerous family, two sons and a daughter died in early youth, and four daughters Burvived him. Such are the few facts that constitute the biography of Alexander Eoss. His character appears to have been marked by much cheerfulness and simplicity ; lowly as was his lot, he found tranquillity and content in it, and the picture of his household piety which has come down to us, is singularly af- fecting. Regrets have been expressed that a man of his merits should have been allowed to toil on in the humble situation of a parish schoolmaster ; but it should be remembered that he was nearly seventy years old before he gave the public proof of his talents, and it may be very doubtful if at that advanced age he would have found in a higher sphere the same pence and happiness which he had so long enjoyed in his Highland glen. It is also gratifying to think that the profits of his publications, trifling as they would now be viewed, were still sufficient to afford him many additional luxuries ; and that the fame which his poems received from the world reached his retired home, and secured to him honour from his neighbours, and marks of attention from the few strangers of 3 Forbes' Life of Beattie, i. 119. We may add Dr Beattie's description of Ross at this date : " He is a good humoured, social, happy old man: modest without clownishness, and lively witliout petulance." 4 " The Fortunate Shepherdess, a pastoral tale in the Scottish dialect, by Alexander Ross, Schoolmaster at Lochlee, to which are added a few songs by the author. Aberdeen, printed by and for Francis Douglas — 17C8."— pp. 150. ALEXANDER ROS?. 201 rank that found tlioir way to Loclilee. Neither should it be forgotten that his songs became, even in his own day, as tlicy still continue, the favourite ditties of his neiglibourhood, and that the poet's cars were gratified by hearing his own verses chanted on the hill-sides in summer, and by the cottage ingle in winter. This is the incense to his genius prized by the poet beyond other earthly rewards, and which cheers him even when stricken by the poverty which is "the badge of all his tribe." Ross left eight volumes of unpublished works, of which an account has been preserved in Campbell's Introduction to the History of Poetry in Scotland, (p. 272 to 284.) The chief of these is a tnlo in the same measure with the Fortunate Shepherdess, entitled, " The Fovtunnto Shepherd, or the Orphan."' The specimens A\hich are given are too unsatis- factory to permit us to judge if Me ought to regret its suppression, which we are informed Avas owing to the advice of Dr Beattie. " A Dream, in imitatioji of the Clicrry and Slae," and composed in 1753, seems to possess some stanzas of considerable merit. " Pveligious Dialogues," written in 1754, are charac- terized by I'eattie as unfit fi«f/(7T/« Bokji'aikv,, ad Carolum II. Carmen :" a uork vhich A\as laudatory of the king, and abusive of Cromwell, who is styled " Trux vilis vermes,'' being the anagram of " 0 vile ci-uel worm" (Oliver Cromwell) latinized. This pane- gyric, however, availed him little. Some of his works, \\hich contained reflec- tions on the royal family, were taken from the college, and burned at the cross of Aberdeen by the hands of the hangman : and in 10 Gl, Row resigned his of- fice of principal. He soon after established a school at Aberdeen, and lived for some years on the scanty emoluments derived from this source, eked out by charitable donations. Thereafter he retired to the family of a. son-in-law and daughter in the parish of Kinellar, about eight miles from Aberdeen, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was interred in the churchyard of the parish, but no monument marks his grave. Besides the works we have men- tioned, and some others which seem to be lost, principal Row wrote a contiima- lion of his father's History of the Church, which is extant in the Advocates' library, under the title of " Supplement to the Historic of the Kirk of Scot land, from August, anno 1G37, and thenceforward to July, 1G39 ; or ane Hand- ful of Goates Haire for the furthering of the Building of the Tabernacle : a Short Table of Principnll Things for the promoving of the most excellent His- torie of this late blessed Work of Reformation, in the hands of such as are em- ployed therein by the General Assemblie ; written by Mv John Row, Ministei at Aberdene." Mr James Row, minister of Monivaird and Strowan, a younger brother of principal Row, is well known to the curious in Scottish literature, as the author of the celebrated " Pockmanty Sermon," preached in Saint Giles's, in 1G3S, and which has been lately reprinted under the titles of "The Red- Shanke's Sermon ;" and " A Cupp of Bon- Accord." ROXBURGH, William, a physician and eminent botanist, was born at Un- derwood in the parish of Craigie, en the 29th June, 1759. His family was not in affluent circumstances, but they nevertheless contrived to give him a liberal education. On acquiring all the learning which the place of his nativity afforded, he was sent to Edinburgh to complete his studies, which were exclu- sively directed to the medical profession. After attending for some time the various classes at the university necessary to qualify him for tliis pursuit, he re- •eived, while yet but seventeen years of age, the appointment of surgeon's mate jn board of an East Indiaman, and completed two voyages to the East in that capacity before he had attained his twenty-first year. An offer having been now made to him of an advantageous settlement at flladras, he accepted of it, and accordingly established himself there. Shortly after taking up his resi- dence at Jladras, 3Ir Roxburgh turned his attention to botany, and particular- ly to the study of the indigenous plants, and other vegetable productions of the East, and in this he made sucii progress, and acquired so much reputation that he was in a short time invited by the government of Bengal, to take charge of the Botanical gardens establisiied there. In this situation he rapidly extended his fame as a botanist, and introduced to notice, and directed to useful purposes many previously unknown and neglected vegetable productions of the country. Mr Roxburgh now also became a member of the Asiatic Society, to whose Transactions 20t) WAJOR-GENER.U:i WUJJAM ROY. he contributed, from time to time, many valuable papers, and amongst these one of singular interest on the bcca insect, from wliich a colour called lac lake, is made, A\liicli is largely used as a substitute for cochineal. This paper, uhjcli was written in 17S'J, excited much attention at the time, at once from the ability it displayed, and from the circumstance of its containing some hints which led to a great improvement on the colour yielded by the laces insecL In 1707, Mr Roxburgh pid a visit to his native country, and returned (having been in the mean time married,) to Bengal, in 1799, uhen he resumed his botanical studies with increased ardour and increasing success. In 1805, he received the gold medal of the Society for the Promotion of Arts, for a sei-ies of highly interesting and valuable conununications on the subject of the productions of the FuisL lie liad again, in this year, returned to England, and was now residing at Chelsea, but in very indill'erent health ; he, however, once more proceeded to Bengal, and continued in his curatorship of the Botani- cal Gardens there till 1S03, when, broken down in constitution, he finally re- turned to his native countiy. In this year he received a second gold medal for a communication on the growth of trees in India, and on the Slst of May, IS It, was presented with a third, in the presence of a large assembly which he personally attended, by the duke of Norfolk, who was then president of the Society of Arts. Soon after receiving this last honourable testimony of the high respect in which his talents were held, Mr Roxburgh repaired to Edinburgh, uhere he died, on the 10th of April in the following year, in the 57th year of his age, leavinvas to connnence book auctioneer, a calling for which his habits and purf.uits peculiarly qualified him, and he accordingly added it, in the year 1707, to his other avocations, but confined himself, in the exercise of it, principally to learned works and school books. In the same year in which he commenced auctioneer, he published an edition of Wilson's " Animi Tranquillitate Dialogus." To this work he added a new preface, and subjoined a sketch of the life of Wilson, besides correcting the numerous typogTaphical errors of Gryphius of Leyden, by whom it was first published in 1543. His extraordinary and unwearying diligence enabled Mr Ruddinsan to present the Avorld in 1709, w.th a new edition, with notes, of another learned work. This was " Johnstoni Cantici Solomonis Pavaphrnsis Poetica," which he dedicated, in a copy of verses, to his patron Dr Pitcairne, a compliment which the latter acknowledged by presenting the learned editor with a silver cup, inscribed with the following couplet from Horace : 210 THOMAS RUDDIMAN. Narratur et prisci Catonia, S;epe mero iiiailuisse virtus. IMr Ruddiiu.in, liowever, was not permitted long to rejoice in tlic possession of this elegant testimony of his patron's esteem for him. His house was short- ly after broken into by robbers, and the silver cup, with many other articles carried off. The reputation which the learned and acute grammarian had acquired by the new editions of tlie works just named, was still farther increased by that in which lie next engaged. This was an edition of Virgil's iEneid, as translated into Scottish verse by the celebrated Gawin Douglas. To this work, which was pub- lished by Freebairn of Edinburgh, besides superintending and correcting the pi'css, he contributed a Glossary, explaining ditlicult and obsolete words ; a performance which bespeaks great depth of research, soundness of judgment, anti singular acuteness of perception. IMr liuddiman's modesty, (for he was as modest as learned,) prevented liim from associating with tlie Glossary any kind of notice which should point out to the public that he was the author of it : but af- ter some time this fact transpired, and compliments poured in upon him from the most eminent and learned men of the day. A vacancy happening to occur about this period in the grammar school of Dundee, IMr Ruddiman, whose fame as a scholar was now rapidly spreading abroad, was invited to become rector of that seminary ; but an advance of salary liaving been tendered him by the faculty of advocates to induce him to remain, he accepted it, and declined the offer of the magistrates of Dundee, although he thereby sacrificed his pecuniary interests to a considerable amount, for the ad- ditional salary which was conferred upon him was still short of the amount of emolument which the rectorsliip of the Dundee grammar school would have pi'C- duced to him. Still pursuing his literary labours with unremitting industry, he, in 1711, assisted in prepai'ing a new edition of tlie works of Drununond of Hawthornden, printed by Watson of Edinburgh, and immediately after lent his aid to Aber- cromby, to publish his " Martial Achievements of the Scots Nation." IMr Rud- diman next devoted himself to philological pursuits ; and in 1713, published a new edition of the Latin Vocabulary of John Forrest, with improvements. In tlie year following, he published that work ^vhich filled up the measure of his fame. This was his " Rudiments of the Latin Tongue;" a work which he lived to see go through no less than fifteen editions. It is almost unnecessary to add, that it immediately supplanted all those of a similar kind which had been pre- viously in use, every one of which was sin^^nlarly defective; and that it has remained in extensive use throughout the graramar schools of Scotland ever since. Shortly after this, Mr Ruddiman was employed by Freebairn to edit *' Bucha- nani Opera Omnia," now collected for the first time. To this work, which was published in 1715, in two vols, folio, he contributed large annotations, in which he treated freely both the character and political principles of the author; a pro- cedure which raised him a host of enemies, and involved him in u litigated and annoying controversy. This hostility assumed in one instance the formidable shape of a " Society of the Scholars of Edinburgh, to vindicate that incom- parably learned and pious Author (Buchanan) from the Calumnie of 3Ir Thomas Ruddiman." This association, however, though it included no less than four professors of the university, never made any progress in their proposed " Vin- dication," and finally dissolved, without accomplishing any thing, although they frequently and confidently promised the world a new edition of Buchanan, with a confidiition of Ruddiman. THOMAS RUDDI5IAN, lill In 1715, 3Ii' Ruddinian added to his other avocations that of printer, ad- mitting a younger brother of his own, uho had been bred to the business, as a partner of tiie concern. The first production of his press, was the second volume of Abercromby's JMartial Achievements. Amongst the learned works of note, which ho printed subsequently, were, the first volume of " Epistote Regum Sco- torum," 1722, for whicli he wrote a preface ; " Ovidii Excerpta ex jMetamor- phoseon Libris," containing English Notes, by Willymot and himself, 1723 ; Herodian, 1721 ; Pars Prima of his own Graminaticje Latinre Instituliones, 1723, which brought him a great accession of fame and profit; and Pars Se- cunda of the same worlt. He also printed, in 1733, " A Dissertation upon the Way of Teaching the Latin Tongue." In 1718, Mr Kuddiman took an active part in forming a literary society — the first, it is believed, which was established in Edinburgli. It was originally com- posed of the masters of the high school, but was soon joined by many of the most eminent persons in the city ; amongst these was 3Ir Henry Home, afterwards lord Karnes. Of the proceedings of this society, however, nothing is known, as its records, if there ever were any, have all disappeared. It had long been an object of IMr Ruddiman's ambition, after he became a printer, to obtain the appointment of printer to the university, and he was at length gratified with the office. In 1723, he was nominated, conjunctly with James Davidson, printer to the college, during the lives of both, (so their patent ran,) and during the life of the longest livei*. Previously to this, viz., in 1724, Mr Ruddiman began to print the continuation of the Caledonian Mercury for Rolland, who was then its proprietor; but in 1729, he acquired the whole in- terest in that paper, which was transferred to him in IMarch of the year just named, and continued in his family till 1772, when it was sold by the trustees of his grandchildren. Notwithstaiiding the variety and importance of his numerous avocations, Mr Ruddiman still retained the appointment of assistant-librarian in the Advo- cates' library, and never allowed any of these avocations to interfere, in the smallest degree, with the faithful and diligent discharge of the duties of that office. He was still, however, up to the year 1730, but assistant-librarian, the situation of principal keeper being in the possession of Mr John Spottiswood; but in the year named, his long and faithful senices in the library were re- warded by the chief appointment, on the death of Mr Spottiswood. In Mr Ruddiman's case, however, this promotion was entirely honorary, for it was un- accompanied by any additional salary. Mr Ruddiman's reputation as a Latinist now stood so high, that he was em- ployed to translate public papers. Amongst these, he translated the charter of the Royal Bank from English into Latin, before the seals were affixed to it ; and also the city of Edinburgh's " Charter of Admiralty." His wealth, in the mean time, was improving apace. All his undertakings succeeded with him, and his diligence and economy turned them to the best account. He was in the habit of making periodical estimates of his riches, which he entered in his memorandum books. These show a gradual increase in his wealth, and discover that it had amounted in 1736 to £1985 6s. 3d. Amongst the last of his litci-ary labours, was an elaborate preface, or rather introduction, to Anderson's " Selectus Diplomatum et Numismatum Scotiae Thes- aurus ;" an able and learned disquisition on vai-ious subjects of antiquity. Ee-. ing now in the sixty-fifth year of his age, he ceased, for a time, after the comple- tion of the work just spoken of, from every kind of literary employment ; and, nearly at the same period, resigned his half of the printing concern to his son, al- lowing, however, his name to remain in the firm, in order to continue its credit. 212 ALEXANDER RUNCIMAN. During the summer of 1745, Mr Ruddiman, to avoid the dangers of the re- bellion, retired to the country, where he resided for several months, amusing himself by literary pursuits. He afterwards prepared a Pari Terlia to his Grammaticoi Lalina;, &:c., but did not adventure on its publication, as he feared the sale would not pay the expense. He subsequently, however, pubiis'ied an abstract of this work, subjoined to what is called his Shorter Grammar, of whicli he received, in 1756, the royal privilege of being exclusive printer. In 1751, the venerable grammarian's sight began to fail him, and, under this affliction, finding that he could no longer conscientiously retain the appointment of keeper of the Advocates' library, he resigned it early in the year 1752, after a faith- ful discharge of the duties of librarian in that institution of nearly half a cen- tury. The latter years of 3Ir Kudd'man's life were imbittered by a political controversy, into wl.icii he was dragged by the vanity and pertinacity of Mr George Logan, who persecuted him with unrelenting virulence in no less than six different treatises, \vhich he wrote against the political principles avowed in Mr lluddiman's Annotations on Buchanan, particularly that which asserted the hereditary rights of the Scottish kings. Mr Ruddiman died at Edinburgh on the 10th of January, 1757, in the eighty-third year of his age ; and his remains were interred in the Greyfriars' church-yard of that city. A handsome tablet to the memory of Ruddiman, was erected in 1806, in the New Greyfriars' churcii, at the expense of his relative. Eh: William Ruddiman, late of India. It exhibits the following inscription : — SACUED TO THE MEMORY OK THAT CELEBRATED SCHOLAR AND WORTHY JI^*^, THOMAS RUDDIMAN, A. M., KEEPER OF THE ADVOCATIs' LlBR.iRY tflL\il FIFTY YEAHS, Eorn, October, 1674, within tlnee miles of the town of Banff; Died at Edinburgh, 19tli January, 1757, In his eighty-tlurd jear. Post obitum, bencfacta manent, ffilemaque virtus, Non metuit Stygiis ne rapiatur aquis. RUNCIMAN, Alexander, a painter of considerable note, was the son of a builder in Edinburgh, where he was born in the year 1736. Having sliown in his earliest yeai'S a decided inclination for drawing, his father furnished him with the proper materials ; and while a mere boy, he roved through the fields, taking sketches of every interesting piece of landscape which fell in his way. At fourteen, he was placed under the care of 3Iessrs John and Robert Norrie, house-painters ; the former of whom used to adorn the mantle-pieces of the houses which he ^vas employed to paint, with landscapes of his own, which were then deemed respectable productions, and of which many a specimen is still px'e- served in the houses of the old town of Edinburgh. The youth devoted himself entirely to his art. " Other artists," said one who had been his companion, " talked meat and drink ; but Runciman talked landscape." About this time, the academy for i-earing young artists was commenced at Glasgow by the brothers Eoulis, and Runciman became one of its pupils. He soon acquired considerable local fame for his lar.dscapes, but failed entirely to make a liv- ing by them. Despairing of success in this branch of art, he commenced history-painting; and in 1766, visited Italy, where he met Fuseli, whose wild and distempered chai'acter matched aptly with his own. He spent five years in Rome, assiduously studying and copying the Italian masters; and in 1771, re- AT^EXANDER EUNCIMA.N. 213 turned to his native country, with powers considerably increased, while his taste, formerly over-luxuriant and wild, had experienced a corresponding im- provement. Just at that time a vacancy had occurred in the mastership of a public institution, called the Trustees' academy; and the place, to which was attached a salary of <£l"20, was offered to and accepted by Runciman. Eeing thus secured in the means of bare subsistenca, he applied his vacant time to his- torical painting, and produced a considerable number of sj>ecimens, which, though not destitute of faults, Avere regarded with much favour, not only in liij native country, where native talent of tliis kind uas a novelty, but also in Eng- land, where several of them were exliibited. Among the productions of Runci- man may he mentioned, 3Iacbeth and Banquo, in a landscape ; a Friar, in a landscape ; Job in Distress ; Samson strangling the Lion ; Figure of Hope ; St IMargaret landing in Scotland, and her Marriage to 3Ialcolm Canmore in Dunfermline abbey ; Christ talking to the Woman of Samaria ; Agrippina landing with the Ashes of Germanicus ; the Princess Nausica surprised by Ulysses ; Andromeda ; Sigismunda weeping over the Heart of Tancred ; the Ascension (in the Cowgate episcopal chapel, Edinburgh) ; the Prodigal Son (for which Ferguson the poet was the study) ; and the paintings in Ossian's Hall at Pennycuik. The work last mentioned was the chef d'osiivre of Run- ciman, and is allowed to be one of no small merit, though not exempt from his usual faults. The design was his own, but was only cairied into efi^ect through tlie liberality of Sir Jolin Clerk of Pennycuik, the representative of a family which has been remarkable througliout a century for talent, enlightened views, and patronage of men of genius. The principal paintings are twelve in nunt- ber, referring to the most striking passages in the work called Ossian's Poems. The task was one of no small magnitude, but the painter dreamt of rivalling the famed Sistine Chapel, and laboured at his work with only too much enthu- siasm. In consequence of having to paint so much in a recumbent posture, and perhaps denying himself that exercise which the physical powers demand, he contracted a malady which carried him slowly to the grave. He died, October 21, 1785, dropping down suddenly on the street, when about to enter his lodgings. Runciman was remarkable for candour and simplicity of manners, and pos- sessed a happy talent for conversation, which caused his company to be courted by some of the most eminent literary men of his time. Hume, Robertson, Kames, and IMonboddo, were among the number of his frequent visitore. But his real worth and goodness of heart were best known to his most intimate friends, who had access to him at all times. Nor was he less remarkable for his readiness in communicating information and advice to young artists, in or- der to further their improvement in the arts. His pupil, John Brown, has passed the following judgment upon his merits as a painter : — " His fancy Avas fertile, his discernment of character keen, his taste truly elegant, and his con- ceptions always great. Though his genius seems to be best suited to the grand and serious, yet many of his works amply prove that he could move with equal success in the less elevated line of the gay and the pleasing. His chief excel- lence was composition, the noblest part of the art, in which it is doubtful whether he had any living superior. With regard to the truth, the harmony, the richness, and the gravity of colouring, — in that style, in short, which is the peculiar characteristic of the ancient Venetian, and the direct conti-ast of the modern English school, he was unrivalled. His works, it must be granted, like all those of the present times, were far from being perfect ; but it was Runciman's peculiar misfortune^ that his defects were of such a nature as to be obvious to the most unskilful eye ; whilst his beauties were of a kind, which 21-i ALEXANDER RUSSELL.— "WILLIAM RUSSEIJi. ftw liave sufllcient tnste or kiiouleJge of the art to tlisceni, far less to ap« predate. John Runciman, a brother of the above, was also a painter of some note, and produced, among other pieces, Judith with the Head of Holofernes ; Christ with Ilia Disciples going to Emniaus ; King Lear and Attendanls in the Storm ; and the Pulling down of the Netherbow Port, usually attributed to Alexander, and which lias tiie honour to be placed in the gallery of the duke of Suther- land. Of most of the pictures of botii artists, engravings and etcliings have been executed, some of the latter by themselves. RUSSELL, Alexander, author of the History of Aleppo, was born in Edin- burgh, and reared for the madical profession. After finishing his studies in the university of that city, about the year 1734, he proceeded to London, and soon after went to Aleppo, where he settled as physicinn to the Englisli factory in 17 iO. The influence of a noble and sagacious character was hero soon felt, and Mr Russell became in time the most influential character in the place : even the pasha hardly entered upon any proceeding of importance without con- sulting Lira. After residing there for a considerable time, during which he wrote his History of Aleppo, he returned to his native country, and, settling in London, soon acquired an extensive and lucrative practice. His »vork was published there in 1755. He also contributed several valuable papers to the Royal and jledical societies. This excellent individual died in London, November 25, 1768. Dr Russell was one of a family of seven sons, all of whom acquired the respect of the world. His younger brother, Patrick, succeeded him as physic cian to the factory at Aleppo, and was the author of a Treatise on the Plague, published in 1791, and Descriptions of Two Hundred Fishes collected on the coast of Coromandel, which appeared in 1303, in two volumes folio. Dr Patrick Russell died July '2, 1905, in his 79lh year. RUSSELL, William, a historical and miscellaneous writer, Avas the elder son of Alexander Russell and Christian Ballantyne, residing at Vv^indydoors, in the county of Selkirk, where he was born in the year 1711. At the neighbouring school of Innerleithen, he acquired a slender knowledge of Latin and Greek, and, having removed in 175G, to Edinburgh, he there studied writing and arithmetic for about ten months. This completed the amount of his school education. He now commenced an apprenticeship of five years, under ^lessrs 3Iartin and Wotherspoon, booksellers and printers, during whicli period ho added considerably to his stock of knowledge by private study. At the end of his apprenticeship, he published a selection of modern poetry, which was thought judicious, and helped to extend the reputation of Gray and Shenstone in his native country. In 1763, while working as a journeyman jirinter, he became a member of a literary association styled the Miscellaneous Society, oi •which Mr Andrew Dalzell, afterwards professor of Greek in the Edinburgh university, and Mr Robert Listen, afterwards Sir Robert, and ambassador at Constantinople, were also members. To these two gentlemen he submitted a translation of Crebillon's " Rliadamisthe ct Zenobie," which, after their revisal, was presented to Garrick, but rejected. Not long after he seems to have formed an intimacy with Patrick lord Elibank, who invited him to spend some time at his seat in Ea.= t Lothian, and encouraged him in the prosecution of a literary career. He therefore relinquislicd his labours as a printer; and after spending a considerable time in study at his father's house in the country, set out, in May 1767, for London. Here he was disnppointed in his best hopes, and found it necessary to seek subsistence as corrector of the press to Mr Strachan, the celebrated printer. While prosecuting this employment, ■WILLIAM RUSSELL. 2io he publislied several essays in prose and verse, but without fixing the attention of the world in any eminent degree. His " Sentimental Tales ' appeared in 1770; his "Fables, Sentimental and Moral," and translation of Thomas's " Essay on the Character of Women,'' in 1772 ; and his " Julia," a poetical Romance, in 1774. Other pieces were scattered throughout the periodical works. His success was nevertheless such as to enable liim to give up his office at the press, and depend upon liis pen for subsistence. After an unsuccessful History of America, he produced, in 1779, the first two volumes of the work by which alone his name has been rescued ft-om oblivion — " The History of Modern Europe :" the three remaining volumes appeared in 1784. This has ever since been reckoned a useful and most convenient work on the subject whicli it treats. " It possesses," says Dr Irving, with whose opinion we entirely concur, " great merit, as a popular view of a very extensive period of history. The author displays no inconsiderable judgment in the selection of his leading incidents, and in the general arrangement of his materials ; and he seema to have studied the philosophy of history with assiduity and success. His narrative is always free from languor ; and his liberal reflections are conveyed in a lively and elegant style." Dr Irving states that, in the composition of each volume of this book, the author spent twelve months. He closed tlie history with the peace of Paris in 1763 ; and it has been continued to the close of the reign of George IV., by Dr Coote and other writers. Mr Russell's studies were interrupted for a Avhile in 1 7 SO, by a voyage to Jamaica, which he undertook for the purpose of recovering some money left tliere by a deceased brother. In 1787, he married 3Iiss Scott, and retired to a farm called Knottyholm, neai Langholm, where he spent the remainder of his days in an elegant cottage on the banks of the Esk. In 1792, he received the degree of doctor of laws from St Andrews, and in the ensuing year published the first two volumes of a "History of Ancient Europe," which is characterized by nearly the same qualities as the former work. He did not live, however, to complete this undertaking, being cut off by a sudden stroke of palsy, December 25, 1793. He was buried in the church- yard of the parish of Westerkirk. This accomplished writer left a widow and a daughter. Dr Russell was a man of indefatigable industry. Before he had perfected one scheme, another always presented itself to his mind. Besides two complete tragedies, entitled " Pyrrhus," and " Zenobia," he left behind him an analysis of Bryant's Mythology, and the following unfinished productions : 1. The earl of Strafford, a tragedy. 2. Modern Life, a comedy. 3. The Love Marriage, an opera. 4. Human Happiness, a poem intended to have been composed in four books. 5. A Historical and Philosophical View of the Progress of man- kind in the knowledge of the Terraqueous Globe. 6. The History of 3Iodern Europe, Part III. from the Peace of Paris in 1763, to the general pacification in 1783. 7. The History of England from the beginning of the reign of George III. to the conclusion of the American war. In the composition of the last of these works he was engaged at the time of his death. It was to be com- prised in three volumes 8vo, for the copyright of which IMr Cadell had stipu- lated to pay seven hundred and fifty pounds. " Dr Russell," says one who knew him,^ " without exhibiting the graces of polished life, was an agreeable companion, and possessed a considerable fund of general knowledge, and a zeal for literature and genius which approaclied to ' Mr AlexanJer Chalmers, in his General Biographical Dictionarj— Jri. AS'illxam Russell, 216 JOHN RUTHERFORD.— SAMUEL UUTHERPORD. enthusiasm. In all his undertakings he was strictly honouiable, and deserved the confidence reposed in him by his employers." RUrilliKFOUD, John, a learned physician of the eighteenth century, was the son of tlie reverend 3Ir Rutiierford, minister of the parish of Yarrow, in Selkirkshire, and was born, August 1, 1695. After going through a classical course at the school of SelUirk, and studying mathematics and natural philoso- phy at the Edinburgh university, he engaged himself as apprentice to a surgeon in that city, with whom he remained till 1716, when he went to London. He tliere attended the hospitals, and the lectures of Dr Douglas on anatomy, Audre on surgery, and Strotlier on materia niedica. He afterwards studied at Leyden, under Boerhaave, and at Paris ^nd Rheims ; receiving from the university of tlie latter city his degree of 31. D. in July, 1719. Having, in 1721, settled as a physician in E linburgh, Dr Rutherford was one of that fraternity of able and distinguished men' — consisting, besides, of Monro, Sinclair, Tlummer, and Innes, — who established t'le medical school, wliich still iiourishes in the Scottish capital. 3Ionro ha,) been lecturing on anatomy for a few years, when, in 1725, the other gentlemen above mentioned began to give lectures on the other departments of medical science. When the professorships were finally adjusted on the death of Dr Innes, the chair of the practice of medicine fell to the share of Dr Rutherford. He continued in that honourable station till the year 176 5, delivering his lectures always in Latin, of which language it is said he had a greater command than of his own. About the year 174S, he began the system of clinical lectures; a most important im- provement in the medical course of the university. After retiring, in 1765, from his professional duties, Dr Rutherford lived, highly respected by all the eminent physicians Avho had been his pupils, till 1779, when he died in the eighty-fourth year of his age. This venerable person, by his daughter Anne Rutherford, was the grandfather of that eminent ornament of modern litera- ture, Sir Walter Scott. RUTHERFORD, Sajiuel, a celebrated divine, jvas born about the year 1600, in the parish of Nisbet, (now annexed to Crailing,) in Roxburghshire, where his parents seem to have been engaged in agricultural pursuits. The locality and circumstances of his early education are unknown. He entered, in 1617, as a student at the university of Edinburgh, where he took his degree of master of arts in 1621. Nothing has been recorded of the rank he held, or the appearances he made as a student, but they must have been at least respectable ; for at the end of two years, we find him elected one of the regents of the col- lege. On this occasion, he had three competitors ; one of them of the same standing with himself', and two of them older. Of these, 3Ir Will, a master of the high school, according to Crawford, in his histoi-y of the university, " pleased the judges best, for his experience and actual knowledge : yet the whole regents, out of their particular knowledge of 3Ir Samuel Rutherford, demon- strated to them his eminent abilities of mind and virtuous dispositions, whero- ■with the judges being satisfied, declared him successor in tiie profession of humanity." How he acted in tliis situation, we have not been told ; nor did he continue long enough to make his qualifications generally apparent, be- ing forced to demit his charge, as asserted by Crawford, on account of some scandal in his marriage, towards the end of the year 1625, only two years after he had entered upon it. What tiiat scandal in his marriage was, has never been explained ; but it is presumed to have been trifling, as it weighed so little in the eslimalion of the town council of Edinburgh, the patrons of the univer- sity, that they granted him " ane honest gratification at his demission ;" and at :^ subsequent period, in conjunction with the presbytery, warmly solicited him SAMUEL RrTHERFOKD. 217 to become one of the luinistei-s of the city, particularly with a view to his being appointed to tlie divinity liiair in tlie university, so soon as a vacancy should take place ; and they were disappointed in tiieir views with regard to him, only by the voice of the general assembly of the church, which appointed him to St An- drews. Kelieved t'rom the duty of teaching othei-s, 3lr Rutherlord seems now to have devoted himself to the study of divinity under 3Ir Andrew Kanisay, whose prelections, it is not improbable, he frequented during the time he acted as a regent in teaching humanity. Theology, indeed, in those days, was con- joined with every part of education. This was particularly the case in the col- lege of Edinburgli, where the principal, every V»'ednesday, at three o'clock, de- livered a lecture upon a theological subject, to the whole of the students, assem- bled in the common hall. The students were also regularly assembled every Sunday morning in their several class-rooms, along with their regents, where they were employed in reading the Scriptures ; after which they attended with their regents the public services of religion ; returned again to the college, and gave an analysis of the sermons tliey had heard, and of the portion of Scripture they had read in the morning. By these means, their biblical knowledge kept pace with their other acquirements, and tiiey were insensibly trained to habits of seriousness and devotion. In this manner were all our early reformers educat- ed ; and though they spent less time in the theological class, properly so called, than is generally done in modern times, judging by the ert'ects that followed their administrations, as well as by the specimens of their works that yet remain, they were not less qualified for their work, than any of those ^\ho have suc- ceeded them. When, or by whom Mv Rutherford was licensed to preach the gospel, has not been recorded ; but in the year 1(527, he was settled pastor of the parish of Anwoth, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. Anwoth, before the Reformation, had been a depemlency on the monastery of St 3Iary's Isle ; but was united quoad sacra to Kirkdale and Kirkmabreck, and the three parishes were under the ministry of one clergyman. In consequence of " this most inconvenient union," the people of Anwoth had sermon only every alter- nate Sabbath. It was now, however, disjoined from the other parishes, and a place of worship had been ne^ly built for their accommodation ; which, though the parish has erected a modern and more elegant church, is still preserved, and regarded, for the sake of the first occupant, the subject of this memoir, with a kind of religious veneration. The disjiniction of the parishes had been principally effected by the exertions of John Gordon of Ken- mure, afterwards created viscount Kenmure, who had selected the celebrated 31r John Livingstone to occupy it. Circumstances, however, prevented that ar- rangement from taking etl'ect ; and " the Lord," says Livingstone in his me- moirs, '* provided a great deal better for them, for they got that worthy servant of Christ, I\Ir Samuel Rutherford." Of the manner of his settlement, we know no particulars; only tliat, by some means or otiier, he succeeded In being settled without acknowledging the bishops, which was no easy matter at that time, i'erhaps no man ever undertook a pastt)ral charge with a more thorough con- viction of its importance than Rutherford ; and ihe way had been so well pre- pared before him, that he entered upon it with great advantages, and his endea- vours were followed by very singular efi'ects. The powerful preaching of IMr John Welsh, aided by his other labours of love, had dirUised a spirit of religion through all that district, which was still vigorous, though he had left Kirkcud- bright seventeen years before. Rutherlord was accustomed to rise every morning at three o'clock. The early part of ihe day lie spent in prayer and meditation ; the remainder he de- voted to the more public duties of his calling, visiting the sick, catechising his 218 SA^IUEL RUTHERFORD. flock, and instructing them, in a progress from house to house. " They were the cause and objects," he informs us, " of his tears, care, fear, and daily prayers. He laboured among them early and late ; and my witness," he de- clares to them, " is above, that your heaven would be two heavens to me, and the salvation of you all, as two salvations to me." Nor were his labours con- fined to Anwotli. *' He was," says Livingstone, " a great strengthenev of all the Christians in that country, who had been the fruits of the ministry of Mr John Welsh, the time he had been at Kirkcudbright ;" and the whole country, we are told by Mr 31' Ward, accounted themselves his particular flock. In the month of June, 1630, Mr Rutherford was bereaved of his wife, after an illness of upwards of thirteen months, when they had been yet scarcely five years married. Her disease seems to have been attended with severe pain, and he appears to have been much alTected by her sufferings. " My wife," lie observes in one of his letters, " is still in exceeding gTeat torment, night and day. Pray for us, for my life was never so wearisome to me. God hath filled me with gall and wormwood ; but I believe (which holds up my head above the water) it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." Her death seems to have greatly distressed him, and, though he nowhere in his corres- pondence ventures to introduce the subject directly, he frequently alludes to it in terms of the deepest tenderness. He was himself afflicted, at the time of his wife's death, with a fever which lasted for thirteen weeks, and which left him at last in a state of such debility, that it was bng before he could perform the duties of his calling. At this period his widowed mother lived with him, and for a time probably managed his family aftairs. She too, however, died before he left Anwoth in 1636. In the month of September, 1634, Mr Rutherford lost his great patron, Jolin Gordon, who had been created in the previous year viscount of Kenmure, and a storm Avas now brooding over him which was soon to drive him from his station at Anwoth. He even went the length of allowing them their own choice of any man, if they would avoid Rutherford, Avho intreated them to try the Lord if they had warrant of him to seek no man in the world but one only when there are choice of good men to be had. The see of Gal- loway in the mean time became vacant by the death of Lamb, who was succeed- ed by Sydserff, bishop of Brechin, an Arminian, and a man of the most intoler- ant disposition. This appointment gave a new turn to affairs in that quar- ter. A person of sentiments altogether opposite to those of the people of Kirkcudbright, was forced upon them, while their old and valuable pastor was forbidden the exercise of any part of his oflice. Nor did Rutherford escape. He had been summoned before the high commissionei"s in the year 1630, at the instance of a profligate person in his parish. Sydserff, bishop of Galloway, had erected a high commission court within his own diocese, before which Rutherford was called, and deprived of his oflice in 1636. This sentence was immediately confirmed by the high commission at Edinburgh, and he was sen- tenced befox-e the 20th of August to confine himself within the town of Aber- deen till it should be the king's pleasure to relieve him. The ci-imes charged against him were, preaching against the Articles of Perth, and writing against the Arminians. The time allowed him did not permit of his visiting his friends or his flock at Anwoth; but he paid a visit to David Dickson at Irvine, whence he wrote, " being on his journey to Christ's palace at Aberdeen." He arrived at his place of confinement within the time specified ; being accompanied by a deputation from his parish of Anwoth. His reception in this great stronghold of Scottish episcopacy was not very gratifying. The learned doctors, as the clergy of Aberdeen were called par excellence, hastened to let him feel their superiority, and to display the loyally of their faith by confuting the principles S.iMUEL RUTHERFORD. 219 held by tho persecuted stranger. The pulpits were everywhere made Co ring against hir.i, and Dv Barron, their principal leader, did not scruple to attack him personally for his antipathy to the doctrines of Arniinius and the cere- monies ; " but three yokings," Kutherford afterwards urote, " laid him by, and I have not been since troubled «ith him." Notwithstanding the coolness of his lirst reception, he soon became popular in rYberdeen, and his sentiments be- ginning to gain ground, the doctors were induced to petition the court that he might be removed slill farther north, or banished from the kingdom. This ]ast seems to have been determined on, and a \\ arrant by the king forwarded to Scotland to that etlect ; the execution of A\hich was only prevented by the establishment of the Tables at Edinburgh, and the consequent downfall of epis- copacj'. In consequence of these movements, llutherford ventured to leave Aberdeen, and to return to his beloved people at Anwoth, in the month of February, 1G3S, having been absent from them rather more than a year and a half. His flock liad, in the mean time, successfully resisted all the efibrts of Sydserlf to impose upon them a minister of his own choosing. It is not proba- ble, however, that after this period, they enjoyed much of the ministrations of Rutherford, as we soon after find him actively eniployed in the metropolis in forwarding, by his powerful and Impressive eloquence, the great work of re- formation which was tlien going so successfully forward. On the renewal of the Covenant, he was deputed, along with ]Mr Andrew Cant, to prepare the people of Glasgow for a concurrence in that celebrated instrument. He was also a delegate from the presbytery of Kirkcudbright to the general assembly, which met in that city in November, 1638, and was by that court honourably assoilzied from the charges preferred against him by the bishops and the high commission. To the commission of this assembly applications were made by the corporation of Edinburgh to have jMr Kutherford transported from Anwoth, to be one of tlie ministers of that city, and by the university of St Andrews to have him nominated professor of divinity to the new college there. To the latter situa- tloti he was appointed by the commission, greatly against his own mind, and to the no small grief of the people of Anwoth, who omitted no effort to retaia him. The petitions of the parish of Anwoth, and of the county of Galloway on this occasion are both preserved, and never were more honourable testimonies borne to the worth of an individual, or stronger evidence afforded of the high estimation in which his services were held. The public necessities of the church, however, were supposed to be such as to set aside all private considera- tions, and Iluiherford proceeded to the scene of his new duties in October, 1639. On the 19th of that month, having previously entered upon his labours in the college, he was inducted by the presbytery as colleague to iMr liobert Blair in the church of St Andrews, which seems at this time to have been no very pleasing situation. In the days of Melville and Buchanan the university was the most flourishing in the kingdom ; now it was become, under the care of the bishops, the very nursery of superstition in worship, and error in doctrine : " but God," says one of Rutherford's pupils, " did so singularly second his in- defatigable pains, both in teaching and preaching, that the university forthwith became a Lebanon, out of which were taken cedars for building the house of God throughout the land." In the Assembly of 1640, llutherford was in- volved in a dispute respecting private society meetings, which he defended along with Messrs Robert Blair and David Uickson, against the greater part of his brethren, who, under the tenors of independency, which in a short time overspread the land, condemned them. It was probably owing to this dispute, that two years afterwards he published his " I'eaceable Plea for Paul's Presby- tery," an excellent and temperate treatise; equa 11 j» remote from anarchy ou 220 SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. the one hand, and that unbending tyranny which pres'oyteiy has too often as- sumed on the other. In 1G12, lie received a call to the parish of West Cnlder, which lie was not permitted to accept, though he seems to have been desirous of doing so. Ho was one of the commissioners from the general as- sembly of the church of Scotland to the Westminster assembly, A\here his ser- vices were acknowledged by all parties to have been of great importance. The other commissioners from the general assembly of the church of Scotland, were permitted to visit their native country by turns, and to report the progress which was made in the great work; but Rutherford never quilted his post till his mission was accomplished. His wife (for he married the second time after entering upon his charge at St Andrews,) and all his family, seem to have ac- companied him. Two of his children, apparently all that he then had, died while he ^vas in London. He had also along with him as his amanuensis, BIr Robert 31*\Vard, afterwards minister of the Tron church, Glasgow, and mIio was banished for nonconformity at the Restoration. IMr Rutherford exerted himself to promote the common cause, not only in the assembly, but by means of the press, in a variety of publications, bearing the impress of great learning and research, combined with clear and comprehensive views of the subjects of which they treated. The first of these was the " Due right of Presbytery, or a Peaceable Plea for the Government of the Church of Scotland," a work of great erudition, and which called forth a reply from i\Ir 3Iather of New England; one of the best books that has yet been produced on that side of the question. The same year he published " Lex Rex," a most rational reply to a piece of insane loyalty emitted by John Maxwell, the excommunicated bishop of Ross. Next year, 1G45, he published " The Trial and Triumph of Faith," an admir- able treatise of practical divinity ; and, in 164G, " The Divine Right of Church Government, in opposition to the Erastians." In 1647, he published another excellent piece of practical theology, " Christ dying and drawing Sinners," which was followed next year, though he had then returned to Scotland, by a " Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist," written against Saltmarsh, Dee, Town, Crisp, Eaton, and the other Antinomians of that day. In 1G49, he published at London a " Free Disputation against pretended Liberty of Conscience," par- ticularly directed against the Independents. All of these productions are high- ly honourable to the talents of the author, and place his industry and fertility of mind in a singularly favourable point of view. Rutherford, in returning to the former scene of his professorial and pastoral labours, must have felt agree- ably relieved from the business and the bustle of a popular assembly, and hoped, probably, that now he might rest in his lot. Far otherwise, however, was the case. He was, in January, lG4i), at the recommendation of the commission of the general assembly, appointed principal of the New college, of which he was already professor of divinity ; and not long after, he was elevated to the rec- torship of the university. An attempt had also been made, in the general as- sembly of 1G49, to have him removed to the university of Edinburgh, which, Baillie says, " was thought to be absurd, and so was laid aside." He had an invitation at the same time to the chair of divinity and Hebrew in the university of Hardewyrk in Holland, which he declined ; and on the 20th of May, 1651, he was elected to fill the divinity chair in the university of Utrecht. This ap- pointment was immediately transmitted to him by his brother, 3Ir James Rutherford, then an officer in the Dutch service, who, by the way fell into the power of an English cruiser, and was stripped of everything, and confined a prisoner in Leith, till he was, through the intervention of the States, set at liberty. As he had, in consequence of this disaster, nothing but a verbal invi- tation to oiler, Rutherford' refused to accept it. James Rutherford returned SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 221 directly to Holland, and the magistrates of Utreclit, still hoping to succeed, sent him back with a formal invitation in the end of the same year. Rutherford seems now to have been in some degree of hesitation, and requested six months to advise upon the subject. At the end of this period, he wrote to the patrons of the college, thanking them for the high honour they had done him, but informing them, that he could not think of abandoning his own church in the perilous circumstances in which it then stood. The whole of the subsequent life of Samuel Kutherford ^^ns one con- tinued struggle with the open and concealed enemies of the church of Scot- land. After the Restoration, when, though infirm in body, his spirit was still alive to the cause of religion, he recommended that some of the Pro- testers should be sent to the king, to give a true representation of the state of matters in the church, which he well knew would never be done by Sharpe, Avhom the Resolution party had employed, and in whom they had the most perfect confidence. When the Protesters applied to the Resolution party to join them in such a necessary duty, they refused to have any thing to do with their more zealous brethren j and when these met at Edinburgh to consult on the matter, they were dispersed by authority, their papers seized, and the principal persons among them imprisoned. Ihis was the first act of the committee of estates after the Restoration ; and it was composed of the same persons Avho had sworn to the covenant along with Charles ten years be- fore. The next act of the committee, was an order for burning " Lex Rex,'' and punishing all who should afterwards be found in possession of a copy. The book was accordingly burnt, with every mark of indignity, at the cross of Edinburgh ; a ceremony which Sharpe repeated in front of the new college, be- neath Mr Rutherford's windows, in St Andrews. Rutherford was at the same time deprived of his situation in the college, his stipend confiscated, himself con- fined to his own house, and cited to appear before the ensuing parliament, on a charge of high treason. Before the meeting of parliament, iiowever, he was beyond the reach of all his enemie?. He had long been in bad health, and now the utter ruin that he saw coming on the church entirely broke his spirit. Sensible that he was dying, he published, on the 26th of February, 16G1, a testimony to the Reformation in Great Britain and Ireland. This testimony oc- cupies ten octavo pages, and is remarkably clear and particular. Of his last moments we can afford space only for a very brief account. He seemed to en- joy a singular rapture and elevation of spirit. " I shall shine," he said; " I shall see him ns he is : I shall see him reign, and all his fair company with him, and I shall have my share. Bline eyes shall see my Redeemer ; these very eyes of mine, and none for me. I disclaim," he remarked at the same lime, *' all that ever God made me will or do, and I look upon it as defiled or imperfect, as coming from me. But Christ is to me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Of the schisms that had rent the church," he re- marked, " those whom ye call Protesters are the witnesses of Jesus Ciirist. I hope never to depart from that cauoe, nor side with those of the opposite party, who have broken their covp;» Scotland, ^liero he arrived shortly after the death of Alexander IIL riiat event rendering it necessary to send ambassadors to Norway, to brino over the young queen, IMargaret, or, as she is more poetically called the IMaid of Norway, grand-daughter of the deceased monarch, Blichael Scott now styled Sir JMicliael, although we have no account either of the time or oc- casion of his being elevated to this dignity, uas appointed, uith Sir David Weems, to proceed on this important mission, a proof that his reputation as a uizard had not aHected his moral respectability. With this last circumstance, the veritable history of Sir JMichael terminates ; for his name does not a"ain ni)pear in connexion with any public event, nor is there any thing known of his subsequent life, lie died in the year 12\)2, at an advanced age, and was buried, according to some authorities, at Holme Coltrame, in Cumberland ; and, according to others, in 3Ielrose abbey. Although, however, all tlie principal authenticated incidents in the life of Sir Blichael which are known, are cumpi-ehended in this brief sketch, it would take volumes to contain all that is told, and to this hour believed, by tlie peasantry of Scotland, of the terrible necromancer, auld Michael. For some curious spe- cimens of the traditional character of the great magician of other days, the reader may be referred to the notes appended to tlie " Lay of the Last JMin- strel," by the still greater magician of modern times He will there learn liow Sir 31ichael, on one occasion, rode through the air to France on a huoe black horse ; how the devil made an unsuccessful attempt to entrap him bv tlie way ; how, on another occasion, when Maister JMicliael Scott's man, Sought meat, and gat n;ine, from a niggardly farmer, he threw down a bonnet which his master had previ- ously enchanted, and which, becoming suddenly inflated, began to spin round the house with supernatural speed, and drew, by its magical influence, the whole household after it, man, maid, and mistress, who all continued the goblin chase, until they were worn out with fatigue. It may not, perhaps, be unnecessary to add, that all these cantrips, and a thousand more, were performed by the agency of a "mighty book" of necromancy, which no man, but on peril of soul and body, might open, or peruse, and which was at last buried in tlie same grave with its tremendous owner. SCOTT, (Sir) Walter, baronet, a distinguished poet and novelist, was born in Edinburgh, August 15, 1771. He was a younger son of 3Ir Walter Scott, writer to the signet, by Anne, daughter of Dr John Kutherford, professor of the practice of medicine in the university of Edinburgh. Sir Waller's father was grandson to a younger son of Scott of Raeburn, a branch of the ancient baronial house of Harden ; and his mother was grand-daughter to Sir John Swinton, of Swinton, in Berwickshire. Leing an ailing child, he was sent at a very early period of life to Sandyknow, a farm near the bottom of Leader water, in Rox- burghshire, occupied by liis paternal grandfather, where he had ample opportuni- ties of stoiing his mind with border tradition. The first school he attended is said to have been one in Kelso, tauglit by a 3Ir Whale, where he had for school- fellows James and John Ballantyne, who subsequently became intimately con- nected with him in public life. He entered tlie high school of Edinburgh in 177 9, when the class with which lie was ranked (that of 3Ir Luke Eraser) was commencing its third season. fnder this master he continued during two SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 231 years, after uliich he entered the rector's class, then tauglit by IMr Alexander Ad;nn. In October, 17 S3, having- completed the usual classical course, he was matriculated at tha university of Edinburgli, studying hiananity, or Latin, ui> der professor Hill, and Greek under professor Dalzell. Another year under Dalzell, and a third in the logic class, taught by professor Bruce, appear to have formed the sum of his unprofessional studies at college. He was much de- voted at this period to reading : and an illness, which interrupted his studies in his sixteenth year, atlorded him an unusually ample- opportunity of gratifying this taste. He read, by his own confession, all the old romances, old plays, and epic poems, contained in the extensive circulating library of Mr Sibbald (founded by Allan Kanisay) ; and soon after extended his studies to hiitories, memoirs, voyages, and travels. On the restoration of his health, he commenced, in his father's office, an apprenticeship to legal business, which was completed in July, 1792, by his entering at the Scottish bar. The literary character of Scott is to be traced to the traditionary lore which he imbibed in the country, and the vast amount of miscellaneous reading above referred to, in conjunction with the study of tl'.e modern German poets and ro- mancers, which he entered upon at a subsequent period. The earlier years of his life, as an advocate, Avere devoted rather to the last mentioned study, than to business ; and the result was, a translation of " Burger's Lenore," and " Der Wilde Jager," which he published in a small quarto volume in 1796. The success of this attempt was by no means encouraging; yet he persevered in his Gennan studies, and, in 1799, gave to the world a translation of Goihe's " Goetz of Berlichengen." Previously to the latter event, namely, on the 24tli December, 1797, he had married Miss Carpenter, a young Frenchwoman of good parentage, whom he accidentally met at Giisland wells, in Cumberland, and who possessed a small annuity. It is also worthy of notice, that, in 1799, he was appointed sheriff of Selkirkshire, a respectable situation, to which an in- come of .£300 was attached. The success of Burger in ballad-writing, operating upon his predilection for that part of our own national poetry, induced him, about this time, to make se- veral attempts in that line of composition, and soon after to commence the col- lection of those ancient original ballads, which in 1802 were published in two vo- lumes octavo, as the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. On the reprinting of this work, in the ensuing year, he added a third volume, consisting chielly of ori- ginal ballads, by himself and others. The work was, upon the whole, a pleas- ing melange of history, poetry, and tradition ; and it gained the author a con- siderable reputation, though certainly not that of an original poet in any emi- nent degree. In the annotations to the ancient romance of Sir Tristrem, A\hich he published in 1804, he gave still more striking proof of the extent of his ac- quirements in metrical antiquities. It was not till the year 1S05, when Scott had reached the age of thirty- four, and had a family rising around him, that he attracted decided attention as an original poet. He published in that year his " Lay of the Last 3Iinstrel," an extended specimen of the ballad style, and one which fell upon the public mind as something entirely new in poetry. The caution which he may be said to have observed in coming before the world, arose from prudential considera- tions. He hesitated to come to a breach with his professional hopes, which a decided attempt in literature would have implied, before he should have attained something to assure him of a competency in the worst resort. This he had in some measure secured by his patrimony, his wife's annuity, and his salary as sheriff; but it was not till 1806, when he received the appointment of a principal clerk of session, that he cor.sidered himself at perfect liberty to 232 SIR WALTER SCOTT, I?.\RT. pursue a literary career. For this latter ajtpointnient, lie was indebted to tlie interest of the JJucdeuch and Melville families, which he had conciliated, partly by his talents, and partly by the zeal with which he entered into the volunteer system at the close of the past cenliu-)'. He succeeded IMr fjeorge Home, upon an ari-angenient, by which that gentleman «as to enjoy the salary for life ; so that it was not till 1811 that the poet reaped any actual benefit fioni it. The appointment was given by Mv Pitt, but was formally completed under the en- suing administration of Lord Grenville. In 1808, Mr Scott published his second poem of magnitude, "■ Marmion," which displayed his metrical genius in greater perfection than the Lay of the Last Minstrel, and greatly increased his reputation. While the latter work had produced him £600, the present secured one thousand guineas. Previously to 1825, no fewer than thirty-six thousand copies of Marniion were sold. In the same year, Mr Scott published an edition of Dryden's works, ^\ith notes, and a life of that poet. In 1809, he edited the State Tapers and Letters cf Sir Ralph Sadler ; and soon after he became a contributor to the Ldinburgh Annual Register, started by Mr Southey. " The Lady of the Lake," in which his poetical genius seems to have readied the acme of its powers, was published in 1810. His earlier efforts were less matured and retined ; and the later are all, in various degrees, less spirited and efiective. In 1811 appeared " Don Roderick," a dreamy vaticination of mo- dern Spanish history; in 1813 he published " Rokeby," in which he attempt- ed, but Avithout success, to invest English scenery and a tale of the civil war with the charm which he had already thrown over the Scottish Highlands and Rordcrs, and their romantic inhabitants. Rokeby met with a decidedly unfavour- able reception; and, it cannot be denied, the public enjoyed to a greater extent a burlesque, which appeared upon it, under the title of " Jokeby." The evil success of this poem induced him to make a desperate adventure to retrieve his laurels; and in 1814) he published " The Lord of the Isles." Even the name oi' Bruce, however, could not compensate the want of what had been the most captivating charm of his earlier productions — the development of new powers iiud styles of poesy. The public was now acquainted with his whole " fence," and could, therefore, take no longer the same interest in his exhibitions. As if to try how far his name now operated in promoting the sale of his writings, he produced, anonymously, two small poems in succession, *' Harold the Dauntless," and " The Bridal of Triermain." Neither made any considerable impi'ession upon the public ; and he, therefore, seems to have concluded that poetry was no longer a line in which he ought to exercise his trtlents. Blany years before, while as yet unknown as a poet, he had conmienced a prose tale upon the legendary story of Thomas tlie Rymer, Avhich never went beyond the first chapter. Subsequently, he contemplated a prose romance, re- lating to an age much nearer our own time, " My early recollections," sajs he,' " of the Highland scenery and customs made so favourable an impression in the poem called the * Lady of the Lake,' that I was induced to think of at- tempting something of the same kind in prose. I had been a good deal in the Higiilands at a time when they were much less accessible, and nmch less visited, than they have been of late years, and was acquainted with maiiy of the old warriors of 1745, who were, like most veterans, easily induced to fight their battles over again, for the benefit of a willing listener like myself. It naturally occurred to me that the ancient traditions and high spirit of people, who, living in a civilized age and country, retained so strong a tincture of manners belong- ing to an early period of society, nmst atlbrd a subject favourable for romance, if it should not prove a curious tale marred in the telling. 1 In the auto-ljiograplucal inlroduclicn to the revised ediiions of his works. SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 23'J " It was with some idea of tliis kind, that, about the year 1805, I threw to- gether about one-third part of the first vohinie of Waverley. It was advertised to be publislied by tlie late Mr Jolin Baliantyne, bookseller in I'dinburgh, un- der the name of * Waverley.' * # * Having proceeded as far, 1 think, as the seventh chapter, I showed my work to a critical friend, whose opinion was unfavourable ; and having some poetical reputation, I was unwilling to risk the loss of it by attempting a new style of composition. I therefore threw aside the work I had commenced, without either reluctance or remonstrance. * * * This portion of the manuscript was laid aside in the dra^vers of an old writ- ing-desk, which, on my first coming to reside at Abbotsford in 181 1, ivas placed in a lumber garret, and entirely forgotten. Thus, though I sometimes, among other literary avocations, turned my thoughts to the continuation of the romance which I had commenced, yet, as 1 could not find what 1 had already written, after searching such repositories as \vere within my reach, and was too indolent to attempt to write it anew from memory, I as often laid aside all thoughts of that nature." The author then adverts to two circumstances, which particularly fixed in his mind the wish to contiime this work to a close — namely, the success of Miss Edgeworth's delineations of Irish life, and his happening to be employed in 1808, in finishing the romance of Queen-Hoo-Hall, left imperfect by Mr Strutt. " Accident," he continues, " at length threw the lost sheets in my way." " I happened to want some fishing-tackle for the use of a guest, when it oc- curred to me to search the old writing-desk already mentioned, in which 1 used to keep articles of that nature, I got access to it with some difficulty ; and in looking for lines and flies, the long-lost manuscript presented itself. I imme- diately set to work to complete it, according to my original purpose. * * * Among other unfounded reports, it has been said that the copyright was, dur- ing the book's progress through the press, offered for sale to various booksellers in London at a very inconsiderable price. Ihis was not the case. JMessrs Constable and Cadell, who published the work, were the only persons acquaint- ed with the contents of the publication, and they offered a large sum for it, while in the course of printing, which, however, was declined, the author iiot choosing to part with the copyright. " Waverley was piiblished in 1814, and as the title-page was without the name of the author, the work was left to win its way in the world without any of the usual recommendations. Its progress was for some time slow; but after the first two or three months, iis popularity had increased in a degree which must have satisfied the expectations of the author, had these been far more san- guine than he ever entertained. " Great anxiety was expressed to learn the name of the author, but on tliis no authentic information could be attained. My original motive for publishing the work anonymously, was the consciousness that it was an experiment on the public taste, whicii might very probably fail, and therefoie there was no occa- sion to take on myself the personal risk of discomfiture For this purpose, considerable precautions were used to preserve secrecy. My old friend and schoolfello»v, Mr James Baliantyne, who printed these novels, had the ex- clusive task of corresponding with the author, who thus had not only the ad- vantage of his professional talents, but of his critical abilities. The origiual manuscript, or, as it is technically called, copy, was transcribed under Mr 13al- lantyne's eye, by confidential persons ; nor was there an instance of treachery during the many years in which these precautions were resorted to, although various individuals were employed at different limes. Double proof-sheets were regularly printed off. One \ias forwarded to the author by Mr Baliantyne, 234 SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. and tlie alterations \vhich it received were, by his own hand, copied upon Ihe clb.er proof-sheet for the use of tlic printers, so that even the corrected proofs of the autlior were never seen in tlie printing office; and thus the curiosity of such eager inquirers as made the most minute investigation, was entirely at fault." To this account of the publication of Waverley it is only to be added, that the popularity of the work became decided rather more quickly, and was, \\hen decided, much higher, than tlie author has given to be understood. It was read and admired universally, both in Scotland and England, so that, in a very short time about twelve thousand copies were disposed of. Previously to 1811, 3Ir Scott had been in tlie habit of residing, during the summer months, at a villa called Ashicstiel on the banks of the Tweed, near Selkirk, belonging to his kinsman colonel Russell. He now employed part of his literary gains in purchasing a farm a few miles farther down the Tweed, and within tiu-ee miles of Melrose. Here he erected a small house, which he gradually enlarged, as his emoluments permitted, till it eventually became a (iothic castellated mansion of considerable size. He also continued for some years to make considerable purchases of the adjacent grounds, generally paying much more for them than their value. Ihe desire of becoming an extensive land-proprietor was a passion ;\hich glowed more warmly in his bosom than any appetite which he ever entertained for literary fame. The whole cast of his mind, from the very beginning, was essentially aristocratic ; and it is pi'obable that he looked with more reverence upon an old title to a good estate, than upon the most ennobled title-page in the Mhole catalogue of contemporary genius. Thus it was a matter of astonishment to many, that, while totally in- sensible to flattery on the score of his works, and perfectly destitute of all the airs of a professed or pi-actised author, he could not so well conceal his pride in the possession of a small patch of territory, or his sense of importance as a local dispenser of justice. As seen through the medium of his works, he rather appears like an old baron or chivalrous knight, displaying his own character and feelings, and surrounded by the ideal creatures which such an individual would have mixed with in actual life, than as an author of the modern world, writing partly for fame, and partly for subsistence, and glad to work at that which he thinks he can best execute. It was unquestionably owing to the same principle that he kept the Waverley secret with sucli pertinacious closeness — being unwilling to be considered as an author writing for fortune, which he must have thought somewhat degrading to the baronet of Abbotsford. It was now the principal spring of his actions to add as much as possible to the little realm of Abbotsford, in order that he might take his place — not among the great literary names which posterity is to revere, but among the country gentlemen of Roxburghshire i' Under the influence of this passion — for such it must be considered — Mr Scott produced a rapid succession of novels, of ^\hich it will be sufficient here to state the names and dates. To Waverley succeeded, in 1815, Guy Blannering ; in 1816, the Antiquary, and the First Series of the Tales of my Landlord, containing the Black Dwarf and Old Mortality ; in 1818, Rob Roy, and the Second Series of the Tales of my Landlord, containing the Heart of Jlid Lothian ; and in 1819, the Third Series of the Tales of my Landlord, con- taining the Eride of Lammermoor, and a Legend of 3Iontrose. It is to be observed, that the series, called " Tales of my Landlord," were 1 Lest these speculatioriS may appear somewhat paradoxical, the editor may mention tliat they were pronounced, by the late Mr James Ballant^ne, in writing, to be "admira- bly tnie.^' SIR ^A'ALTER SCOTT, BART. 235 jn'ofessedly by a different author from him of Waverley : an expedient wiiich the real author had thouglit conducive to the maintenance of the public interest. Having now drawn upon public curiosity to the extent of twelve volumes in each of his two incognitos, he seems to have thought it necessary to adopt a third, and accordingly lie intended Ivanhoe, which appeared in the be- ginning of 1820, to come forth as the first work of a new candidate for public favour. From this design he was diverted by a circumstance of trivial impor- tance, the publication of a novel at London, pretending to be a fourth series of the Tales of my Landlord. It uas therefore judged necessary that Ivanhoe should appear as a veritable pi-oduction of the author of Waverley. To it suc- ceeded, in the course of the snme year, the Monastery and the Abbot, which were judged as the least meritorious of all his prose tales. In the be- ginning of the year 1 821, appeared Kenilworth; making twelve volumes, if not written, at least published, in as many months. In 1S22 he produced the Pirate and the Fortunes of Nigel ; in 1823, Peveril of the Peak (four volumes) and Quenlin Durward ; in 1821, St Ronan's Well and Redgauntlet; in 1825, Tales of the Crusaders (four volumes); in 1826, Woodstock; in 1827, Chro' nicies of the Canongnte, first series (two volumes) ; in 1328, Chronicles of the Canongate, second series i in 1829, Anne of Geierstein ; and in 1S31, a fourth series of Tales of my I andlord, in four volumes, containing two tales, respec- tively entitled Count Robert of Paris, and dastle Dangerous. The whole of these novels, except where otherwise specified, consisted of three volumes, and, with those formerly enumerated, make up the amount of his fictitious prose compositions to tlie enormous sum of seventy-four volumes. Throughout the whole of his career, both as a poet and novelist. Sir Walter was in the habit of turning aside occasionally to less important avocations of a literary character. He was a contributor to the Edinburgh Review during the first few years of its existence. To the Quarterly Review, he was a consider- able contributor, especially for the last five or six years of his life, during which the work was conducted by his son-in-law, IMr Lockhart. To the Sup' plement of the sixth edition of the Fncyclopaedia Britannica, he contributed the articles Chivalry, Romance, and the Drama. In 1818, he wrote one or two small prose articles for a periodical, after the manner of the Spectator, which was started by liis friend Mr John Rallantyne, under the title of " The Saleroom," and was soon after dropped for want of encouragement. In 1814, he edited the Works of Swift, in nineteen volumes, with a life of the author. In 1314, Sir Walter gave his name and an elaborate introductory essay to a work, entitled " Border Antiquities," (two volumes, quarto,) which consisted of engravings of the principal antique objects on both sides of the Border, accom- panied by descriptive letter-press. In 1815, he made a tour of France and Belgium, visiting the scene of the recent victory over Napoleon, The result was a lively traveller's volume, under the title of " Paul's Lettei-s to his Kins- folk,'' and a poem, styled " The Field of Waterloo." In the same year he joined with 31r Robert Jamieson and iMr Henry Weber, in composing a quarto on Icelandic Antiquities. In 1819, he published " An Account of the Regalia of Scotland," and undertook to furnisli the letter-pi-ess to a second collection of engravings, under the title of" Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland," one of the most elegant books which has ever been published re- specting the native country of the editor. In the year 1820, the agitated state of the country was much regTetted by Sir Walter Scott ; and he endeavoui-ed to prove the absurdity of the popular excite- ment in favour of a more extended kind of parliamentary repi-esentation, by three papers, which he inserted in the Edinburgh Weekly Journal newspaper, 23G SIR AVALTER SCOTT, BART. under the title of " The Visionary." However well intended, these were not by any means happy specimens of political disquisition. Some months after- wards, it was deemed necessary by a few Tory gentlemen and lawyei-s, to cstabiisli a newspaper, in which the more violent of the radical prints should be met upon llieir own grounds. To this association I\Ir Scolt subscribed, and, by means partly furnislied upon his credit, a weekly journal was conunenced, under liie title of" Tiie Beacon," As the scmriiilies of this print inflicted much pain in very respectable quarters, it sank, after an existence of a few months, amidst the general execrations of the community. Mv Scott, though he probably never contemplated, and perhaps «as hardly aware of the guilt of the Beacon, was louiljy blamed for his connexion \\ith it. In 1S22, Sir Walter published " Trivial Poems and Triolets, by P. Carey, with a Preface;" and, in IS22, appeared iiis dramatic poem of" Halidon Hill." In the succeeding year, he contributed a smaller dramatic poem, under the title of " 3Iacdurt''s Cross," to a collection of 3Iiss Joanna Baillie. The sum of his remaining poetical works may here be made up, by adding " The Doom of Devorgoil," and " The Auchindrane Tragedy," which appeared in one volume in lti'30. It cannot be said of any of these compositions, that they have made tlie least impression upon the public. The great success of tiie earlier novels of Sir Walter Scott had encouraged his publisiiers, 3Iessrs Archibald Constable and Company, to give large sums for those works; and, previous to 1824, it was understood that the author had spent from lifty to a hundred thousand pounds, thus acquired, upon his house and estate of Abbotsford. During the months wiiich liis oflicial duties permitted him to spend in tiie country — that is, the ^^hole of the more genial part of tlie year, from 3Iarch till November, excepting tiie months of May and June — he kept state, like a wealthy country gentleman, at this delightful seat, where he was visited by many distinguished persons from England, and from the conti- nent. As he scarcely ever spent any other hours than those between seven and eleven, a.m., in composition, he was able to devote the greater part of the morn- ing to country exercise, and the superintendence of his planting and agricul- tural operations ; while the evenings were, in a great measure, devoted to his guests. Almost every day, he used to ride a considerable distance — sometimes not less than twenty miles — on horseback. He also walked a great deal ; and, lame as he was, Avouid sometimes tire the stoutest of his companions. Among the eminent persons to whom he had been recommended by his genius, and its productions, the late king George IV. was one, and not the least warm in his admiration. The poet of Marmion had been honoured with many interviews by his sovereign, when prince of Wales and prince regent ; and his majesty was pleased, in iMarch, 1820, to create him a baronet of the United Kingdom, being the first to whom he had extended that honour after his accession to the crown. In 1822, when his majesty visited Scotland, Sir >Valter found the duty im- posed upon him, as in some measure the most prominent man in the country, of acting as a kind of master of cei'emonies, as well as a sort of dragoman, or me- diator, between the sovereign and his people. It was an occasion for the re- vival of all kinds of historical and family reminiscences; and Sir Walter's ac- quaintance with national antiquities, not less than his universally honoured cha- racter, caused him to be resorted to by innumerable individuals, and many respectable public bodies, for information and advice. On the evening of the 14th of August, when his majesty cast anchor in Leith Roads, Sir Walter Scott went out in a boat, connuissioned by the Ladies of Scotland, to welcome the king, and to present his majesty with an elegant jewelled cross of St Andrew, to be SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 237 worn on his breast, as a national emblem. When the king- was informed of Sir Waller's approach, he exclaimed, " What I Sir Walter Scott? The man in Scotland I most wisii to see ! Let him come up." Sir Walter accordingly ascended the ship, and was presented to the king on the quarter-deck, where he met with a most gracious reception. After an appropriate speech, Sir A\ al- ter presented his gift, and then knelt and kissed the king's hand, lie had afterwards the honour of dining with his majesty, being placed on his right hand. Tliroughout the whole proceedings connected wilii the reception and re- sidence of the king in Scotland, Sir Walter Scott bore a very conspicuous part. Sir Walter Scott had now apparently attained a degree of human greatness, such as rarely falls to the lot of literary men ; and he was generally considered as having, by prudence, fairly negatived the evils to wliich the whole class are al- most proverbially subject. It was now to appear, that, though he had exceeded his brethren in many points of wisdom, and really earned an unusually large sum of money, he had not altogether secured himself against calamity. The bookselling house with which he had all along been chiefly connected, was one in which the principal partner was Mr Archibald Constable, a man who will long be remembered in Scotland for the impulse which he gave by his liberality to tlie literature of the country, but at the same time for a want of calculation and prudence, which in a great measure neutralized his best qualities. It is diflicult to arrive at exact information respecting the connexion of the author with his publisher, or to assign to each the exact degree of blame incidental to him, for the production of their common ruin. It appears, however, to be as- certained, that Sir Walter Scott, in his eagerness for the purchase of land, and at the same time to maintain the style of a considerable country gentleman, incurred obligations to IMessrs Constable and Company, for money or accep- tances, upon the prospect of works in the course of being written, or which the author only designed to wi'ite, and was thus led, by a principle of gratitude, to grant counter-acceptances to the bookselling house, to aid in its relief from those embarrassments, of which he was himself partly the cause. It is impossi- ble otherwise to account for Sir Walter Scott having incurred liabilities to the creditors of that house, to the amount of no less than .£72,000, while of its pro- fits he had not the prospect of a single farthing. On the failure of 3Iessrs Constable and Company, in January, 182G, IMessrs Ballantyne and Company, printers, of which firm Sir Walter Scott was a part- ner, became insolvent, with debts to the amount of £102,000, for the whole of which Sir Walter was, of course, liable, in addition to his liabilities for the bookselling house. It thus appeared that the most splendid literary re- venue that ever man made for himself, had been compromised by a connexion, partly for profit, and partly otherwise, with the two mechanical individuals con- cerned in the mere bringing of his writings before the world. A per-centage was all that these individuals were fairly entitled to for their trouble in putting the works of Sir Walter into shape ; but tliey had absorbed the whole, and more than the whole, leaving both him and themselves poorer than they were at the beginning of their career. The blow was endured with a magnanimity worthy of the greatest writer of the age. On the very day after the calamity had been made known to him, a friend accosted him as he was issuing from his house, and presented the con- dolences proper to such a melancholy occasion. " It is very hard," said he, in his usual slow and thougJitfal voice, " thus to lose all the labours of a lifetime, and be made a poor man at last, when I ought to have been otherwise. But if God grant me health and strength for a lew years longer, I have no doubt that I shall redeem it all." 233 SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. The principal assets Avliich lie could present against the large claims now made upon him, were the mansion and grounds of Abbotsford, A\lii(h he had entailed upon liis son, at the marriage of that young gentleman to IMiss Jobson of Lochorc, but in a manner now found invalid, and wliich were burdened by a bord for ii 10,000. lie had also his house in Edinburgh, and the furniture ol both mansions. His creditors proposed a composition ; but his honourable na- ture, and perhaps a sense of reputation, prevented him from listening to any such scheme. " No, gentlemen," said he, quoting a favourite Spanish proverb, " Time and I against any two. Allow me time, and I will endeavour to pay all." A trust-deed was, accordingly, executed in favour of certain gentlemen, whose duties were to receive the funds realized by our author's labours, and gradually pay off the debts, with interest, by instalments. He likewise insured his life, with the sanction of liis trustees, for the sum of £22,000, by wiiich a post-obit interest to that amount was secured to his creditors. He was the bet- ter enabled to carry into execution the schemes of retrenchment which he had resolved on, by the death of lady Scott, in IMay, 1826. Her ladyship had born to him two sons and two daughters ; of the latter of whom, the elder liad been married, in 1 820, to Mr J. G. Lockhart, advocate. Sir Walter A\as engaged, at the lime of his bankruptcy, in the composition of a Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, «iiich was originally designed to fill only four volumes, but eventually extended to nine. In the autumn of 1826, lie paid a visit to Paris, in company with his youngest and only unmarried daughter, in or- der to acquaint himself with several historical and local details, requisite for the work upon which he was engaged. On this occasion, he was received with distinguished kindness by the reigning monarch, Charles X. The " Life of Napoleon" appeared in summer, 1827 ; and, though too bulky to be very po- pular, and perliaps too hastily written to bear the test of rigid criticism, it was understood to produce to its author a sum little short of £12,000. This, Avith other earnings and accessory resources, enabled him to pay a dividend of six shillings and eightpence to his creditors. Till this period. Sir Walter Scott had made no avowal to the public of his being the author of that long series of prose fictions, which had for some years engaged so much of public attention. It being no longer possible to preserve his incognito, he permitted himself, at a dinner for the benefit of the Edinburgh Theatrical Fund, February 23, 1827, to be drawn into a disclosure of the secret. On his health being proposed by lord Meadowbank, as the " Great Unknown," now unkno\^n no longer, he acknowledged the compliment in suit- able terms, and declared himself, unequivocally, to be the sole author of what were called the Waverley Novels. About tiie same time, the copyright of all his past novels was brought to the hammer, as part of the bankrupt stock of IMessrs Constable and Company. It was bought by Mr Robert Cadeil, of the late firm of Archibald Constable and Company, and who was now once more engaged in the bookselling business, at £8,400, for the purpose of republishing the whole of these delightful works in a cheap uniform series of volumes, illustrated by notes and prefaces, and amended in many parts by the finishing touches of the author. Sir Walter or his creditors were to have half the profits, in consideration of his lite- rary aid. This was a most fortunate design. The new edition began to appear in June, 1829; and such was its adaptation to the public convenience, and the eagerness of all ranks of people to contribute in a way convenient to themselves towards the reconstruction of the author's fortunes, that the sale soon reached an average of twenty-three thousand copies. To give the reader an idea of the sill WALTER SCOTT, BART. 239 magnitude of this concern — speaking commercially — it may be stated that, in the mere production of the work, not to speak of its sale, about a tliousand persons, or nearly a liundredili part of the population of Edinburgh, Avere sup- ported. The author was now chiefly employed in preparing these narratives for the new impression ; but he nevertheless found time occasionally to produce original works. In November, I8-2S, he published the first part of a juvenile History of Scotland, under the title of " Tales of a Grandfather," being ad- dressed to his grandchild, John Hugh Lockhart, whom he typified under the appellation of Hugh Littlejohn, Esq. In 1 829, appeared the second, and in 1830, the third and concluding series of this charming book, which fairly ful- filled a half-sportive expression that had escaped him many years before, in the company of his children — that " he would yet make the history of Scotland as familiar in the nurseries of England as lullaby ihymes." In 1830, he also contributed a graver History of Scotland, in two volumes, to the periodical woik called '* Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia." In the same year, appeared his Letters on Denionology and Witchcraft, as a volume of Mr Murray's " Fami- ly Library;" and, in 1831, he added to his Tales of a Grandfather, a uniform series on Erencli history. In the same year, two sermons which he l:ad writ- ten a considerable time before, for a young clerical friend, were published by that individual in London, and, as specimens of so great an author in an extra- ordinary line of composition, met with an extensive sale. The profits of these various publications, but especially his share of the profits of the new edition of his novels, enabled him, towards the end of the year 1830, to pay a dividend of three shillings in the pound, which, but for the accumulation of interest, would have reduced his debts to nearly one-half. Of £54,000 which had now been paid, all except six or seven thousand had been produced by his own literary labours ; a fact which fixes the revenue of his intellect for the last four or five years at nearly £10,000 a-year. Besides this sum. Sir Walter had also paid up the premium of the policy upon his life, which, as already mentioned, secured a post obit interest of £22,000 to his creditors. On this occasion, it was suggested by one of these gentlemen, (Sir James Gibson Craig,) and immediately assented to, that they should present to Sir Walter personally the library, manuscripts, curiosities, and plate, which had once been his own, as an acknowledgment of the sense they entertained of his honourable conduct. In November, 1830, he retired from his office of principal clerk of session, with the superannuation allowance usually given after twenty-three years' ser- vice. Earl Grey offered to make up the allowance to the full salary ; but, from motives of delicacy, Sir Walter firmly declined to accept of such a favour from one to whom he was opposed in politics. His health, from his sixteenth year, had been very good, except during the years ISIS and 1819, when he suffered under an illness of sucli severity as to turn his hair quite grey, and send him out again to the world apparently ten years older than before. It may be mentioned, however, that this illness, though accompanied by very severe pain, did not materially interrupt or retard his intellectual labours. He was only reduced to the necessity of employing an amanuensis, to whom he dictated from his bed. The humorous character, Dugald Dalgetty, in the third series of the Tales of my Landlord, and the splen- did scene of the Siege of Torquilslon in Ivanhoe, were created under these cir- cumstances. BIr William Laidlaw, his factor, who at one time performed the task of amanuensis, has described how he would sometimes be stopped in the midst of some of the most amusing or most elevated scenes, by an attack of pain — which being past, he would reconunence in the same tone at the point 210 SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. where lie had left off, and so on for day after day^ till the novel was finished. It happened very unfortunately, that the serere task A\hich he imposed upon liiniself, lor the purpose of disdiarging his obligations, cnnie at a period of life ulien he uas least able to accomplish it. It will hardly be believed tliat, even uhen so far occupied with his official duties in town, he seldom permitted a day to pass over his head without writing as much as to fill a sheet of print, or six- teen pages; and this, whether it was of an historical nature, with of course the duty of consulting documents, or of fictitious matter spun from the loom of his fancy. Although this labour was alleviated in the country by considerable exercise, it nevertheless must liave pressed severely upon the powers of a man nearly sixty by years, and fully seventy by constitution. The reader may judge how strong must have been that principle of integrity, which could com- mand such a degree of exertion and self-denial, not so much to pay debts con- tracted by liiaiself, as to discharge obligations in which he was involved by others. He can only be likened, indeed, to the generous elephant, whicli, being set to a task above its powers, performed it at the expense of life, and then fell dead at the feet of its master. His retireuient from official duty might have been expected to relieve in some measure the pains of intense mental application. It was now too late, liowever, to redeem the liealth tliat had fled. During the succeeding winter, symptoms of gradual paralysis, a disease hereditary in his family, began to be manifested. His contracted limb became gradually weaker and more painful, and his tongue less readily obeyed the impulse of the will. In March, 1831, he attended a meeting of the freeholders of the county of Koxburgh, to aid in the expression of disapprobation, with which a majority of those gentlemen de- signed to visit the contemplated reform bills. Sir Walter w.ns, as already hinted, a zealous Tory, though more from sentiment, perhaps, than opinion, and he regarded those regenerating measures as only the commencement of the ruin of his country. Having avowed this conviction in very warm language, a few of the individuals present by courtesy, expressed their dissent in the usual vulgar manner ; whereupon he turned, Avilh anger flashing in his eye — with him a most unwonted passion — and said, that he cared no more for such ex- pressions of disapproval than he did for the hissing of geese or the braying of asses. He was evidently, however, much chagrined at the reception his opinions had met with, and in returning home was observed to shed tears. During the summer of 1S31, the symptoms of his dis rder became gradually more violent ; and to add to the distress of those around him, his temper, for- merly so benevolent, so imperturbable, became peevish and testy, insomucli tliat his most familiar relatives could hardly venture, on some occasions, to ad- dress him. At this period, in writing to the editor of the present work, he thus expressed himself: — " Although it is said in the newspapers, I am actually far from well, and instead of being exercising {sic), on a brother novelist, Chateaubriand, my influence to decide him to raise an insurrection in France, which is the very probable employment allotted to me by some of the papers, I am keeping my head as cool as I can, and speaking with some difficulty. " I have owed you a letter longer than I intended, but >\rite with pain, and in general use the hand of a friend. I sign with my initials, as enough to ex- press the poor half of me that is left, liut I am still nuich yours, "W. S." Since the early part of the year, he had, in a great measure, abandoned the pen fur the purposes of authorship. This, however, he did with some difficulty, SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 241 and it is to be feared that he resumed it more frequently than he ought to have done. " Dr Abercromby,'" says he, in a letter dated IMarch 7, " threatens me with death if I write so much ; and die, I suppose, I must, if I give it up sud- denly, I must assist Lockhai-t a little, for you are aware of our connexion, and he has always showed me the duties of a son ; but, except that, and my own necessary work at the edition of the Waverley Novels, as they call them, I can hardly pretend to put pen to paper ; for after all this same dying is a ceremony one would put ofl'as long as possible." In the autumn, his physicians recommended a residence in Italy, as a means of delaying the approaches of his illness. To this scheme he felt the strongest repugnance, as he feared he should die on a foreign soil, far from the moun- tain-land which was so endeared to himself, and which he had done so much to endear to others ; but by the intervention of some friends, A\hose advice he had been accustomed to respect from his earliest years, he was prevailed upon to comply. By the kind offices of captain Basil Hall, liberty was obtained for him to sail in his majesty's ship the Barham, which was then fitting out for Malta. He sailed in this vessel from Portsmouth, on the 27th of October, and on the 27th of December landed at Naples, where he was received by the king and his court with a feeling approaching to homage. In April, he proceeded to Rome, and was there received in the same manner. He inspected the re- mains of Roman grandeur with some show of interest, but was observed to mark with a keener feeling, and more minute care, the relics of the more barbarous middle ages ; a circumstance, in our opinion, to have been predicated from the whole strain of his writings. He paid visits to Tivoli, Albani, and Frescati. If any thing could have been effectual in re-illuming that lamp, Avhich was now- beginning to pale its mighty lustres, it might have been expected that tJiis would have been the ground on which the miracle was to take place. But he was himself conscious, even amidst the flatteries of his friends, that all hopes of this kind were at an end. Feeling that his strength was rapidly decaying, he determined upon returning with all possible speed to his native country, in or- der that his bones miglit not be laid (to use the language of his own favourite minstrelsy) " far from the Tweed." His journey was performed too rapidly for his strength. For six days he travelled seventeen hours a-day. The con- sequence was, that in passing down the Rhine he experienced a severe attack of his malady, which px'oduced complete insensibility, and would have inevitably carried him oft", but for the presence of mind of his servant, ^\ho bled him pro- fusely. On his arrival in London, he was conveyed to the St James's Hotel, Jerniyn Street, and immediately attended by Sir Henry Halford and Dr Hol- land, as well as by his son-in-law and daughter. All help was now, however, useless. The disease had reached nearly its most virulent stage, producing a total insensibility to the presence of even his most beloved relatives — Membrorum damno mnjor, dementia, quae nee Nomina servorum, nee vultum agnoscit amici.'' After residing for some weeks in London, in the receipt of every attention v'.bich filial piety and medical skill could bestow, the expiring poet desired that, if possible, he might be removed to his native land — to his oAvn home. As the case was reckoned quite desperate, it was resolved to gratify him in his dying wish, even at the hazard of accelerating his dissolution by the voyage. He accordingly left London on the 7th of July, and, arriving at Newhaven on the evening of the 9th, was conveyed with all possible care to a hotel in his na- IV. 2 U 242 SIR T\'ALTER SCOTT, BART. live city. After spending two nights and a day in Edinburgh, he was removed^ on the morning of the 1 1th, to Abbotsford. That intense hive of home and of country, which had urged his return from th3 continent, here seemed to dispel for a moment tlie clouds of the mental at- mosphere. In descending the vale of Gala, at the bottom of which the view of Abbotsford first opens, it was found difficult to keep him quiet in his carriage, so anxious was he to rear himself up, in order to catch an early glimpse of the beloved scene. On arriving at his house, he liardly recognized any body or any thing. He looked vacantly on all the objects that met his gaze, except the well- remembered visage of his friend Laidlaw, whose hand lie aflectionately pressed, murmuring, " that now lie knew that he was at Abbotsford." He was here at- tended by most of the membei-s of his family, including Mr Lockhart, while the general superintendence of his death-bed (now too certainly such) was committed to Dr Clarkson of Melrose, He was now arrived at that melancholy state, when tlie friends of the patient can form no more aflectionate wish than that death may step in to claim his own. Yet day after day did the remnants of a robust constitution continue to hold out against the gloomy foe of life, until, notwith- standing every effort to the contrary, mortification commenced at several parts of the body. This was about twelve days before his demise, which at length took place on the 21st of September, (1832,) the principles of life having been by that time so thoroughly worn out, that nothing remained by which pain could be either experienced or expressed. On the 2Gth, the illustrious deceased was buried in an aisle in Dryburgh abbey, which had belonged to one of his an- cestors, and which had been given to him by the late earl of Buchan. Sir Walter Scott was in stature above six feet ; but, having been lame from an early period of life in the right limb, he sank a little on that side in walk- ing. His person was, in latter life, bulky, but not corpulent, and made a grace- ful appearance on horseback. Of his features, it is needless to give any parti- cular description, as they must be familiar to every reader through the medium of the innumerable portraits, busts, and medallions, by which they have been commemorated. His complexion was fair, and the natural colour of his hair sandy, Ihe portrait, by Raeburn, of which an engraving was prefixed to the Lady of the Lake, gives the best representation of the poet, as he appeared in the prime of life. The bust of Chantry, taken in 1820, affords the most faith- ful delineation of his features as he was advancing into age. And his aspect, in his sixtieth year, when age and reflection had more deeply marked his coun- tenance, is most admirably preserved in Mr Watson Gordon's portrait, of which an engraving is prefixed to the new edition of his novels. There is, likewise, a very faithful portrait by IMr Leslie, an American artist. Sir ^^ alter Scott possessed, in an eminent degree, the power of imagination, with the gift of memory. If to this be added his strong tendency to venerate past things, we at once have the most obvious features of his intellectual charac- ter. A desultory course of reading had brought him into acquaintance with almost all the fictitious literature that existed before his own day, as well as the minutest points of British, and more particularly Scottish history. His easy and familiar habits had also introduced him to an extensive observation of the varieties of human character. His immense memory retained the ideas thus acquired, and his splendid imagination gave them new shape and colour. Thus, his literary character rests almost exclusively upon his power of combining and embellishing past events, and his skill in delineating natural character. In early life, accident threw his ons into the shape of verse — in later life, into prose ; but, in whatever form they appear, the powers are not much diffe- rent. The same magician is still at work, re-a«aking the figures and events of HENRY SCOUGAL. 243 history, or sketching the characters which Me every day see around us, and in- vesting the uhole with the light of a most extraordinary fancy. It is by far the gi latest glory of Sir Walter Scott, that he shone equally as a good and virtuous man, as he did in his capacity of the first fictitious writer of the age. His behaviour through life Avas marked by undeviatiiig integrity and purity. His character as a husband and father is altogether irreproachable. Indeed, in no single relation of life does he appear liable to blame, except in the facility with whicli he yielded his fortunes into the power of others, of whom he ought to have stood quite independent. Laying this imprudence out of view, his good sense, and good feeling united, appear to have guided him ariglit through all the difficulties and temptations of life. Along with the most perfect upright- ness of conduct, he was characterized by extraordinary simplicity of manners. He was invariably gracious and kind, and it was impossible ever to detect in his conversation a symptom of his grounding the slightest title to consideration upon his literary fame, or of his even being conscious of it. By dint of almost incredible exertions. Sir Walter Scolt had reduced the amount of his debts, at the time of his decease, to about £20,000, exclusive of the accumulated interest. On the 29th of October, a meeting of his creditors was called, when an ofl^er was made by his family of that sum against the ensu- ing February, on condition of their obtaining a complete discharge. The meeting was very numerously attended, and the proposal was accepted without a dissentient voice. In addition to the resolution accepting the ofler, and directing the trustees to see the acceptance carried into effect, the following I'esolution was moved and carried Avitli a like unanimity : — " And while the meeting state their anxious wish that every creditor, who is not present, may adopt the same resolution, they think it a tribute justly due to the memory of Sir Walter Scott, to express, in the strongest manner, their deep sense of his most honourable conduct, and of the unparalleled benefits which they have derived from the extraordinary exertion of his unrivalled talents, un- der misfortunes and difiiculties, which would have paralyzed the exertions of any one else, but in him only proved the greatness of mind which enabled him to rise superior to them." SCOUGAL, Henry, a theological writer of considerable eminence, was born in the end of June, 1650. He was descended of the family of the Scou- gals of that ilk, and was the son of Patrick Scougal, bishop of Aberdeen, from 1664 to 1682 ; a man whose piety and learning have been comme- morated by bishop Burnet. His son Henry is said to have early displayed symptoms of those talents for which he was afterwards distinguished. \Ve are told by Dr George Garden, that " he was not taken up with the plays and lit- tle diversions of those of his age ; but, upon such occasions, did usually retire from them, and that not out of sullenness of humour or dulness of spirit, (the sweetness and serenity of whose temper did even then appear,) but out of a stayed- ness of mind, going to some privacy, and employing his time in reading, prayer, find such serious thoughts, as that age was capable of."^ Tradition has asserted that Scougal was led to the study of theology, in the hope of finding in it a balm for disappointed affections; and this is in so far countenanced by the tenor of several passages of his Avritings. Another cause, however, has been assigned, and apparently on better authority. " Being once in a serious reflec- tion what course of life he should take, he takes up the Bible, to read a portion of it ; and though he was always averse to the making a lottery of the Scrip- tures, yet he could not but take notice of the first Avords which he cast his eyes 1 A Sermon preached at the Funeral of the reverend Henry SccugiJ, M. A. By G. G. [Geoige Garden], D. D., p. 285. 24.4: HENRY SCOUG.\L. upon, and which made no small impression on his spirit : * By what means shall a young man learn to purify his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word,' " On his father's election to the see of Aberdeen, Scougal en- tered as a student at King's college there, of which university his father was chan- cellor. He seems to have taken the lead of his fellow students in almost every department of science ; and, in addition to the usual branches of knowledge pursued in the university, to have acquired a knowledge of some of the Orien- tal tongues. Immediately on taking his degree, he was selected to assist one of the regents in the instruction of his class; and the next year, 1GG9, he was, at the early age of nineteen, appointed a professor. His immature age was probably incapable to preserve order in his class ; at all events, tumults and insubordina- tion broke fortli among his students, of whom so many were expellei from tlie college, that he scarce had a class to teach. His office of regent, whicli was thus inauspiciously commenced, he held but for four years, having at the end of that time accepted the pastoral charge of the parish of Auchterless, in Aberdeen- shire. He retained this charge no longer than a twelvemonth, and, in 1074, was appointed professor of divinity in the King's college ; a chair which had shortly before been filled by the celebrated John Forbes of Corse, and more lately by William Douglas, the learned author of the " Academiarum Vindicije," and other works. As was customary in that age, Scougal printed a thesis on his accession to the divinity chair : this tract, which is still preserved and highly prized, is entitled, " De Objecto cultus Religiosi." In 1677, appeared *' The Life of God in the Soul of Man, or the Nature and Excellency of the Christian religion." This work, to which Scougal's modesty would not permit him to prefix his name, was edited by bishop Burnet, who appended to it a tract called " An account of the Spiritual Life," supposed to be written by himself. In the prefatory notice, Burnet states of the author, " tiiat the book is a transcript of those divine impressions that were upon his own heart, and that he has written nothing in it but what he himself did well feel and know." The work passed at once into that extensive popularity and high reputation it has ever since enjoyed. Before 1727, it had gone through five editions, the last under the superintendence of the Society for promoting Christian knowledge. In 1735, it was again reprinted with the addition of " Nine Discourses on Important Subjects," and Dr Garden's funeral sermon ; and in 1740, another edition appeared, with some ** Occasional Meditations," not previously published. Since that period editions have multiplied very rapidly. In 1722, it was translated into French, and published at the Hague. Scougal survived the publication of his work for no longer than a twelvemonth. At the early age of twenty-eight, he died on the 13th of June, in the year 1678, and was interred on the north side of the chapel of King's college, where a tablet of black marble, bearing a simple Latin inscription was erected to his memory. He bequeathed a sum of five thousand merks to augment the salary of the pro- fessor of divinity in the university, and left his books to the college library. A portrait of Scougal is preserved in the college hall, and the countenance breathes all that serene composure, benevolence, purity, and kindness which so striiiingly mark liis writings. Besides the works which have been mentioned, Scougal left behind him in manuscript various juvenile essays, and some Latin tracts, among which are " A short System of Ethics or JMoral Philosophy ;" *' A Preservative against tiie Artifices of the Romish missionaries," and a frag- ment " On the Pastoral Cure." This last work was designed for the use of students in divinity and candidates for holy orders. None of the least beautiful or remarkable of his works is '* The 3Iorning and Evening Service," which he composed for the Cathedral of Aberdeen, and which is characterized by a spirit HENRY SCRIxMGER. 245 of fervid devotion, and a deep and singular elevation of thought, and solemnity of diction. SCKI3IGER, IIenrt, a learned person of the sixteenth century, was the son of Walter Scriniger of Glasswell, who traced his descent from the Scrimgei-s or Scrinizeors of Dudhope, constables of Dundee, and hereditary standard-bearers of Scotland. The subject of this memoir was born at Dundee in 1506, and re- ceived the rudiments of his education in the grammar school of that town, where he made singular proficiency both in the Latin and Greek languages. He af- terwards went through a course of philosophy in the university of St Andrews with great applause. From thence he proceeded to Paris to study civil law. He next removed to Bourges, where he studied for some time under Baro and Duaren, who were considered the two greatest lawyers of the age in ^vhich they lived. Here he formed an acquaintance with the celebrated Amiot, who at that time filled the Greek chair at Bourges, and through his recommendation was appointed tutor to the children of secretary Boucherel. In this situation, which he filled to the entire satisfaction of his employers, Scriniger became acquainted with Bernard Bcpnetel, bishop of Rennes, who, on being appointed ambassadoi from the court of France to some of the states of Italy, made choice of him for his private secretary With this dignitary he travelled through the greater part of that interesting country, and Avas introduced to a great many of its most eminent and learned men. AVhile on a visit to Padua, he had an opportunity of seeing the notorious apostate Francis Spira, of whose extraordinary case he wrote a narrative, which was published along with an account of the same case by Petrus Paulus Virgerus, Mattheus Gribaldus, and Sigismundus Gelous, under the following title " The history of Franciscus Spira, who fell into a dreadful state of despair because, having once assumed a profession of evangelical truth, he had afterwards recanted and condemned the same, most faithfully Avritten by four most excellent men, together with prefaces by these illustrious men Caelius S.G. and John Calvin, and an apology by Petrus Paulus Virgerus, in all which, many subjects worthy of examination in these times are most gravely handled. To which is added the judgment of IMartinus Borrhaus on the im- provement which may be made of Spira's example and doctrine, 2 Pet, 2. ' It had been better for them not to have known the Avay of life,'" &:c. The book is written in Latin, but has neither the name of printer, nor the place, or date of printing. It was, however, probably printed at Basil in the year 1550 or 1551. Deeply affected with the case of Spira, Scriniger determined to sacri- fice all the prospects, great as they were, which his present situation held out to him, and to retire into Switzerland, wliere he could pi-ofess the reformed religion without danger. It appears that he shortly after this entertained the idea of returning to Scotland ; but, on his arrival in Geneva, he was invited by the syndics and magistrates of the city to set up a profession of philosophy for the instruction of youth, for which they made a suitable provision. Here he con- tinued to teacli philosophy for some time. A fire, however, happening in the city, his house was burnt to the ground with all that was in it, and he was in consequence reduced to great straits, though his two noble pupils, the Bucherels, no sooner heard of his misfortune than they sent him a considerable supply of money. It was at this time that Ulrich Fugger, a gentleman possessed of a princely fortune, and distinguished alike for his learning and for his vir- tues, invited him to come and live with him at Augsburg till his affairs could be put in order. This generous invitation Scriniger accepted, and he lived with his benefactor at Augsburg for a number of years, during which he employed himself chiefly in collecting books and manuscripts, many of them exceedingly curious and valuable. Under the patronage of this amiable person he ap 246 HENRY SCRIMGER. pears also to have composed several of his treatises, which he returned to Geneva to iiave printed. On his arrival, the magistrates of that city importuned him to resume iiis class for teaching philosophy. With this request he complied, and continued a"^ain in (ieneva for two years, 15()3 and 15(34. In the year 15G5, he opened a school for teaching civil law, of which he had the honour of being the first professor and founder in (ieneva. This class he continued to teach till his death. In the year 1572, Alexander Young, his nephew, was sent to him to Geneva, with letters from the regent I\Iarr, and George Buchanan, with the latter of whom he had been long in terms of intimacy; requesting him to re- turn to his native country, and promising him every encouragement. Huchanan had before repeatedly written to him, pressing his return to his native country, in a manner that sufficiently evinced the high esteem he enter- tained for him. The venerable old scholar, however, could not be prevailed on to leave the peaceful retreat of Geneva, for the stormy scenes which were now exhibiting in his native country; pleading, as an apology, his years and growing infirmities. The letters of Buchanan, however, -were the means of awakening the ardour of Andrew Melville, (who was at that time in Geneva, and in the habit of visiting Scrimger, whose sister was married to Melville's elder brother,) and turning his attention to the state of learning in Scotland, of which, previously to this period, he does not seem to have taken any particular notice. Though his life had not passed without some vicissitudes, the latter days of Scrimger appear to have been sufficiently easy as to circumstances. Besides the house which he possessed in the city, he had also a neat villa, which he called the Violet, about a league from the town. At this latter place he spent the most of his time, in his latter years, in the company of his wife and an only daughter. The period of his death seems to be somewhat uncertain. Thuanus says he died at Geneva in the year 1571 ; but an edition of his novels in the Advocates' library, with an inscription to his friend, Edward Ilerrison, dated 1572, is sufficient evidence that this is a mistake. George Buchanan, however, in a letter to Christopher Plaintain, dated at Stirling in the month of November, 157 3, speaks of him as certainly dead ; so that his death must have happened either in the end of 1572, or the beginning of 1573. The only work which Scrimger appears to have published, besides the ac- count of Spira, which we have already noticed, was an edition of the Novella} Constitidiones of Justinian, in Greek ; a work which was liighly prized by the first lawyers of the time. He also enriched the editions of several of the clas- sics, pubiislied by Henry Stephens, with various readings and remarks. From his preface to the Greek text of the Novellas, it is evident that Scrimger in- tended to publish a Latin translation of that work, accompanied with annota- tions ; but, from some unknown cause, that design was never accomplished. Blackenzie informs us, that, though he came with the highest recommendations from Ulrich Fugger to Stephens, who was, like Scrimger, one of Fugger's pen- sioners, yet, from an apprehension on the part of Stephens, that Scrimger in- tended to commence printer himself, there arose such a difference between them, that the republic of letters was deprived of Scrimger's notes upon Athenaeus, Strabo, Diogenes Laertius, the Basilics, Phornuihus, and Palcephntiis ; all of which he designed that Stephens should have printed for him. Ihe most of these, according to Stephens, after Scrimger's death, fell into the hands of Isaac Casaubon, who published many of them as his own. Casaubon, it would ap- pear, obtained the use of his notes on Strabo, and applied for those on Polybius, when he published his editions of these writers. In his letters to Peter Young, who was Scrimger's nephew, and through whom he appears to have obtained the JAMES SHARP. 247 use cf these papers, lie speaks in high terms of their great merit; but he has not been candid enough in his printed works, to own the extent of his obliga- tions. Buclianan, in a letter to Christopher Plaintain, informs him, tliat Scrira- ger had left notes and observations upon Demostlienes, Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, and many other Greek authors ; as likewise upon the philosophical ivorks of Cicero: all which, he informs his correspondent, were in the hands of Scrimger's nephew, tlie learned Mr Peter Young ; and being well worth the printing, should be sent him, if he would undertake the publication. Plaintain seems to have declined the offer; so that the Novellae and the Account of Spira, are all that remain of the learned labours of Scrimger, of whom it has been said, that no man of his age had a more acute knowledge, not only of the La- tin and Greek, but also of the Oriental languages. His library, which was one of the most valuable in Europe, he left by testament to his nephew, Peter Young, who was Buchanan's assistant in the education of James VI., and it was brought over to Scotland by the testator's brother, Alexander Scrimger, in the year 1573. Besides many valuable books, this library contained MSS. of great value; but Young was not a very enthusiastic scholar; and as he was more in- tent upon advancing his personal interests in the world, and aggrandizing his family, than forwarding the progress of knowledge, they probably came to but small account. The testimonies to Scrimger's worth and merits, by his contemporaries, are numerous. Thuanus, Casaubon, and Stephens, with many others, mention his name with the highest encomiums. Dempster says he was a man indefatigable in his reading, of a most exquisite judgment, and without the smallest particle of vain-glory. And the great Cujanus was accustomed to say, that he never parted from the company of Henry Scrimger, Avithout having learned something that he never knew before. SHARP, James, archbishop of St x\ndrews, was the son of William Sharp, slierifi-clerk of the shire of Banff, by his wife, Isobel Lesly, daughter of Les- ly of Kininvey, and was born in the castle of Banff, in the month of May, 1613. His parents seem to have been industrious and respectable in the class of society to which they belonged; his father following his calling ^ith dili- gence, and his mother, though a gentlewoman by birth, assisting his means by setting up a respectable brewery at Dun, which she appears to have conducted creditably and profitably to the day of her death. The subject of this memoir, probably with a view to the church, where, through the patronage of the earl of Findlater, which the family had long enjoyed, a good benefice might be supposed attainable, was sent to the university of Aberdeen. But the disputes between Charles I. and his parliament having commenced, and the prelatic form of the church being totally overthrown in Scotland, he took a journey into England ; in the course of which he visited both the universities, where he was introduced to several persons of distinction. He had, however, no offers of preferment ; but, finding the church of England ready to follow that of Scot- land, he addressed himself to the celebrated IMr Alexander Henderson, then in England as a commissioner from the Scottish chuich, and enjoying a very high degree of popularity, from whom he obtained a recommendation for a regent's place in the university of St Andrews, to which he was accordingly admitted. 3Ir James Guthrie was at this time also a regent in the college of St Andrews, but whether suspecting the sincerity, or undervaluing the talents of Mv Sharp, he gave his whole favour to Mr John Sinclair, an unsuccessful candidate for the regent's place which Sharp had obtained, and to whom, when called to the ministry, he afterwards demitted his professional chair. It was with this circumstance, not improbably, that the opposition began which 248 JAMES SHARP. coiitinueil between Mr Guthrie and Sharp throughout the whole of their after lives. With -Air Sinclair, now his co-reg;ent, Mr Sharp seems also for some time to have lived on very bad terms, and even to have gone the length of strikino- him at tlie college table on tlie evening of a Lord's day in the presence of the )>rincipal and the other regents. For this outrage, however, he appears to have made a most ample acknowledgment, and to have been sincerely repent- ant. 3Ir Sharp's contrition attracted the notice and procured him the good graces of several of the most highly gifted and respected ministers of the Scot- tish church, particularly 3Ir Robert Blair. 3Ir Samuel Rutherford, an eminent Christian, and a person of the highest attainments in pra(;tical religion, was so much struck with what had been related by some of the brethren respecting 3Ir Sharp's exercises of soul, that, on his coming in to see him on his return from a distant mission, he embraced him most atlectionately, saying, " lie saw that out of the most rough and knotty timber Christ could make a vessel of mercy." With the brethren in general 31r Sharp also stood on high ground, and at tlie request of 3Ir James Bruce, minister of Kingsbarns, he was, by the earl of Crawford, presented to the church and parish of Crail. On his appointment to this chai'gc Mr Sharp began to take a decided part in the management of the external affairs of the church, in which he displayed singular ability. His rapidly in- creasing popularity in a short time procured him a call to be one of the minis- ters of Edinburgh, but his transportation was refused, both by the presbytery of St Andrews and the synod of Fife. It was at length ordered, however, by an act of the General Assembly ; but the invasion of the English under Cromwell prevented its being any further insisted in. In the disputes that agitated the Scottish church after the unfortunate battle of Dunbar, the subject of this memoir, who was a stanch resolutioner, was the maiji instrument, according to Mr Robert Baillie, of carrying the question against the Protesters. His conduct on this occasion highly enhanced his talents and his piety, and was not impro- bably the foundation upon which his whole after fortune was built. In the troubles which so speedily followed this event. Sharp, along with several other ministers and some of the nobility, was surprised at Elliot in Fife by a party of the English, and sent up a prisoner to London. In 1657, he was deputed by the Resolutioners to proceed to London to plead their cause with Crom\vell in opposition to the Protesters who had sent up 3Iessrs James Guthrie, Patrick Gillespie, and others, to represent the distressed state of the Scottish church, and to request, that an Assembly miglit be indicted for determining the contro- versies in question, and composing the national disorders. From the state ol parties both in Scotland and England, and from the conduct which Cromwell had now adopted, he could not comply with this request, but he seems to have set a high value upon the commissioners ; to have appreciated their good sense and fervent piety, and to have done everything but grant their petition to evince his good-will towards them. They, on the other hand, seem not to liave been insensible either to his personal merits, though inimical to his govern- ment, or to that of some of the eminent men that were about him. Tiiis was terrifying to the Resolutioners, who saw in it nothing less than a coincidence of views and a union of purposes on the part of the whole protesting body with the abhorred and dreaded sectaries. " Their [the leading protesters'] piety and zeal," says Baillie, " is very susceptible of schism and error. I am oft atraid of their apostasy ;" and, after mentioning with a kind of instinctive horror their prajing both in public and private with Owen and Caryl, he adds with exulta- tion, "the great instrument of bod to cross their evil designs has been that very worthy, pious, wise, and diligent young man, 3Ir James Sharp." It was part of the energetic policy of Cronnvell, \\hile he was not de])endent on the party JAMES SHAKP. 2id whom lie favoured, not to offend the other, and the mission had little effect, ex- cept that of preparing the way for Sharp to assume one which he made more advantageous to himself. After the death of Oliver Cromwell, and while 3Ionk was making hia memorable march to England, the presbyterians sent to him David Dickson and Hobert Douglas, accompanied by a letter, in which, expressing their confidence in whatever measures he should propose regarding Scotland, they suggested the propriety of his having some one near his person to remind him of such mat- ters as were necessary for their interest, and requested a pass for Sharp, as a person qualified for the duty. 3Ionk, who had in the mean time requested Sharp to come to him, wrote an answer, addressed to Messrs Dickson and Douglas from Ferry-bridge, to the following effect : — " I do assure you, the well- fare of your church shall be a great part of my care, and that you shall not be more ready to propound than I shall be to promote any reasonable thing that may be for the advantage thereof, and to that end I have herewith sent you ac- cording to your desire a pass for Mr Sharp, who the sooner he comes to me the more welcome he shall be, because he will give me an opportunity to show him how much I am a well-wisher to your church and to yourselves," Sec. This Avas dated January lOtli, 1660, and by the 6th of February, Sharp was despatched with the following instructions: " 1st. You are to use your utmost endeavours that the kirk of Scotland may, without interruption or encroachment, enjoy the freedom and privilege of her establislied judicatories ratified by the laws of the land. 2nd. Whereas by the lax toleration that is established, a door is opened to a very many gi'oss errors and loose practices in this church, you shall therefore use all lawful and prudent means to represent the sinfulness and oflensiveness thereof, tliat it may be timeously remedied, 3rd. You are to represent the prejudice this church doth suffer by the interverting of the vaking stipends, which by law were dedicated to pious uses, and seriously en- deavour that hereafter vaking stipends may be intermitted with by presbyteries and such as shall be warranted by them, and no others, to be disposed of and applied to pious uses by presbyteries according to the twentieth act of the pai-liament 1644. 4th. You are to endeavour that ministers lawfully called and admitted by presbyteries to the ministry may have the benefit of the thirty- ninth act of the parliament, intituled act anent abolishing patronages for obtaining summarily upon the act of their admission, decreet, and letters con- form, and other executorials to the effect they may get the right and possession of their stipends and other benefits without any other address or trouble. If you find that there will be any commission appointed in this nation for settling and augmenting stipends, then you are to use your utmost endeavours to have faithful men, well affected to the interests of Christ in this church employed therein." As the judicatures of the church were not at this time allowed to sit, these insti-uctions were signed by David Dickson, Robert Douglas, James Wood, John Smith, George Hutchison, and Andrew Ker, all leading men and all Resolutioners. He was at the same time furnished with a letter of recom- mendation to^^IMonk, another to colonel ^\ itham, and a third to Messrs Ash and Calamy, to be shown to Messrs Manton and Cowper, and all others with whom they might think it proper to communicate, requesting them to afford him every assistance that might be in their power for procuring relief to the 'enthralled and afflicted* church of Scotland. Sharp arrived at London on the 13th of the month, and next day wrote his constituents a very favourable account of his reception by Monk, who had already introduced him to two parliament men, Mr Weaver, and the afterwards celebrated Anthony Ashley Cowper, earl of Shaftesbury. Monk himself also wrote the reverend gentlemen two days after, the IV. 2 1 250 JAMES SHAFvP. 16th, in the most saintly style imaginable. 3Ir Sharp, he says, is dear to him as liis good friend, but much more having their recommendation, and he cannot but receive him as a minister of Christ and a messenger of his church ; and ho assures them that he will improve his interest to tlie utmost for tha preservation of the rights of the church of Scotland, and their afflicted country, which he professed to love as his o\vn gospel ordinances, and the privileges of God's people he assured them it should be his care to establish ; and he im- plores their prayers for God's blessing on their counsels and undertakings, en- treating them to promote the peace and settlement of the nations, and do what in them lies to compose men's spirits, that Avith patience the fruit of hopes and prayers may be reaped, &:c. This language answered the purpose for which it was uttered, and Robert Douglas in a few days acquainted Sharp with the re- ceipt of his o^vn and the general's letter, desiring him to encourage the general in his great work for the good of religion and peace of the three nations. ** For yourself," he adds, "you know what have been my thoughts of this undertaking from the beginning, which I have signified to the general himself, though I was sparing to venture my opinion in ticklish mntters, yet I looked upon him as called of God in a strait to put a check to those Avho would have run down all our interests." Not satisfied with expressing his feelings to Sharp, Mr Douglas wrcte Monk, thanking him for his kind reception of Sharp, and encouraging him to go on with the great work he had in hand, adding, in the simplicity of his heart, " I have been very much satisfied from time to time to hear what good opinion your lurdship entertained of presbyterial government, and I am confi- dent you shall never have just cause to think otherwise of it," — an expression sug- gested by the information of Sharp, who had represented 3Ionk as favourable to a liberal presbyterian government. Sharp had, previously to all this, settled with Glencairn, and others of the Scottish nobility, who hated the severity of the presbyterian discipline, to over- throw that form of government, and to introduce episcopacy in its place; in other words, he was disposed to assist whatever religious party offered the great- est bribe to his ambition. It was natural that he should conceal his intentions from his employers. Accordingly, in a series of letters to IMr Douglas, and the others from whom he derived his con)mission, written in the months of Feb- ruary, 3Iarch, and April, he occasionally regrets, in suitable terms, the peril of the suffering church : at other times holds forth glimpses of hope ; and at all times explains the utility and absolute necessity of his own interference in its behalf. During the course of this correspondence, he declines becoming minister of Edinburgh, (a situation to which there seem to have again been intentions of calling him,) having perhaps previously secured a charge of more dignity. On the twenty-seventh of the month, he again writes to Mr Douglas, wishing to be recalled ; and informing him, that his sermon on the coronation of Charles II. at Scone, with the account of that ceremony, had been reprinted at London ; and- that it gave great offence to the episcopal party, which, he says, does not much matter; but the declaration at Dunfermline, bear- ing the king's acknowledgment of the blood shed by his father's house, is Avhat he knows not how to excuse. He and Lauderdale, however, are represented as endeavouring to vindicate Scotland, for treating with the king upon the terms of the covenant, from the necessity which England now finds of treating with him upon terms before his return ; and he says he is reported, both here and at Brus- sels, to be a rigid Scottish presbyterian, making it his work to have presbytery settled in England. He adds, with matchless effrontery, " they sent to desire me to move nothing in prejudice of the church of England ; and they would do nothing in prejudice of our church. I bid tell them, it was not my employ- JAMES SHARP. 251 meiit to move to the prejudice of any party ; and I thought, did they really mind the peace of those cliurclies, they would not start such propositions : but all who pretend to be for civil settlement, would contribute their endeavours to restore it, and not meddle unseasonably witli those remote causes. The fear of rigid presbytery is talked much of here by all parlies ; but, for my part, I ap- prehend no ground for it. I am afraid that something else is like to take place in the church, than rigid presbytery. This nation is not fitted to bear that yoke of Christ ; and for religion, I suspect it is made a stalking horse still.'' In a letter, pi-erious to this, iMr Douglas iiad informed him, that those in Scot- land who loved religion and liberty, liad their fears, that, if the king came not in upon the terms of tlie solemn league and covenant, his coming in would be disadvantageous to religion and the liberties of the three nations ; and he ex- liorted Crawford, Lauderdale, and Sharp, to deal, with all earnestness, that the league and covenant be settled, as the only basis of the security and happiness of tiiese nations. On the reception of the last we have quoted from Sharp, we find Douglas again addressing his treacherous messenger, and, in the purest sim- plicity, providing him with some of those arguments in defence of presbytery, which it is probable Sharp well knew. The deceiver answered, that he found it at that time utterly impossible to return, as the general would communicate on Scottish affairs with no one but himself; and the Scots liad nothing to do but be quiet, and their affairs would be done to their hand ; he and Lauderdale having agreed, with ten presbyterian ministers, on the necessity of bringing in the king upon covenant terms, and taking oft" the prejudices that lie upon some presbyterians against tliem. Two days afterwards, he says, " The Lord having opened a fair door of hope, we may look for a settlement upon the grounds of the covenant, and thereby a foundation laid for security against the prelnticand fanatic assaults : but I am dubious if this shall be the result of the agitations now on foot." " We intend," he adds, " to publish some letters from the French protestant ministers, vindicating the king from popery, and giving him a large character. The sectaries will not be able to do anything to prevent tlie king's coming in. Our honest presbyterian brethren are cordial for him. I have been dealing with some of them, to send some testimony of their aftection fur him ; and, yesternight, five of them promised, within a week, to make a shift to send a thousand pieces of gold to him. I continue in my opinion, that Scotland siiould make no applications till the king come in. I have received letters from Mr Bruce at the Hague, and the king is satisfied that Scotland keep quiet." *' No notice," he writes in another letter, " is taken of Scotland in the treaty : we shall be left to the king, which is best for us. God save us fiom divisions and self seeking. I have acquainted Mr Bruce how it is with you, and what you are doing ; and advised him to guard against Bliddleton's designs, and those who sent that IMurray over to the king. If our noblemen, or others, fall upon factious ways, and grasp after places, tiiey will cast reproach upon their country, and fall short of their ends. I fear the interest of the so- lemn league and covenant sliall be neglected ; and, for religion, I smell that moderate episcopacy is the fairest accommodation «hich moderate men, who wish well to religion, expect. Let our noble friends know wiiat you think of it." This first decided breathing of his intentions was answered by Douglas with moderation and good sense. Ke wishes Monk might grant permission for nim to go over to the king, to give a true representation of the state of matters. " I fear," says he, " Mr Bruce hath not sufficient credit for us. If the solemn league and covenant be neglected, it seems to me that the judgment on these nations is not yet at an end. The greatest security for the king and these na- tions, were to come in upon that bottom." Before th.is could reach Sharp, 252 JAMES SHARP. however, it had been concerted, as he writes to Mr Douglas, between him and Monk, that he should go over to the king, " to deal with him, that he may write a letter to 3Ir Cahmy, to be communicated to the presbyterian ministers, showing his resolution to own the godly sober party, and to stand for the true protestant religion, in the poAver of it : and, withal, he [3Ionk] thinks it fit I were there, were it but to acquaint the king with tlie passages of his undertak- ing, known to ?vere of so much merit, as to secure to their author the friendship of lord Hailes, and other eminent literary characters, who became occasional contributors to his miscellany. Early in 1791, wiLh the view of devoting himself more to literary pursuits, IMr Sibbald made an arrange- ment for giving up the management of his business to two young- men, fllessrs Laurie and Symington, the property of the stock and cf the magazine continu- ing- in his own hands, while tliose individuals paid him an allowance for both out of the profits. From this period, till late in 1792, the magazine professes, on the title-page, to be printed for him, but sold by Laurie and Symington. At the date last mentioned, his name disappears entirely from the woik, which, however, was still carried on for his benefit, the sale being- generally about six or seven hundred copies. In 1792, Mr Sibbald conducted a newspaper, which was then started, under the name of tlie " Edinburgh Herald," and which did not continue long in existence. It is worth mentioning that, in tliis paper, he connnenced the prac- tice of giving- an original leading article, similar to what was presented in tlie London prints, though it has only been in recent times that such a plan became general in Scotland. According to the notes of an agreement foraied in July, 1793, between Mr Sibbald and 3Ir Laurie, the temporary direction and profits of tlie Edinburgh circulating library, were conveyed to the latter for ten years, from the ensuing January, in consideration of a rent of, it is believed, ^6200 per annum, to be paid quarterly to jMr Sibbald, but subject to a deduction for the purchase of new boohs, to be added to the library. Mr Sibbald now went to London, where he resided for some years, in the enjoyment of literary so- ciety, and the prosecution of various literary speculations, being supported by the small independenciy which he had thus secured for himself. Here he com- posed a work, entitled, *' liecord of the Public Blinistry of Jesus Cin-ist; comprehending- all that is related by the Four Evangelists, in one regular nar- rative, without repetition or omission, arranged with strict attention to the Chronology, and to their own Words, according to the most esteemed transla- tion ; with Preliminary Observations." This work was published at Edinburgh in 179S, and was chiefly remarkable for the view which it took respecting the space of time occupied by the public ministrations of Christ, which former writers had supposed to be three or four years, but was represented by BIr Sibbald as comprehended within twelve months. While in London, his Scot- tish relations allogetlier lost sight of him ; they neither knew where he lived, nor how he lived. At length his brother William, a merciiant in Leitli, made a particular inquiry into tliese circumstances, by ji letter, \vhich he sent tiirough such a channel as to be sure of reaching him. The answer \vas comprised in the following words : — "My lodging is in Soho, and my business is so so." Having subsequently returned to Edinburgli, he there edited, in 1797, a \vork, entitled, " The Vocal IMagazine, a Selection of the most esteemed English, Scots, and Irish Airs, ancient and modern, adapted for the Harpsichord or Violin." Fov such an employment he was qualified by a general acquaintance SIR EOBBUT SIBBILD. 261 with music. In 1799, Mr Sibbald revised his agreement with Mr Laurie, who undertook to lease the business for twenty-one years, after January, 1800, at trie rent of one hundred guineas, himself supplying the new books, which were to remain his own property. Finding, however, that, even at this low rental, he did not prosper in liis undertaking, Laurie soon after gave up the businer-s into the liands of 3Ir Sibbald, by whom it ^vas carried on till his death. ^ Tile latter years of this ingenious man were chiefly spent in the compilation of his well-known " Ciironicle of Scottisli Poetry, and Glossary of the Scottish Language," four volumes, 12mo; a woik of taste and erudition, which will per- petuate his name among those who have illustrated our national literature. The tliree first volumes exhibit a regular chronological series of extracts froiu the writings of the Scottisli poets to the reign of James VI,; illustrated by biographical, critical, and archasological notices : the fourth contains a voca- bulary of the language, only inferior in amplitude and general value to the more voluminous work of Dr Jamieson. The " Chronicle" appeared in 1802. This ingenious writer died, in April, 1803, at his lodgings in Leith Walk. Two portraits of him have been given by Kay ; one representing him as he daily walked up the centre of the High Street of Edinburgh, with his hand be- hind his back, and an umbrella under his arm ; another places him amidst a group of connoisseurs, who are inspecting a picture. He was a man of eccentric, but benevolent and amiable character. The same exclusiveness which actuated his studies, governed him in domestic life : even in food, he used to give his whole favour for a time to one object, and then change it for some otiier, to which he was in tuj^n as fondly devoted. He belonged to a great number of convivial dubs, and was so much beloved by many of his associates in those fraternities, that, for seme years after his death, they celebrated his birth-day by a social meeting. SIBBALD, (Sir) RoBEaT, an eminent physician, naturalist, and antiquary, was descended of the ancient family of the Sibbalds of Balgonie in Fife. He received the principal part of his education, particularly in philosophy and languages, at the university of Edinburgh. Having completed himself in these branches of learning, he went to Leyden to study medicine, and in IGGl, he obtained there a doctor's degree. On this occasion he published an inaugural dissertation entitled, " Ue Variis Speciebus." Sir Robert innnediately afterwards returned to his native country, and took up his residence in Edinburgh, from which, however, he occasionally retired to a rural retreat in tlie neighbour- hood of the city, where he cultivated rare and exotic plants, and pursued, un- disturbed. Ills favourite study of botany. The reputation which he soon after- wards acquired procured him tiie honour of knighthood from Charles II., who also appointed him his physician, natural historian, and geographer-royal for Scotland. In this capacity he received his nunjesty's commands to write a general description of the whole kingdom, including a particular history of the different counties of Scotland, Of this undertaking, however, the only part 1 The liistorv of the Edinburgh circulating library may here be briefly iiariated. EstT. gen'ius Iny in that direction. The farther he advanced in the study of niathe- ujntics, the more enoaging- it appeared ; and as a prospect opened up to him of making- it his profession for life, he at last gave himself up to it entirely. While still very young, he conceived a strong predilection for the analysis of the ancient geomelei's ; which increased as lie proceeded, till it was at last c.-.r- ried almost to devotion. While he, therefore, coniparntively neglected the works of the modern mathematicians, he exerted himself, through life, in an unconnnon manner, to restore the works of the ancient geometers. The noble inventions effluxions and k\oarilhms, by means of which so much progress has been made in the matliematics, attracted his notice ; but he was satisfied with demonstrating their truth, on the pure principles of the ancient geometry. He was, however, well acquainted with all the modern discoveries ; and left, among his papers, investigations according to the Cartesian method, which show that he made himself completely master of it. While devoting himself chiefly to geometry, he also acquired a vast fund of general information, which gave a charm to his conversation throughout all the subsequent years of life. On arriving at his twenty-second year, his reputation as a mrithematician ^vas so high, as to induce the members cf the college to olTer him the mathe- matical chair, in which a vacancy was soon expected to take place. Vr'iih all that natural modesty which ever accompanies true genius, he respectfully declined the high honour, feeling reluctant, at so early an age, to advance abruptly from the state of student, to that of professor in the same college ; and therefore requested permission to spend one year, at least, in London. Leave being granted to him, without further delay he proceeded to the metropolis, and there diligently employed himself in extending and improving his mathe- matical knowledge. He now had the good fortune to be introduced to some of the most illustrious mathematicians of the day, particularly Sir Jones, Mr Cfiswell, Dr Jurin, and Mr Ditton. With the last, indeed, who was then mathematical master of Christ's Hospital, and highly esteemed for his erudi- tion, he was very intimately connected. It appears from IVIr Simson's own account, in a letter, dated London, I7th November, 1710, tliat he expected to have an assistant in his studies, chosen by Mr Caswell ; but, from som.e mis- take, it was omitted, and MrSimson liimself applied to I\Ir Ditton. " He went to him, not as a schok-r (his own words) ; but to have general information and advice about his '.nntheniaiical studies." ?dr Caswell afterwards mentioned to Mr Simson, that he meant to have procured Mr Jones's assistance, if he had not been engaged. In the following year, the vacancy in the professorship of mathematics at Glasgow did occur, by the resignation of Dr Robert Sinclair or Sinclare ; and Mr Simson, who Avas still in London, was appointed to the vacant chair. The minute of election, which is dated IMarch 11, 1711, concluded with this very nice condition : " That they will admit the said IMr Robert Sinison, providing always that he give satisfactory proof of his skill in mathematics previous to his admission." Before the ensuing session at college, he returned to Glasgow ; and having submitted to the mere form of a trial, by solving a geometrical problem proposed to him, and also by giving " a satisfactory specimen of his skill in mathematics, and dexterity in teaching geometry and algebra ;" having produced also respectable certificates cf his knowledge of the science from 3Ir Cas- Avell and others, he was duly admitted professor of mathematics, on the 20th of No- vember of that year. The first occupation of Mr Simson, was to arrange a proper course of instruction for the students who attended his lectures, in two distinct classes ; accordingly, he prepared elementary sketches of some branches, on which there were not suitable treatises in general use. But from an innate love 2GG LR. ROBERT SIMSON for the science, and a deep sense of duty, he now devoted the whole of hh at- tention to the study of niatheinatics ; and though he had a decided preference for geometry, he did not confine himself to it, to the exclusion of the other branches of mathematical study, in most of which there is abundant evidence of his being well skilled. From 1711, he continued for nearly half a century to teach mathematics to two separate classes, at different hours, for five days in the week, during a continued session of seven months. His lectures were given with such perspicuity of method and language, and his demonstrations were so clear and successful, that among his scholars several rose to distinction as mathe- maticians ; among whom may be mentioned the celebrated names of Colin Mac- laurin, Dr 3Iatthew Stewart, professor of mathematics at Edinburgh ; the two reverend doctors Williamson, one of whom succeeded Dr Simson at Glasgow ; the reverend Ur Trail, formerly professor of mathematics at Aberdeen ; Dr James IMoor, Greek professor at Glasgow ; and professor Kobison of Edin- burgh, with many others of distinguished merit. In 1758, Dr Simson having arrived at the advanced age of seventy-one yearg, found it expedient to employ an assistant in teaching; and in 17Gl,onhi8 recommendation, the reverend Dr Williamson was made his assistant and suc- cessor. For the last remaining ten years of his life, he enjoyed a share of good health, and was chiefly occupied in correcting and arranging some of his mathe- matical papei"s ; and sometimes, for amusement, in the solution of problems and demonstrations of theorems, which had occurred from his own studies, or from the suggestions of others. Though to those most familiar with liira, his conver- sation on every subject seemed clear and accurate, yet he frequently complained of the decline of his memory, which no doubt protracted and eventually pre- vented him from undertaking the publication of many of his works, which were in an advanced state, and might with little exertion be made ready for the press. So that his only publication, after resigning his office, was a new and improved edition of Euclid's Data, which, in 1762, was annexed to the second edition of the Elements. From that period, he firmly resisted all solicitations to bring forward any of his other works on ancient geometry, though he was well aware liow much it was desired from the universal curiosity excited respecting his discovery of Euclid's Porisms. It is a matter of regret, that out of the ex- tensive correspondence Mhich he carried on through life with many distin- guished mathematicians, a very limited portion only is preserved. Through Dr Jurin, then secretary to the Royal Society, he had some intercourse with Dr Ilalley and other celebrated men ; he had also frequent correspondence with Mr Maclaurin, witli fllr James Stirling, Dr James Moor, Dr Matthew Stewart, Dr William Trail, and Mr Williamson of Lisbon. In the latter part of his life, his mathematical correspondence was chiefly with that eminent geo- meter, the earl of Stanhope, and with George Lewis Scott, esquire. A life like Dr Simson's, so uniform and regular, spent for the most part within the walls of a college, affords but little that is entertaining for the bio- grapher. His mathematical researches and inventions form the important part of his history ; and, with reference to these, there are abundant materials to be found in his printed works and MSS. ; which latter, by the direction of his executor, are deposited in the college of Glasgow. Dr Simson never was married ; he devoted his life purely to scientific pur- suits. His hours of study, of exercise, and amusement, were all regulated with the most unerring precision. " The very walks in the squares or gardens of the college were all measured by his steps ; and he took his exercises by the hundred of paces, according to his time or inclination." His disposition was by no means of a saturnine cast : when in company with his friends his coti- DR. EGBERT SIMSON. 267 vcrsation was remarkably animated, enriched with much anecdote, and enlirened also by a certain degree of natural humour ; even the slight fits of absence, to which he was sometimes liable, contributed to the amusement of those around iiim, without in the slightest degree diminishing their affection and reverence, which his noble qualities were calculated to inspire. At a tavern in the neigh- bourhood of his college, he established a club, the members of which were, for the most part, selected by himself. They met once a-week (Friday) ; and the fiwt part of the evening was devoted to the game of whist, of which Dr Simson Avas particularly fond ; but, though he took some pains in estimating chances, it was remarked that he was by no means fortunate in his play. The rest of the evening was spent in social conversation ; and, as he had naturally a good taste for music, he did not scruple to amuse his company with a song ; and, it is said, he was rather fond of singing some Greek odes, to Avhir.h modern music had been adapted. On Saturdays, he usually dined at the village of Anderstou, then about a mile distant from Glasgow, with some of the members of his regu- lar club, and with other respectable visitors, who wished to cultivate the acquaint- ance, and enjoy the society of so eminent a person. In the progress of time, from his age and high character, the company respectfully wished that every thing in these meetings should be directed by him ; and althougli his au- thority was somewhat absolute, yet the good humour and urbanity \\\i\\ which it was administered, rendered it pleasing to every body. Ke had his own chair and particular place at the table ; he ordered the entertainment ; ad- justed the expense, and regulated the time for breaking up. Ihese happy parties, in the years of his severe application to study, were useful relaxa- tions to his mind, and they continued to amuse him till within a few months of his death. A mind so richly endowed by nature and education, and a life of strict integrity and pure moral worth, gave a correspondent dignity to his character, that even in the gayest hours of social intercourse, the doc- tor's presence was a sufficient guarantee for attention and decorum. He had serious and just impressions of religion ; but he was uniformly resei-ved in ex- pressing particular opinions about it : he never introduced that solemn subject in mixed society ; and all attempts to do so in his clubs, were checked with gravity and decision. His personal appearance was highly prepossessing ; tall and erect in his carriage, with a countenance decidedly handsome, and convey- ing a pleasing expression of the superior character of his mind. His manner was somewhat tinged with the fashion which prevailed in the early part of his life, but was exceedingly graceful. He enjoyed a uniform state of good health, and was only severely indisposed for a few weeks before his death, which took place on the 1st of October, 1768, in his eighty-first year. He bequeathed a small paternal estate in Ayrshire to the eldest son of his next brother, probably his brother Thomas, who was professor of medicine in the university of St An- drews, and who was known by some works of reputation. " The writings and publications of Dr Robert Simson, were almost exclusive- ly of the pure geometrical kind, after the genuine manner of the ancients; but from his liberal education, he acquired a considerable knowledge of other sciences, which he preserved through life, from occasional study, and a constant intercourse with some of tlie most learned men of the age. In the Latin pre- faces prefixed to his works, in which there are some history and discussion, the purity of the language has been generally approved." And many scholars have regretted that he had not an opportunity, while in the full vigour of his intel- lect, and deeply conversant in Greek and mathematical learning, to favour the world with an edition of Pappus in the original language. He has only two pieces printed in the Volumes of the Philosophical Transactions, viz. :. — 1. Two 2GS EEV. JOHN SKINNER. General Propositions of Pappus, in uliidi many of Euclid's Porisnis are ii»- cliuled, vol. xxxii., aim. 1723. These two propositions were afterwards incor- porated into tlie aiitlior's posthumous uorks, published by earl Stanhope 2. On the Extraction of tlie Approximate Konts of Numbers of Infinite Series, vol. xlviii., ann. 1753. His separate publications in his lifetime, uere : 3. '* Conic Sections," 1735, 'Ito. 4. "The Loci Plani of Apollonius Restored," 1749, 4to. 5. "Euclid's Elements," 1750, 4to, of uhich there have been since many editions in Svo, with the addition of Euclid's Data. In I77G, earl Stanhope printed, at liis own expense, several of Dr Simson's posthumous pieces. 1. Apollonius's Determinate Section. 2. A Treatise on Porisins. 3. A Tract on Logarithms. 4. On the Limits of Quantities and Ratios; and, 5., Some Geometrical Problems. Resides these, Dr Simson's BISS. contained a great variety of geometrical propositions, and other interesting observations on diri'crent parts of mathematics ; but not in a state fit for publication. Among other designs, was an edition of the Works of Pappus, in a state of considerable advancement, and which, liad he lived, he might perhaps have published. What he wrote is in the library of tlie college of Glasgow; and a transcript was obtained by the delegates of the Clarendon press. To this university he left his collection of mathematical books, supposed to be the most complete in the Ivingdom, and uhich is kept apart from the rest of the library. SKINNER, (Rev.) John, the well knoAvn author of several popular poems, and of an ecclesiastical history of Scotland, was born at Balfour, in the parish of Birse, Aberdeenshire, October 3, 1721. His father was schoolmaster of that jiarisli, and his motlier was the widow of Donald Farquharson, Esq. of Balfour. Having in boyhood displayed many marks of talent, he was placed at thirteen years of age in 3iarisclial college, Aberdeen, where his superior scholarship ob- tained for him a considerable bursary. After completing iiis academical educa- tion, he became assistant to the schoolmaster of Kenmay, and subsequently. to the same ofUcial at 3Ionymusk, Avhere he was so fortunate as to gain the friendship of the lady of Sir Archibald Grant. The library at i\Ionymusk house, consisting of several thousands of well-selected works, in every depart- ment of literature, was placed by lady Grant at his command, and atlorded him better means of intellectual improvement, than he could have hoped for in any other situation. He now found reason to forsake tiie presbyterian establish- ment, in which he had been reared, and to adopt the principles of the Scottish episcopal church, of -which he was destined to be so distinguished an orna- ment. After spending a short time in Shetland, as tutor to the son of Mr Sin- clair of Scolloway, and marrying tlie daughter of 3Ir Hunter, tlie only episcopal clergyman in that remote region, he commenced his studies for the church; and, having been ordained by bishop Dunbar of I'eterhead, was appointed, in No- vember, 1743, to the charge of the congregation at Longside, over which he pi-esided for sixty-five years, probably \\itliout a wish to " change his place." Of the severities with which the episcopal clergy were visited after the rebellion of 1745, IMr Skinner bore his full share. His cliapel was one of those which were burnt by the ruthless soldiers of Cumberland. After that jjeriod, in order to evade an abominable statute, he officiated to liis own family witliin liis own liouse, while the people stood without, and listened through the open windows. Nevertheless, he fell under the ban of the government, for having officiiated to more than four persons, and was confined, for that ofleiice, in Aberdeen jail, from 3Iay 2Gth, to November 26th, 1753. Ihis was the more hard, as iUr Skinner was by no means a parlizan of the Stuart family. Mr Skinner's first publication was a pamplilet, entitled " A Preservative against Presbytery," which he published in 174G, to re-assure the minds of his EEV. JOHN SKINNER. 269 people, under the alarming- apprehension of the total extirpation of ScoUish episcopacy. In 1757, he published at London, a " Dissertation on Job's Pro- phecy," wliich received the high approbation of bishop Sherlock. In 1767, he published a pamphlet, vindicating his church against tiie aspersions of jMr Sieve- vvriglit, of Ihecliin. The life of this good and ingenious man passed on in humble usefulness, cheered by study, and by the cultivation of the domestic af- fections. His home was a small cottage at Linshart, near Longside, consisting simply of a kitchen and parlour, the wiiole appearance of nhich mus, in tiu highest degree, primitive. Here, upon an income resembling that of Gold- smith's parson, he reared a large family, the eldest of wliom he had the satisfac- tion to see become his own bishop, long before his decease. His profound biblical and theological knowledge is evinced by his various ^vorks, as collected into two volumes, and published by his family. The livelier graces of his ge- nius are shown in his familiar songs; " TuUochgorum ;" " The Ewie wi' the Crookit Horn;" "O why should old age so much wound us, 0 ?" &c. In 1788, he published his " Ecclesiastical History of Scotland;" in which an ample account is given of the affairs of the episcopal churcii, from the time of the Ke- formation, till its ministers at length consented, on the death of Charles Stuart, to acknowledge the existing dynasty. This work, consisting of two volumes octavo, is dedicated in elegant Latin, " Ad Filium et Episcopum," to his son and bishop. It may be remarked, that he wTote Latin, both in prose and verse, Avilli remarkable purity. In 1799, Mr Skinner sustained a heavy loss in the death of Mrs Skinner, who, for nearly fifty-eight years, had been his affectionate partner in the world's warfare. On this occasion, he evinced tlie poignancy of his grief, and the depth of the attachment with which he clung to the remembrance of her, in some beau- tiful Latin lines, both tenderly descriptive of the qualities which she possessed, and, at the same time, mournfully expressive of the desolation whidi her de- parture had caused. Till the year 1807, tiie even tenor of the old man's course was unbroken by any other event of importance. In the spring of that year, liowever, the scarcely healed wound in his heart was opened by the deatii of his daughter-in-law, who expired at Aberdeen, after a very short, but severe illness. Each by a widowed hearth, the father and son were now mutually anxious, that what remained of the days of the former should be spent together. It was ac- <:ordingly resolved, that he should remove from Linshart, and take up his abode with the bisliop, and iiis bereaved family. To meet him, his grandson, the Rev. John Skinner, minister at Forfar, now dean of Dunblane, repaired, with all his offspring, to Aberdeen. This was in unison with a wish which himself had ex- pressed. To use his own aff'ecting language, it was his desire to see once more Ids children^ yrand-cJiildren, mid peace upon Israel. On the 4th of June, he bade adieu to Linshart for ever. We may easily con- ceive the profound sorrow which, on either side, accompanied liis separation from a flock among whom he had ministered for sixty-five years. He had baptized tiiem all ; and there was not one among them who did not look up to him as a father. After his arrival in Aberdeen, he was, for a week or ten days, in the enjoyment of his usual health. Surrounded by his numerous friends, he took a lively interest in the common topics of conversation ; sometimes anms- ing them with old stories, and retailing to them anecdotes of men and things belonging to a past generation. Twelve days after his arrival, he was taken ill at the "dinner-table, and almost immediately expired. He was buried in the church-yard of Longside, where his congregation have erected a monument to his memory. On a handsome tablet of statuary marble, is to be seen the simple but faithful record of his talents, his acquirements, and his virtues. 270 WILLIAM SMELLIE. S3IELLIE, William, an eminent naturalist, and useful miscellaneous Avriter, was born in Edinburgh, about the year 1740, being the son of Wr Alexander Snie'ilie, a builder, who belonged to the stricter order of presbyterians, and was thd (onstructor of the n artyrs' tomb in the Grey friars' church-yard. William Sniellie received the rudiments of his education at the parish school of Dudding- ston, and, though destined for a handicraft profession, ^vis afterwards for some time at the High School of Edinburgh. His father at first wished to apprentice liim to a stay-maker, but the business of a printer was ultimately preferred, and he was indentured to Messrs Hamilton, Ualfour, and Neil, tlien eminent pro- fessors of that art in the Scottish capital. W hile yet very young, he had the misfortune to lose his father ; but the exemplary conduct of the young printer soon placed him above the necessity of depending upon others for his subsist- ence. Every leisure moment was devoted to study, or literary pursuits ; and only a few years of his apprenticeship had elapsed, when lie was appointed by his employers to the responsible office of corrector of the press, with a weekly allowance of ten shillings, instead of his stipulated wages of three shillings. Instead of wasting his earnings on frivolity or dissipation, young Smeliie took the opportunity of attending a regular course of the univer- sity classes. The result of this Mas soon evidenced, by his producing an edi- tion of Terence, in duodecimo, wholly set up and corrected by himself; which Harwood, the philologist, declares to be " an immaculate edition ;" and which gained to his masters an honorary prize, oftered by the 1 dinburgh Philo- sophical Society, for th.e best edition of a Latin classic Upon the expiry of his indentures, Mr Smeliie, then only nineteen years of age, accepted em- ployment from fliessrs Murray and Cochrane, printers in Edinburgh, as cor- rector of their press, and conductor of the Scots IMagazine, a work published by them, and which kept a conspicuous station in the literary world, from 1739, up to a recent period. For these duties, besides setting types and keeping accounts ** in cases of hurry," Mr Smeliie at first received the sum of sixteen shillings per week. Notwithstanding, however, his severe professional labours, he still prosecuted his classical studies with great ardour; and nothing, perhaps, can better illustrate the self-tasking nature of Mr Smellie's mind, than the fact, that he instructed himself in the Hebrew language, solely that he might be thereby fitted for superintending the printing of a grammar of that tongue, then about to be published by professor Robertson. It appears that about this time he was strongly disposed to renounce his mechanical employment, and adopt one of the learned professions, having already almost fitted himself either for that of medicine or theolog-y. But prudential motives, induced by the certainty of a fixed source of emolument, determined him to adhere to the business of a printer, which he did throughout life. It is here worthy of notice, that, dur- ing his engagement ^vith IMessrs Olurray and Cochrane, a dispute having arisen between the masters and journeymen printers of Edinburgh, respecting the pro- per mode of calculating the value of manual labour by the latter; IMr Smeliie devised a plan for regulating the prices of setting up types, on fixed principles, being in proportion to the number of letters, of difl^erently sized types, in a certain space. This useful plan has since been almost universally adopted throughout the kingdom. jMr Smeliie continued in the employment of the above gentlemen for six years; that is to say, until the year 1765, during which time we find him steadily advancing bimself in life, extending his acquaintance amongst the literati of the day, and improving himself by every means within his reach. One plan for the latter purpose which he adopted, was that of entering largely into an epistolary correspondence with his acquaintances, with the view of 'WILLIAM SMELLIE. 271 giving him freedom and facility in committing his thoughts to paper. He like- wise co-operated with a number of young men of similar habits and pursuits to his own, in establishing a weekly chib, which they termed the Newtonian So- ciety, and which included the names of president Blair, Dr Hunter, Dr Black- lock, Dr Buchan, (author of tlie Domestic Bledicine,) Dr Adam, and many otliers who afterwards became celebrated in their respective walks in life. Af- ter the discontinuance of this society, another was instituted in 1778, called the Newtonian Club, of which I\Ir Smellie was unanimously chosen secretary. This latter institution comprised the names of Dr Duncan, Dr Gregory, Dugald Stewart, professor Russell, Dr Wardrope, — in short the whole senatus of the university, with many other illustrious individuals. Mr Smellie had a decided preference to the study of natural history, especially of botany, and about the year 1760, collected an extensive Hortus Siccus from the fields around Edin- burgh, which he afterwards presented to Dr Hope, professor of botany in the university. He likewise in the same year, gained the honorary gold medal given by the professor for the best botanical dissertation ; and soon af- terwards wrote various other discourses on vegetotion, generation, &c., all of which were subsequently published in a large work solely written by himself, entitled the " Philosophy of Natural History." He was besides no mean chemist, at a time when chemistry had scarcely been reduced to a science, and was generally held as alike visionary and vain. Upon the publication of the Essays of the celebrated David Hume, printed by IMr Smellie, an extended cor- respondence took place between them, in which the latter contested with great logical force and acumen many of the heterodox doctrines advanced by the for- mer ; particularly that respecting the credibility of miracles. Mr Smellie af- terwards drew up, in a masterly manner, an abstract of the arguments for and against that principle of our religious faith, for the Encj clopfedia Britannica, and which was published in the first edition of that work. IMr Smellie lived in terms of great intimacy with Dr William Buchan, au- thor of the well-known " Domestic IMedicine." That work passed through the press in Messrs Murray and Cochrane's printing office, and entirely under Mr Smellie's superintendence, Dr Buchan himself then residing in England. It is Avell ascertained that 3Ir Smellie contributed materially, both by his medical and philological knowledge, to the value and celebrity of the publication ; and from the fact, indeed, of his having re-written the whole of it for the printers, he was very generally considered at the time, in Edinburgh, to be the sole author of it. The Avork has now naturally become almost obsolete from the rapid progress in the medical and other sciences therewith connected, since its composition ; but the fact of its having passed through between twenty and thirty editions, ere superseded, fully establishes the claim of the author, or rather authors, to a reputation of no mean note. It appears, by their correspondence, that Dr Buchan was particularly anxious that Mr Smellie should qualify himself as M.D,, and share his fortunes in England, in the capacity of assistant ; but, with his constitutional prudence, the latter declined the invitation. The corre- spondence, however, induced him to give a marked attention to the practice and theory of medicine, as well as to stimulate him in his favourite study of natural history ; thus qualifying himself for the excellent translation of BufFon, which he subsequently executed. In 1763, being then only twenty-three years of age, Mr Smellie married a Miss Robertson, who was very respectably connected. By this marriage he had thirteen children, many of whom he lost by death. In 1765, upon the conclusion of his engagement with Messrs Murray and Cochrane, he commenced business as a master-printer, in conjunction with a Sir Auld, Mr Smellie's pe- WILLIAM SMELLIE. cmiiary propoition of the copartnery being advanced for him by Dr Hope and. Dr Ferousson, professors in tlie university. In I7(j7, a new copartnery was formed by the introduction of Mr Balfour, bookseller, who brought along with him the property of a newspaper called the Weekly Journal, which had for a consider- able time 2>reviousIy been established. The management of the latter was sole- ly intrusted to 3Ir Smellie ; but as it happened to be a losing concern, lie shortly afterwards insisted on its discontinuance. This led to disputes, which finally terminated in a dissolution of the copartnery in 1771 ; when a new con- tract was entered into between 3Ir Balfour and Mr Smellie only. About the same time, he ap; ears to have been on terms with the eminent Mr William Strahan, to undertake the manngement of the vast printing concern carried on by him in London ; but from some cause not clearly explained the treaty was broken off. It is worthy of mention, as showing the respect in which 31r Smellie was at this time held, that upon his entering on this new copartnery, lord Kanies became security for a bank credit in favour of the younger printer, to the amount of £300. His lordship appears to have had a particular regard for fllr Smellie, and at his suggestion the latter commenced the composition of a series of lectures on the Philosophy of Natural History. About the same time the professorship of natin-nl history in the Edinburgh university fell vacant, and greiit exertions were made to procure IMr Smellie's appointment to it ; but the political interest of his rival, Dr Walker, prevailed, and was even strong enough to prevent him from delivering his lectures publicly, although the Anti- quarian Society, of whose 3Iuscum he was keeper, offered him the use of their hall for that purpose. Mr Smellie's acquaintance with lord Karnes originated in his venturing to send, anonymously however, some animadversions on his lordship's " Elements of Criticism," A\hilst that work was going through the press of IMessrs Murray and Cochrane in 1764. Lord Karnes replied by thanking the young critic, and requesting him to reveal himself. The result was a strict and intimate friendship during their lives ; lord Karnes uniformly submitting all his subse- quent works to the critical judgment of 3Ir Smellie, who, after the death of lord Kames, wrote the life of his illustrious friend for the Encyclopedia Britannjca, in the third edition of which it appeared in 1800. Amongst IMr Smellie's many literary undertakings, one of the earliest was the compilement and entire conducting of the first edition of the work just named, which began to appear in numbers at Edinburgh in 1771, and was completed in three volumes in quarto. The plan, and all the principal articles were devised and written or compiled by him, and he prepared and superin- tended the whole of that work, for wliich he only received the sum of A'200, from its proprietors, Mr Andrew Bell, engraver, and Mr Colin Macfarqubar, printer. Had Mr Smellie adhered to this literary project, there is little d( ubt that he would thereby ultimately have realized an ample fortune, as both the proprietors died in great affluence, arising solely from the labours of Mr Smellie in the original fabrication of the work. Unfortunately, however, when applied to by the proprietors to undertake the second edition, he fastidi- ously refused to meddle willi it on account of their desiring to introduce a plan of biography into it, which Mr Smellie imagined would detract from its dignity as a Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. It will, we should think, be interesting to our readers to learn something of the early history of a work which has latterly swelled out into such bulk and importance. Of the original edition — the entire work, as we have said, of Mr Smellie it is not exactly known how many copies were thrown off. The Becond edition, which consisted of 1500 copies, extended to ten volumes AVILLIAM SMELLIE. 273 quarto. A tliird edition, in eighteen volumes, was commenced in 1786, and extended to 10,000 copies. By this edition tlie proprietors are said to have netted £4.-2,000 of clear profit, besides being paid for their respective work as tradesmen the one as printer, and tlie oilier as engraver. The fourth edition extended to twenty quarto volumes, and 3,500 copies. In the fifth and sixth editions, only part of the worlt was printed anew ; and to these a supplement in six volumes was added by 3Ir Archibald Constable, after the property of the work had fallen into liis liands. An eighth edition, under the editorship of professor Traill, is now in the course of publication. In the year 1773, 31r Smellie, in conjunction with Dr Gilbert Stuart, com- menced a new monthly publication. The EdinburcjJi Mayazine and Review, which was conducted for some years with great spirit and talent, but was dropped in 177G, after the production of 47 numbers, forming five octavo volumes. Its downfall was attributed to a continued series of harsii and wanton attacks from the pen of Dr Stuart, on the writings of lord IMonboddo, which disgusted the public mind. Edinburgh did not at that time afford such ample scope for literary stricture as at the present day. Lord IMonboddo, neverthe- less, continued to be warmly attached to 31r Smellie, and they lived on terma of the strictest intimacy till his lordship's death. In the year 1780, on the suggestion of the late earl of Buchan, a society for collecting and investigating the antiquities of Scotland, was instituted at Edin- burgh. Of this society, Mr Smellie was personally invited by his lordship, to become a member; which he did, and was appointed printer of their journals and transactions. Next year, he was elected keeper of their museum of natural history; and in 17i)3, he was elected secretary, which ofiice he held till his death. It is not, we believe, generally known, that with Mr Smellie originated that admirable scheme of a statistical account of all the parishes of Scotland, which was afterwards brought to maturity by Sir John Sinclair. At the desire of the Antiquarian Society, BIr Smellie, in 1781, drew up a regular plan of the un- dertaking, which was printed and circulated ; but the individuals to whom they were addressed, do not seem to have understood the important nature of the application, and only a very few complied with the directions given in it. In 1780, Mr Smellie commenced the publication of his " Translation of Buf- fon's Natural History ;" a work which has ever stood deservedly high in the opinion of naturalists, being illustrated with numerous notes and illustrations of the French author, besides a considerable number of new observations. It is worthy of no^ tice, that Mr Smellie's knowledge of the French tongue, which is acknowledged to have been profound, Avas entirely acquired by himself, without the aid of a master; and it is a curious fact, that, of a language he so thorouglily understood, he could scarcely pronounce one word. This fact gave unbounded surprise to a friend of Buftbn, who came to Edinburgh on a visit, and waited on IMr Smel- lie. The stranger noted it down as one of the greatest wonders of his travels, intending, he said, to astonish the French naturalist, by relating it to him. It is perhaps the best of all tests, as regards the merits of 3Ir Smellie's trans- lation, that Buftbn himself was highly pleased with it, and even requested him to translate some of his other works ; but this, from prudential motives, IMr Smellie declined. In the year 1780, the partnership between Mr Smellie and Mr Balfour was dissolved, when the former entered into partnership with 31r William Cree<;li, bookseller. This connexion continued to the end of 1739, when Mr Smellie commenced, and ever afterwards carried on business, entirely on his own account IT. 2 31 274 THOMAS SMETON. In 1790, Mr Sinellie published the first volume of his " Philosophy of Na- tural History," the origin of uhich has been already noticed. The copyright was at the same time purchased by Mr KUiot, bookseller, Edinburgh, for one thousand guineas. The second and concluding volume was not published, un- til four years alter his deatii. Besides this and the other larger works, which we have before adverted to, as the production of Mr Smellie, we have seen a list of upwards of forty miscellaneous essays, upon almost all subjects — from politics to poetry, from optics to divinity — which he composed at dilferent times, and under various circumstances ; and from his indefatigable industry, and wonderful facility of writing, it is supposed that these are scarcely a moiety of his literary effusions. Mr Smellie's acquaintance with Robert Burns, commenced in the year 1787, upon the occasion of the poet's coming to Edinburgh to publish his poems, which were printed by IMr Smellie. From their similarly social dispositions, and mutual relish of each other's wit, an immediate and permanent intimacy took place betwixt them. After Burns's departui-e from Edinburgh, they corre- sponded frequently ; but the greater part of the communications were afterwards destroyed by IMr Smellie, equally, perhaps, on the bard's account and his own. Of the high opinion which the latter entertained, however, of his friend — and it is well known how fastidious Mas his toste on the score of talent, honesty, and real friendship amongst his fellow creatures — we have sufficient evidence in the poetical sketch, published in the works of Burns, commencing — " To Crochallan came The okl cock'd hat, the brown suitout, the same," &n. Mr Smellie expired, after a long illness, on the 24th June, 1795, in his fifty-fifth year ; and we regret to add his name to the long list of men of genius, who have terminated a career of labour, anxiety, and usefulness, amid the pressure of pecuniary diticulties. Some years after his death, a small vo- lume was published, under the care of his son, containing memoirs of three distinguished men, with whom he had been acquainted; lord Karnes, Dr John Gregory, and Mr David Hume: it formed part of a more extended design, which Mr Smellie had sketched out, but found not time to execute. A memoir of Mr Smellie himself was published by Mr Robert Keir, in two volumes octavo ; a work, perhaps, disproportioned to the subject^ but containing many curious anecdotes. SMETON, Thomas, an eminent clergyman of the sixteenth century, was born at the little village of Gask, near Perth, about 1536. Nothing satisfactory seems to be known respecting his parentage : Wodrow conjectures it to have been mean, but upon no better ground than the fact of his having been born at an obscure place. It is certain, however, that he enjoyed the advantages of the best instructors that his country then aff'orded. He received his elementary education at the celebrated school of Perth, then taught by Mr A. Simson, and no less famous under some of its subsequent masters. Smeton is believed to have had, as his schoolfellows, James Lawson and Alexander Arbuthnot, both of whom afterwards acted a conspicuous part in the ecclesiastical transactions of their country. The thorough knowledge of the Latin language displayed by our author, leaves little room to doubt that he profited by the honourable emu- lation, which vvfs doubtless excited among such scholars. At the age of seven- teen, (1553,) he was incorporated a student in St Salvator's college, St An- drews ; and here he had the satisfaction of joining Arbuthnot, who had entered St Mary's two years earlier.^ Smeton is believed to have studied philosophy 1 Records of the University of St Andrews. THOMAS SilETON. 275 under the provost of liis college, Mr William Cranstoun ; but how far he pro- secuted his studies, none of his biographers mention. He ultimately became one of the regents in the college, and continued in that situation, till the doc- trines of the lieformation began to be warmly agitated in the university. When the protestant party at length gained the ascendency, Smeton, still zealously attaclied to the popish system, left his native country, and resided for many years with his continental bretliren. The history of his life, fur about twenty years, is most fortunately preserved, as related by himself, in the Diary of Mr James Melville; a work, as we have already mentioned, (see article James Melville,) of so interesting a character, that we feel gratified by every oppor- tunity of quoting from it. Luckily the narrative, while it is perfectly distinct, is so much condensed, as to be completely suited to our limits ; and we, there- fore, make no apology for its introduction. " At the reformation of religion, Mr Smeton, being put from the auld col- lege of S. Andros, past to France, whare in Paris he thought mikle vpon the trew way of saluation ; and be dealling of diwerss of his accpientance, namlie, Mr Thomas 3Iatteland, a young gentilraan of guid literature and knawlage in the treuthe of religion, was brought to ken and be inclynde to the best way : whar also he was acquentit with my vncle, Mr Andro and Mr Gilbert Mon- creiff Yit lothe to alter his mynd wherin he was brought vpe, and fand him- selff" sum tyme fullie perswadit in the mater of his falhe and saluation. He thought he wald leaue na thing vntryed and esseyit perteining therto ; and, vnderstanding that the ordour of the jesuists was maist lerned, halie, and exqui- sit in the papistrie, he resoluit to enter in thair ordour during the yeirs of pro- bation ; at the end wharof, giff he fand himselif satleled in his auld fathe, he wald continoiv a jesuist ; and, gifT he fand nocht amangs tham that might re- moue all the douttes he was cast into, it Mas hot folic to seik fordar, he wald yeild vnto that light that God be the ernest delling of his lowing frinds and companions haid enterit liim into. And sa he enterit in the Jesuists collage at Paris, Mhar he fand Mr Edmont Hay, a verie lowing frind, to whom he com- niunicat all his mynd. IMr Edmont, seing him worthie to be win to tham, and giffen to lerning and light, directes him to Rome ; and be the way he cam to Geneu, whar Mr Andro Meluill and Mr Gilbert Jloncreiff" being for the tyme, he communicat with tham his purpose, and cravit thair prayers. Of his pur- pose they could gie na guid warand ; but thair prayers they promissit hartlie. Sa making na stey ther, he past fordwart to Rome, whar he was receavit in the Jesuist's collage gladlie. In the quhilk collage -was a father, hauldin of best lerning and prudence, wha was ordeanit to trauell with sic as wer deteinit in pressone for religion, to convert tham : of him he cravit that he might accom- panie him at sic tymes when he went to deall with these presoners, quhilk was granted to him. Be the way as they cam from the presoners to the collage, quhilk was neir a myle, Mr Thomas wald tak the argument of the presoners, and mentein it against the jesuist, for reasoning's cause, and indeid to be re- soluit ; and the more he ensisted, he fand the treuthe the strangar, and the je- suist's answers never to satisfie him. This way he continowit about a yeir and a halff in Rome, till at last he becam suspitius, and therfor was remitted back to Paris throw all the collages of the jesuists be the way, in all the quhilks he en- deworit mair and mair to haifl' his douttes resoluit, hot fand himselft" ay fordar and fordar confirmed in the veritie. Coming to Paris again, he abaid ther a space verie lowingly interteined be IMr Edmont;^ till at last he could nocht bot 2 According lo Dempster, Smeton taught humanity in the university of Paris, and after- wards in the college of Clermont, with great applause. (See IM'Crie"'s Melville, 2iid. ediU 3S0, noteO > s, ff K 276 THOMAS SMETON. discover hiinsellf to IMr Edinont, to whom he says he was alsmikle behauldin as to anie man in tlie warld ; for, noctwithstanding that he peiceavit his myiid turned away from thair ordoiir and relligion, yit he ceased nocht to coiinsali him frindlie and fatiierlie, and suli'ered liini to want na tliino^. And beino- a rerie wyse man, he tliinlts to Iteipe iMr '1 lionias quyet, and noclit to suffer liiin to Itythe an aduersar against them. I'erceaving, tlierfor, the young man giflijn to itis builc, he gili'es him this counsali, to go to a qiiyet collage, situat in a welthie and pleasant part in Lorain, wliair lie sould iiaiiT na tiling to do, but attend vpon his bulks; wiiair he sould hairt'all the antient doctors, and sic bulks as yie [he] pleisit to i-eid ; he sould leak na necessars ; thair he sould kelp him quyet, till God wrought fordar wilh him, vtherwayes he wald cast himselff in grait danger. Thair was na thing that could allure Mr Thomas niair nor this, and therlor he resolued to follow his counsali ; and, taking iorney, went to- wards Lorain, whair be the way tiie Lord leyes his hand vpon him, and visites him with an exlream feier, casting him in vttermaist peau and perplexitie of body and mynd, Thair he fought a maist Strang and ferfuU battelle in his con- science : hot God at last prevealiing, he determines to schaw himsellf, abandone tiiat danniable societie, and vtter, in plean proffesson, the treuthe of God, and his enemies' falshods, hypocrisie, and craft. Sa coming bak to Paris again, he takes his leiue of 3Ir Eduiont, wha yit, nochtuithstanding, kytiies na thing bot lowing frindschipe to him ; and at his parting, giti'es thrie counsalles : — I. To reid and studie the antient doctors of the kirk, and nocht to trow the ministers. 2. To go ham to his a\\in countrey. And, thridly. To marie a wyti! — Frt^m that he manifested himselff amangs the professours of religion, till the tynie of the massacre, quhilk schortlie ensewit ; at the quhiik, being narrowlie sought, he cam to the Lngliss ansbassator, Idr Secretarie Walsingham, in whase liouse, lyand at Paris for the tyme, as in a conioun girthe, he, wilh manie ma, war seadi With whome also he cam to Eingland soone efter, whar he remeaned schoolniaister at Colchester, till his coming to Scotland. " At his coming to Scotland, he was gladlie content to be in coinpanie with my vncle, ]Mr Andro [Melville], and sa agreit to be minister at Pasley, in place of Mr Andro Pulwart, wha enterit to the subdeanrie of Glasgw, when Mr David Cuninghame was bischopit in Aberdein. A litle efter his placing, IMr Andro, principall of the collage, put in his hand Mr Archibald llamiltone's apostats' bulk, ' De Confnsione CaluiniancB Sectce apud Scotos ;' and efter conference theranent, movit him to niak answer to the sam, quhilk was published in print the yeir following, to the grit contentment of all the godlie and lernit. Mv Thomas Avas verie wacryft' and peanfull, and skarslie tuk tyme to refreche nature. I hailfsein him oft find fault with lang denners and suppers at general assemblies; and when vthers wer therat, he wald abstein, and be about the penning of things, (wherin he excellit, bathe in langage and form of letter.) and yit was nocht rustic nor auster, bot sweit and atiable in companie, with a modest and naiue grauitie ; verie frugall in fude and reyment ; and walked maist on fut, whom I was verie glad to accompanie, whylis to Sterling, and now and then to his kirk, for my instruction and comfort. He louit me ex- ceiding weill, and wald at parting thrust my head into his bosom, and kis me. " He being weill acquented with the practizes of papists, namlie, jesuists, and their deuyces for subuertlng the kirk of Scotland, bathe publiclie and pri- vatlie, ceasit nocht to cry and warn ministers and schollars to be diligent vpon ther charges and buiks, to studie the controuersies, and to tak head they ne- glected nocht the tyme, for ther wald be a Strang vnseatt of papists. Also, ho was carefiiU to know the religion and afl'ection of noble men, insinuating him in thair companie, in a wyse and graue maner* and warning tham to be war of THOMAS SMETON. 277 euill companie, and nocht to send thair berns to dangerus partes. And, finalie, Mr Audio and he marvelouslie conspyring in purposes and iudginents, war the first motioners of an anti-seniinarie to be erected in St Andros to the jesuist seminaries, for the course of theologie, and cessit never at assemblies and court, till that wark was begun and sett fordwart." Thei'e perhaps never was .\ period more calculated to bring forth the talents of our countrymen, than that of the Reformation. Accordingly, iMr Smeton was soon required by his brethren to take an active part in tlie more public transactions of the church. In October, 1578, he was nominated one of the assessors to the moderator of the General Assembly ; an appointment conferred at that time upon the most learned and judicious of the members. But his ta- lents were considered as fitting him for the performance of functions still more important. He was chosen moderator of the next Assembly, which met in July, 1579, and which was called to the consideration of many important questions. Among these may be mentioned, the finishing of the first Scottish edition of the Bible. In 1580, he became the opponent of Nicol Burn, a professor of philo- sophy in the university of St Andrews, who had turned papist.^ Of this contro- versy, Ur 3Iackeiizie promised an account in his Life of Burn, but his biogra- phical work never reached that point. James Melville has alluded in tlie passage we have quoted from his Diary, to the anxiety of his uncle and Smeton that the young noblemen and gentle- men of Scotland should be educ^ated at home, and to the measures which they proposed for the attainment of that object. They had at length the satisfac- tion of seeing their new constitution of the university of St Andrews approved by the church, and ratified by parliament. Melville was chosen principal of St , Mary's, or the New college, and, after much opposition, arising, however, from no otlier motive than a conviction of his usefulness as minister of Paisley, Smeton was appointed his successor by letters under the Privy Seal, dated the 3rd of January, 1530. Most unfortunately the records of the university of Glasgow are almost wliolly lost for the period during which this excellent man presided over it. His duties, however, are known to have been of no light description ; he was the sole professor of divinity, and had also the charge of the religious instruction of the parish of Govan. Besides the mere literary de- partment, as it may be termed, of his duties, he had the general super- intendence of the university, in which was included the by no means pleasant oflice of inflicting corporal punishment on unruly boys. Almost equally little has been preserved respecting Smeton's share in the ecclesiastical transactions during the remainder of his life. He was chosen moderator of the (ieneral As- sembly held in April, 1583. We have already alluded in the life of i\Ir Robert Pont to the removal of that learned man for a short period to St Andrews, and to the reasons which obliged him to relinquish that charge. Andrew 3Ielville was anxious that his place should be supplied by Smeton, and, it is not improb- able, intended to adopt some measures for bringing the state of that town under the notice of this Assembly. But it was the policy of the Prior and his de- pendants to frustrate the settlement, whatever might be the merits of the in- tended minister, that they might spend in extravagance or debauchery the funds which were destined for his support. The king, therefore, probably instigated by that ecclesiastic (the earl of JMarch) but under the specious pretext of a fatherly care over the university of Glasgow, forbade the Assembly to " meddle with the removing of any of the members thereof, and especially of the Principal." Smeton's old schoolfellow, Arbuthnot, now principal of King's 3 Mackenzie's Lives of Scots Writers, iii. 27S ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. college, Aberdeen, was soon afterwards chosen by the Kirk Session of St An- drews ; but this election produced no more favourable result. Principal Snieton attended the following General Assembly (October 1583), and was again employed in some of its most important business. But the course of honour and usefulness on which he had now entered was destined to be of very short duration. Soon after his return to Glasgow, he was seized with a high fever, and died, after only eight days' illness, on the 13th of De- cember, 15S3. About six weeks earlier, his friend Arbuthnot, with whom he had been so long and intimately connected, had been cut oft" in his 4Gth year, and thus was the country at once bereaved of two of its greatest lights at a period of no common ditiiculty. That was indeed " a dark and heavie wintar to the kirk of Scotland.'' Tlie liabits and acquirements of Smeton must Iiave peculiarly adapted him for the charge of a literary, and, more particularly, of a theological seminary. While the latter were unquestionably inferior to those of his predecessor in the principalship of Glasgow college, his manners were of a milder and more con- ciliatory character. Yet even his learning was greatly beyond that of the mass of his brethren. He wrote Latin with elegance and facility, and was a Greek and Hebrew scholar. Nor liad he, like many of our travelled countrymen, ne- glected the study of his native tongue, in which he wrote with great propriety. His knowledge of controversial divinity, derived most probably from the cir- cumstances attending his conversion to the Protestant faith, is represented as superior to that of almost any of his contemporaries. Of the Morks which he has left behind him the best known is his reply to Hamilton, which was pub- lished at Edinburgh in 1579, with the following title : " Ad Virulentum Ar- chibaldi Hamiltonii Apostatas Dialogum de Confusione Calvinianaa Sectse apud Scotos impie conscriptum Orthodcxa Responsio, Thoma Smetonio Scoto auctore, in qua Celebris ilia quaestio de Ecclesia, de Vniversalitate, Successione, et Komani Episcopi Primatu breviter, dilucide, et accurate, tractatur : adjecta est vera Historia extremal vitae et obitus eximii viri Joan : Knoxii Ecclesife Scoti- canse instauratoris fidelissimi," 8vo. The General Assembly held in April, 1531, ordered the method of preaching and prophecjing by . . . "to be put in Scotish be their brother Mr Tliomas Smetone ;" but if this supposed translation of Hyperius De formandis Coticionibus was ever printed, it has escaped the researches of all our bibliographers. Tiie Dictates of princi- pal Smeton, — that is, the notes which he dictated to liis students, — were pre- served in archbishop Spotswood's time, and are said by that author to have been highly esteemed. Dempster also ascribes to Smeton " Epitaphium 3Ietallani, lib. i." Principal Smeton adopted the advice of his excellent friend, Edmond Hay, and " married a wyff"," but at what time is uncertain. We are equally uncer- tain whether he left any children behind him. The name of Smeton, and in one or two instances that of Thomas Smeton, occur in the records of the uni- versity of Glasgow in the early part of the seventeenth century, and, as the name was by no means common, these peraons A\ere not improbably his descendants.* S3iriH, Adam, LL.D. and F.R.S. both of London and Edinburgh, one of the brightest ornaments of the literature of Scotland, was born on the 5th of June, 1723, at the town of Kirkaldy, in the counly of Fife. He was the only child of Adam Smith, comptroller nf the customs at Kirkaldy, and IMar- * Abridged from AVodiow's Life of SmeCi, apud IMoS. in Bibl. Aaitl. Glasg. vol. i. See also Jamts Melville's Diar}', pi>. 56—8, and M'Crie's Lift of Mehiile, second edition, i. 158. ii. 379-3S3. ADAM SMITfl, LL.D., P.R.S. 279 garet Douglas, daughter of JMr Douglas of Strathenry. His father having died some months before his birth, the duty of superintending his early education devolved entirely upon his mother. A singular accident happened to him when he was about three years of age. As he was amusing himself one day at the door of his uncle, Mr Douglas's house in Strathenry, he was carried oii' by a party of gypsies. The vagrants, how- ever, being pui-sued by Idr Douglas, were overtaken in Leslie-wood, and his uncle, as 31r Stewart remarks, was thus the happy instrument of preserving to the world a genius which was destined not only to extend the boundaries of science, but to enligliten and reform the commercial policy of Europe. The constitution of Dr Smith, during infancy, was infirm and sickly, and re- quired all the delicate attentions of his surviving parent. Though she treated him with the utmost indulgence, this did not produce any unfavourable effect either on his dispositions or temper, and he repaid her affectionate solicitude by every attention that filial gratitude could dictate during the long period of sixty years. He I'eceived the first rudiments of his education at the grammar school of Kirkaldy, which was then taught by jMr David 3Iiller, a teacher, in his day, of considerable reputation. He soon attracted notice by his passion for books, and the extraordinary powers of his memory. Even at this early period, too, he seems to have contracted those habits of speaking to himself, and of absence in company, for which, through life, he was eo remarkable. The weakness of Dr Smith's constitution prevented him from engaging in the sports and pastimes of his school companions, yet he was much beloved by them on account of his friendly and generous dispositions. Having remained at Kirkaldy till he had completed his fourteenth year, he Has sent, in 1737, to the university of Glasgow, where he prosecuted his studies during three years. Mr Stewart mentions on the authority of one of Mr Smith's fellow students, Dr Maclaine of the Hague, that his favourite pursuits while attending that university were mathematics and natural philosophy. He attended, however, during his residence in Glasgow, the lectures of the cele- brated Dr Hutcheson on moral philosophy ; and it is probable that they had a considerable effect in afterwards directing his attention to those branches of science in which he was to become so distinguished. Dr Smith's friends having directed his views towards the English cliurch, he went, in 1740, to Balliol college, Oxford, as an exhibitioner on Snell's founda- tion, where he remained seven years. At this celebrated seat of classical learning he cultivated with the greatest assiduity and success the study both of the ancient and modern languages, and became intimately acquainted with the works of the Roman, Greek, French, and Italian poets, as well as with those of his own country. With the view of improving his style, he used fre- quently to employ himself in the practice of translation, particularly from the French, as he was of opinion that such exercises were extremely useful to those who wished to cultivate the art of composition. Dut Dr Smith's obligations to the university of Oxford seem to be confined to his proficiency in classical learning, and a critical acquaintance with the niceties and delicacies of the English tongue. Very little could be learned from the public lectures on philosophy; the logic of Aristotle still maintaining its influence in both the English universities. A circumstance, however, which, upon good authority, is related to have occurred during his residence at Oxford, shows, that in his private studies Dr Smith did not confine his reading in philosophy to the works of Aristotle and the schoolmen. Something having excited the suspicion of his superiors with regard to the nature of his studies in private, the heads of his 280 ADAM SMITH, LL.D., T.R.S. college entered liis apartment one day Avithout any previous notice, and tin- lutkily found the young pliilosopher engaged in reading Hume's Treatise of Human Nature. The offender was of course severely reprimanded, and the ob- foctionable work seized and (tarried ofK Dr Smith, having found that the ecclesiastical profession was not suitable to his taste, resolved at last to renounce every prospect of rising to eminence bv church preferment. He accordingly returned, in 1747, against the wishes of his friends, to Kirkaldy, and without having determined on any fixed plan of life, resided there nearly two years with his mother. In the end of the year 1748, Dr Smith fixed his residence in Edinburgh, and, under the patronage of lord Karnes, delivered lectures during three years 021 Rhetoric and Belles Lettres. These lectures were never published, but it appears that the substance of them was communicated to Dr Blair, wiio began his celebrated course on the same subject in 1755, and that tliat gentleman iiad a high opinion of their merits. In a note to liis eighteenth lecture, Dr Blair thus notices them : *' On this head, of the general character of style, particularly the plain and the simple, and the characters of those English authors who are classed under them in this and the following lecture, several ideas have been taken from a manuscript treatise on Rhetoric, part of which was shown to me many years ago, by the learned and ingenious author, Dr Adam Smith; and whicli, it is hoped, will be given by him to the public." It appears to have been during the residence of Mr Smith at this time in Edinburgh that his acquaintance with Mr David Hume commenced, whicli lasted Avitliout the slightest interruption till the death of the latter in 1776. It was a friendship, IMr Stewart remarks, on both sides founded on the admira- tion of genius, and the love of simplicity; and which forms an interesting cir- cumstance in the history of each of these eminent men from the ambition which both have shown to record it to posterity. The literary reputation of Dr Smith being now well established, he was elected, in 1751, professor of logic in the university of Glasgow, and in the year following he was removed to the chair of moral philosophy in the same university, vacant by the death of JMr Thomas Craigie, who was the im- mediate successor of Dr Hutcheson. In this situation he remained during thir- teen years, a period which he used to consider as the happiest of his life, tlie studies and inquiries in ^vhich liis academical duties led him to engage being those Avhich were most agreeable to his taste. It is higlily probable that his appointment to tlie professorship of moral philosophy was the means of inducing him to mature his speculations in etliics and politi(;al economy, and to under- take those great works Avhich have immortalized his name in the literature of Scotland. No part of the lectures which Dr Smith delivered either as professor of logic or of moral philosophy, has been preserved, except what has been published in the " liieory of Moral Sentiments," and the " \^'ealth of Nations." The following account of them, however, has been given by Mr 31iller, the cele- brated author of tiie Historical ^ iew of the English Government, and professor of law in the university of Glasgow, who had the advantage of being one of Mr Smith's pupils. " In the professorship of logic, to which 3Ir Smith was appointed on his first introduction into this university, he soon saw the necessity of departing widely from the plan that had been foUowed by his predecessors, and of directing the attention of liis pupils to studies of a more interesting and useful nature than the logic and nietnphysi(S of the school?. Accordingly, after exhibiting a general view of tiie powers of the mind, and explaining as nmch of the ancient ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. logic as was requisite to gratify curiosity with respect to an artificial method of reasoning, which had once occupied the universal attention of the learned, lie dedicated all the rest of his time to the delivering of a system of rhetoric and belles lettres. The best method of exphiining and illustrating the various powers of the human mind, the most useful part of metaphysics, arises from an examination of tiie several ways of communicating our thoughts by speech, and from an attention to tiie principles of those literary compositions which contri- bute to persuasion or entertainment. By these arts everything that we per- ceive or feel, every operation of our minds, is expressed and delineated in such a manner, that it may ba clearly distinguished and remembei'ed. There is at the same time no branch of literature more suited to youth at tiieir first en- trance upon philosophy than this, which lays hold of their taste and their feelings. " It is much to be regretted that the manuscript, containing Mr Smith's lec- tures on this subject, was destroyed before his death. The first part, in point of composition, was highly finished ; and the whole discovered strong marks of taste and original genius. From the permission given to students of taking notes, many observations and opinions contained in these lectures have either been detailed in sepai'ate dissertations, or engTossed in general collections, which have since been given to the public. But these, as might be expected, have lost the air of originality, and the distinctive cliaracter which tliey received from their first author, and are often obscured by that multiplicity of common-place matter in which they are sunit and involved. " About a year after his appointment to the professorship of logic, Mr Smitli was elected to the chair of moral philosophy. His course of lectures on this subject was divided into four parts. The first contained natural theology ; in which he considered the proofs of the being and attributes of God, and those principles of the human mind upon which religion is founded. The second comprehended ethics, strictly so called, and consisted chiefly of the docti-ines which he afterwards published in his ' Theory of Moral Sentiments.' In the third part, he treated at more length of that branch of morality which relates to justice, and which being s.isceptible of precise and accurate rules, is for that reason capal^le of a full and particular explanation. " Upon this subject he followed the plan that seems to be suggested by Montesquieu ; endeavouring to trace the gradual progress of jurisprudence, both public and private, from the rudest to the most refined ages, and to point out the etTects of those arts which contribute to subsistence, and to the accumu- lation of property, in producing correspondent improvements, or alterations in law and government. This important branch of his labours he also intended to give to the public ; but this intention, which is mentioned in the conclusion of the * Theory of Moral Sentiments,' he did not live to fulfill. " In the last part of his lectures he examined those political regulations which are founded, not upon the principle of justice, but that of expediency, and which are calculated to increase the riches, the power, and the prosperity of a state. Under this view, he considered the political institutions relating to commerce, to finances, to ecclesiastical and military establishments, V/hat he delivered on these subjects, contained the substance of the work he afterwards published under the title of ' An Inquiry into the Nature and Sources of the Wealth of Nations.' " There was no situation in which the abilities of Mr Smith appeared to gi'eater advantage than as a professor. In delivering his lectures, he trusted ahnost entirely to extemporary elocution. His manner, though not graceful, was plain and unaffected ; and, as he seemed to be always interested in the sub" 282 ADA'M SMITH, LL.D, F.R.3. jert, lie never failed to interest his hearers. Each discourse consisted commonly of several distinct propositions, uhich he successively endeavoured to prove and illustrate. These propositions, when announced in general terms, had, from their extent, not unfrecjuently something of tlie air of a paradox. In his at- tempts to explain them, he often appeared at first not to be sufficiently possessed of the subject, and spoke with some hesitation. As he advanced, however, the matter seemed to crowd upon him ; his manner became warm and animated, and [lis expi'ession easy and tluent. In points susceptible of controversy, you could easily discern, that he secretly conceived an opposition to his opinions, and that he was led upon this account to support them with greater energy and vehemence. By the fulness and variety of his illustrations, the subject grad- ually swelled in his hands, and acfjuired a dimension, which, without a tedious repetition of the same views, was calculated to seize the attention of his audi- ence, and to afford them pleasure as well as instruction, in following the sarne subject through all the diversity of shades and aspects in which it was present- ed, and afterwards in tracing it backwards to that original proposition, or general truth, from which this beautiful train of speculation had proceeded. " His reputation as a professor was accordingly raised very high ; and a mul- titude of students from a great distance resorted to the university merely upon his account. Those branches of science which he taught became fashionable at this place, and his opinions Avere tlie chief topics of discussion in clubs and literary societies. Even the small peculiarities in his pronunciation or manner of speaking became frequently the objects of imitation." The first publications of Mr Smith, it is understood, were two articles which he contributed anonymously to a work called the " Edinburgh Keview," begun in 1755, by some literary gentlemen, but of which only two numbers ever appeared. The first vf these articles was a Review of Dr Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, which displays considerable acuteness, and the other contained some general observations on the state of literature in the different countries of Europe. In 1759, his great ethical work, entitled, '* Tlieory of Moral Sentiments, or an Essay towards an analysis of the Principles by which men naturally judge concerning the Conduct and Character, first of their Neighbour, and afterwards of Themselves," made its appearance. This work contributed greatly to extend the fame and reputation of the author ; and is unquestionably entitled to a place in tlie very first rank in the science of morals. Dr Brown, in his eighteenth lecture, thus speaks of it: " Profound in thought, it exhibits, even when it is most profound, an example of the graces ^vilh which a sage imagination kno^vs how to adorn the simple and ni.njestic form of science; that it is severe and cold only to those who are themselves cold and severe, as in these very graces it exhibits in like manner an example of the reciprocal embellishment which imagination receives from the sober dignity of truth. In its minor details and illustrations, indeed, it may be considered as presenting a model of philosophic beauty of which all must acknowledge the power, who ara not disqualified by their very nature for the admiration and enjoyment of in- tellectual excellence ; so dull of understanding as to shrink with a pain- ful consciousness of incapacity at the very appearance of refined analysis, or so dull and cold of heart, as to feel no charm in the delightful varieties of an elo- quence, that, in the illustration and embellishment of the noblest truths, seems itself to live and harmonize with those noble sentiments which it adorns." But it is chiefly in its minor analyses that the work of Dr Smith possesses such excellence. Its leading doctrine has Leen often shown to be erroneous, and by none with ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. 283 more acuteness tlian by Di- Brown. We sliall very shortly explain the nature of that leading- doctrine, and endeavour to show ho^v it has been refuted. It is impossible for us to contemplate certain actions performed by otliers, or to perform such actions ourselves, ^vitliout an emotion of moral a}>probation or disapprobation arising in our minds ; without being immediately impressed with a vivid feeling, that the agent is virtuous or vicious, worthy or unworthy of esteem. An inquiry regarding such moral emotions, must form the most in- teresting department of tlie philosophy of the mind, as it comprehends the whole of our duty to God, our fellow creatures, and ourselves. This depart- ment of science is termed I:]thics, and is sometimes, though not very correctly, divided into two parts ; the one comprehending the theory of morals, and the other its practical doctrines. The most important question to be considered in the theoretical part of ethics, is the following: — What is essential to virtue and vice — that is to say — what is common, and invariably to be found in all those actions of which we morally approve, and what is in the same way peculiar to those which we morally condemn ? Piiilosophers have formed various opinions upon this siibject. Hobbes and his followers contended that nil merit and de- merit depends upon political regulations : that the only thing essential to a virtuous or vicious action, is its being sanctioned or discountenanced by the association of men, among wiiom it is performed. Mr Hume and otliers have supported the more plausible tlieory, that what is utility to the human race, un- avoidably makes itself the measure of virtue: that actions are virtuous or vicious, according as they are generally acknowledged to be, in their final effects, bene- ficial or injurious to society in general. These, and many other theories of morals, have been often shown to be erroneous ; and it would be out of place here, to enter into any discussion regarding them. We pass on to notice the theory of Dr Smith. According to him, all moral feelings arise from sympathy. It is a mistake to suppose that we approve or disapprove of an action immediately on becom- ing actjuainted with the intention of the agent, and the consequences of what he has done. Before any moral emotion can arise in the mind, Ave must ima- gine ourselves to be placed in tlie situation of the person who has acted, and of those to whom his action related. If, on considering all the circumstances in which the agent is placed, we feel a complete sympathy with the feelings that occupied his mind, and with the gratitude of the person who was the object of the action, we then approve of the action as right, and feel the merit of the person who performed it, our sense of the propriety of the action depending on our sympaliiy witli tlie agent ; our sense of tlie merit of the agent on our sym- pathy with the object of the action. If our sympathies be of an opposite kind, we disapprove of the action, and ascribe demerit to the agent. In estimating the propriety or merit of our own actions, on the other hand, we, in some measure, reverse this process, and consider ho v our conduct would appear to an impartial spectator. We approve or disapprove of it, according as we feel I'rom the experience of our own former emotions, when we imagined ourselves to be placed in similar circumstances, estimating the actions of others, that it would excite his approval or disapprobation. Our moral judgments, with respect to our own conduct are, in short, only applications to ourselves of deci- sions, which we have already passed on the conduct of others. But in this theory of Dr Smith, the previous existence of those moral feel- ings, which he supposes to tiow i'rom sympathy, is in reality assumed ; for the most exact accordance of sentiment between two individuals, is not sufficient to give rise to any moral sentiment. In the very striking emotions of taste, for 28-i ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. example, Dr Brown remarks, we may feel, on the perusal of the same poem, the performance of the same nmsiaal air, the sight of the same picture or statue, .1 rapture or disgust, accordant with the rapture or disgust expressed by ano- ther reader, or listener, or spectator ; a sympathy far more complete than takes place in our consideration of the circumstances in which he may liave had to regulate his conduct in any of the common affairs of life. If mere accord- ance of emotion, then, imply the feeling of moral excellence of any sort, we should certainly feL-l a moral regard for all whose tasta coincides wilh ours; yet, however gratifying the sympathy in such a case may be, we do not feel, in consequence of this sympathy, any morality in the taste that is most exactly ac- cordant with our own. There is an agreement of emotions, but notliing more ; and if we had not a principle of moral approbation, by wliich. Independently of sympathy, and previously to it, we regard actions as right, the most exact sympathy of passion would, in lilce manner, have been a proof to us of an agreement of feelings, but of nothing more. It proves to us more ; because the emotions which we compare with our own, ai'e recognized by us as moral feel- ings, independently of the agreement. But though the leading doctrine of Dr Smith's theory be considered by many, apparently on just grounds, as erroneous, his work is still unquestionably one of the most interesting which have been produced on moral science. It abounds in faithful delineations of characters and manners, and contains tiie purest and most elevated maxims for the practical regulation of human life. The style, though perhaps not sufficiently precise for the subject, is throughout elo- quent, and serves, by the richness of- its colouring, to relieve the dryness of some of the more abstract discussions. Dr Smith's " Dissertation on the Origin of Languages," ivliich is now gene- rally bound up with the " Theory of Prloral Sentiments," made its first appear- ance with the second edition of that work. In this ingenious and beautilul tract, the author gives a theoretical history of the formation of languages, in which he endeavours to ascertain the different steps by which they would gradually arrive at their present so artificial and complicated state. As the " Theory of Bloral Sentiments " contains the most important part of Dr Smith's ethical doctrines, he was enabled, after the publication of that work, to devote a larger part of his course of lectures, tlian he had previously done, to the elucidation of the principles of jurisprudence and political economy. Fi'om a statement which he drew up in 1755, in order to vindicate his claim to certain political and literary opinions, it appears that, from the time ^\hen he obtained a chair in the university of Glasgow, and even while he was delivering private lectures in Edinburgli, he had been in the habit of teaching the same liberal system of policy, with respect to the freedom of trade, which he after- wards published in the " Wealth of Nations." His residence in one of the largest commercial towns in the island, must have been of considerable advan- tage to him, by enabling him to acquire correct practical information on many points connected with the subject of his favourite studies ; and 3Ir Stewart states, ns a circumstance very honourable to the liberality of the merchants of Glasgow, that, notwithstanding the reluctance so conmion among men of busi- ness to listen to the conclusions of mere speculation, and the direct opposition of Dr Smith's leading principles to all tlie old maxims of trade, he was able, before leaving the university, to rank seme of the most eminent merchants of the city among the number of iiis proselytes. The publication of the " Theory of Moral Sentiments," served greatly to in- crease the reputation of its author. In 1762, the Senatus Academicus of the university of Glasgow unanimously conferred on him the honorary degree of ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. 285 Doctor of Laws, in testimony, r.s expressed in the minutes of the meeting, of their respect for his universally acknowledged talents, and of the advantage tliat had resulted to the university, from the ability with which he had, for many years, expounded the prin(;iples of jurisprudence. Towardg the end of 17G3, an important event occurred in Dr Smith's life. Having received an invitation from Mr Charles Townsend, husband of the duchess of Buccleuch, to accompany the young dulce, her grace's son, on his travels, he was induced, from the liberal terms in \vliich the proposal was made, and the strong desire he entertained of visiting the continent, to resign his chair at Glasgow, and accept of the ofl'er. " With the connection which he was led to form, in consequence of this change in his situation," Mr Stewart j | remarks, " he had reason to be satisfied in an uncommon degree ; and he al- ij ways spoke of it witli pleasure and gratitude. To the public, it was not, per- j | haps, a change equally fortunate, as it interrupted that studious leisure for ; i \vhich nature seems to iiave destined him, and in which alone he could have , i hoped to accomplish those literary projects which had flattered the ambition of 1 1 his youthful genius." j j Dr Smith having joined tlio duke of Buccleuch at London, in the early part of the year 1764, they set out for the continent in the month of March. After remaining only ten or twelve days in the capital of France, they proceeded to Toulouse, \vhere lliey resided during eighteen months. Toulouse was at that time the seat of a parliament; and the intimacy in which he lived with some of its principal members, alVorded him an opportunity of acquiring the most cor- rect information in regard to the internal policy of France. After leaving Toulouse, they proceeded through tlie southern provinces to Geneva ; and having spent two months in that city, returned to Paris about Christmas, 176 5, where they remained nearly a year. During their abode in Paris, Dr Smith, tlirough the reccmmendation of Sir Kume, and his own cele- brity, lived on the most intimate terms with the best society in the city. Tur- got, (afterwards comptroller-general of finance.) Quesnay, Necker, d'Alembert, Helvetius, Marmontel, the due de la Eochefoucault, and fliadame Riccaboni, were among tlie number of his acquaintances ; and some of them he continued ever afterwards to reckon among his friends. It is highly probable that he de- rived considerable advantage from his intercourse with Quesnay, the celebrated founder of the sect of Economists. Of this profound and ingenious man, Dr Smith entertained the highest opinion ; and he has pronounced his work upon Political Economy, with all its imperfections, to be the nearest approximation to the truth, that had then been published, on the principles of that very im- portant science. Dr Smith intended to have dedicated to Quesnay the " Wealth of Nations,'' but was prevented by his death, Althougli Dr Smith had made son'.e very severe remarks in liis " Theory of Bloral Sentiments," on the celebrated maxims of the duke of Kochefoucault, this did not prevent him from receiving the utmost kindness and attention from the author's gTandson. A short time before Dr Smitli left Paris, he received a flat- tering letter from the duke of Rochefoucnult, with a copy of a new edition of the Maxims of his grandfather ; and informing Dr Smith, at the same time, that he had been prevented from finishing a translation of his " Theory of Morals" into French, only by the knowledge of having been anticipated in tlie design. Dr Smith returned with his pupil to London, in October, 1766 ; and soon after took up his residence with his mother at Kirkaldy, where, with the ex- ception of a few occasional visits to London and Edinburgh, he resided con- fctantly during the next ten years, engaged habitually in intense study. IMr ii ! 28G ADAAI SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. lliiiiie, who considered the town as the proper scene for a man of letters, made many ineMectual attempts to prevail upon him to leave his retirement. During this residence of Dr Smith at Kirkaldy, he was engaged chiefly in maturing liia speculations upon Economical Science. At length, in I77ij, the " Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the \\ ealth of Nations," made its appearance : a work wliich holds nearly the same rank in political economy, that Locke's Es- say on the Human Understanding does in the philosophy of the mind, or the Principia of Ne>\ton in astronomy. Our limits prevent us fi'om giving anything like a particular analysis of this great work, but we shall endeavour to give some brief account of it. We shall notice very shortly the state of the science at the time when Ur Smith wrote — tlie Ciitierent leading principles Mhich the illustrious author endeavours to establish, and tiie principal merits and defects of the work. The object of political economy is to point out the means by which the in- dustry of man may be rendered most productive of the necessaries, conveni- encies, and luxuries of life ; and to ascertain the laws which regulate tlie dis- tribution of the various products which constitute wealth among the diflerent classes of society. Though these inquiries be in the highest degree interesting and important, the science of political economy is comparatively of recent ori- gin. It was not to be expected that, among the Greeks and Romans, who con- sidered it degrading to be engaged in manufactures or commerce, and among whom such employments were left to slaves — where moralists considered the in- dulgence of luxury to be an evil of the first magnitude; that the science wliicli treats of the best methods of acquiring wealth, should be much attended to. At the revival of letters, these ancient prejudices still maintais'.ed a powerful influ- ence, and, combined with other causes, long prevented philosophers from turn- ing their attention to the subject. 'Ihe first inquirers in political economy were led away by a prejudice, which is, perhaps, one of the most deeply rooted in the human mind ; namely, th.at wealth consists solely in gold and silver. From this mistake grcAV up that sys- tem of commercial policy, which has been denominated the mercantile system, according to the principles laid down, in which the commerce of Europe A\as, in a great measure, regulated at the time when Dr Smith's work appeared. The leading doctrine of the commercial system was, that the policy of a country should be directed solely to the multiplication of the precious metals. Hence the internal commerce of a nation came to be entirely overlooked, or viewed only as subsidiary to the foreign: and the advantage derived from foreign trade was estimated by the excess of the value of the goods exported, above that of those which were imported: it being supposed that the balance must be brought to the country in specie. To the radical mistake upon ^\hich the mercantile system was founded, may be traced those restrictions upon tiie importation, and the encouragement given to the exportation of manufactures, which, till lately, distinguished the commercial policy of all the nations in Europe. It \vas ima- gined that, by such regulations, the excess of the value of exports over imports, to be paid in gold, would be increased. During the seventeenth, and the earlier part of the eighteenth century, various pamphlets had appeared, in which some of the fundamental principles of politi- cal economy were distinctly enough laid down, and which had a tendency to show the futility of the mercantile theory. P^or a particular account of these publications, and their various merits, we must refer to IMr 31'Culloch's able Introductory Discourse to the last edition of the " Wealth of Nations." We shall here only remark, that though several of these treatises contain the germs of soiue of the truths to be found in the " Wealth of Nations ;" yet ada:m smith, ll.d, f.r.s. 287 the principles laid down in them are often stated only in a cursory and inci- dental manner. Their authors frequently appear not to be aware of the im- portance of the truths which they have discovered ; and in none of them is anything like a connected view of political economy to be found. The only work that was given to the world before the " Wealth of Nations,'' in which an attempt was made to expound the principles of political economy in a logical and systematic manner, wns the Economical Table of the celebrated Quesnay, a Frencli jdiysician, which ^vas published in 175S: but the theory of this distinguished economist is very erroneous. Having been educ surdity, though not altogether so glaring, yet exactly of the same kind, in turning towards any such employment a tiiirtietb, or even a three-hundredth part more of either." But though Dr Smith contended upon correct principles for unlimited free- dom of trade and commerce, and conceived that all the dilferent branches of industry must be advantageous to society, he was of opinion that all were not equally advantageous. Agriculture he conceived to be the most productive em- ployment in which capital could be engaged; the home trade to be more pro- ductive than the foreign ; and tlie foreign than the carrying trade. But these distinctions are evidently erroneous. The self-interest of individuals will al- ways prevent them from employing their capital in manufactures, or in com- merce, unless they yield as large profits as they would have done, if they had been employed in agriculture : and a state being only a collection of indi-.i- duals, whatever is most beneficial to them, must also be most advantageous to tile society. Dr Smith has made another mistake in regard to tlie productive- ness of labour. He divides all labourers into two classes, the productive and the unproductive ; and he limits the class of productive labourers to those w hose labour is immediately fixed, and realized in some vendible commodity. But (certainly all labour ought to be reckoned productive, which, either directly or indirectly, contributes to augment the wealth of a society. It is impossible to hold that the labour of an Arkwright, or a Watt, was unproductive. Few chapters in the "Wealth of Nations" are more valuable, than that in which the illusti'ious author explains the causes of the apparent inequality in the wages and profits derived from different employments. He has shown, in the fullest and most satisfactory manner, that when allowance is made for all the advantages and disadvantages attending the difierent employments of labour and stock, wages and profits must, in the same neighbourhood, be either perfect- ly equal, or continually tending to equality. The circumstances which he enumerates, as making up for a low state of wages in some employments, and counterbalancing a high one in others, are five in number. First, the agree- ableness or disagreeableness of the employments themselves; secondly, the easi- ness and cheapness, or the difficulty and expense of learning them ; thirdly^ ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. 289 the constancy or inconstancy of employment in them ; fourthly, the small or p-reat trust which must be reposed in those who exercise them; and, fifthly, the probability or improbability of success in them. Differences in the rate of pro- fit seem to be occasioned, chietiy from the risk to wliich capital is exposed, be- ing greater in some employments than in others. One of the most important inqviiries in political economy, is the investigation of the laws which regulate the exchangeable value of the different productions of industry; and the disquisitions of Dr Smith on this subject, are extremely valuable. He has shown, in opposition to the opinion commonly before enter- tained on the subject, that the price of commodities, the quantity of wliich may be indefinitely increased, does not depend upon their scarcity or abundance, but upon the cost of their production ; that althougli variations in the supply of any article, or in the demand for it, may occasion temporary variations in its exchangeal^le value, the market price is permanently regulated by the natural price, and on an average corresponds with it. In estimating the elements, however, which form the necessary price of commodities, he has fallen into some very important errors, particularly with regard to rent, which, from being unacquainted with the causes that produce it, he considered to be one of the component parts of price. It was subsequently suggested by Dr Anderson, and more specifically laid down by Ricardo and others, that rent is the diifer- ence between the product of th.e fruitful soil of a country, (in comparison with the amount of labour and capital expended on it,) and the product of such less fruitful soil, as the pressure of population renders it necessary to bring into cultivation ; and that rent being the difference between returns from an equal amount of capital applied to superior soils, and to that which is the most un- productive, is the effect, and not the cause, of the dearness of agricultural pro- ducts ; and cannot, therefore, form an element in their natural price. The error wl.ich Dr Smith has fallen into, with regard to rent, is certainly the most important mistake in the " Wealth of Nations," and has vitiated a con- siderable part of the work.' Among other mistakes, it has led him into error, in regard to the ultimate incidence of different taxes, and the circumstances wiiich determine the rate of wages and profits. Had the illustrious author, too, been acquainted with the true theory of rent, he would not have contended that corn, upon an average, was the most invariable of all commodities in its value. IMany other important subjects, besides those we have so briefly noticed, are discussed by Dr Smith ; but we cannot farther extend our remarks. With all its defects, the " \Vealth of Nations '" will ever remain a great standard work in the science of political economy, and an illustrious monument of the genius and talents of its author, 'liie publication raised him to the highest rank in tlie literary world ; and he enjoyed, during fifteen years, the fame whicli he had so justly acquired. His W'Ork soon after being publislied, was translated into all the languages of Europe ; his opinions were referred to in the house of com- mons, and he himself consulted by the minister. Before his death, too, he had the satisfiiction of seeing that the principles of commercial freedom, which he had so ably advocated, were beginning to influence the councils of Great Bri- tain, and other European states. A few months after the publication of the " Wealth of Nations," Dr Smith lost his highly esteemed friend, 3Ir Hume, who died upon the 25th of August, 177G. Dr Smith was most assiduous in his attentions during the last illness of this illustrious man; and gives an interesting account, in a letter to Mr Strahan 1 Dr Smith's theoiy of rent, however, is not without its defenders. See, in particular, the ^^Vslminster Review. IV. S o 200 apa:m smith, ll.d., t.r.s. of London, of the circumstances attending his death, and a oulogium upon ]iis chai-acter. To tiiose who are acquainted uith Mr Hume's religious opinions, some parts of this eulogiuni must certainly appear too high ; and the author was, accordingly, attacked on the subject by Dr Home, bishop of Norwicli, who raslily ascribed to him, without any evidence, the same sceptical opinions which had been entertained by his illustrious friend. Dr Smith resided chiefly in London for about two years after his gi-ent work had been given to the public, during which time his society was courted by tiie most distinguished persons in the metropolis. In 1778, lie wns appointed one of the commissioners of customs in Scotland, through the unsolicited applica- tion of his friend and former pupil, the duke of Buccleuch. Upon obtaining this appointment, lie removed to Edinburgh, where he spent the remaining years of his life, enjoying comparative alHuence, and the society of his earliest and most esteemed friends. His mother, who was then in extreme old age, accom- panied him to town ; and his cousin. Miss Jane Douglas, who had formerly been a member of his family in Glasgow, undertook the superintendence of his domestic aiTangements. The accession to his income which he had now obtained, enabled him to gratify, to a much greater extent than formerly, the natural generosity of his disposition, " The state of his funds at the time of his death," 3Ir Stewart re- marks, " compared with his very moderate establishment, confirmed, beyond a doubt, what his intimate acquaintances had often suspected, that a large pro- portion of his savings was allotted to offices of seci-et charity." In 1787, Dr Smith was elected lord rector of the university of Glasgow. A letter addressed to the principal of the university on the occasion, shows the high sense he felt of this honour. " No preferment," he writes, ** could have given me so much real satisfaction. No man can owe greater obligations to a society, than I do to the university of Glasgow. They educated me : they sent me to Oxford. Soon after my return to Scotland, they elected me one of their own members ; and afterwards preferred me to another office, to which the abilities and virtues of the never to be forgotten Dr Hutcheson, had given a superior degree of illustration. The period of thirteen years, which I spent as a member of that society, I remember as by far the most useful, and therefore as by far the happiest and most honourable period of my life : and now, after three and twenty years' absence, to be remembered in so very agi-eeable a man- ner by my old friends and protectors, gives me a heartfelt joy, which 1 cannot easily express to you." During the last residence of Dr Smith in Edinburgh, his studies appear to have been almost entirely suspended. The petty routine duties of his ofiice, though requiring little exertion of thought, were sufficient to occupy a consider- able portion of his time and attention ; and it is deeply to be regretted, that, in all probability, these duties alone prevented him from giving that " Account of the general principles of Law and Government, and of the dit^erent Revolu- tions they have undergone in the different ages and periods of society," which he had stated in the concluding paragraph of the " Theory of Moral Senti- ments," it was his intention to do. In 1784', Dr Smith lost his mother, to whom he had been most tenderly at- tached ; and her death was followed, four years afterwards, by that of flliss Douglas. These domestic afflictions contributed to hasten the decline of his health. His constitution had never been robust, and began early to give way. His last illness, which arose from a chronic obstruction of the bowels, was lingering and painful. He had the consolation, however, of receiving the ten- ADAi\I SMITH, LL.D., r.R.S. 291 dercst sympathy of his friends ; and he bore his affliction with the most perfect resignation. His death took place in July, 1790. A few days before his death, uhen Dr Smith found his end rapidly approaching, he caused all his manuscripts to be destroyed excepting a few essays, M-hich he entrusted to the care of his executors, Ur Black and Dr llutton. The intention of destroying all those of his manuscripts which he did not think worthy of publication, he had long entertained, and seems to have proceeded from a laudable anxiety in regard to his literary reputation. It is not exactly known what were tlie contents of the manuscripts which were de- stroyed, but there is every reason to believe that they consisted i.i part of the lectures on rhetoric and belles lettres whicli he had delivered at Edin- burgli in 1748, and of tlie lectures on natui-al religion and jurisprudence, which formed an important part of the course he had delivered at Glasgow. Of the essays which were left to the care of his friends six were published a few years after his death by his illustrious executors. Three of them are fragments of a great work which he at one time intended to write on the principles which lead and direct philosophical inquiries, but which he had long abandoned as far too extensive. The first contains the b.istory of astronomy, ^vliich seems to be the most complete of the three ; the sacond contains the history of ancient physics ; and the third gives the history of the ancient logics and metaphysics. To these essays, which are all written upon the plan of his Essay on the forma- tion of the Languages, are subjoined other three, which treat, 1st. Of the na- ture of that imitation which takes place in what are called the Imitative Arts. 2nd. Of the affinity between certain English and Italian Verses ; and 3rd. Of the External Senses. As to the merits of these essays the distinguished editors express their hopes " that the reader would iind in them tliat happy connexion, that full and accurate expression, and tliat clear illustration whic'j are conspicuous in the rest of the author's works, and that though it is difficult to add much to the great fame he so justly acquired by his other writings, these would be read witli satisfaction and pleasure." The library which Dr Smith had collected during his life though small was valuable. The books were well selected, and he was particularly careful that the bijous which he admitted into his collection should be in excellent order. 3Ir Sm3llie, in his life of Dr Smith, says, " The first time I happened to be in his library, observing me looking at the books with some degree of curiosity and perliaps surprise, for most of the volumes were elegantly, and some of them superbly bound, — 'You must have remarked,' said he, ' that I am a beau in nothing but my books.'" This valuable library, together with the rest of his property, Dr Smith bequeathed to iMr David Douglas, advocate, his cousin. We shall close this sketch of Dr Smith's life with a few observations on his habits and private character, extracted from the valuable Account of his Life and Writings given by Mr Stewai-t. '■ To his private worth, the most certain of all testimonies may be found in that confidence, respect, and attachment which followed him through all the various relations of life ; the serenity and gayely he enjoyed under the pressure of his growing infirmities, and the warm interest he felt to the last in every- thing connected with the welfare of his friends, will be long remembered by a small circle, with whom, as long as iiis strength permitted, lie regularly spent an evening in the week ; and to whom the recollection of his worth still forms a pleasing, though melancholy bond of union. "The more delicate and characteristical features of his mind, it is perhaps impossible to trace. That there were many peculiarities both in his manners and in his intellectual habits was manifest to the most superficial observer ; but :92 ADAM SMITH, LL.D., F.R.S. aUhough, to those who knew him, these peculiarities detracted nothing from the respect wiiich liis abilities commanded ; and, altlioiigh to liis intimate friends they added an inexpressible cliarni to his conversation, while they displayed in the most interesting light the artless simplicity of his heart; yet it would re- quire a very sliilful pencil to present them to tlie public eye. He was certain- ly not fitted lor tiie general connuerce of the world, or for the business of active life. Tiie comprehensive sj)eculations with wiiich he had been occupied from liis youth, and the variety of materials which his own invention continually sup- plied to his thoughts, rendered him habitually inattentive to familiar objects, and to common occurrences ; and he frequently exhibited instances of absence wiiich have scarcely been surpassed by the fancy of La Brwyere. Even in com- pany he was apt to be engrossed with his studies ; and appeared, at times, by the motion of his lips, as well as by his looks and gestures, to be in the fervour of composition. I have often, however, been strucic, at the distance of years, Avith his accurate memory of the most trilling particulars, and am inclined to believe, from this and some other circumstances, that he possessed a power, not perhaps uncommon among absent men, of recollecting, in consequence of subse- quent efforts of reflection, many occurrences which at the time wlien they liap- pened did not seem to have sensibly attracted his notice. " To tlie defect now mentioned, it was probably owing that he did not fall in easily with the common dialogue of conversation, and that he was somewhat apt to convey his own ideas in the form of a lecture. When he did so, how- ever, it never proceeded from a wisli to engross the disccurse, or to gratify his vanity. His own inclination disposed him so strongly to enjoy iu silence the gaycty of those around him, thai; his friends were often led to concert little schemes in order to engage him in the discussions most likely to interest him. ISor do I think I shall be accused of going too far when I say, that he was scarcely ever known to start a new topic himself, or to appear unprepared upon those topics that were introduced by others. Indeed, his conversation was never more amusing than when he gave a loose to his genius upon the very few branches of knowledge of which he only possessed the outlines. " The opinions he formed of men upon a slight acquaintance ^vere frequent- ly erroneous ; but the tendency of his nature inclined him much more to blind partiality, than to ill-founded prejudices. The enlarged views of human affairs on which iiis mind habitually dwelt, left him neither time nor inclination to study in detail the uninteresting peculiarities of ordinary characters, and ac- cordingly, though intimately acquainted with the capacities of the intellect and the workings of the heart, and accustomed in his theories to mark A\ith tlie most delicate hand the nicest shades both of genius and of the passions ; yet in judging of individuals it sometimes happened that his estimates were in a sur- prising degree wide of tiie truth. " The opinions to \\hich in tlie thoughtlessness and confidence of his social hours, he was accustomed to hazard on books and on questions of speculation, were not uniformly such as might have been expected from the superiority of his understanding, and the singular consistency of his philosophical principles. They were liable to be influenced by accidental circumstances, and by the humour of the moment : and \\hen retailed by those who only saw him occa- sionally, suggested false and contradictory ideas of his real sentiments. On these, however, as on most other occasions, tliere was always much truth, as well as ingenuity in his remarks ; and if the different opinions ^vhich at different times he pronounced upon tiie same subject had been all combined to- gether, 60 as to modify and limit each other, ihey would probably have afforded materials for a decision equally compreliensive and just. Cut, in the society of TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT. 293 his friends, he had no disposition to form those qualified conchisions tliat Me aIr John Gordon and family ; and please let my condolence and best wishes be made ac- ceptable to the parents of my much lamented friend. At the same time, receive yourself the additional portion of affection he possessed in the heart of " Your own, " T\ S:,IOLLETT.- " London, May 22nd, 1744. " Willy Wood, who is just now drinking n glass with me, oilers you his good wishes, and desires you to present his compliments to 5Iiss Becky Bogle. " T. S." In 1746, Smollett published a satirical poem, in the manner of Juvenal, en- titled " Adeice," and aimed at some of the chief political characters of the day. In the beginning of 1747, appeared a continuation of the same production, under the title of " Reproof,' which attacked all kinds of odious characters, military cowards, army-contractcrs, usurers, gamesters, poetasters, &c. The keen and energetic expressions of those poems, caused the author to bo re- spected, dreaded, and detested, the usual fate of satirists. During his residence in Jamaica, Smollett had formed an attachment to Miss Lascelles, an elegant and accomplished young lady, of respectable connexions in that island, and who had the expectation of a fortune of i£3000. He now married Miss Lascelles, and, setting up an elegant domestic establishment iu 2 pi-obablv his former master at Glasgow. TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT, 297 London, indulged in a style of life suitable to his own generous disposition, and the taste and education of his wife. Being disappointed, however, of the ex- pected fortune of Mrs Smollett, wiiich cost him an expensive and vexatious law- suit, without ever being realized, he was obliged to have recourse to his pen for subsistence, and produced his novel of " Roderick Random," in two volumes (1748); a work founded partly upon the incidents of his own life, though in no very decided manner. The singular humour of this work, its amazing truth to nature, and tlie entertainment which it is calculated to afford to minds of all orders, secured it a most extensive sale, and raised both the fortune and the fame of the author. It was followed by the publication of the " Regicide," which was also profitable ; and in 1750, Smollett paid a visit to Paris. In 1751, when as yet only thirty years of age, he produced " Peregrine Pickle," in four volumes ; a more regular, and perhaps more elaborate novel than *' Roderick Random," but hardly so entertaining, and certainly much more obnoxious than its predecessor, to the charge of licentiousness and coarse- ness, in some of its passages. It is somewhat remarkable, that neither in this novel, nor in " Roderick Random," does he make his hero a perfect gentle- man : in both characters, the mixture of seliishness and want of principle, is very great. It is further remarkable, that, while the humour of the two works is be- yond all parallel in the English language, there is hardly a single dash of pathos, or even of pure and virtuous feeling. It must be concluded, indeed, from these and all the other productions of Smollett, that though himself an honourable and generous man, he cherished no notions of high and abstract goodness: the fide- lity and kindness of Strap and Bowling, though sometimes touching, are too evidently referable to the simplicity of their respective classes, to countervail against our observations. The fine passage, also, in Peregrine Pickle, where the exiled Jacobites bewail from the quay of Boulogne, the land they can still see, but must never again tread, is only an accidental narration of a real anecdote. The chief person alluded to, was a 3Ir Hunter, of Burnside, whom Smollett had met at Boulogne, under the circumstances described, when engaged in his French tour. After a vain attempt to get into practice as a physician — for which purpose he published a medical pamphlet, and obtained the degree of Doctor of Physic — he assumed the character of an author by profession, and retired to a small house at Chelsea, where he lived for some years. The unmerciful manner in which he had lashed the ministry, precluded all court patronage, even if it had been the fashion of the court of George II. to extend it. He depended solely on the booksellers, for whom he wrought in the various departments of compilations, translations, criticisms, and miscellaneous essays. In 1753, he produced his novel, entitled " The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom;" a work which appears to be founded upon a mistake both in morals and meta- physics. To exhibit the details of a life spent in one uninterrupted series of base and fraudulent transactions, cannot be favourable to the morals of the world in any case ; but the greatest objection is that such a work is a monstrosity, be- cause no such character ever existed or can exist. In every view of the case it were better for the literary and moral reputation of Smollet, that this Avork had never been written. In the beginning of 1755, he published his transla- tion of Don Quixote, which, though esteemed less faithful than others previously given to the English public, conveys more perfectly, because more freely, the humour of tlie author. This work was very profitable to the translator. Smollett now revisited his native country for the first time since he had first left it. On arriving at Scotston, in Peebleshire wliere his mother resided 298 TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT. with lier tianghter, IMi-s Telfor, it was arranged that he shoald ba introduced to the old lady as a gentleman from the West Indies, who was intiiuately acq'iainted with her son. Tiie better to support his assumed character, he en- deavoured to preserve a very serious countenance, ap;>roacliing to a frown ; but while his mother's eyes were rivetted with tlie instinct of affection upon his countenance, ho could not refrain from smiling: she immediately sprang from her chair, and, throwing her arms around his neck, exclaimed "All! my son, my son!" She afterwards told iiim that, if he had kept his austere looks and continued to gloom, she miglit have perhaps been deceived ; but " your old roguish smile," she added, " betrayed you at once." After a little tour through the circle of his Scottish acquaintance, he returned to London, and commenced in 175G, the " Critical Review," which professed to maintain Tory principles against tlie Whig work called the 3Ionthly Review. His contributions to this periodical were numerous and excellent, though some- times disgraced by intemperance of language. He soon after published hij large collection of Voyages formerly alluded to. Passing over a farce, entitled the " Reprisal," which was acted with success in 1757, Smollett's next work was his *' Complete History of England," deduced from the descent of Julius Caesar, to the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748, which appeared in 1753 in 4 vols., 4to. As only a part of Hume's His- tory had hitherto appeared, this work was the first of the kind, in which any large share of ability or any considerable elegance of composition had been dis- played. The judgments of the writer upon political characters and transactions are by no means in the most popular strain, nor are they even consistent ; but, nevertheless, the spirit and sprigiitliness of the narrative secured it appro- bation. It met with so extensive a sale, that, with the continuation afterwards published in two similar quarto volumes, it brought him two thousand pounds, while half as much was made by the bookseller to whom he sold the Continua- tion, from a mere transference of the copyright of that part of the work. It has been declared, and never contradicted, that the four quarto volumes, embracing a period of thirteen hundred years, were composed and finished for the press in fourteen months ; an effort to which nothing but the greatest abilities, and the most vigorous application, could have been equal. The shortness of time be- stowed on the " Complete History of England," joined to the merit of the per- formance, and the consideration of the infinite pains and perseverance it must have cost him to form and digest a proper plan, compile materials, compare dif- ferent accounts, collate authorities, and compose, polish, and finish the work, will make it be regarded as one of the most striking instances of facility in writing that is to be found in literary history. The work, in its entire shape, lias long been superseded ; but it has always been customary to supply the de- fect of Hume's work with a continuation from Smollett, embracing the period between the Revolution and the Accession of George III. The one gi-and defect of Smollett's character was his propensity to satire. According to the report of an early companion, his conversation in company was a continued string of epigrammatic sarcasms against one or other of those present ; a practice so disagreeable that no degree of talent could excuse it. When he Avrote satirically, it was generally in reference to something mean, cowardly, selfish, or otherwise odious to his own upright and generous feelings. It did not occur to him — nor has it properly been considered either by satirists or those who delight in satire — that for a private individual to set him- self up in judgment upon a fellow being, and, without examining any evidence or hearin-i' any defence, to condemn him at once and irremediably to the pillory of the press, is an invasion of the rights of the subjects just as wicked, as it TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT. 299 would be to take away from an ordinary culprit the trial by jury, and tha privilege of being heard by counsel. Smollett was in the habit of indulging his propensity very frequently in the Critical Review, and, as a natural result of his warm and hasty temper, he often censured and ridiculed without a proper cause. Hence, he was perpetually subject to counter assaults from provoked authors, and occasionally to legal prosecutions, the ellect of which was so severe that he is found, September 23, 1753, describing himself to Dr 3Ioore, as sick of both praise and blame, and praying to his God that circumstances might per- mit him to consign his pen to oblivion ! In the end of this year, in consequence of some severe expressions ho had used in the Review regarding admiral Knowles, a prosecution was raised against the printer ; chiefly for the purposa of ascertaining the author of the offensive article, from whom, in the event of his proving a gentleman, the complainant threatened to demand the usual satis- faction. After every attempt to soften admiral Knowles had failed, Smollett came boldly forward and screened the printer by avowing himself the author of the article, and offering any satisfaction that might be required. Knowles, who had sailed as a captain in the expedition toCarthagena, probably thought it beneath him to fight a man who had been a surgeon's mate in the same fleet, even though that surgeon's mate boasted of some good Caledonian blood, and was besides booked for immortality in the scrolls of fame. The penalty paid by Smollelt for his rashness was a fine of one hundred pounds and an imprisonment for three months in the King's Bench prison. Yet, in this misfortune, he was not without consolation. His conduct was generally pronounced very magnani- mous, and his friends continued to visit hira in prison the same as iu his neat villa at Chelsea. To beguile the tedium of confinement, he wrote a fantastic novel, entitled " The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves," which appeared in detached por- tions through the successive numbers of the British Magazine for 1760 ana 1761. This is deservedly ranked among the least happy of Smollett's perform- ances. The drollery entirely lies in the adventures of a crazy English gentle- man, who sets out armed cap-a-pie, in the character of a knight-errai:t, and roams through modern England, to attack vice wherever it can be found, to protect defenceless virtue, and remedy the evils which the law cannct reach. While some amusement is afforded by the contrast of such a character with the modern common-place beings amongst whom he moves, it is only the imperfect amusement yielded by the exhibition of natural madness ; the adventures of an imaginary sovereign broken loose from a mad house could hardly be less drearily entertaining. Smollett, in the haste with which he wrote his novel, has evidently proceeded upon the idea of an English Don Quixote ; without recollect- ing that the work of the illustrious Cervantes had a rational aim, in proposing to counteract the rage of the Spanish people for tales of knightly adventure. His own work, having no such object, labours under the imputation of being an imitation, without any countervailing advantage. Yet, strange to say, such was the prestige of Smollett's name and example, that the work not only sold to a great extent as a separate work, but was followed by many sub-imitations, such as the Spiritual Quixote, the Amicable Quixote, the Female Quixote, &c. In 1760, Smollett became engaged, with other literary adventurers, in a large and important work, which was finished in 176-i, in ii volumes, under the title of* The 3Iodern Part of an Universal History." He is supposed to have con- tributed the histories of France, Italy, and Germany, to this work, and to hav9 i-eceived altogether, for his share of the labour, no less a sum than £1575. Throughout the same period, he was en2:an;cd in his " Continuation of the His- 300 TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT. tory of England, from 1748 to 1765," which first appeared in five successive octavo Tolumes, and finally in 2 vols., 4to, 1706. It has been already men- tioned that, for this work, he is supposed to have received such a price as enabled the pur Tiaser to sell it to a bookseller at a profit of one thousand pounds. Smollett had been originally a Whig, but he gradually became something very like a Tory. A diffusive philanthropy, by uliich he was inspired, with perhaps soma impressions from early education, had made him the first ; a disgust at the conduct of some of his party appears to have inclined him to the second. The accession of a Scottish prime minister in the earl of Bute, as it excited much opposition among the English, so it attracted a proportionate degree of support from tlie Scotch, who now very generally became adiierents of the government, from a motive of nationality, without regard to their former political sentiments. Smollett went into this enthusiasm, and on the very day of the earl of Bute's elevation, 3Iay 29th, 1762, he started a newspaper entitled " The Briton," in which he laboured to break down the prejudices of the Englisii against a Scottish premier, and undertook tlie defence of the new administration upon its own merits. Within a week after this event, an opposition journal was started by Wilkes, with whom Smollett had previously lived on the most intimate terms of friendship, but who now became liis political antagonist. The North Briton, (so Avas this paper called,) supported by the overpowering national feelings of England, very soon proved too much for its rival; and on the 12th February, 1763, Smollett abandoned the publication. He did not shine as a party writer, wanting that coolness which is necessary in forming replies and repartees to all the paragraphs with which he was assailed s like the most of professed satirists, he could endure nothing so ill as satire. Lord Bute, who resigned in the April following, is said to have never sufticiently acknowledged the services of Smollett. Among the publications with which Smollett was connected about this time, were, a translation of the works of Voltaire in twenty-seven volumes, and a work in eight volumes, entitled ** The Present State of all Nations." In the first his name was associated with that of the Rev. T. Francklin, translator of Sophocles ; but in neither is it probable that much was written by his own hand. He had now for many years prosecuted the sedentary and laboi-ious employ- ment of an author by profession. Though little more than forty years of age, and possessed originally of a most robust frame, he began to suffer from ill health. His life, which ought to have been rendered comfortable by the large sums he procured for his >\orks, was embittered by " the stings and ar- rows" which his own satirical disposition had caused to be directed against him- self, and by the loss of friends, Avhich lie was perpetually suffering, either from that cause, or from political differences. To add to his other miseries, he had the misfortune at this time to lose his daughter and only child, Elizabeth, a girl of fifteen, whose amiable disposition and elegant accomplishments had be- come the solace of his life, and promised to be in future a still more precious blessing. Under this accumulation of distresses, he was prevailed upon by his wife to seek consolation in travel; and accordingly, in June, 1763, he went abroad, and continued in France about two years. In the course of his travels, Smollett seems to have laboured under a constant fit of ill humour, the result of morbid feelings, and a distempered bodily system. This is amply visible in the work whicli he published on his return, entitled, " Travels through France and Italy," 2 vols. 8vo., of which two pas- sages may be here extracted. TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT. ^ 301 ** With respect to tlie famous Venus Pontia, commonly called de Medicis, 1 believe I ought to be entirely silent, or at least conceal uiy real sentiments, which will otherwise appear equally absurd and presumptuous. It must be want of taste that prevents my feeling that enthusiastic admii-ation with which others are inspired at siglit of this statue. I cannot help thinking there is no beauty in the features of Venus, and tiiat the attitude is awkward and out of character." " I was much disappointed at sight of the Pantheon, A\hich, after all that has been said of it, looks like a huge cock-pit, open at the top.*' Ihese observations upon works of art that had been the subject of universal admiration for centuries, could not be attributed to an original and native want of taste in such a man as Smollett : they must therefore be ascribed al- together to the distempered light which disease threw around, every object that claimed his attention. The morose style of his "Travels" called forth universal remark ; but nothing excited more surprise than what he had said re- garding Venus and the Pantheon. His observations upon these subjects drew down upon him the following sarcastic notice from Sterne. " The learned Snielfungus travelled from Boulogne to Paris — from Paris to Rome — and so on ; but he set out with the spleen and the jaundice, and every object ho passed by was discoloured and distorted. He wrote an account of them, but it was nothing but an account of his miserable feelings ; I met Smel- fungus in the grand portico of the Pantheon; he was just coming out of it; ' It is nothing but a huge cock-pit,' said he : 'I wish you had said nothing worse of the Venus Medicis,' I replied ; for, in passing through Florence, I had heard he had fallen foul upon the goddess, and used her worse than a common strumpet, without the least provocation in nature, I popped upon Smelfungus again at Turin, in his return home, and a sad and sorrowful tale of adventures he had to tell, wherein he spoke of moving accidents by flood and field, and of the cannibals which each other eat : the Anthropophagi. He had been flayed alive, and bedeviled, and worse used than St Bartholomew, at every stage he had come at. * I'll tell it,' said Smelfungus, * to the world.' * You had better tell it,' said I, ' to your physician.'"'* A continental tour having failed to restore health and spirits, he now re- solved to try the effect of native air and native scenery. About the beginning of June, 1766, lie arrived in Edinburgh, where he passed some time with his mother, who retained, at an advanced age, a strong understanding, and an un- common sliare of humour, and whom he loved w ilh all the warmth of filial affec- tion.* He then proceeded with his sister, Mrs Telfer, and his nephew, a young officer in the army, to Glasgow ; whence, after a brief stay, tiiey went, accom- panied by Dr Moore, to Cameron, the residence of his cousin, Mr Smollett, of Bonhill, on the banks of Lochlomond. During the whole time of his stay, he was afflicted with severe rheumatic pains, and with a neglected ulcer in his arm, which almost unfitted him for enjoying society. He afterwards commemorated the impressions, and some of the adventures which he experienced in this tour, in his last and best novel, " Humphrey Clinker," Avhich was published in 1771, while he resided in Italy. In the account which he gives in this novel of some branches of Edinburgh society, he had real characters and real customs in his eye. The " 3Ir M ," at whose house his characters are represented as having seen a liaggis at table, was 3Ir Mitchelson, a writer to the signet, con- nected with the family of Sir Walter Scott. The " beautiful Bliss E 3 Sentimental Journey, vol. i, * During his residence in Edinburgh, he lived in his mother's house, or rather his sister's, Ht the head of St John Street, in the Canongate. 302 TOBIAS GEOEGE SMOLLETT. * — — . R ," wliora Jerry Molford signalizes at a ball, was Miss Elconora Renton, daughter of John Renton, Esq. of Lamerton, by lady Susan, daughter of Alexander, ninth carl of Eglintoun. Her eldest sister became the wife of Mr Tclfer, nephew of Smollett, and communicated the name of Renton to a large manufacturing village, now situated at Dalquhurn, the birth-place of the novelist. The young lady whose elegant person attracted the notice of Smollett in 17C6, was the late dowager Mrs Sharpe of Hoddam, and mother of the ingenious historical antiquary, the late Mr Charles Kilpatrick Sharpe.^ It may, perhaps, surprise those who have enjoyed the exquisite humour of the Scoltisli scenes in Humphrey Clinker, that, during tiie whole tour which he has commemorated under that fictitious shape, he sutl'ered so nmch pain from his arm, as to be, in some measure, mentally affected : he acknowledges liim- self, ihat, from April till November, 176G, he had a kind of coma vigil; and that his Scottish journey, tiierefore, which ended in August, " produced only misery and disgust,'"^ He spent tlie winter of 176G-7 in Bath, where he was so fortunate as to get quit of his ulcer, and recover a considerable portion of his original health. In 1760, he published his " Adventures of an Atom," two vols. 12mo; a political romance, ov jeu d' esprit, exhibiting, under Japanese names, the characters and conduct of the leaders of party, from the commencement of the French war, in 1753, to the dissolution of lord Chatham's administration, in 1767-8. Soon afterwards, his ailments having recurred with violence, he was recommended to try once more the genial climate of Italy ; but, his circumstances being inade- quate to the expense of the journey, and of his remaining free from all care, but what concerned his health, application was made to obtain for him the of- fice of consul at Nice, Naples, or Leghorn. This application was unsuccessful ; because the government, as usual, could not spare any patronage, except for its friends. Smollett had, therefore, to set out for Italy, in 1770, under circum- stances far from easy, and wliich must have, no doubt, materially increased his personal distress. He chose for his residence a cottage near Leghorn, situated on a mountain side, overlooking the sea, and surrounded by some of the fairest scenery in Tuscany. While residing here, he published, in 1771, " The Adventures of Humphrey Clinker," in which his own character, as it ap- peared in later life, under the pressure of bodily disease, is delineated in the person of Matthew Bramble. During the summer of 1774, he declined very rapidly; and at length, on the 21st of October, death put a period to his suffei-ings. Smollett, who thus died prematurely in the fifty-first year of his age, and the blcom of his mental faculties, was tall and iiandsome, with a most prepossessing- carriage and address, and all the marks and manners of a gentleman. His character, laying aside the unhappy propensity to sarcasm and epigram, was of an elevated and generous cast, humane and benevolent ; and he only practised virtue too rigorously, and abliorred vice too vehemently, for his own comfort, in a AYOrld of inferior morality. An irritable and impatient temper, and a proud, improvident disposition, were his greatest, and almost his only failings. ^ The adventures of Lcsmaliago among the Indians, were perhaps suggested bj- the real story of a lieutenant Kenned}', who, in the seven years' war, man ied an Indian squaw, at:d was made a king by her tribe. " General Abercromby gave liim a party of flighlanders," sajs a newspaper of the day, "joined with a party of Indians, to go a-scai,ping, in w/iich he had some success. He had learned tlie languHge; paints, and dresses like an Indian' and it is thought will be of sei vice by his new alliance. His wife gots with him, and car- ries his provisions on her back. " Such was the enlightened warfare Ciirried on in those times, notwithstanding tlie eloquent dcnunaations of a Ciiatham ! * Letter to Dr Moore. DK. THOMAS SOMERVILLE. 303 Of Lis genius, as a delineator of human character, his novels form an imperish- able monument, though certainly not undeformed by considerable impurity of taste. So long as his " Ode to Levcn Water," and his « Ode to ludependeuce, exist, he can never fail to be admired as a poet. Three years after Smollett's death, a round column, of the Tuscxin order with an urn on its entablature, was erected to his memory, near the house in which he was born, by his cousin, iMr Smoliett, of Bonhiil, who is said to have never manifested any kindness towards him while he was alive. For this memorial, an inscription was furnished by the united labours of professor George Stuart of Edinburgh, Mr Ramsay of Ochtertyre, and Dr Samuel Johnson. Lord Kames also wrote an English epitapii, which was lost to the learned world, till it appeared in the work, entitled " Traditions of Edinburgh." A plainer mo- nument was erected over Smollett's grave at Leghorn, by his friend and countryman, Dr Armstrong, who added a very elegant inscription. The widow of Smollett — the Narcissa of *' Roderick Random" — Avas left, a poor widow in a foreign land. The small remains of lier husband's fortune had been settled upon her, under the trust of 3Ir Graham of Gartmore, and Mr Bontine, his tried and faithful friends. The sum, however, was so little, that tills elegant woman was soon involved in great distress. It must have added not a little to the poignancy of Mrs Smollett's feelings, that, had Iier husband lived a few years longer, he would have succeeded his cousin of Bonhiil, as heir of entail, in the possession of an estate of a thousand a-year, besides, perhaps, tlie private wealth of that individual, worth as much more ; all of which de- scended to his sister, Mrs Telfer. It is alleged by Dr Anderson, that neither IMr Smollett nor BIrs Telfer ever thought of extending any relief to the widow of their distinguished relative, the man whose genius has consecrated their family name to all posterity. It is known, however, that 3Ir Smollett, almost immediately after his cousin's death, gave a considerable sum to the widow, un- der pretence of purchasing her husband's books, few of whicli ever reached tlie purchaser. We certainly cannot but regi'et, that IMrs Telfer afterwards per- mitted an act of public charity to be resorted to for the relief of her kins- woman. On tlie 3rd of March, 1784, probably through tiie exertions of Mr (jraham of Gartmore, a benefit was procured for her in the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh ; on which occasion, the play of Venice Preserved was acted, witli a prologue written by BIr Graham. The money, amounting, with private dona- tions, to £2Q6, was remitted to Italy ; and tliis was all that Scotland ever sacrificed for the sake of one of the most illustrious of her sons. S03IERVILLE, (Dr) Thomas, an eminent historian, was born at Hawick, in Roxburghshire, in the spring of 1741.' By the early death of his father, who Avas minister of the parish of Hawick, he was left an orphan, along with two sisters, his mother having predeceased her husband. His father left the care of his early education to the reverend 3Ir Cranstoun of Ancrum, and another member of the presbytery of Jedburgh, whose kindness and attention are evi- denced by the afi'ection afterwards exhibited towards them by their pupil. Having obtained the education derivable from a provincial grammar school, he became a student in the university of Edinburgh. He is said not to have exhi- bited in his acquirements the precocity of talent generally recorded of men who have become eminent in any branch of literature ; and indeed the branch in which he distinguished himself, wlien qualified by the manner in which he 1 INIcmoir in the Annual Obituary for 1S31. As this memoir is written by a personal fiiend of Dr Sonierviile, aiid is botli' better written, and more liberal in its viev.s, tlian such productions generally happen to be, we shall take the liberty of making some quotations I'rom it. 304 DR. THOMAS SOMERVILLE. treated it, is more dcp-cndent on a general development of sound ordinary abi- lities, than on the existence of that genius which shines before the judgment is matured. Nothing seems to be known of his early habits, except his having fallen from a horse, and hurt his head ; a circumstance which, not unnaturally, gave him a partiality for pedestrian exercises during the remainder of his life. The accident happened in Edinburgh, close to the residence of the reverend Sir Bain, an eminent clex'gyman of the Relief church. "In his family tho patient was attended lor several months, with a kindness and humanity which made a lasting impression on his mind. Often has the present writer," con- tinues the memoir above referred to, "lieard him express the pleasure and im- provement he had reaped fiom the enlightened conversation of his worthy host, during a long and tedious convalescence." Somerville was licensed as a preacher, about the year 1762. He shortly after this event returned to Rox- burghshire, and became tutor to the son of Sir Gilbert Elliott, afterwards lord 3Iinto, and governor-general of India. In 1767, Sir Gilbert presented him with the living of Minto ; and in 1772, the same friend procured his promotion to the more lucrative living of Jedburgh. At that period, opposition to the right of patronage in Scotland was still warm in the feelings of the people, if it might not be said to have revived. There is no doubt that the right was well exer- cised, and in the midst of so much scrutiny and opposition, it would have been singular had it not been so ; but the very circumstance which produced the election of such men as Mr Somerville, was naturally the cause of objection to the persons chosen : and the subject of our memoir entered on his charge in direct opposition to a great majority of his parishioners. It may be predicated of a man of good feeling and sense, that he would hesitate to be the teacher of the conscience of persons who contemned and disliked him ; but it was part of Somerville's political opinion to think otherwise ; and biography affords many instances in which persons so swayed have been excellent men, and might have despised the action, had it been set before them divested of its political bear- ings. The appointment was followed by repeated protests, but its legality was confirmed. " Wliatever," says the memoir, " might be the cause of the reverend presentee's extreme unpopularity, — whatever objections were alleged against the orthodoxy of his creed, or his mode of public teaching, — his most strenuous opponents were compelled to admit tlie correctness of his moral character ; and several of the iuost discoritented having seceded to the relief meeting, tranquil- lity was gradually restored." Somerville commenced authorship by a pamphlet, entitled " Candid thoughts on American Independence," which appeared soon after the commencenient of the American war. Like Campbell, and other members of tlie church of Scotland, he maintained those opinions against the claims of the colonists, which were so much opposed to the principles on which the church of Scotland struggled into existence, however nmch they might ac- cord with those of its pastors after it was firmly established. In 1792, appeared his " History of Political Transactions, and of Parties, from the Restoration of Charles II. to the Death of King William." In his treatment of this subject, he showed himself a member of that class of politicians, wliose doctrines are generally founded on either or both of two opinions, connected with the times. 1st, A dislike of popery, and all persons connected with it ; and, consequently, a love of all measures termed protestant : secondly. An affection for the state of things existing at the period of writing, and such a respect for the persons, who, by operating great changes, have brought about that existing state, as the writer would have been the last person to feel, when the change was about to be made. Hence Somerville is, on all occasions, not only the admirer, but the vindicator of William, and a supporter of what are called " the principles of tlie DR. THOMAS SOMERVILLE. 305 Revolution," or those of tlie future permanency of the country, in the position in which the ]\evoUition left it. Owing to the other eminent histories of the same period, this work is not so valuable as the author's History of Queen Anne, which appeared in 1798, with the title, ''* The History of Great Britain, during the Keign of Queen Anne ; with a Dissertation concerning- the Danger of the Protestant Succession : and an Appendix, containing Original Papers." This work was a valuable accession to the literature of the period at wliich it was published ; and it must still be allowed to be the most ample and nccurate, if not also the most impartial, history of the times of which it treats. It is certainly above the average of historical works : there is nothing olTensive or affected in the style — vices very conniion among those who were secondary to the three great historians of the last century — it is expressive and plain, and, in many cases, elegant. The reflections, if not those of a profound philosopher, show a well thinking mind ; and, although breathing party feeling, never show violent prejudice. That this, however, should be the best history of so remark- able an age, is to be regretted, especially since the late discovery of many do- cuments, illustrative of its dark transactions. A change more interesting than that of a palpable revolution, in the gradual passage from prerogative to influence, forms a subject for a writer more conversant with constitutional sub- jects, and better able to discuss them in all their bearings, than Dr Somerville, who is in general a better narrator of the intrigues of individual politicians, and the diplomatic intercourse of nations, than a student of laws and governments, and their eflects on society. In discussing the question of the danger of th.e protestant succession, the author professes, as writing at a period when the sub- ject is not looked on with party ^iews, net to be actuated by them. It is very doubtful whether he was correct in the supposition, either as it refers to his own feelings, or to those of the period ; and, independently of the information acquired since Somemlle wrote, it will perhaps hardly be denied, that there was then enough known to show, from legitimate deduction, that what was called " the protestant succession," actually was in danger, not only from the machinations of Bolingbroke, and the zeal of the Jacobites, but from the per- sonal feelings of the queen. In the interval between the production of his two great historical works, (1793,) he wrote a pamphlet, " On th.e Constitution and State of Gretit Britain." About the same time, he was chosen one of the chap- lains in ordinary to liis majesty for Scotland, and elected a member of the lioyal Society of Edinburgh. He also received the degree of doctor of divinity from the university of Edinburgh, at what period of his life we are not aware. At the period of the publication of his " History of Queen Anne,'' he visited London, and presented a copy of his woi-k to tlie king, at an introduction at St James's. A whimsical circumstance happened to him during his visit, thus told by his biographer; " On the day subsequent to his arrival, while in the lobby of the house of conmions, Dr Somerville was arrested, and taken to Bow street, on a charge of felony. Thunderstruck, and utterly incapable of ac- counting for the stranjje predicament in which lie was placed, our bewildered divine could scarcely avail himself of the polite advice of the magistrate, to ap- prise his friends of the circumstance. ]\Iean^\hile, the late lord 3Ielville, then Sir Henry Dundas, who liad \vitnessed his seizure, entered the ofiice, and having satisfied the magistrate of the respectability of liis countryman, indulged in a hearty laugh at his expense. A notorious and specious swindler had been, it should seem, a passenger on board the packet in which Dv Somerville came to London; and being seen in the company of this man on their landing, led to his arrest as an accomplice. Ihis anecdote the writer has often heard Dv Sonier- ville relate with much pleasantry." IV. SQ 30G JOHN SPOTSWOOD. Besides liis political and liistorical works, Dr Sonierville wrote " Two Ser- mons communicated to the Scotch Preacher ;" " A Collection ol Sermons," pub- lished in 1S15 ; and a sermon " On the Nature and Obligation of an Oath," which appeared in the " Scottish Pulpit." He died, after a few days' illness, at Jedburgh, on the 10th May, 1830, at the good old age of ninety, and in the sixty-fourth year of his ministry. His faculties were fresh to tiie last; and on the Sunday previous to his death, he had preached, and administered the sacra- ment. Of his opinions and domestic character, the following paragraphs from the memoir above referred to, are descriptive. " Political science having long been the favourite study of Dr Somerviile, it may readily be supposed that he took a deep interest in all that concerned the French lievolution. But he was not one of these who hailed the dawn of liberty in that enslaved and benighted land ; on the contrary, he beheld it as the harbinger of evil to the whole of civilized Europe ; while, from the dissensions to which this event gave rise in his own country, he augured the downfall of that constitution, in church and state, which he had so ably vindicated in his writings, and which he regarded as the ne plus ultra of perfection. An alarmist on principle, he involved in one sweeping condemnation, all who entertained views ditlisrent from his own on this subject; and the wild impracticable theorist — the temperate and philo- sophical advocate for reform — were with him equally objects of reprobation.'' * * # << Devoted through a long life to the pursuits of literature, Ur Somerviile numbered among his friends many of tiie eminent scholars and divines of his native Scotland; and, during his occasional visits to the British metropolis, he was introduced to several of the distinguished literati of the south. Superior to the mean jealousy and petty envy, which too often prevail among the votaries of science and learning, Dr Somerviile was at all times, and on every occasion, eager to do justice to the talents and merits of his gifted contemporaries. No man could be more enthusiastically alive to the transcen- dant genius of Burns, or more feelingly deplore the moral aberrations of that inspired bard. In the dark hour of John Logan's eventful lite, he stretched towards him the supporting hand of friendship, and shielded him, in some measure, from the attacks of bigotry and illiberality, by the weight and in- iiuence of his own pure and unimpeachable character. A gold-headed cane, the parting gift of the grateful poet, when he bade a lasting adieu to Scotland, Dr Somerviile highly prized, and always carried in his hand when walking." SPOTSWOOD, John, superintendent of Lothian, was descended of the an- cient IMerse family of Spotswood of that ilk, and was born in the year 1510. His lather, William Spots\vood, was killed at the battle of Flodden, leaving him an orphan at little more than three years of age. The place at whicli he was edu- cated, and the person who taught him in his early years, are equally unknown to us. We have, indeed, discovered no further notice of him, till 1534, (June 27.) when, at the very late age of four and twenty, he wrs entered a student in the university of Glasgow. There was perhaps, however, some peculiarity in his case, for he became bachelor in the very next year (February 8, 1535); a circumstance which we can only account for, on the supposition that he had either made very remarkable proficiency in his studies, or attended some of the other universities previously. Spotswood, it is believed, intended to pi-osecute the study of divinity ; but he became disgusted with the cruelly of the catholic clerjiy, manifested most probably in the condemnation of liussell and Kennedy, ^vlio were burned for heresy at dlasgow, about 153S. In that jear, he left his native country, apparently horrified at the spectacle he had witnessed, and at other instances of barbarity which he must have heard of, and retired into England. At London, he became acquainted with archbishop Cranmer, to [JOHN SPOTSWOOD., 307 uhose kindness and encouragement many of our countrymen were indebted; and from whose eagerness in tlie dissemination of truth, tlie benefit derived by Scot- land cannot be easily estimated. Mr Spots^vood remained in the south for nearly five years, that is, from 1538 till 1543, when Henry VIII. restored the prisoners taken at the disgraceful rout of Solway Moss. He then returned to Scotland, in company with the earl .of Glencairn, a nobleman well known for his attachment to protestant principles, and resided with him for several years. Through that nobleman, he became acquainted witli the earl of Lennox, and was by him employed in a private negociation with the English court, in 15i4. After residing there for some months, he returned to Scotland; but little is known respecting him for some years following. In 1548, he was pre- sented to the parsonage of Calder, by Sir James Sandelands ; and, as a con- stant residence at his cure was not required, he lived for about ten years with that gentleman, and with lord James Steuart, then prior of St Andrews, and afterwards better known as The Regent 3Iurray. When commissioners were appointed by parliament, in 1558, to be present at the marriage of the young queen of Scotland to the dauphin of France, lord James was included in the number, and Spotswood accompanied him. Luckily, both returned in safety from this expedition, so fatal to many of their companions. On the establishment of the Reformation, the first care of the protestant party, was to distribute the very few ministers who held their sentiments, into different parts of the country. The scarcity of qualified persons, gave rise to some temporary arrangements, which were, ho^^ever, afterwards abandoned, Avhon the circumstances which produced them ceased to exist. One of these was, the establishment of superintendents over different districts, — an office which has been brought forward, with but little justice, we think, by some writers, to prove that the constitution of the Scottish church was originally episcopalian. Mr Spotswood had the honour of being first elected, having been appointed to the oversight of the district of Lothian, in IMarch, 15G0-1. Tho proceedings on this occasion were conducted by John Knox ; and the pledges required by that zealous reformer must have impressed both the super- intendent and the people, with a deep sense of the importance of his oflice, while it could not fail to be favourably contrasted with the system which had recently been abolished. The proceedings of the church courts, after the stimulus created by the events immediately connected with the Reformation had somewhat subsided, could not be supposed to excite much interest in the mind of a general reader, unless we should enter into much more minute particulars than our limits per- mit. If we cannot, therefore, excite very deeply our reader's sympathies, wo shall not tax his patience more than is necessary, to give a very brief outline of the more important transactions with Avhich 3Ir Spotswood's name is connected. 3Ir Spotswood appears to have retained the charge of his flock at Calder after he became superintendent of Lothian ; but it cannot be supposed that the variety and extent of his duties permitted anything more than a very loose and occasional attention to their interests. Of this the parishioners complained more. than once to the General Assembly, but without success ; the means of sup- porting a superintendent being quite inadequate without the benefice of a parish. The mei'e visitation of a district seems to have been but a part of the labours of a superintendent : there were many occasions on which these officials were called upon to expend their time in behalf of the general interests of the church. Spotswood appears to have been frequently deputed by the General Assembly to confer with Queen Mary, with whom he was a favourite, upon the important subject of an improvement in the provision for their maintenance. On the in- 308 JOHN SPOTSWOOD. tei'estinc^ occasion of the birth of her son, in June, 1566, the General Assembly sent liim " to testify llieir gladness for the prince's birth, and to desire ho nu'>ht bo baptizod according to tlie form used in the Reformed cluirch." lie did not succeed in obtaining a favourable, or indeed any, reply to the latter part of his commission, but the manner in which he conducted himself obtained for him a most gracit)us reception. Deeply sensible how intimately the nation's welfare was connected with the education of the child, lie took him in Ills arms, and falling on his knees, implored for him the Divine blessing and protection. This exhibition of unalfectcd piety was well calculated to touch the linest feelings of the soul. It was listened to with reverential attention by the queen, and procured for him the respect and reverence of the prince in his ma- turer years. But fllr Spotswood's feelings towards the queen were soon to undergo a most painfLil change, lie was too conscientious to sacrifice his principles for the favour of a queen, and too sensible of the tendencies of her subsequent conduct, and tiiat of her party, to neglect to warn the people over whom he liad the spiritual oversight. No sooner had 3Iary escaped from Lochleven castle, and prepared for hostilities, than, under the liveliest convictions of the responsit bility of the watchman *' tiiat seeth the sword coming and doth not blow th? trumpet," he addressed a solenni adnjonition to the people within his diocese, warned the unsettled, — and exhorted those who had " communicated with her odiouse impietys " to consider their fearful defection from God, and by public confession of their guilt and folly, to testify their unfeigned repentance. After this period there is hardly a single fact recorded respecting Mr Spots- wood of general interest. His disposition, as well as his feeble state of health, disposed liim to retirement, and he seems to have preferi-ed attending to his duties as a clergyman, and thus giving an example of the peaceful doctrines which the Cliristian religion inculcates, to taking part with either of tlie factions in the struggle which succeeded. Yet, in the performance of these duties ho did not couie up to the expectations of some of the more zealous ministers within his district. We find him accused of " slacknes in visitation of Kirks" at the General Assemblies on several occasions. On some of these, the accusa- tion, if it is merely intended to assert that he had not visited the whole churches, does not seem to have been made without ground ; nor will his ap- parent negligence be considered wonderful when we mention that the district of Lothian comprehended the metropolis, Stirling, Berwick, Linlithgow, and other considerable towns ; and that, of course, it contained a greater number of churches than any other. Spotswood's health had also become impaired, and we must add to this list of extenuating circumstances, that for at least nine years previous to I5S0, he liad received no emolument in consideration of his labours. In that year, however, he obtained (December IGth,) a pension for himself and his second son for three years of £45, 9s. Cd., besides an allow- ance of grain for " the thanktuU seruice done to his hienes and his predeces- souris," and this grant was renewed, November 26, 1583, for five years ; but he did not live to enjoy its full benefit. He died, December 5, 1585, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, leaving by his wife, Beatrix Crichton, two sons, John and James, both of whom attained a liigh rank in the Episcopal church, and one daughter. " He was a man," says his son, " well esteemed for his piety and wisdom, loving and beloved of all persons, charitable to the poor, and careful above all things to give no man offence." The same writer has represented him as having in his last years changed his sentiments respecting church government, and as having become an Episco- palian ; but this assertion carries along witii it the suspicion that the archbishop JOHN SPOTSWOOD. 309 was more anxious to obtain for his own conduct a partial sanction in his father's opinions than to represent llieni as they really stood. We are not aware that 3Ir Spotswood is the author of any distinct or individual work. Sucli papers as he may have written, ax-ising out of the busi- ness of the church courts, certainly do not deserve that' nanie.^ STOTSWOOD, John, archbishop of St Andrews, and author of " The His- tory of the Church and State of Scotland," was one of the two sons of the sub- ject of the preceding article. He was boi-n in the year 15G5, while his father, besides serving as parish minister at Calder, acted as superintendent of Lothian, Mei-se, and Teviotdale. Being a child of " pregnant wit, great spirit, and good memory," he was early taught his letters, and sent to the university of Glasgow, of which Andrew IMelville was at that time principal. He studied languages and philosophy under James Blelville, and divinity under his moi-e celebrated uncle; but the opinions of these men respecting churcii government seem to have made no impression on their pupil. At the early age of sixteen he took his degrees, and when only about twenty, he was appointed to succeed his father in the churcli of Calder. In the various agitating disputes between king James and the majority of the Scottish clergy respecting the settlement of the church, the gentle and courtly character of Spotswood induced him to lean to the views espoused by the king, which were in favour of a moderate episco- pacy, supposed to be more suitable than presbytery to the genius of a monarch- ical government. In 1601, the parson of Calder was selected by the court to accompany the duke of Lennox as chaplain, on his embassy to Henry IV.; and it is said by the presbyterian historians, that he marked the looseness of his principles on this occasion, by attending mass in France, along with his principal. In re- turning through England, Spotswood had an interview with queen Elizabeth. When James proceeded to London in 1603, Spotswood was one of five un- titled clergymen whom he selected to accompany him. On reaching Burleigh house, the king received inteliigen<;e of the decease of James Beaton, archbishop of Glasgow, who had lived in France since the lieformation ; and he im- mediately nominated Spotswood to the vacant see. The new archbishop was at the same time directed to return to Scotland, in order to accompany the queen on her journey to London, and to act as her eleeniosynar or almoner; an of- lice, his biographer remarks, " which could not confidently be credited but to clean hands and an uncorrupt heart, such as his really was." Holding as he did the second episcopal dignity in the kingdom, Spotswood naturally lent himself with great willingness to aid the policy of the king for the gradual reconstruction of that system in the kingdom. The measures adopted were cautious and prudent, but nevertheless highly unpopular ; and for several yeai-s th.e archbishop of Glasgow was obliged to appear obedient to the ordinary church courts. At length, in 1610, the power of the bishops ex jure postliminii was restored ; and the subject of this memoir, with the bishops of Brechin and Galloway, repaired to London, to i-eceive the solemnities of consecration, which were conferred upon them by the bishops of London, Bath, and J'.ly. About the same time, Spotswood became the head of one of the two courts of High Commission erected by James in Scotland for the trial of oliences against the church. He had previously, in 1609, been appointed an extraordinary lord of session, in accordance with the policy adopted by the king for giving influence and dignity to his ecclesiastical office, though it after- * Abridged from a memoir of I\Ir John Spotswood, in Wcdrow's Biographical Colkc tions, priuttd by the Mailland Club. 310 JOHN SrOTSWOOD. wards was niaiiifesl tliat tlie liolding of lay offices by tlie bishops injured tlie interesls of llieii- cluirdi. In llie lUDiitli of October, Uil i, Spotswood apprehended Jolin Ogilvie, a Jesuit, at dlasjfow, where he had several times said mass, and converted several younsf people of llie better class. lie was brought to trial about the end of February, and denying tiie king and his council to be competent judges on some points of his religious belief, he was condemned and executed. On the death of archbishop dladstanes in l(il5, Spotswood was removed from Glasgow to be primate and metropolitan of all Scotland, and the same year the two courts of high connuission for Scotland, were, under hiiii, united into one. In the year Itjili, he presided in an assembly at Aberdeen, in virtue of his primacy, without any election. There was much seeming zeal in this assembly against popery, and the archbislu)p of Glasgow, and 31r William Slruthers, minister at Edin- burgh, weve appointed to form a book of ecclesiastical canons for the purpose of establishing uniformity of discipline throughout all the kirks of the kingdom. A commission was also appointed to draw up a new liturgy, a new catechism, and a new Confession of I'ailli. His majesty visited liis native kingdom in the succeeding year. On this occasion, twelve apostles, and four evangelists, curi- ously »vrought in wood, were prepared to be set up in his royal chapel, but were not made use of. The English service, however, was introduced, with its appurtenances of organs, choristers, and surplices. The sacrament ^vas also ad- ministered upon \N hitsunday, after the English fashion. The consequence was only more violent opposition to these innovations. Nothing, however, could deter James from pressing his own peculiar views of ecclesiastical polity. At another Assembly held at St Andrews in the month of October, 1G17, his five favourite articles were again brought forward, but could not be carried, even with all the zeal of the bishops to back his writteu requests. Disappointed by this result, the king ordered Spotswood to convo- cate the bishops, and the ministers tliat were in Edinburgh for the time, and to procure their approval of them, and, if they refused, to suspend tliein from their ministry. 'Ihis also failed, and the articles wei'e enjoined by a royal proclamation, to which but little deference was paid. Another Assembly was again suddenly and unexpectedly indicted, by royal proclamation, to be held at Perth, August 25, 16 18, where, by the aid of a long letter from } is mnjesty, and the assistance of Dr Peter Young, who was now dean of Winches- ter, Spotswood at length carried the five articles; kneeling at tho sacrament; private conmmnion ; private baptism ; confirmation of children ; and observa- tion of festivals. All the archbishop's authority, however, could not command obedience to them, though he continued to enforce them before the high com- mission court for a number of years. Among those of the clergy whom he de- prived of their livings for non-compliance, were Mr Richard Dickson, 31r An- drew Duncan, 3Ir John Scrimger, 31r Alexander Simpson, Mr John 3Iurray, 3Ir George Dunbar, Mr David Dickson, and i\Ir George Johnston. For all this severity he had certainly king James's warrant, and had he been even more severe, would probably have raised himself still higher in his majesty's favour. At the coronation of Charles I., Avhich took place in Edinburgh on the 18th of June, 1633, Spotswood placed the crown upon his head, assisted by the bishops of Ross, Murray, Dunkeld, Duniblane, and Brechin, an-ayed in robes of blue silk, richly embroidered, reaching down to their feet, over which lhey had white rockets with lawn sleeves, and loops of gold. The archbishop of Glasgow and other bishops, having refused to appear in this costume, were not allowed to Uike any active part in the ceremony. Laud, who accom- panied the monarch, and was master of the ceremonies on the occasion, had in- SIR ROBERT SPOTSWOOD. < Sll froduced an aliar into tlie diurcli, on wliich stood two blind books, two wax candles lighted, and an empty bason. " Behind the altar there was ane rich tapestry wherein the crucifix was curiously wrought, and, as thir bishoj>s who were on service past by this crucifix, they were seen to bow their knee and beck, which with their habit was noted, and bred great iear of inbringing of popery." Charles by these means rendered his visit disagreeable to the people, and he left them in a more dissatisfied state tiian even tiiat in which lie found them. A copy of a protestation, or statement of grievances, which had been drawn up to be presented to the parliament held by the king in 1G33, but Avhich circumstances had prevented its framers from presenting, having been shown in confidence by lord Balmerino, was surreptitiously carried to Spots- wood, who hastened with it to court, ivhere it ^vas represented as a crime of no common kind. Balmerino was immediately brought to trial under the statute of leasing making, and, chiefly through the influence of the primate, ^vho was himself au extraordinary lord of session, of which his second son, Kobert, was president, condemned to die. This measure gave so much offence that it was found necessary to pardon Balmerino, a concession which did not at all satisfy the people, or remove their aversion to the prelates, upon whom the \\hole odium of these despotic proceedings was laid. That aversion was still heightened by the zeal displayed by the primate in enlarging the revenues of his see, which had, both in Glasgow and St Andrews, been a principal object Avith him, and in prosecuting which, his biographer aflirius he made not fewer than fifty journeys between Scotland and the court of London. He had also about this time, on the death of loi-d Kinnoul, obtained the first oflice of the state, that of chancellor, lie was labouring to revive the order of mitred ab- bots to be substituted in parliament in place of the lords of erection, whose im- propriated livings and tithes he intended should go to their endowments. A book of canons, and a liturgy imposed upon the church by the sole authority of tlie king and the bishops in 1G37, filled up the measure of court imprudence. Spotswood, whose gentle character probably revolted at the strong measures adopted by the king, exclaimed, on hearing of the intention to meet these in- novations with a renewal of the covenant, that the labours of an age had been undone in a day. Scotland, in consequence of their own intolerant conduct, was now no agreeable place for bishops and the upholders of a semi-popish episcopacv; and Spotswood retired, with a depressed mind and a diseased frame to Newcastle, where he was confined for some time by sickness. On recovering a little, he proceeded to London, where he died, November 26, 1639, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, just in time to escape witnessing the total over- throw of his favourite cluircli polity in Scotland. By his wife, Kachel Lindsay, daughter of the bishop of Boss, he had a numerous family, though only three of them survived him, two sons and a daughter. Spotswood was unquestionably a man of excellent abilities, but, though a clergyman, he was also a man of the world, and probably somewhat more ambitious than became his sacred profession. Ke was, however, neither sanguinary nor cruel, but, on the con- trary, seems to have been desirous of accomplishing all his purposes by the gen- tlest means. As a historian he is entitled to very high praise. He certainly leans to the side of his own party, but his statements, like his general character, are, for the most part, marked by moderation. In richness and variety of materials, his history, perliaps, is not equal to sevei'al contemporary, or per- haps earlier productions of the same class, but in point of style and arrange- aient it is inferior to none. SrOTSWOOD, (Sir) Kobekt, president of the court of session, was the second son of archbishop Spotswood, and was born in the Jear 1596. He was edu- 312 SIR ROBERT SPOTSWOOD. cated at tlie gTanunir school of (Glasgow, and, at the age of thirteen, was sent to the university of that city, where, four years afterwards, he obtained the de- cree of master of arts. I'Vom (Glasgow he Mas removed to Exeter college, Ox- ford and studied under the celebrated Dr Prideaux, Honourable mention is made of Sir liobert in the " Athena; Oxonienses." On the completion of liis studies, he made the tour of France, Italy, and Germany, studying the laws of those countries, as well as the civil and canon law, and also theology, in which last he was deeply versed. When king James conmianded archbishop Spots- wood to write the history of his native kingdom, lie procured, through Sir Kobert's exertions, the ancient MSS. and records of the church, but especially the famous " Hlack Book of Paisley," which he recovered at Rome. Sir Ro- bert was also able to redeem a number of other manuscripts, which had been carried abroad from Scottish monasteries at the Reformation ; but unfortunately they were destroyed by the covenanters. On his return from the continent, after an absence of nine years, Sir Robert was most graciously received at the court of England by king James, to whom he gave su(;h a good account of the laws, customs, and manners of the countries where he had been travelling, tlmt the king appointed him one of the extraordinary judges of the court of session. On his receiving" this appointment, the archbishop purch.ased and be- stowed on him the barony of New-Abbey, in Galloway, and he assumed the title of Lord New-Abbey. He continued to be an extraordinary lord during James's reign ; but, on the accession of Charles I., who deprived the judges of their commissions, and re-appointed some of them, Sir Robert was nominated an ordinary lord of session, or judge, on the 14th of February, 1626. On the death of Sir James Skene, in November, 1633, he was chosen president of the College of Justice. He disposed of the lands of New-Abbey to king Charles, who bestowed it on the newly erected bishopric of Edinburgh, and assumed the title of Lord Dunipace, from an estate he had purchased in Stirlingshire. As the father now occupied the highest office in the state, and the primacy in the church, while the son filled the first judicial station in the country, no greatness under that of monarchy itself, could have appeared more enviable than that which was enjoyed by the family of Spotswood. It was greatness, however, dependent on mere court favour, and altogether wanting the only fimi basis for oflicial elevation, the concurrence and good-will of the nation. On the contrary, the Spotswoods had risen in consequence of their address in rendering up the liberties of their country into the hands of the king ; and, I'.owever endeared to him, were detested by the great mass of their fellow citizens. Hence, when the Scots came to the point of resistance in 1637, and assumed the entire control of their own concerns, the Spotswoods vanished from before the face of their indignant countrymen, leaving no trace of tiieir greatness behind, except in the important offices which they had left vacant. Sir Robert Spotswood now became a close adherent of the king's person ; and, with other obnoxious individuals in the same situation, proved the means of preventing that confidence in the sincerity of the monarch's concessions, which operated so much to his disadvantage. Vi'hen Charles was in Scotland, in IGil, the estates presented him with an address, in which they beseeched that the late president of the court of session might be moved from his person and councils ; and with this request the king was obliged to comply. At a late period in the civil war, (1645,) Charles recalled Sir Robert, and appointed him secretary of state for Scotland, in place of the earl of Lanark. In this character. Sir Robert signed tlie commission of the marquis of Montrose as coni- i!iander-in-chief of the forces in Scotland; and, being appointed to convey this to the victorious general, he took shipping in the island of Anglesey, and, SIR JAMES STEUART, BART. 313 landing iu Lochaber, joined the marquis in Atliolo. He marched southward with the army, maintaining, however, a strictly civil character, and was taken prisoner at Philiphaugh, -where, it is said, he had only his walking cane in his hand. He was carried, along with some other prisoners of distinction, to St Andrews, and tried before the Parliament, on a charge of high treason. His defence was allowed to have been masterly, but a conviction was inevitable. He was condemned to be beheaded by the maiden, which was brought from Dundee for the purpose. " In his railing discourse to the people on the scaffold (says Row in his life of Robert Blair), among other things he said that the sad- dest judgment of God upon people at tins time was, that the Lord had scut out a lying spirit iu the mouths of the prophets, and that their ministers, that should lead them to heaven, were leaduig them the highway to hell. BIr Blair stand- ing by him, as he was appointed by the commission of the Kirk, in answer to this, only said, 'It's no wonder to hear the son of a false prophet speak so of tho faithful and honest servants of Jesus Christ;' which did so enrage the proud and impenitent spirit of Spotswood, that he died raging and railing against Christ's honest and faithful ministers, and his covenanted people." It was in declining the offer of Blair to pray for his soul that Sir Robert used the lan- guage which provoked the covenanter's stern rebuke, pointed with a sarcasm which might certainly have been spared on such an occasion. But the reproach and the retaliation illustrate the spirit of the times. Spotswood's biographer says his last words were — " Merciful Jesu, gather my soul unto thy saints and martyrs, who have run before me in tliis race." This writer accuses "the fanatical minister of the place " of having incited the provost to prevent Sir Robert from addressing the people on the scaffold. A similar story is repeated in the Spottiswoode Miscellajiy, where, however, it is stated tliat Sir Robert "inveighed much against the Parliament of England," which is not consistent with the assertion that he was prevented from speaking to the spectators. The execution took place at the cross of St Andrews, January 17, 1G46. Other two prisoners suffered along with Spotswood, namcl^', Nathaniel Gordon, who recanted his episcopacy, and died as a member of the Kirk, and Andrew Guthrie, " who died stupidly and impenitently." Of Spotswood and Guthrie, Row ob- serves characteristically, "These two were bishops' sons ; mali corvi mahnn ovum." Sir Robert Spotswood was well skilled in the Hebrew, Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic languages, besides his acquaintance with most of the modern European tongues. He was a profound lawyer, and an upright judge. Piety was a con- spicuous feature in his character ; though, according to the spirit of his age, it was debased by the exclusive and bigoted feelings of a partizan. He was the author of "The Practicks of the Law of Scotland j" a work which was only superseded by the more elaborate work of Stair. His remains Avere honourably interred in tho parish church of St Andrews, by Sir Robert Murray of Melgun, and other friends, among Avhom was Hugh Scrinigeour, a wealthy citizen of St Andrews, who had formerly been one of archbishop Spotswood's servants, and who took the execution of his old master's son so much to heart, that seeing the bloody scaffold still standing some days afterwards, he fainted oa tho spot; and, being carried home, died on the threshold of his own door. STEUART (Sir) James, of Coltness, Baronet, the father of political economy in Britain, was born on the 10th of October, 1713. He was the son of Sir James Steuart, bart., solicitor- general for Scotland, under queen Anne, and George I^ by Anne, daughter of Sir Hugh Dalrymple, president of the court cf session. The father of the solicitor-general was Sii* James Steuai't, lord ad- iV. 2 K 311 SIR JAMES STEUART, BART. vocate under A\'illiam III., whose father was Sir James Steuart, provost of Edinburgh from KilS to 1660, a descendant of the Bonhill branch of the family of Stewart. The subject of tliis article spent his earliest years at Goodtrees, now IMoredun, a scat of his father, near Edinburgli. At the school of North Eeruick, he re- ceived the elementary part of liis education, and it was afterwards completed at the university of Edinburgh, whither lie went at the age of fourteen. At that inslitution, after going tlirough a complete course of languages and sciences, he studied tlie civil law, with the occasional assistance of Mr Hercules Lindsay, an eminent civilian, and subsequently professor of that department in the univer- sity of Glasgow. From his earliest years, hi? abilities appeared rather of a solid and pennauent, than of a dazzling nature. At the early age just men- tioned, he succeeded his father in ilie baronetcy and estates connected witli it, which were of moderate extent and value. On the completion of his legal studies at the university of Edinburgh, Sir James went to the bar, (1731,) but without any intention of prosecuting the law as a profession. He soon after set out upon a tour of the continent, where he formed an acquaintance with the duke of Ormond, the earl Blarischal, and other exiled Jacobite chiefs. The family from ivhich he descended had been conspicuous for its attachment to the popular cause, for a century ; but Sir James appears to have been converted by these nobles from his original Whig principles. Having permitted himself to be introduced by them to prince Charles Stuart at Home, he received such civilities from that scion of expa- triated royalty, as had a material effect upon the tenor of his future life. He returned to liis native country in 1740, with many accomplishments, which added brilliancy to his character, but an unsettled tone of mind, which he af- terwards greatly regretted. Among the intimate friends of Sir James at this period of his life, was Mr Alexander Trotter, the father of one of the present land-proprietors of Mid- Lothian, jMr Trotter was cut off in early life ; and, during his last illness, made a promise to Sir James, that, if possible, he would come to him after his death, in an enclosure near the house of Coltness, which in summer had been frequently their place of study. It was agreed, in order to prevent mistake or misappre- hension, that the hour of meeting should be noon ; that Mr Trotter should ap- pear in the dress lie usually wore, and that every other circumstance should be exactly conformable to what had commonly happened >vhen they met together. Sir James laid greater stress on this engagement than sound reason will war- rant. Both before and after his exile, he never failed, when it was in his power, to attend at the place of appointment, even Avhen the debility arising fiom gout rendered him hardly able to Avalk. Every day at noon, while re- siding at Coltness, he went to challenge the promise of iMr Trotter, and al- ^vaYS returned extremely disappointed that liis expectation of his friend's ap- pearance had not been gratified. When rallied on the subject, he always ob- served seriously, that we do not know enough of " the other world " to entitle us to assume that such an event as the reappearance of Sir Trotter was impos- sible. AVe fear, however, that the most of those who peruse this narrative will be inclined to class this anecdote with the " follies of the wise." In the course of Ids travels. Sir James had formed an intimacy with lord Elcho, who, conceiving, in the warmth of youthful friendship, that the young oaronet would be able to gain the affections of his sister, lady Frances Wemyss, carried him to Cedar Hall, in the north of Scotland, where that young lady was residing with the countess of Sutherland. As Elcho expected. Sir James gained the heart of lady Frances ; and, after some scruples on the part of her SIR JAMES STEUART, BA.RT. 315 relations had been overcome, they were married in October, 1743, at Dunrobin castle, tbe lady bringing her husband what was then considered a very hand- some fortune, namely, six thousand pounds. A pair more elegant, more amiable, and more accomplished, is rarely seen. Their union was blessed in August, 1744, by the birth of their son, the late Sir James Steuart, who was for many years the principal object of their care. The subject of our memoir had joined the opposition party, and in the year last named he had an unpleasant collision with the family of Dundas, nhich Avae then beginning to take a leading part in Scottish politics. A claim preferred by him to be enrolled amongst the freeholders of IMid-Lothian, was refused; and for this he raised an action against Dundas of xVrniston, then one of the senators of the college of justice. In the course of the judicial proceedings, Sir James pled his own cause in so masterly a manner, that lord Arniston descended from the bench, and defended himself at the bar. The cause was given against the young advocate ; and this, no doubt, conspired, with other circum- stances, to prepare him for the step he took in the subsequent year. Sir James was residing in Edinburgh, in attendance upon lady Frances, who was then in a state of ill health, wh^n prince Charles, at the head of his High- land army, took possession of the city. Among the principal adherents of the young adventurer, was lord Elcho, the brother-in-law and bosom friend of Sir James Steuart. Tlie latter, with the earl of Buchan, who liad married one of his sisters, formed the wish of being introduced to pi'ince Charles, but with- out pledging themselves to join his standard. They, therefore, induced lord Elcho to seize them at the cross of Edinburgh, and conduct them, apparently as prisoners, into the presence of the prince. Being brought into an ante- chamber in Holyroodhouse, their friend proceeded to inform his royal highness of their arrival, and of the circumstances under which they approached him; when Charles, with great dignity, refused to see them in any other character than as avowed adherents of his cause. When Elcho returned with this in- telligence, the earl of Buchan took his leave ; while Sir James, a m.an greatly excelling that nobleman in intellect, proceeded to offer his services to the young chevalier. He was fortunately saved from the ultimate perils of the campaign, by being immediately despatched on a mission to the Frenclj court, where he was at the time of the battle of CuUoden. The penalty of his rash- ness, was an exile of nearly twenty years, being, though not attainted, among the exceptions from the act of indemnity. Till the year 1763, when George III. pevniitted him to return home, Sir James Steuart resided abroad with his family, employing his leisure in those studies which he afterwards embodied in his works. He spent the greater part of the period of his exile in the town of Angouleme, where he became inti- mately acquainted with the French finance system, through a body of counsel- lors of the parliament of Paris, who were banished to that town for nearly the space of two years. Sir James also spent some time at Frankfort, at Spa, at Venice, and at Padua. When in Germany, he and his lady Avere received with extraordinary marks of favour at the courts of Wirtemberg, Baden-Dour- lach, and Hohenzollern. At Venice, in 1758, he and lady Frances had the good fortune to form a friendsliip with the celebrated lady Blary Wortley Montagu, who, till the end of her life, corresponded frequently with both, and gave them and their son many proofs of her atfection : a series of her ladyship's letters to Sir James and lady Frances were printed at Greenock, under the care of the late Sir James, in 1818. Though exiled from Britain, on account of disloyalty to the Hanover dynasty. Sir James Steuart never en- tertained a disloyal feeling towards Lis country. On the contrary, the en- 316 DUGALD STEWAIiT. thusiasni uilh A\liich he rejoiced in the successes of the Tiitish .irrus diii-ing tha seven years' w.ir, led to liis falling under the suspicion of the Frencli court ; and, uhile residing at Spa, in a neutral territory, a large body of troops uns sent to apprehend liiui, and convey him to prison in the duchy of Luxemburg. It was not for many months tliat he succeeded in convincing the French government of its error, or regained iiis liberty. The first work published by Sir James, was a volume, which appeared at Frankfort sur le Main, in I75S, under the title of" Apologie du Sentiment de Monsieur le Chevalier Newton, sur I'ancienno Chronologie des Grecs, con- tenant des rcponses a toutes les objections qui y ont ele faitcs jus(]u' a present," In the same year, while settled at Tubingen, in Germany, he produced his "Treatise on German Coins," in the German language. It was followed, in 1761, by " A Dissertation on the Doctrine and Principles of Money, as applied to the German Coin ;" and in the same year, he so far made Iiis peace with the I3ritish government, as to obtain a cornetoy in the Royal, or 1st regiment of dragoons. At the peace of Paris, in 1703, he was tacitly permitted to return home, and resume possession of his estates. It was in retirement at Collness^ that he probably put the last hand to his 'I'Inquiry into the Principles of Poli- tical Economy," which was published in 17G7, in two volumes, quarto. Messrs Bliller and Cadell gave five hundred pounds for the copyright of this work, the merits of which were at the time a subject of considerable dispute. It has at least the merit of having been the first considerable work on this subject pub- lished in Britain, being about nine years antecedent to the work of Dr Smith. In 17C9, Sir James published, under the assumed name of Pobert Frame, " Considerations on the Interests of the County of Lanark." By the interest of his friends, he now obtained a full pardon, which passed the great seal in 1771 ; and in the year following, he printed " The Principles of Money ap- plied to tlie present state of the Coin of Bengal." He also wrote, " A Plan for introducing an uniformity of Weights and Measures," which was published after his death. He likewise published, " Observations on Bcattie's Essay on Truth ;" " Critical Remarks on the Atheistical Falsehoods of IHirabaud's System of Nature ;" and " A Dissertation concerning the IMotive of Obedience to the Law of God." It is supposed that the ardour and assiduity with which he pursued his studies, proved detrimental to his health. An inflammation, commencing with a toe-nail too nearly cut, put an end to his valuable life, on the 2Gth of November, 1780. His remains were interred in the family vault at Cambusnelhan church, and a monument has been erected to his memory in Westminster abbey. Sir James Steuart was a man of extensive and varied powers of mind; cheerful and animated in conversation ; amiable in all the domestic relations of life ; and, unlike several other eminent men of that age, was able to prosecute philosophical inquiries, without abandoning the faith of a Christian. His works were published, with a memoir, by his son, in 180G, occupying six volumes. STEWART, DuGALD, a cekbiated metaphysical writer, was the only son who survived the age of infancy, of Dr Matthew Stewart, pi-ofessor of mathematics in the university of Edinburgh, and of Marjory Stewart, daughter of Archibald Stewart, Esq., writer to tiie signet. His father, of whom a biographical memoir follows tile present, is well known to the scientific world as a geometrician of eminence and originality. His mother was a woman remarkable for her good sense, and for gi-eat sweetness and kindliness of disposition, and was alwavs re- membered by her son with the warmest sentiments of filial affection.^ 1 For the greater part of the present article we are indebted to tlie Annual Obituary; the DUGALD STEWART. 317 The object of this brief notice was born in the college of Edinburgh, on Uie 2:2nd of November, 1753, and his health, during the first period of his life, was so feeble and precarious, tiiat it was wilii more than the ordinary anxiety and solicitude of parent* that his infancy was reared. His early years were spent partly in the house at that time attached to the mathematical cliair of the university, and partly at Gatrine, his father's property in Ayrshire, to which tlie family regularly removed every sunnuer, when the academiral session was concluded. At the age of seven, he was sent to the High School, where he distinguished liimself by the quickness and accuracy of his apprehension, and \vhere the singular felicity and spirit with which he caught and transfused into his own language the ideas of the classical writers, attracted tlie particular remark of his instructors. Having completed the customary course of education at this seminary, he was entered as a student at the college of Edinburgh. Under the immediate instruction of such a mathematician and teacher as his father, it may readily be supposed that he made early proficiency in the exact sciences ; but the distin- guishing bent of his philosophical genius recommended him in a still more par- ticular manner to tlie notice of Dr Stevenson, then professor of logic, and of Dr Adam Ferguson, who filled the moral philosophy chair. In order to prosecute his favourite studies under the most favourable circum- stances, he proceeded, at the commencement of the session of4771, to the uni- versity of tTlasgo^v, to attend the lectures of Dr ileid, who was tlien in the zenith of his x-eputation. Tlie progress which he here made in his meta- physical studies, was proportioned to the ardour with which he devoted himself to the subject ; and, not content with listening merely to the instructions of his master, or with the speculations of his leisure hours, he composed during the session that admirable Essay on Dreaming, which he afterwards published in the first volume of the *' Philosophy of the Human Mind." The declining state of his father's health compelled him, in the autumn of the following year, before he had reached the age of nineteen, to undertake the task of teaching the mathematical classes in the Edinburgh university. With what success he was able to fulfill this duty, was sufficiently evinced by the event; for, with all Dr 3Iatthew Stewart's well-merited celebrity, the number of students considerably increased under his son. As soon as he had completed his twenty-first year, he was appointed assistant and successor to his father, and in this capacity he continued to conduct the mathematical studies in the uni- versity till his father's death, in the year 1735, when he was nominated to the vacant chair. Although this continued, however, to be his ostensible situation in the university, his avocations were more varied. In the year 1778, during which Dr Adam Ferguson accompanied the commissioners to America, he undertook to supply his place in the moral philosophy class ; a labour that was the more overwhelming, as he had for the first time given notice, a short time before his assistance was requested, of his intention to add a course of lectures on astronomy to the two classes \vhich he taught as professor of mathematics. Such was the extraordinary fertility of his mind, and the facility with which it adapted its powers to such inquiries, that, although the proposal was made to him and accepted on Thursday, he commenced the course of metaphysics the following Monday, and continued, during the whole of the season, to think out and arrange in his head in the morning, (while walking backwards and for- wards in a small garden attached to his father's house in the college,) the matter source to which, on application to Mr Stewart's representatives, we were referred for authen- tic information respecting their distinguished relative. !18 DUGALD STEWART. of the lecture of the day. Tlie ideas with which he had thus stored his mind, he p.)ured fortli extempore in tiie course of the forenoon, uith an eloquence and a felicity of illustration surpassing in energy and vivacity (as those who have heard him have remarked) the more logical and better digested expositions of his pliilosophical views, which he used to deliver in his niaturer years. The ditHculty of speaking for an hour extempore every day on a new subject for five or six months, is not small ; but, when superadded to the mental exertion of teaching also daily, two classes of mathematics, and of delivering, for the first time, a course of lectures on astronomy, it may justly be considered as a very singular instance of intellectual vigour. To this season he always referred as the most laborious of his life ; and such was the exhaustion of the body, from the intense and continued stretch of the mind, that, on his departure for Lon- don, at the close of the academical session, it was necessary to lift him into the carriage. In the year 1780, he began to receive some young noblemen and gentlemen into his house as pupils, under his immediate superintendence, among whom were to be numbered the late lord 13elhaven, the late marquis of Lothian, Basil lord Daer," the late lord Powei'scourt, 3Ir iMuir Olackenzie of Delvin, and the late Blr Henry Glassford. In the summer of 1783, he visited the continent for the first time, having accompanied the late marquis of Lothian to Paris ; on his re- turn from whence, in the autunui of the same year, he married Helen Banna- tyne, daughter of Neil Bannatyne, Esq., a merchant in Glasgow. In the year 1785, during which Dr Jlattliew Stewart's death occurred, the health of Dr Ferguson rendered it expedient for him to discontinue his official labours in the university, and he accordingly effected an exchange of oflices with IMr Stewart, who was transferred to the class of moral philosophy, while Dr Ferguson retired on the salary of mathematical professor. In the year 1787, fllr Stewart was deprived of his wife by death ; and, the following sum- mer, he again vigited the continent, in company with the late Mr Ramsay of Barnton. These slight indications of the progress of the ordinary occurrences of human life, must suffice to convey to tiie reader an idea of the connexion of events, up to the period when Sir Stewart entered on that sphere of action in Avhich he laid the foundation of the great reputation which he acquired as a moralist and a metaphysician. His Avritings are before the Avorld, and from them posterity may be safely left to form an estimate of the excellence of his style of composition — of the extent and variety of his learning and scientific at- tainments— of the singular cultivation and refinement of his mind — of the purity and elegance of his taste — of his warm relish for moral and for natural beauty — of his enligiUened benevolence to all mankind, and of the generous ardour with which he devoted himself to the improvement of the human species — of all of which, while the English language endui-es, his works will continue to preserve the indelible evidence. But of one part of his fame no memorial will remain but in the recollection of those who have witnessed his exertions. As a public speaker, he was justly entitled to rank among the very first of his day; and, had an adequate sphere been afforded for the display of his oratorical powers, his merit in this line alone would have sufficed to secure hira a lasting reputation. Among those who attracted the highest admiration 2 Burns's first interview with Mr Stewart, in the presence of this amiable young no- bleman, at Catrine, will be in every reader's remembrance, as well as the philosopher's attentions to the poet during his subsequent residence in Edinburgh. The house oc- cupied by Mr Stewart at Catrine still exists, a small narrow old feshioned building, detached from the village. DUGALD STEWART. 319 in the senate and at the bar, there were not a few who could bear testimony to his extraordinary eloquence. The case, the grace, and the dignity of his action; the compass and harmony of his voice, its flexibility and variety of intonation ; the truth with which its modulation responded to the impulse of his feelings, and the sympathetic emotions of his audience ; the clear and per- spicuous arrangement of his matter; the swelling and uninterrupted flow of his periods, and tlie rich stores of ornament which he used to borrow frora the literature of Greece and of Rome, of France and of England, and to inter- weave with his spoken thoughts with the most apposite application, were per- fections not possessed in a superior degree by any of the most celebrated orators of the age. His own opinions were maintained without any overweening- partiality ; his eloquence came so warm from the heart, was rendered so im- pressive by the evidence which it bore of the love of truth, and was so free from all controversial acrimony, that what has been remarked of the purity of purpose Avhich inspired the speeches of Brutus, might justly be applied to all that he spoke and wrote; for he seemed only to wish, without further reference to others than a candid discrimination of their errors rendered necessary, simply and ingenuously to disclose to the world the conclusions to which his reason had led him: "Non raalignitate aut icvidia, sed simpliciter et ingenue, judicium animi sui detexisse." In 1790, after being three years a widower, he married Helen D'Arcy Cranstoun, a daughter of the honourable Mr George Cranstoun, a union to which he owed much of the subsequent happiness of his life. About this time it would appear to have been that he first began to arrange some of his metaphysical papers with a view to publication. At what period he deliberate- ly set himself to think systematically on these subjects is uncertain. That his mind had been habituated to such reflections from a very early period is suf- .*iciently known. He frequently alluded to the speculations that occupied his boyish, and even his infant tlioughts, and the success of his logical and metaphy- sical studies at Edinburgh, and the Essay on Dreaming, which forms the fifth section of the first part of the fifth chapter of the first volume of the Philosophy of the Human Blind, composed while a student at the college of Glasgow in 1772, at the age of eighteen, are proofs of the strong natural bias nhich he possessed for such pursuits. It is probable, however, that he did not follow out the inquiry as a train of thought, or commit many of his ideas to writing before his appointment in 1785, to the professorship of moral philoso- phy, gave a necessary and steady direction to his investigation of metaphysical truth. In the year 1792, he first appeared before the public as an author, at which time the first volume of the Philosophy of the Human IMind was giTCii to the world. While engaged in this work he had contracted the obligation of writing the life of Adam Smith, the author of the Wealth of Nations, and very soon after he had disembarrassed himself of his own labours, he fulfilled the task v.hich ho had undertaken ; the biographical memoir of this eminent man having been read at two several meetings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in the months of January and Olarch, 1793, In the course of this year also, he published the Outlines of Moral Philosophy ; a work which he used as a text book, and which contained brief notices, for the use of his students, of the sub- jects which formed the matter of his academical prelections. In March, 1796, he read before the Royal Society his account of the Life and Writings of Dr Robertson, and in 1802, that of the Life and Writings of Dr Reid. By these publications alone, which were subsequently combined in one volume, quarto, he continued to be known as an author till the appear- ance cf his volume of Philosophical Essays in IS 10; a work to which a 320 DUGALD STEWART. melancholy interest attaches, in the estimation of his friends, from the know- ledge that it uas in the devotion of his mind to this occupation that he sought a diversion to his thoiiglils, from the affliction he experienced in the death of his second and youngest son. Although, however, the fruits of his studies \vei"e not given to the uorld, tlie process of intellectual exertion was unremitted. The leading branches of metaphysics had become so familiar to his mind, that the lectures which he delivered, very generally extempore, and which varied more or less in the language and matter every year, seemed to cost him little efi'ort, and he was thus left in a great degree at liberty to apply the larger part of his day to the prosecution of his further speculations. Although he had read more than most of those who are considered learned, his life, as he has himself somewhere remarked, was spent mucli more in reflecting tlian in reading; and so unceasing was the activity of his mind, and so strong his disposition to trace all subjects of speculation, that were worthy to attract his interest, up to their first principles, that all important objects and occurrences furnisiied fresh matter to his thoughts. Tiie public events of the time sug- gested many of his inquiries into the principles of political economy ; his re- flections on his occasional tours through the country, many of his speculations on the picturesque, the beautiful, and the sublime ; and the study of the characters of his friends and acquaintances, and of remarkable individuals ■with whom he happened to be thrown into contact, many of his most profound ob- servations on the sources of the varieties and anomalies of human nature. In the period which intervened between the publication of his first volume of the Philosophy of the Human IMind, and the appearance of his Philosophical Essays, he produced and prepared the matter of all his other writings, with the exception of his Dissertation on the Progress of IMetaphysical and Ethical Phi- losophy, prefixed to the Supplement of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Inde- pendent of the prosecution of those metaphysical inquiries which constitute the substance of his second and third volumes of the Philosophy of the Human Mind, to this epoch of his life are to be referred the speculations in which he engaged with respect to the science of political economy, the principles of which he first embodied in a course of lectures, which, in the year ISOO, he added as a second course to the lectures which formed the immediate subject of the in- struction pi-eviously delivered in the university from the moral philosophy chair. So general and extensive was his acquaintance with almost every department of literatux-e, and so readily did he arrange his ideas on any subject, with a view to their communication to others, that his colleagues frequently, in the event of illness or absence, availed themselves of his assistance in the instruction of their classes. In addition to his own academical duties, he repeatedly supplied the place of Dr John Robison, professor of natural philosophy. He taught for several months during one Avinter the Greek classes for the late 3Ir Dalzell : he more than one season taught the mathematical classes for IMr Playfair : he delivered some lectures on logic during an illness of Dr Finlayson ; and, if we mistake not, he one winter lectured for some time on belles lettres for the suc- cessor of Dr Blair. la 1796, he was induced orce more to open his house for the reception of pupils ; and in this capacity, the late lord Ashburton, the son of the celebrated Mr Dunning, the earl of Warwick, the earl of Dudley, the present lord Palmerston, and his brother the honourable Mr Temple, were placed under his care. The present marquis of Lansdowne, though not an inmate in his family, was resident at this time in Edinburgh, and a frequent guest at his house, and for him le contracted the highest esteem; and he lived to see him, along with ttvo of Lis own pupils, cabinet ministers at the same time. Justly conceiving that tho DUGALD STEWART. 321 formation of manners, and of taste in conversation, constituted a no less im- portant part in the education of men destined to mix so largely in the world, than their graver pursuits, he rendered his house at this time the resort of all nho uere most distinguished for genius, acquirement, or elegance in Edinburgh, and of all the foreigners who were led to visit the capital of Scotland. So hap- pily did he succeed in assorting his guests, so well did he combine the grave and the gay, the cheerfulness of youth with tlie wisdom of age, and amusement with the weightier topics that formed the subject of conversation to his more learned visitors, that his evening parties possessed a charm which many who frequented them have since confessed they have sought in vain in more splendid and insipid entertainments. In the year 180G, he accompanied his friend the earl of Lauderdale on his mission to Paris ; and he had thus an opportunity not only of renewing many of the literary intimacies which he had formed in France before the commencement of the Revolution, but of extending his ac- quaintance with the eminent men of that country, with many of whom he con- tinued to maintain a correspondence during his life. While individuals of inferior talents, and of much inferior claims, had received the most substantial rewards for their services, it had been long felt that a phi- losopher like Stewart, who derived so small an income from his professional occupations, was both unjustly and ungenerously overlooked by his country. During the continuance of Mr Pitt's administration, when the government had so much to do for those who. were immediately attached to it, it was hardly per- haps to be expected that an individual who owned no party affection to it, should have j^articipated of its favours. On the accession, however, of the Whio- administration, in 180G, the oversight was corrected, though not in the manner which was to have been Avished. A sinecure office, that of gazette- writer for Scotland, was erected for the express purpose of rewarding Mr Stewart, who enjoyed with it a salary of f 600 a-year for the remainder of his life. The peculiar mode in -which the rewax-d was conveyed, excited much no- tice at the time. It was agreed on all hands, that Mr Stewart merited the highest recompense ; but it was felt by the independent men of all parties, that a liberal pension from the crown would have expressed the national gratitude in a more elegant manner, and placed Mr Stewart's name more conspicuously in the list of those public servants, who are repaid, in the evening of life, for the devotion of their early days to the honour and interest of their country. The year after the death of his son, he relinquished the active duties of his chair in the university, and removed to Kinneil House, a seat belonging to the duke of Hamilton, on the banks of the Frith of Forth, about twenty miles from Edinburgh, where he spent the remainder of his days in philosophical retire- ment.^ From this place were dated, in succession, the Philosophical Essays in 1810; the second volume of the Philosophy of the Human Mind, in 1S13 ;* 3 In 1812, Mr Stewart read, before the Royal Societj- of Edinburgh, a highl.v interesting memoir, entitled, "Some Account of a Boy born Deaf and Blind •," which was subsequently published in the Transactions of that learned bodv. The boy was James Mitchell, the son of a clergyman in the north of Scotland ; and, owing to his unfortunate defects, his knowledge of external objects was necessarily conve}£d through the organs of touch, taste, and smell, onl}-. I\Tr Stewart entertained hopts of bting :d)le to ascertain, from this rase, the distinc- tion between the original and acquired perceptions of sight; an expectation, however, which, from various circumstances, was not realized. * He retired from active life, upon an arrangement witli the scarcely less celebrated Dr Tliomas Brown, who had been his own pupil, wiio now agreed, as joint professor with J\Ir Stewart, to perform the whole duties of the chair. My Stewart's biographer in the Edir- burffh EncyclopEedia, gives the following paragraph, in reference to tiiis connexion : — "_A1- tlioucrh it was on Mr Stewart's rcrommend;ition lliat Dr Bro\^n was raisid to the chair of nioral philosophy, yet the appointment did not prove to him a source of unmixed satisfac- tit.n. The fine poetical imagination of Dr Brown, the quickness of his apprehension, and the IV. £ 3 322 DUGALD STEWAPxT. the Preliminary Dissertation to the Encyclopi-edia ; the continuation of the second part of tlie riiiiosophy, in 1827; and, finally, in 1S2S, the third volume, containing the Philosophy of tlie Active and Moral Powers of 3Ian ; a work which he completed only a few sliort weeks hefore his career was to close for ever. Here he continued to be visited by his friends, and by nioit foreignei-8 who could procure an introduction to his acquaintance, till the month of January, 1S22, when a stroke of palsy, which nearly deprived him of tlie power of utterance, in a great measure incapacitated him for the enjoy- ment of any other society than that of a few intimate friends, in whose com- pany he felt no constraint. This great calamity, which bereaved him of the faculty of speech, of the power of exercise, of the use of his right hand, — which reduced him to a state of almost infantile dependence on those around liim, and subjected him ever after to a most abstemious regimen, he bore with the most dignified fortitude and tranquillity. The malady which broke his health and constitution for the rest of his existence, happily impaired neither any of the faculties of his mind, nor the characteristic vigour and activity of his understanding, wiiich enabled him to rise superior to the misfortune. As soon as his strength was sufficiently re-established, he continued to pursue his studies with his wonted assiduity, to prepai-e his works for the press with the assistance of his daughter as an amanuensis, and to avail himself with cheerful and una- bated relish of all the sources of gratification which it was still w ithin his power to enjoy, exhibiting, among some of the heaviest infirmities incident to age, an admirable example of the serene sunset of a well-spent life of classical elegance and refinement, so beautifully imagined by Cicero : " Quiete, et pure, et ele- ganter actte aHatis, placida ac lenis senectus." In general company, his manner bordered on reserve ; but it was the comU tate condila gravitas, and belonged more to the general weight and authority of his character, than to any reluctance to take his share in the cheerful inter- course of social life. He was ever ready to acknowledge with a smile the happy sallies of wit, and no man liad a keener sense of the ludicrous, or laughed more heartily at genuine humour. His deportment and expression were easy and unembarrassed, dignified, elegant, and graceful. His politeness was equally free from all affectation, and from all premeditation. It was the spontaneous result of the purity of his own taste, and of a heart warm with all tlie benevolent affections, and was characterized by a trutli and readiness of tact that accommodated his conduct with undeviating propriety to the circum- stances of the present moment, and to the i-elative situation of those to whom he addressed himself. From an early period of life, he had frequented the best society both in France and in this country, and he had in a peculiar de- acuteness and ingenuity of his argument, were qualities but little suited to that patient aiid continuous research, which the phenomena of the mind sopeculiarl}- demand. lie accordingly composed his lectures with the same lapidity that he would have done a poem, and chiefly from the resources of his o^vn highly gified, but excited mind. DiiBculties which had ap- palled the stoutest hearts, yielded to his bold anal}sis •, and, despising the formalities of a siege, he entered the temple of pneiimatology by storm. When Mr Stewart was. apprized that his o\vn favourite and best founded opinions were controverted from the veiy chair which he had scarcely quitted ; that the doctrines of his revered friend and master, Dr Eeid, were assailed with severe, and not very respeelful animadversions ; and that views even of a doubtful tendency were freely expounded by his ingenious colleague, his feelings were strongly roused ; and, though they "ere long repressed bj the peculiar circumstances of his situation, yet he has given them "full expression, in a note in the third volume of his Ele- ments, which is alike remarkable for the severity and delicacy of ils reproof." 1 1 is worthy of notice, that from 1810 to 181S,' when Mr Adam Ferguson died, there were alive three professors of moral philosophy, who had been, or were coimected with the Edi)i- burgh university. Upon the death of Dr Brown, in 1820, ISIr Stewart resigned the chair in favour of the late Mr JJiu Wilson, who succeeded. DUGALD STEWART. 323 gvee the air of good company. In the society of ladies he appeared to gi-eat advantage, and to Avomen of cultivated understanding his conversation ivas par- ticularly acceptable and pleasing. The immense range of his erudition, the at- tention he had bestowed on almost every branch of philosophy, his extensive acquaintance with every department of elegant literature, ancient or modern, and the fund of anecdote and information which he had collected in the course of his intercourse with the world, with respect to almost all the eminent men of the day, either in this country or in France, enabled him to find suitable sub- jects for the entertainment of the great variety of visiters of all descriptions, who at one period frequented his house. In his domestic circle, his character appeared in its most amiable light, and by his family he was beloved and vene- rated almost to adoration. So uniform and sustained was the tone of his man- ners, and so completely \ias it the result of the habitual influence of the natural elegance and elevation of his mind on his external demeanour, that when alone ^vith his wife and children, it hardly diiTered by a shade from that which he maintained in the company of strangers; for, although his fondness, and fami- liarity, and playfulness, were alike engaging and unrestrained, he never lost anything- either of his grace or his dignity: " Nee vero ille in luce niodo, atque in oculis civium, magnus, sed intus domique prtestantior." As a writer of the English language, — as a public speaker, — as an original, a profound, and a cautious thinker, — as an expounder of truth, — as an instructor of youth, — as an elegant scholar, — as an accomplished gentleman; — in the exemplary dis- charge of the social duties, — in uncompromising consistency and rectitude of principle, — in unbending independence, — in the warmth and tenderness of hi? domestic affections, — in sincere and unostentatious piety, — in the purity and innocence of his life, few have excelled him : and, take him for all in all, it will be difficult to find a man, who, to so many of the perfections, has added so few of the imperfections, of human nature. " 3Iihi quideni quanquara est subito ereptus, vivit tamen, semperque vivet ; virtutem enim amavi illius viri, quaj extincta non est ; nee mihi soli versatur ante oculos, qui illam semper in manibus habui, sed etiam posteris erit clara et insignis." Mr Stewart's death occurred on the 11th of June, 1S28, at No. 5, Ainslie Place, Edinburgh, where he had been for a few days on a visit. The remains of this distinguished philosopher were interred in tlie Canon- gate churchyard, near the honoured remains of Dr Adam Smith. At a meeting of his friends and admirers, which soon after took place, a subscription was en- tered into for erecting a monument, in some conspicuous situation, to his me- mory ; and a large sum being immediately collected, the work was soon after commenced, under the superintendence of 3Ir Playfair, architect. 3Ir Stewart's monument is an elegant Grecian temple, with a simple cinerary urn in the centre, and occupies a most fortunate situation on the south-west shoulder of the Calton hill, near the Observatory. jMr Stewart left behind him a widow and two children, a son and daugh- ter ; the former of whom, lieutenant- colonel Tdatthew Stewart, has published an able pamphlet on Indian affairs. With appropriate generosity, the govern- ment allowed the sinecure enjoyed by Sir Stewart, to descend to his family. The subject of this memoir was of the middle size, and particularly distin- guished by an expression of benevolence and intelligence, which Sir Henry ilaeburn has well preserved in his portrait of him, painted fur lord VVoodhouse- lee, before he had reached his 55th year. IMr Stewart had the remarkable pecu- liarity of vision, which made him insensible to the less refrangible colours of the spectrum. - This affection of the eye was long unknown both to himself and his friends, and was discovered from the accidental circumstance of one of his 324 mi. MATTHEW STEWART. family directing liis attention to the beauty of the fruit of the Siberian cvab, when lie found himself unable to distinguish the scarlet fiuit from the green leaves of the tree. One of tlie rules by which he guided himself in literary matters, was never to publish anything anonymously : a rule which, if gene- I'ally observed, would probably save the world tiie reading of much inferior and much vi(;iuus composition. Sl'EW ART, (Dh) 3Iatthkw, an eminent geometrician, and professor of mathematics in the university of Edinburgh, was born at Hothsay, in the island of Bute, — of whicli his father, the reverend fllr Dugald Stewart, was minister, — in the year 1717.' On flnisliing his course at the grammar school, he was entered at the university of Glasgow in 1734). At college, he became F.cquainted with Dr lIut(;heson and Dr SimsOn. In the estimation of the lat- ter, he rose, in after life, from the rank of a favourite pupil, to th.at of an es- teemed friend. They were long intimate personal companions, aduiired tlie same branches of their connuon science, and exhibited in tlieir works symptoms of mutual assistance. It is said, indeed, that we are indebted to the friendship and acuteness of Simson, for the suggestion of mathematics as a study suited to the genius of Stewart. At all events, there is every reason to suppose that tlie love of the latter for the geometry of the ancients, was derived from his inter- course with iiis instructor. While attending the lectures of Ur Gregory in Edinburgh, in 1741, the attractions of the new analysis were not sufficient to make him neglect his favourite study ; and he communicated to his friend his discoveries in geometry, leceiving similar communications in return. While Simson was conducting the laborious investigations, which enabled him to re- vive tlie porisms of the ancients, Stewart received the progressive benefit of the discoveries, long before they were communicated to the world ; and while he probably assisted his friend in his investigations, he was enabled, by investi- gating the subject in a new direction, to publish, in 1746, his celebrated series of propositions, termed " General Theorems." " They are," says the author's biogTapher, " among the most beautiful, as Avell as most general propositions knowir in the whole compass of geometry, and are perliaps only equalled by the remarkable locus to the circle in the second book of Apollonius, or by the celebrated theorems of IMr Cotes. The first demonstration of any considerable number of them, is that which was lately communicated to this society^ [the Royal Society of Edinburgh]; though I believe there are few mathematicians, into whose hands they have fallen, whose skill they have not often exercised. The unity which prevails among them, is a proof that a single, though ex- tensive view, guided IMr Stewart in the discovery of them all." jMeanwhile, IMr Stewart had become a licentiate of the church of Scotland ; and through the joint influence of the eai-1 of Bute and the duke of Argyle, had obtained the living of lloseneath. The " General Theorems" made their appearance at a time wiien they were calculated to have a considerable elfect on the prospects of the author. In the summer of 174G, the mathematical chair of Edinburgh became vacant, by the death of Mr IMaclaurin. Stewart was not at that period known to the learned world ; and Mr Stirling, a gentleman of well known reputation, was requested to become the new professor. This gentleman declined the situation ; and, towards the end of the year, when the patrons of the university were looking for another candidate worthy of tiie im- portant duty, Stewart's book was published. The author was readily offered the situation, which he accepted. " The duties of this oflice," says his bio- gi-apher, " gave a turn somewhat different to his mathematical pursuits, and led ' Memoh- by professor Plajfair, Tnuis. R, Sue. Edin. i. 67. 8 Cbmmunicaled by Dr Small. ER. MATTHEW STEWART. 825 liitii to think of the most simple and elegant means of explaining those difficult propositions, which' were hitherto only accessible to men deeply versed in the modern analysis. In doing- tiiis, he was pursuing the object uliich, of all others, lie most ardently wished to attain, viz., tlie application of geometry to such problems as the algebraic calculus alone had been thought able to resolve. His solution of Kepler's problem was the first specimen of this kind which lie gave to tlie world ; and it was impossible to have produced one more to the credit of the method which he followed, or of tlie abilities with whicli he ap- plied it." Tills solution appeared in tlie second volume of the Essays of tiie Pliilosophical Society of Edinburgh, for the year 1756. To quote again tiie words of the eminent biographer : " Whoever examines it, will be astonished to find a problem brought down to the level of elementary geometry, which liad hitherto seemed to require the finding of fluents, and the reversion of series ; he will acknowledge the reasonableness of wliatever confidence 3Ir Stewart may he hereafter found to place in those simple metliods of investiga- tion, which he could conduct with so much ingenuity and success ; and will be convinced, that the solution of a problem, though the most elementary, may bs the least obvious ; and though the easiest to be understood, may be tiie most difficult to be discovered." In pursuance of his principle of introducing the forms of ancient demonstration, ns applicable to those more complicated parts of the science, called the mixed mathematics, for which they liad been con- sidered unqualified, he published, in 17GI, his " Tracts, Physical and Mathe- matical, containing an Explanation of several important Points in Physical As- tronomy ; and a New Dlethod of ascertaining the Sun's distance from the Earth, by the Tlieory of Gravitation." " In the first of these," says his bio- grapher, " Mr Stewart lays down the doctrine of centripetal forces, in a series of propositions, demonstrated, (if we admit the quadrature of curves,) with the utmost rigour, and requiring no previous knowledge of the mathematics, except the elements of plain geometry, and conic sections. The good order of tliese propositions, added to the clearness and simplicity of the demonstrations, ren- ders tiiis tract the best elementary treatise of physical astronomy that is any- where to be found." It was the purpose of tlie three remaining tracts to deter- mine the etTect of those forces which disturb the motions of a secondary planet; and, in paiticular, to determine the distance of the sun, from its effect in dis- turbing tlie motions of the moon. Owing to the geometrical method which he adopted, and likewise to the extreme distance of the sun, whicli makes all the disturbances he produces on the motion of the moon, very near to that point at which increase of distance to infinity would not change their force, lie could only proceed on a system of approximation; and in applying the principles of his plan to a practical calculation of the sun's distance, which he published in 17(33, entitled, " Distance of the Sun from the Earth, determined by the Theory of Gravitation, togetlier witli several other things relative to the same subject," he Mas found to have made a very considerable error. He found the distance of the sun to be equal to 29,875 semi-diameters of the earth, or about 118,541,428 Englisli miles. About five years afterwards, tiiere appeared a pamphlet from the pen of 3Ir Dawson of Sudbury, called " Four Propositions, intended to point out certain Errors in Dr Stewart's Investigation, A\hich had given a result much greater than the truth." This was fullo\ved by a second attack from 3Ir Lauden, who, like Price in arithmetic, accomplished the difficult task of be- CAjming an entiiusiast in mathematics, r.nd, by means of exaggerating errors, and commenting on their atrocity, astonished tiie world with a specimen of con- troversial mathematics. Tlie biographer thus states the sources of the mistakes whicli called forth these animadversions : " As in arithmetic, we neglect those )26 MAJOR-GENERAL DAVID STEWART. Email fractions «liicli, though of inconsiderable amount, would exceedingly em- barrass our (X'lnpuiations ; so, in geometry, it is sometimes necessary to reject those small quantities, A^iich -would add little to the accuracy, and much to the dltlicuUy of the investigation. In botli cases, however, the same thing may happen ; though each quantity thrown out may be inconsiderable in itself, yet the amount of them altogether, and their etlect on the last result, may be "Tcatcr than is apprehended. This was just what had happened in tlie present case. Tlie problem to be resolved, is, in its nature, so complex, and involves the estimation of so many causes, that, to avoid inextricable difficulties, it is necessary to reject some quantities, as being small in comparison of the rest, .iiul tc reason as if they had no existence." Soon after the publication of this essay, Dr Stewart's health began to decline; and in 1772, he retired to the country, leaving tiie care of his class to his eminent son, Dugald Stewart, uho was elected joint professor with him in 1775. He died on tlie 23d January, 1785, at the age of sixty-eight. Besides the works above mentioned, he pub- lislied " I'ropositiones Geometricre more veterum Demonstratae ad Geotnetriani Antiquam lUustrandam et Promovendam Idoneffi," 1763. STEWART, (JIajok-geseral,) David, author of the well-known " Sketches" of the Highlanders and Highland Regiments, was the second son of Robert Stewart, Esq. of Garth, in Perthshire, and was born in the year 1772. In the seventeenth year of his age, he entered the 42nd regiment as an ensign, and soon became distinguished for that steadiness and firmness of conduct, joined to benignity of nature and amenity of manners, which marked him through life. He served in the campaigns of the duke of York in Flanders, and was present at the siege of Nieuport and the defence of Nimeguen. In 1796, he accompanied the regiment, Avhich formed part of the expedition under Sir Ralph Abercromby, to the West Indies, and was for several years actively employed in a variety of operations against tlie enemy's settlements in that quarter of the world ; particularly in the capture of St Lucia, and the harassing and desperate contest \vhich was carried on with the Caribbs in St Vincent and other islands. In the landing near Pigeon Island, he was among the first who jumped ashore, under a heavy fire of round and grape shot from a battery so posted as almost to sweep the beach. " A cannon-ball," says he, in a letter addressed to Sir John Sinclair, " passed lord Hopetoun's left shoulder, and over my head. He observed that a miss was as good as a mile, to which I cordially agreed; and added, that it was fortunate for me that I was only five feet six inches ; as if I were, like him, six feet five inches, I would have been a head shorter," In the year just mentioned, lie was promoted to the rank of captain-lieutenant, and, after serving in the West Indies for a year and a half, he returned to England, but not to enjoy repose, for he was almost immediately ordered to join the head-quarters of the regiment at Gibraltar, and the follow- ing year accompanied it, when ordered to assist in the expedition against the island of Minorca. He was afterwards taken prisoner at sea, and detained for ifive months in Spain, when he^'had the fortune to be exchanged. At the close of 1800, he was promoted to the rank of captain ; a step which like all others he subsequently obtained, Avas given him for his services alone ; and, in 1801, his regiment received orders to join Sir Ralph Abercromby, iu the memorable expedition to Egypt. At the landing effected in the bay of Aboukir, in the face of the enemy, on the morning of the 8th of March, 1801, captain Stewart was one of the first to leap on shore from the boats; and when the four regiments destined for the attack of the enemy's position on the sand hills — the 40th, 23rd, 2Sth, and 42nd — had formed, and received or- ders to charge up the hill and dislodge the enemy at the point of the bayonet, MAJOR-GENERAL DAVID STEWART. 32/ tlie subject of this memoir, by liis gallaut bearing, and knowledge cf the capabilities of bis countrymen, when properly commanded, contributed essen- tially to the brilliant success which almost immediately crowned this dai'ing operation. In the celebrated action of the 21st, when the British army over- threw the French, but with the loss of their commander-in-chief, the services of the 42nd were such as to secure for them undying fame. On this occasion, captain Stewart, whose personal exertions had been conspicuous in inspiring the men with a determination to conquer or perish, received a severe wound, which prevented his taking almost any part in the subsequent operations of the cam- paign. Few officers have ever possessed so powerful a command over the energies of their men as the subject of these pages. He had studied the Highland character thoroughly ; had made himself the brother and confident of the men under him ; and could, with an art approaching to that of the poet, awaken those associations in their bosoms which were calculated to elevate and nerve their minds for the perilous tasks imposed upon them. The Highland soldier is not a mere mercenary : he acts under impulses of an abstract kind, which none but one perfectly skilled in his character, and who has local and family influences over him, can take full advantage of. The usual principles of military subordination fail in his case ; while he will more than obey, if that be possible, the officer who possesses the influences alluded to, and will use them in a kind and brotherly spirit. Captain Stewart appears to have enjoyed and used these advantages in a remarkable degree, and to have possessed not only the af- fections of his men, but of all connected with them in their own country. Hence, when he had to recruit in 1804, for a majority, the stated number of men, one hundred and twenty-five, came to his quarters at Drumcharry Flouse, in less than three weeks, after which between thirty and forty arrived too late for admission into the corps, whose disappointment and vexation at finding they could not serve under captain SteAvart, no language could describe. With this contingent he entered the 78th, with the rank of major, and in 1805, trained his men at Hythe, under the immediate direction of Sir John Moore. In June that year, he was selected with four other officers to join the first battalion in India ; but his parting with his men was accompanied with such poignant regret, and so many marks of reluctance on their part, that general Moore reported the case to the commander-in-chief, who, sensible of the value of a mutual esteem existing between men and officers, countermanded his removal. In September, he accompanied his regiment to Gibraltar, where it continued to perform garrison duty until the month of May, 1806, when it embarked for Sicily, to join in the descent which general Sir John Stuait was then meditating on Calabria. Blajor Stewart accompanied the battalion on this oc- casion, and was present at the battle of 3Iaida, fought on the 4th of July, 1806, where he was again severely wounded. Being obliged to return to Britain for his health, he was, in April, 1808, promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, with a regimental appointment to the 3rd West India Rangers, then in Trinidad. But the severity of the wounds he had received, and the effects of the hard service he had encountered in various parts of the world, ren- dered it impossible for him to avail himself of his good fortune, and he was obliged to retire upon half-pay at a period when, had he been able to keep the field, he would soon have found further promotion or a soldier's grave. Notwithstanding this circumstance, he was, in 1814, promoted to the rank of colonel. Colonel Stewart noAV for several years employed his leisure in the composi- tion of his work on the Highlanders, which appeared in the year 1822, in two 328 EDMUND STONE. volumes, 8vo.' Tiie earlier part of tliis uork, which enters minutely into the character of the Highlanders, and embodies a great (jiiantity of original anec- dote and observation, is perhaps the most generally interesting, though it dots not aspire to the important quality of historical acciira(;y : the most tiiily valua- ble part of the book is that uhic.h details the services of the regiments A\hi(:h have been at various times raised in the Highlands ; a body of soldiers gene- rally allowed to iiave surpassed every otlicr part of the British army, of the same extent in numbers, at once in steady moral conduct and in military glory. The work attained a popularity proportioned to its high merits, and uill ever re- main as a memorial of its author, endearing his name to the bosouis of his countrymen. A few monuis after the publication of his book, colonel Stewart succeeded to his paternal estate, in consequence of the deaths of his father and elder brother, which occurred in rapid succession. He is understood to have employed part of the year 1823, in collecting materials for a history of the Rebellion of 1745, a desideratum in our literature which no hand Avas so well qualified to supply ; but, finding insuperable difliculties in the execution of the task, he was x-eluctantly obliged to abandon it. In 1825, he was promoted to the rank of major general, and he was soon after appointed governor of the island of St Lucia. He proceeded to undertake this duty, with high hopes on his own part, but the regrets and fears of his friends. Unfortunately, their anticipations proved true. General Stewart died of fever, on the ISlh of December, 1829, in the midst of many improvements which his active mind had originated in the island, and which, had he lived to complete them, would have probably redounded to his honour as much as any transaction in his useful and well-spent life. General Stewart was of the middle stature, but originally of a robust frame, which was latterly shattered considerably by wounds. His features, which spoke his character, have been commemorated in a spirited engraving, rejiresent- ing him in the Highland dress. Few individuals in recent times have secured so large a share of the afiections of all classes of the people of Scotland, as David Stewart of Garth. STONE, Edmund, an ingenious self-taught mathematician, of whom nothing is known, except from a letter written by the chevalier Famsay to father C'astel, published in the Memoirs de Irevoux. It there appears that Stone was the eon of a gardener in the employment of John, duke of Argyle, at Inverary, in the early part of the eighteenth century. " He attained the age of eight years before he learnt to read ; but, a servant having taught him the letters of the alphabet, he soon made a rapid progress with very little assistance. He ap- plied to the mathematics ; and, notwithstanding the peculiar difliculties of his situation, attained a knowledge of the most sublime geometry and analysis, ivithout a master, and without any other guide, it is said, than his own genius. At the age of eighteen, he had advanced thus far, when his abilities and the ex- tent of his acquirements were discovered by the following accident. The duke of Argyle, who to his military talents united a general knowledge of every science that can adorn the mind of a great man, walking one day in his gar- den, saw lying upon the grass a Latin copy of Newton's Principia. Having called some one to carry it back to his library, the young gardener told him that it belonged to himself. The duke was surprised, and asked him whether he were sufficiently acquainted with Latin and geometry to understand New- ton. Stone replied, with an air of simplicity, that he knew a little of both. ■^ It was entitled "Sketclies of the Clinrncfer, Manners, ami Present Slate of the High- landers of Scotland, with details of the IMi'itaiy services of the Highland Regiments." 'u^illta:m strahan. 329 Tlie duke llien entered into conversation m\1\\ tlie young raatiiemaliciau, asked liim several questions, and was astonished at the force and accuracy of his answers. The duke's curiosity being redoubled, he sat down on a bank, and requested to know by wliat means he acquired such knowledge. * I first learnt to read,' said Stone : ' the masons were then at work upon your house : I went near tlieni one day, and I saw that the architect used a rule and coni- pnss, and that he made calculations. I inquired what might be the meaning and use of these things ; and I was informed tliat there was a science named Arithmetic. I purchased a book of aritiinietic, and I learnt it. I was told that there was another science, called Geometry : I bought books, and learnt geometry also. By reading, I found that there were good books on these two sciences in Latin : I bought a dictionary, and learnt Latin. I understood also tliat there were good books of tlie same kind in French.: I bought a dictionary, and I leaiuit French. And this, my lord, is »liat I have done. It seems to me tiiat we may learn anything, when we know the twenty-four letters of tlie al- phabet.' With this account the duke was delighted. He drew this wonderful young man from his obscurity, and provided him with an employment, which left him plenty of time to apply to liis favourite pursuits. He discovered in him also the same genius for music, for painting, for architecture, and for all the sciences tliat depend upon calculations and proportions." Stone is said to have been a man of great simplicity; and, though sensible of Ills own acquirements, neither vain nor conceited. It is to be regretted that no particulars are accessible, respecting the latter part of his career : we are not even informed, whether lie spent the remainder of his life in Argyleshire or in London ; though it seems probable that the latter was the scene of his chief scientific labours. His works, partly original and partly translations, are as follows : " A New Mathematical Dictionary," first printed in 1726, 8vo ; " A Treatise on Fluxions," 1730, 8vo: in this work, the direct method is a transla- tion from the French of the 3]arquis de 1' Hopital's " Analysis des Infiniments Petits," and the concise method was supplied by Stone himself: " The Ele- ments ^of Euclid," 1731, 2 vols. 8vo ; a neat and useful edition, with an ac- count of the Life and Writings of Euclid, and a defence of his elements against modern objectors ; besides some smaller works. Stone was a fellow of tlie Koyal Society, and communicated to it an " Account of two species of Lines of the Third Order, not mentioned by Sir Isaac Newton or Mr Sterling," which was printed in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. xli. STRAHAN, William, an eminent printer and patron of literature, was born at Edinburgh in the year 171 5.^ His father, who held a situation connected with the customs, was enabled to give him a respectable education at a grammar school, after whicli he \vas apprenticed to a printer. Very early in life he re- moved to the wide field of London, where he appears to have woiked for some time as a journeyman printer, and to have with much frugality, creditably supported a wife and family on the small income so afforded him. His wife, whom he early married, was sister to JMr James Elphinston, the translator of Martial. It can be well supposed that he had for many years many difficulties to overcome ; but he was of a happy temper, looking forward to prosperity as the reward of his toils, without being unduly sanguine. It is said he used to remark, " that he never had a child born, that Providence did not sand some increase of income to provide for the increase of his household.'' After shaking hinsself free of his difficulties, he grew rapidly wealthy, and in 1770 was enabled to purchase a share of the patent for King's Printer of IMr Eyre. Pre\iously to this period, 3Ir Strahan had commenced a series of speculations * Memoir in Lounger of August 20, 17S5 Nichol's Lit. An. iii. 399. 330 -WILLIAM STRAHAN. in llio purcliase of literary property, tliat species of niercliaiidise which inoro tlian any other depends for its success on the use of great shrewdness and critical discernment. Strahan was eminently successful, and with the usual ef- fect of good management, was enabled to be liberal to authors, while he enriched himself, ^Vitll Dr Johnson he was for some time intimately connected, and lie took the charge of editing his prayers and meditations after the doctor's death. Johnson, however, has been accused of speaking of him in a manner which tlie world seldom admires, when used towards a person to whom the speaker owes obligations, whatever may be the intellectual disparity. Boswell observes, " Dr Gerard told us, that an eminent printer was very inti- mate with ^Varburton. Johnson. ' Why, sir, he has printed some of his works, and perliaps, bought the property of some of them. The intimacy is such as one of the professors here might have with one of the carpenters, who is repairing the college.' " In a letter to Sir William Forbes, Dr Beattie has made the following remark on this passage, " I cannot but take notice of a very il- liberal saying of Johnson with respect to the late BIr Strahan, (Mr Boswell has politely concealed the name,) who was a man to whom Johnson had been much obliged, and whom, on account of his abilities and virtues, as well as rank in life, every one who knew him, and Johnson as well as others, acknowledged to be a most respectable character. I have seen the letter mentioned by Dr Gerard, and I have seen many other letters from bishop Warburton to Mr Strahan. They were very particularly acquainted : and lilr Strahan's merit en- titled him to be on a footing of intimacy with any bishop, or any British sub- ject. He was eminently skilled in composition and the English language, ex- celled in the epistolary style, had corrected (as he told me himself) the phraseology of both i\Ir Hume and Dr Robertson ; he was a faithful friend, and his great knowledge of the world, and of business, made him a very use- ful one."^ Tlie expression was probably one of a splenetic moment, for Johnson was not on all occasions en good terms with Strahan. " In the course of this year," (177S,) says Boswell, "there was a difierence between him (Johnson) and his friend 31 r Strahan : the particulars of which it is unnecessary to relate." The doctor must have been signally in the wrong, for he deigned to oiTer terms of accommodation. ."It would be very foolish for us," lie says in a letter to Strahan, " to continue strangers any longer. You can never by per- sistency make wrong right. If I resented too acrimoniously, I resented only to yourself. Nobody ever saw or heard what I wrote. You saw that my anger was over, for in a day or two I came to your house. I have given you longer time ; and I hope ycu have made so good use of it as to be no longer on evil terms Avith, Sir, yours, &c, Sam. Johnson."^ Strahan, when ho became influen- tial with the ministry, proposed Johnson as a person well fitted to hold a seat in parliament for their interest, but the recommendation was not adopted. So Eoon as he found himself in easy circumstances, Mr Strahan became an active politician, and corresponded with many eminent statesmen. In the year 1769, he wrote some Queries to Dr Franklin, respecting the discontents of the Ameri- cans, which were afterwards published in the London Chronicle of 2Sth July, 1778. In 1775, he was elected juember for the borough of Malmsbury, in Wiltshire, with Fox as his colleague, and in the succeeding parliament he re- presented Wotton Basset in the same county. He is said to have been an active and useful legislator. On the resignation of his friends in 1784, he declined, partly from bad health, to stand again for a seat. His health from this period quickly declined, and he died on the 9th July, 1785, in the seven- s Forbts' Life of Beattie, ii. ISo. 2 Boswell, iii. 392. DR. JOHN STRANG. 331 ty-fiist year of his age. He provided munificently for his widow and children, and among many other eleemosynary bequests, left j£1000 to the company of Stationers, to be disposed of for charitable purposes. The author of the memoir in the Lounger, gives the following account of his character: " Endued with much natural sagacity, and an attentive observation of life, he owed his rise to that station of opulence and respect which he attained, rather to h.is own talents and exertion, than to any accidental occurrence of favourable or fortunate circumstances. His mind, though not deeply tinctured with learning, was not uninformed by letters. From a habit of attention to style, lie had acquired a considerable portion of critical acuteness in the discernment of its beauties and defects. In one branch of writing himself excelled. I mean the epistolary, in which he not only showed the precision and clearness of business, but possessed a neatness, as well as fluency of expression, which 1 have known few Ictter-writers to surpass. Letter-writing was one of his favourite amusements ; and among his correspondents were men of such eminence and talents as Avell repaid his endeavours to entertain them. One of these, as we have before mentioned, was the justly celebrated Dr Franklin, originally a printer like Mr Strahan, whose friendship and correspondence he continued to enjoy, notwithstanding the difTerence of their sentiments in political n)atters, which often afforded pleasantry, but never mixed anything- acrimonious in their letters. * * * In his elevation he neither triumphed over the inferiority of those he had left below him, nor forgot the equality in which they had formerly stood. Of their inferiority he did net even remind them, by the ostentation of grandeur, or the parade cf wealth. In his house there was none of tliat saucy train, none of that state or finery, with which the illiberal deliglit to confound and to dazzle those who may have formerly seen them in less enviable circumstances. No man was more mindful of, cr more solicitous to oblige, the acquaintance or companions of his early days. The ad- vice which his experience, or the assistance which his purse could afford, he was ready to communicate : and at his table in London, every Scotchman found an easy introduction, and every old acquaintance a cordial welcome." STRANG, (Db) John, minister of Errol, and principal of the university cf Glasgow in the early part of the seventeenth century, Avas born at Irvine in Ayrshire, (of which his father, Blr William Strang, was minister,) in ] 584. Like many other eminent menj he had the misfortune to lose his father at a very early period, but the place cf a parent was supplied to him in Dlr Robert Wilkie, minister of Kilmarnock, whom liis mother married soon after she be- came a Avidow. Under the care of that gentleman, he Avas educated at the public school of Kilmarnock, where he had as a schoolfellow Mr Zacliary Boyd, renowned as a divine, as a poetical paraphrast of the Bible, and as a munificent benefactor to the university of Glasgow. That singular person always mentioned Strang as being from the earliest period remarkable for piety ; together with acuteness and its frequent concomitant, modesty. . At the age of twelve his step-father sent him to study Greek and philosophy at St Leonard's college, St Andrews, then under the direction of his kinsman, princi- pal Robert Wilkie. Nor did he disgrace the patronage of tlie principal : he equalled or surpassed all his contemporaries, and was made master of arts in his sixteenth year. Although still very young, he was then unanimously invited by the master of the college to become one of the regents. That office he ac- cepted, and continued to discharge with great fidelity and efiect till about the end of 1613, when he was with similar unanimity urged to become minister of the parish of Errol, in the presbytery of Perth. Thither he accordingly re- moved in the beginning of the following year, carrying with him the best wishes DR. JOHN STRANG. of liis collengiies at St Andrews, and an ample testimoni.il from the presbytery. Among the signatures attaclied to tliat document appear those of Alexander Henderson, John Carniiiliacl, Robert Howie, and John Dykes, — the first high- ly celebrated, and the otliers well known to those who have studied the history of fhe period. The head of the family of Errol, uho resided in the parish to which Strang had been appointed, had as a sort of chaplain a Jesuit of the name of Hay, whose subtilty and eloquence are said to have been the means of convert- ing him and his family to the Ixoman catholic faith, and of spreading the doc- trines of papistry through the country. These circumstances afforded Strang an opportunity not to be omitted, and he is said to have so far counteracted the I efforts of the Jesuit, that, although he could never persuade lord Errol fully to embrace the protestant doctrines, he was the moans of converting his family. His son, Francis, a youth of great hopes, died in early life in tlint faith, and his daughters, ladies 3Iar and Buccleugh, adhered to it throughout their lives. Among the steps by which king James and the Scottish bishops were now at- tempting gradually to introduce episcopacy and conformity to the Anglican church, one was tiic restoration of academical degrees in divinity, which liad been discontinued in Scotland almost since the period of the Reformation, as resembling too much some of the formalities of the system which had been abolished. In the year 161G, it was determined to invest several persons with the honour of doctor of divinity at St Andrews, and, as it was considered good policy to introduce a few popular names into the list, Mr Strang, though in no way attached to the new system, was among others fixed upon. In the follow- ing year the monarch revisited his native country, and, among the long train of exhibitions which marked his progress, the public dispensations held in the royal preserce -were not the least. One of these was held at St Andrews by the mas- ters of the university and doctors of divinity, and according to his biographer, " by the universall consent of all present, Ur Strang excelled all the rest of the speakers in discourse, which was pious, modest, but full of the greatest and subtilest learning." But any favour which he might gain with the learned monarch upon this occasion was more than counterbalanced in the following year by his opposition to the famous articles of Perth : he was the only doctor in divinity who voted against their adoption. Yet, notwithstanding this cir- cimistance, when the archbishop of St Andrews got the court of High Commis- sion remodelled with the view of compelling conformity to these articles, Dr Strang's name was included among the members. It is greatly to his honour that he did not attend its meetings or give his sanction to any of its acts ; a circumstance which renders it at least doubtful whether he approved of the principles of such an institution. In the year 16-^0, Ur Strang was chosen one of the ministers of Edinburgh ; but he was too shrewd an observer of the signs of those times, and too much attached to his Hock to desire a more public and a more dangerous field of ministration. Neither persuasion nor the threat of violence could induce him to remove. In 1G26, Dr Strang received the king's patent, appointing him principal of the university of Glasgow, in place of Dr John Cameron, -who resigned the charge and returned to France. At the same time he received an unanimous invitation from the masters of the university, but it was not till a second letter arrived from court, and till he had received many urgent solicitations, both from the university and the town, that he could bo prevailed upon to accept tho office. His modesty, as well as his prudence, seems to have inclined him to a refusal; and although, perhaps, with such commands laid upon him, he could not with a good grace resist, the subsequent part of his history leads to a be- DR. JOHN STRANG. 333 lief Ihat he imist liave often looked back with regret. Tiie duties incumbent on the principal of a university were at that period considerable ; but his active mind led him to take a voluntary interest in everything- connected either witii the well-being of the university or of the town. Under his superintendence, the revenues of the former were greatly augmented, — tlie buildings on the north and east sides of the inner court, were begun and completed, — a large and stately orchard was formed, — and it is supposed that to his early and continued intimacy with 3Ir Zachary i5o)d, the society was indebted for the large endow- ments which it received by his will. In the business of the presbytery, he also took an active part; and when sickness, or other causes, prevented the minis- ters of the town from occupying their pulpits, he willingly supplied their place. Yet the performance of these duties, arduous as they unquestionably were, and most perseveringly continued for many years, was not enough to screen Dr Strang from the suspicion of belonging to that class which received the names of 31alignants and Opposers of the work of reformation. A multiplicity of concurrent circumstances compelled the king, in 163S, to yield to a meeting of the General Assembly ; and, from that period, the zeal of the presbyterians, like a flame long concealed, and almost smothered by confinement, burst forth into open air, as if in full consciousness of its strength and tei'rors. It may be sufficient to remark here, that their suspicions respecting Dr Strang were verified a few years afterwards, when, among the papers of the king, taken at the battle of Naseby, were discovered, " nine letters of IMr AVilliam Wilkie's,^ one of Dr Strang's, and a treatise," all of which had been addressed to the noted Dr Walter lialcanqual. These papers were for some time retained by the commissioners, as an instrument "to keep the persons that wrote them in awe, and as a mean to win them to a strict and circumspect carriage in their call- ings." At length, however, they were sent down to Scotland, in 104.0, with a desire that they might still be kept private for the same reasons. But neither the letter of Dr Strang, nor his treatise, so far as we can judge of its spirit from the introduction, (which Wodrow has inserted at full length,) can excite the smallest suspicion of the perfect integrity of his character. Like many other excellent men, he objected to the conduct of the presbyterians, not from any appi'obation of the measures of the king, of whose character, however, he had perhaps too good an opinion, but because " reason and philosophy re- connnendeth unto us a passing from our rights for peace sake." This, and the possibility of obtaining " a perfect estate of God's church, or the government thereof upon earth," are in amount the arguments upon which he builds his ob- jections to the covenant. He concludes his introduction, by protesting that his opinions -were formed entirely upon information which was known to all ; but, " if," says he, " there be any greater mysteries, which are only communi- cat to few, as I am altogether ignorant therof, so 1 am unable to judge of the same, but am alwise prone to judge charitably ; and protest in God's presence, that I have no other end herein, but God's glory, and the conservation of truth and peace within this kingdome." The treatise is entitled, " Eeasons \\hy all his 3Iajesty's orthodox Subjects, and namely those who subscribed the late Covenant, should thankfully acquiesce to his Majesty's late Declaration and Proclamations ; and especially touching the subscription of the Confession of Faith, and generall Band therin mentioned : with an Answer to the Reasons objected in the late Protestation to the contrary." But although the presbyterians might not be able to verify their suspicions respecting principal Strang, while his correspondence with Balcanqual remained unknown, there were points in his public conduct wiiich were considered suf- ' iNIinibter of Govan, in thie neighbourhood of Glasgow. 534 DR. JOHN STPxANG. ficieiit to justify proceedings to a certain extent against liini. " The spleen cf many," Mrites Baillie, " against the principal in the Assembly [of 163 S] was great, for many passages of his carriage in this affair, especially the last two : his subscribing that wliich we affirmed, and he denied, to be a protestation against elders, and so [against] our Assembly, consisting of them and ministers elected by their voices : also, his deserting the Assembly ever since the coni- nn'ssioner's departure, upon pretence that his commission being once cast, be- cause it was four, the elector would not meet again to give him, or any other, a new commission. Every other day, some one or other, nobleman, gentleman, or minister, was calling that Dr Strang should be summoned ; but by the dili- gence of his good friends, it was shifted, and at last, by this means, quite put by."'' The Assembly, however, appointed a commission to visit and determine all matters respecting the university. " This," continues the writer, " was a terrible wand above their heads for a long time. Divers of them feared depo- sition, . . '. We had no other intention, but to admonish them to do duty." From the account given by the same author of the proceedings of tlie Assem- bly of 1643, it appears that, at that period, the principal was still very unpopular witli the more zealous noblemen and ministers ; and if the account there given of the manner in which he managed the afi'airs of the college, and the strata- gems by which he sometimes attempted to gain his ends, be correct, we have no licsitation in pronouncing him* deservedly so. According to that statement, the chancellor, the rector, the vice-chancellor, dean of faculty, the rectors, assessors, and three of tlie regents, were not only all " at his devotion," but most of them " otherwise minded in the public affairs, than we did wish ;" and an attempt was made to introduce a system, by which he should always be appointed com- missioner from the university to the Assembly. Baillie was at bottom friendly to the principal, and his fears that any complaint made against him at the As- sembly, might raise a storm which would not be easily allayed, induced him to be silent. He contented himself with obtaining a renewal of the commission for visiting the university. *' This I intend," he says, " for a wand to threat, but to strike no man, if they will be pleased to live in any peaceable quietness, as it fears me their disaffection to the country's cause will not permit some of them to do."^ It must be confessed, however, that these statements of Baillie, written to a private friend, and probably never intended to meet the eye of the public, form a strange contrast to the general strain in which lie has written the life of Strang, prefixed to his work on the interpretation of Scripture. In the latter it is declared, respecting this period of his life, that " he fell under the ill-will of some persons, without his doing anything to lay the ground of it. When such made a most diligent search into his privat and publick management, that they might have somwhat against him, he was found beyond reproach in his personall carriage, and in the discharge of his office ; only in his dictats to his schollai's, some few things were taken notice of, wherein he diflered in his sen- timents from Dr Twiss and Mr liutherfurd in some scholastick speculations. He was not so much as blamed for any departure from the confession of any re- formed church, . . . but, in a few questions, exceeding nice and difh- cult, as to God's providence about sin, he thought himself at liberty, modestly to differ in his sentiments from so many privat men," Yet the clamour thus raised against Dr Strang, however groundless in Baillie's estimation, was en- 2 Baiilie's printed Letters and Journals, i. 145. That the reader may understand the al- lusion to his commission, it is necessary to mention, that the university of Glasgow liad no- minated four commissioners to attend the Assembly ; but the As?embly would not recognize their right to appoint more than one, and their commisaiou was, therefore, annulled. Ibid i. 107. 2 Printed Letters and Journals, i, 378. DR. JOHN STRANG. 'S3i couraged by his adversaries, and became at length so great, that the General Assembly, in 1G46, appointed commissioners to examine his dictates, uhich he Mas required to produce, and to report. Their report accordingly appears in the acts of the next Assembly, (August lGi7,) and sets forth that the said dic- tates contained some things, " so expressed, that scruples have therefrom risen to grave and learned men ; but after conference with the said doctor anent those scruples, and (having) heard his elucidations, both by word and ivrit, given to us, we were satisfyed as to his orthodoxy ; and, to remove all grounds of doubting as to his dictates, the doctor himself oflered to us the addition of several words, for the further explication of his meaning, which also was ac- ceptable to us." Cut tlie peace which Dr Strang hoped to enjoy after the decision of this question, was not destined to be granted him. " Some turbulent persons en- vyed his peace," and a new series of attacks, of which Baillie declines giving any account, because, to use his own strong expression, he would not " rake into a dunghill," followed. " The issue of these new attacks," he continues, was, the doctor, outraged by their molestations, demitted his office, and the rather that, in his old age, he inclined to have leisure, with a safe reputation, to revise and give his last hand to his writings. . . . To this his own proposall, the visitors of the coUedge went in ; but both the theolcgicall and philosophy faculty of the university opposed this, and, with the gi-er.test re- luctance, -nere at length brought to part w ith a colleague they so much honoured and loved." The visitors, by their demissory act, dated 19th April, 1G50, granted him " a testimonial! of his crthodoxie ;" and, as a proof of their affec- tion, allowed him not only the whole of his salary for the year IG50, but an annuity of one thousand merks Scots from the funds of the university, and two hundred pounds more as often as circumstances would permit. The remaining part of Dr Sti-ang's life was spent in comparative quiet, al- though an expression of Baillie's would lead to a supposition tliat the malice of his enemies reached even to the withholding of tlie annuity just mentioned. " Having to do in Edinburgh with the lawyers, concerning the unjust trouble he was put to for his stipend,'' says he, " Dr Strang, after a few days' illness, did die so sweetly and graciously, as was satisfactory to all, and nuich applauded all over the city, his very persecutors giving him an ample testimony."' That event took place on the 20lh of June, 1654, when he was in the seventy-eighth year of his age. Two days afterwards, his body, followed by a great assem- blage of persons of all ranks, was carried to the grave, and buried next to Robert Boyd of Trochrig, one of his predecessors in the professorship at Glasgow college. Among the last labours of Dr Strang's life, was the revisal of his treatise, " De Voluntate et Actionibus Dei circa peccatum," which he enlarged, and made ready for the press. In the author's lifetime, it had been sent to his friend, Mr William Strang, minister of 3Iiddleburg, with a desire that the senti- ments of the Dutch divines might be obtained respecting it. At his death, it was left to the charge of Dr Baillie, who got the 3IS. transcribed, and sent it to the same person. By IMr Strang it was sent to the famous Elzevirs at Amster- dam ; and, having been carried through their press by the learned IMr Alex- ander More, was published at that place in 1G57. The only other Avork of Dp Strang which we are aware of having been published, is entitled, " De In- terpretatione et Perfectione Scripture," Rotterdam, 1GG3, 4to. To this work is prefixed the life of the author, by Baillie, to which we have already re ferred. * Piiiited Letters and Journal, ii. 3S2, 3. Ur Straiio- was tlirice married, and liad a iiuinerous family, but few of his children survived. William, the only son \vho lived to majority, and "a youth of eminent piety and learning," was a regent in the university of Glasgow; but died of a hectit; fever, at the age of twenty-two, before liis father. He had four daughters, wlio survived him; all, ac<;ording to liaillie, " eminent patterns of piety, prudence, and other virtues.'" ST11AN(jK, (Sir) Iiobekt, Knight, the father of the line manner of engrav- ing in Britain, was born in the island of I'omona, in Orkney, July 11, 1721. He was lineally descended from Sir David Strange, or Strang, a younger son of the family of Strang of Balcnskie, in Fife, A\ho had settled in Orkney at the time of the Reformation. He received a classi(;al education at Kirkwall, under the care of IMr Murdoch Rlackenzie, teacher there, and who rendered some es- timable service to his country by accurate surveys of the Orkney islands, and of the British and Irish coasts. The subject of this memoir successively applied himself to the law and to the sea, before his talent for sketching pointed out the propriety of his making art his profession. Some slvetches shown by a friend to ]Mr Kichard Cooper, an engraver of some eminence in Edinburgh, and approved by him, led to Mr Strange being placed under that individual as an apprentice ; and the rapid progress he made in his new profession soon sliowed that he had only now for the iirst time fallen into the line of life for which he was destined by nature. He Avas practising his art in Edinburgh on his own account, when, in September, 1745, the Highland army took possession of the city. IMr Strange was not only himself well-inclined to this cause, but he had formed an attachment to a Bliss Luniisden,^ mIio had the same predilections. These circumstances, with his local notoriety as an engraver, ])ointed him out as a proper person to under' take a print of the young chevalier. While enjployed on this work, his lodgings in Stewart's Close Avere daily resorted to by the chief officers and friends of tlie prince, together with many of tlie most distinguished ladies attached to his cause. 'I'he portrait, when completed, Avas looked upon as a Avonder of art; and it is still entitled to considerable praise. It Avas a half length in an oval frame on a stone pedestal, on Avhich is engraved, " E^Enso missus succuKREnii seclo." As a reward for his services, he Avas of- fered a place in the finance department of the prince's army, or, as another ac- count stales, in the troop of Life Guards ; Avhich, partly at the instigation of his mistress, who otherwise threatened to Avithdraw her favour from him, he accepted. He therefore ferved throughout the remainder of the campaign. Soon after the battle of Falkirk, while riding along the shore, tlie sword which he carried in his hand Avas bent by a ball from one of the king's vessels stationed a little Avay out at sea. Having surmounted all the perils of the en- terprise, he had to sculk for his life in the Highlands, Avhere he endured many hardships. On the restoration of quiet times, he ventured back to Edinburgh, and supported himself for some time by drawing portraits of the favourite Jacobite leaders, Avhich Avere disposed of to the friends of the cause at a guinea each. A few, also, which he had destined for his mi&tress, and on that account adorned with the utmost of his skill, Avere sold about this period Avith a heavy heart to the earl of Wemyss, from Avhoni, in better times, he vainly en- deavoured to purchase them back. In 1747, he proceeded to London, but notbe- 5 Abiidged from AVodiow's Life of Stiaiicr, in his biographical MSS. in Bibl. Acad. Glasg., fol. , vol. ii. See also, Life by Bailhf, above mentioned. The extracts from the latter are borrowed from "Wodrow's translation, iiistrtcd in his life. 1 Sister to ]\lr Andrew Lumisden, a Jacobite partizan of some note, and who afterwards fiirmcd part of the household of prince Charles Stuart at Rome, of the anticiuitics of which city he published an account. SIR ROBERT STRANGE, KNT. 337 fore lie had been rewarded for all Iiis distresses by ihe fair hand of Mias Lujnisden. Without waiting long in the metropolis, he went to Rouen, whero a number of his companions in the late unfortunate war were living in exile, and where he obtained an honorary prize given by the acadeniv. He after- wards resided for some time at I'aiis, where he studied with grent assiduity under the celebrated Le Bas, who taught him the use of the dry needle. In 1751, he returned to London, and settled as an engraver, devoting him- self chietiy to historical subjects, wliich he handled in so masterly a manner that he £oon attiacted considerable notice. In 1751), when he had resolved to visit Italy, for his furtlier improvement, iMr Allan Kamsay intimated to him that it would be agreeable to the prince of Wales and the earl of Bute, if he vould undertake the engraving of t\vo portraits which he had just painted for those emi- nent personages. Mr Strange refused, on the plea of his visit to Italy, which \vould tlius be put off for a considerable time, and he is said to have thus lost the favour of the royal preceptor, which was afterwards of material disadvantage to him, although the king ultiuiately approved of his conduct, on the ground that the portraits were not worthy, ;is works of art, of being commemorated by him. Mr Strange set out for Italy in 1760, and in the course of his tour visited Naples, Florence, and other distinguished seats of the arts, lie was everywhere treated with the utmost attention and respect by persons of every rank. Ke was made a member of the academies of Rome, Florence, and Bologna, and professor of the royal academy at Parma. His portrait was introduced by Rof- fanelli, amongst those of other distinguisiied engravers, into a painting on the ceiling of that room in the Vatican library where the engravings are kept. He had also the distinguished honour of being permitted to erect a scaffold in one of the rooms of that magnificent palace for the purpose of taking a drawing of tlie Parnassus of Raphael ; a favour not previously granted for many years to any petitioning artist. And an apartment was assigned for his own abode, while engaged in this employmenU A similar honour was conferred upon him at the palace of the king of Naples, where he wished to copy a celebrated painting by Schidoni. JMr Strange's drawing-s were in coloured crayons ; an invention of his own, and they were admired by all who saw them. He subse- quently engraved prints on a splendid scale from about fifty of the paintings \\hich he had thus copied in Italy." The subsequent part of the life cf Mr Strange was spent in London, \\here he did not acquire the favour of the court till 1787, when he was knighted. A letter by him to lord Bute, reflecting on some instances of persecution which he thought he traced to that nobleman, appeared in 1775 and was subsequently * The following are among the principal engravings by Sh- Robert Stmiige ; — Two heads of himself, one an etching, the other a finished proof; The Return from Market by Wouver- inans ; Cupid by Vanloo ; I\Iary IMagdaltn ; Cleopatra; the Madonna; the Angel Gabriel; tlie Virgin with the child asleep-, Libeiality and Modesty, by Guide; Apollo rewarding merit ;uid punishing arrogance, by Andrea Sacchi ; the Finding of Romulus and Remus, by Pietro deCortona ; Ca-siir repudiating Pompeia, by the same ; Three children of Charles 1., by Vand)ke; lielisarius, b) Salvator Rosa; St Agnes, by Domenichino ; the Judgment of Hercules, by Nicolas Poussin ; Venus attired by the Graces, by Guido; Justice and Sleekness, by Raphael; the Oti'spring of Love, by Guido; Cupid Sleeping, by the same; Abraham giving up the handmaid Hagar, by Guercino ; Esther, a suppliant before Ahasuerus, by the same; Joseph and Potiphar's wife, by Guido; Venus, by the same; Danae, by the same; Portrait of CharLs 1. by Vandjke: the IMadonn;;, bj- Corrcgio; St Cecilia, by Raphael ; Blary I\lagdalen, by Guido; Our Saviour appearing to his .Mother after his resurrection, by Guercino; A Mother and Child, by Parmegiano; Cupid Medi- tating, by Schidoni ; Laomedon, king cf Troy, detected by Neptune and Apollo, by Salvator Rosa. Sir Robert, near the close of his bfe, formed about eighty rcsci-ved proof copies of his best prints into as many volumes, to which he added a general litle-pjige, and an introduc- tion on the progress of engraving. 538 MARY STUART. prefixed to an " Inquiry into the Rise and Establishment of the Royal Academy at London," >\hich was provoked from his pen by a law of that insti- tution aoainst the admission of engravinjis into the exiiibilions. After a life fpent in the active exercise of his proftssional talents, he died of an asthmatical compl.iint on the 5th of July, l7ii-2, leaving, besides his lady, a daugiiter and tiiree sons. Sir Robert has been described by liis surviving- friends, as one of the most amiable and virtuous of men, as he was unquestionably among the most able in his own peculiar walk. Ite Avas unassuming, benevolent, and liberal. His industry was equally remarkable with his talent. In the coldest seasons, when health permitted him, he went to work with the dawn, and the longest day was too short to fatigue liis hand. Even the most mechanical parts of his labours he would generally perform himself, choosing rather to undergo a drudgei-y so unsuitable to his talents than trust to others. His remains were interred in Covent Garden church-yard. STUART, 3Iart, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V., and Mary of Guise, was born in the palace of Linlithgow, December 7, 1512. Her father was on his death-bed at Falkland, when her birth was announced to him ; and in seven days after that event, he expired, bitterly regrettisig, in his dying mo- ments, that it was a female, and not a male child, that had been born to him. The young queen having been removed to Stirling, was there solemnly crowned by cardinal Beaton, on tiie 9th of September, 1 543, while she was yet only nine months old. The two first years of the infant princess's life were spent at Linlitligow, under the immediate charge of her mother, and, more remotely, under that of commissioners appointed by parliament, on the part of the nation, to watch over the tender years of their future sovereign. During her residence here, she was attacked with small pox ; but the disease was of so mild a nature, as to leave no trace behind. The three following years, she spent at Stirling, under the superintendence of the lords Erskine and Livingstone. At the end of this period, she was re- moved to Inchmahome, a small island in the lake of 3Ienteith, in Perthshire. The disturbed state of the country had rendered this measure necessary, as a precaution against any attempts which might be made to get possession of her person ; and it was thought, that the remote and sequestered isle to which she was now sent, olTered a greater degree of security than could be found, even from the wards and defences of a fortress. To divert the young princess in her solitary residence, four young ladies of rank were chosen by her mother, the queen dowagei', to accompany her. These ladies were, IMary Beaton, niece of cardinal Beaton ; Olary Fleming, daughter of lord Fleming ; Mary Livingstone, daughter of one of the young queen's guardians ; and Mary Seaton, daughter of lord Seaton. Whether it was by chance or by design, that these four ladies bore the same surname with the queen, is not now known ; but they have since been distinguished by the conjunctive appellation of the four 3LiRiES, and as such are celebrated in history. In tliis island, IMary resided for upwards of four years; when, agreeably to an intention which had been early entertained i-egarding her, she was sent to France, to receive the refined education which that country then, above all others, was capable of afibrding. The young queen, now in lier sixth year, embarked at Dumbarton on board of a French ship, which, accompanied by several other vessels of that nation, had been sent to the Clyde to receive her. On her arrival at Brest, wiiich she reached on the 1-ith of August, 1543, af- ter a tempestuous and tedious voyage of neai'Iy three weeks' duration, she was received, by tlie orders of the French monarch, Henry II., with all the marks MARY STUART. 339 of respect due to lier exalted station ; and was soon afteruards sent, with the king's own daughters, to one of the most celehrated monasteries in France, to receive such an education as sliould become the future queen. Remarkable as was the beauty of 31ary's person, it \vas not more worthy of admiration than her intellectual superiority. In all the various and numerous branches of education in which she was instructed, she made rapid progress, and attained in all a proficiency that excited universal admiration. She rode fearlessly and gracefully, and in dancing was unrivalled, even at the gay and refined court of Henry II. Caressed and admired by all, and surrounded by every enjoyment within the reach of humanity, the earlier part of 3Iary's life glided rapidly away, while she herself, in her person, gradually advanced towards that perfection of beauty, which is to this hour matter of interesting speculation, and which she seems to have possessed in the highest degree of which, perhaps, the human form is susceptible. A desire long entertained by ^DJary's mother, the queen dowager, and Henry of France, to unite the interests of the two kingdoms, had early produced a contract of marriage between Francis, the young dauphin, and the Scot- tish queen. This contract, Henry now thought it full time to consummate, and the youthful pair were a(;cordingly united. The nuptials took place on the 24th of Apx'il, 155S. 3Iary was then in the sixteenth year of her age, and her husband but little older. The ceremony, which was celebrated with great pomp, was attended, amongst others, by the lord James, prior of St Andrews, and other eight persons of distinction, from Scotland, who had been deputed for that purpose by the parliament of that kingdom. 3Iary, already queen of Scotland, and heir presumptive of England, v.ns now, by her marriage to the dauphin, queen consort apparent of France ; a concentra- tion of dignities Avhich perhaps never before occurred in one person. The last of these honours was realized, but only for a short period. In 155'J, a year af- ter her marriage, her husband, the dauphin, succeeded to the throne, by the death of his father; but in another year afterwards, in 1560, he died, while yet only in the seventeenth year of his age. 3Iary's husband was not, either in mental attainments, or personal appear- ance, at all equal to his beautiful and accomplished wife ; he was, besides, of a weakly and sickly habit of body, but he appears to have been of a mild and af- fectionate disposition; and there is every reason to believe that he was sincerely beloved by his royal consort. On the death of her husband, 3Iary was invited to return to Scotland, in order to undertake the government. Political motives seconding this invitation, she complied with it, and, in August, 1561, sailed from the harbour of Calais, and on the 2 1st of the same month, arrived safely at Leith. Her reception in her native land, was warm and enthusiastic ; and although she soon discovered many things to increase her respect for the country she had left, she yet fully appreciated the sincerity with which she was welcomed. The period of Mary's arrival in Scotland was singularly inauspicious for a sovereign educated as she had been in devoted attachment to the faith which he- Scottish subjects had just abjured. The reformed religion had gradually advanced from small beginnings, amidst great opposition, until it had now attained a parlia- mentary establishment. Mary had been taught to regard the late proceedings of her Scottish subjects in the light of rebellion against her lawful authority. Befoi'o she left France her mind was filled with prejudices against the reformed faith and its promoters. She came to Scotland prepared to subvert the reformation. The reformers apprehended such an attempt on the part of Mary and her French cour- 340 MARY STUAHT. tiers; and, amidst tlio enthusiastic loyalty expressed on the occasion of her arrival by all ranks of the i^enple, it is not surprising that every opportunity was taken to impress the queen's mind with a sense of the value which her subjects attached to their new-born liberties. Knox and the other leading reformers, who have been censured for their uncompromising deportment towards tlieir sovereign, wore, in addiuon, inlluenced by a just regard for their pei'sonal safety, which could not fail to be seriously compromised in the event of popery regaining its ascendency in Scotland. Tlie recent liistory of France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Eng- land, Lore testimony to the perfidious and truculent foe with which they had to contend in the Uomisli cliurch. " The rage for conquest on the continent (remarks Dr M'Crie) was now converted into a rage for proselytism ; and steps had already been taken towards forming that league among the popish princes, which had for its object the universal extermination of protestants. Tlie Scottish queen was passionately addicted to the intoxicating cup of which so many of ' the kings of the earth had drunk.' Tliere were numbers in tlie nation vv'ho were similarly disposed, Tlic liberty taken by the queen would soon be demanded for all who declared themselves catholics. Many of those who had hitherto ranged under the protestaut standard were lukewarm in the cause; the zeal of others had already luffered a sensible abatement since the arrival of their sovereign; and it was to be feared that the favours of tlie court, and the blandishments of an artful and accomplished princess, would make proselytes of some, and lull others inio security, while designs were carried on pregnant with ruin to the religion and liberties of the nation." On the first Sunday after her arrival, Mary wa3 £0 ill-advised as to have mass celebrated in the chapel at Holyrood, on which occasion her attendants received some rough treatment at the hands of the people. John Knox denounced the observance of mass as idolatry, in the pulpit on the succeeding Sabbath. Two days afterwards, tlie queen sent for Knox to the palace, and held a long conversation with him in the presence of her brother, the prior of St Andrews, afterwards earl of Murray. She plied all her blandish- ments to soften the reformer ; failing in which she resorted to threats, in the hope of overaAving him. The firmness of the reformer was as immovable as his faith was inflexible, and both were proof against the smiles and tears of the youthful princess. On taking leave of her majesty, Knox said, " I pray God, madam, that you may be as blessed within the commonwealth of Scotland as ever Deborah was in the commonwealth of Israel."' Mary soon afterwards made her first public entry into Edinburgh. Mounted on her palfrey, and suitably escorted, she proceeded up the High Street to tho castle, where a banquet was prepared for her. The i-eception she met with from tho citizens was extremely gratifying, notwithstanding the somewhat obtrusive manner in which many of them indicated their contempt for her re- ligion, and their resolution to defend their own. In a subsequent progress through Linlitligov^, Stirling, Perth, St Andrews, and the neighbouring dis- tricts, she was welcomed with hij;h-hearted loyalty, such as the Scottish nation never withheld from Mary or her descendants so long as they respected the religious principles and political liberties of the people. On one occasion, during the royal tour, some public demonstration of the reformers moved the queen to tears. On her return to Edinburgh she evinced a disposition to check the prac- tice of publicly insulting her faith. Within a few days after her arrival, the civil authorities issued a proclamation, proscribing the " wicked rabble of the antichrist of the pope," and ordering them to withdraw from the bounds of the town, within four and twenty hours, under pain of carting through the streets, burning on the cheek, and perpetual br.nislnnent. Mary, however, did not allow this invasion of her authority to pass with the same impunity which sho MARY STUART. 3-11 had permitted in some other instances of a similar kind. She ordered ihe town council to deprive the provost and baillies instantly of their offices, and to elect ethers in their stead. All the Frencli friends who had arrompanied Iier to Scotland, excepting her nncle, the marquis D'i'^lbeuf, disgusted -with the treatment whicli they met witli from the reformers, now returned to their own country ; and the young and inexperienced queen was thus left nearly alone, to maintain the elevated and dangerous position in which hereditary right had placed her, against the stormy and conflicting interests and passions of those by whom she was surrounded. She was now thrown upon her o^\n resources, and, at a most critical period, left to rely wholly upon the firmness and energy of her o^vn character, to carry her tiirough the arduous part which destiny had assigned her. Tile fame of Clary's beauty and nccoinplish.ments, as was naturally to be ex- pected, procured her many suitors, not only amongst her own nobility, but amongst foreign princes. She, however, declined all addresses of this nature, and resolved, in the mean time at least, to remain as she was: a resolution, which it had been well for the unfortunate queen she had always adhered to. In the month of August, 1502, little of any interest having occurred in the interval, Mary set cut on a progress through the northern part of her dominions, accompanied by her brother, the earl of fliurray, and a numerous train of nobles and attendants. On this expedition she spent three months, when she again returned to Edinburgh, The two following years, viz., 1563 and 15G4, were undistinguished by any public event of importance, and were, on that account, probably the happiest that 3Iary ever spent in her native land. Thougii no circumstance of national consequence, however, occurred daring this period,' one of a singular and melancholy interest did take place. This was the execution of the young French poet, Chatelard. This unfortunate gentleman, who was attached to IMary's court, had fallen wildly and desperately in love with his royal mistress. He wrote numerous verses to her; and, en- couraged by the unreflecting approbation with which they were received, and mistaking the good-natured courtesy of ]Mary for a return of his passion, he madly intruded himself into her bed-room. Here he was discovered by her maids of honour ; but, after being severely reprimanded by the queen for his audacity, was allowed, from a natural feeling of lenity, as it was his first of- fence, to escape further puniihment. Undeterred by the imminence of the danger to which he had been exposed, and of which he must have been fully aware, Chatelard, in two nights afterwards, again entered the queen's bed- chamber. On this occasion, it was at Dunfermline, where Mary had stopped for one night on her way to St Andrews. Highly incensed by the young man's insolent perlinacity, Mary, after having in vain ordered him to quit her apart- ment, called out for assistance, and was instantly attended by the earl of Mur- ray, who happened to be within hearing. The unfortunate Chatelard was im- mediately taken into custody, tried at St Andi'ews, condemned to death, and executed on the 22nd of February, 15G3. Before laying his head on the block, which he did with the utmost composure, he turned towards the Iiouso in which the queen lodged, and where he presumed her at the moment to be, and exclaimed, "Farewell, loveliest and most cruel princess wiiom the World contains!" Mai'v, if she had not hitherto enjoyed positive happiness, had at least been free from any very serious annoyances, since her accession to the throne. This comparative quiet, however, was now about to be disturbed, and the long series of miseries and misfortunes, which render her histoiy so remarkable, were on the eve of assailing her. These began with ber unfortunate marriage to 343 I^IAEY STUART. Darnley, an event wliicli took place on the 29th of July, 1565. The cero- mony was performed in the chapel of Holyrood, on a Sunday, between the houi-s of five and six in tlie morning^. Henry Stuart, lord Darnley, at the time of his nmrriage, was in the nine- teenlli year of his age ; 31ary in her twenty-third. The former was tlie son of 3Iatti>ew, earl of Lennox, and of tlie lady Jlargaret Douglas, niece of Henry VHI. Iwen at this early period of his life, Darnley was esteemed one of the handsomest men of his time ; but, unfortunately, there was little correspondence between the qualities of his person and his mind. He was weak, obstinate, and wayward, possessing scarcely one redeeming trait, unless it were a simplicity, or rather imbecility, which rendered him an easy dujie to the designing. Amongst tlic first evil results which this unfortunate connexion produced to 3Iary, was the hostility of her brother, the earl of 31urray, who foresaw that the new character of a king consort would greatly lessen, if not entirely put an end to, the almost regal power and influence which he enjoyed whilst his sister remained single. Impressed with this feeling, he had, at an early period, not only expressed his displeasure at the proposed marriage, but, in concert with some other nobles, whom he had won over to his interest, had taken measures for seizing on the queen's person, whilst she was travelling between Perth and Edinburgh. Being earlier on the road, however, and better guarded than the conspirators expected, she reached the latter place without expei-iencing any interruption ; and in a few days afterwards, her union witii Darnley took place. On the 15th of August, 1565, seventeen days after the celebration of the queen's marriage, Murray, who now stood forward as an open and de- clared enemy, summoned his pnrtizans to meet him, attended by their followers, armed, at Ayr, on the 24th of the same month. To oppose this rebel force, Olary mustered an army of five thousand men, and, with a spirit worthy of her high descent, placing herself in the midst of her troops, equipped in a suit of light armour, with pistols at her saddle bow, she marched from Edinburgh to the westward, in quest of the rebel forces. jMurray, who had been able to raise no more than twelve hundred men, finding himself unable to cope with the queen, retired from place to place, closely pursued by the royal forces. Being finally driven to Carlisle, whither he Avas still followed by i\lary, with an army now increased to eighteen thou- sand men, his troops there dispersed, and he himself and his frientis, abandon- ing their cause as hopeless, tied to tlie English court. Tliis triumph of 3Iary's, however, in place of securing her the quiet which might have been expected to result from it, seemed merely to have opened a way for the admission of other miseries, not less afflicting than that which had l)een removed. 3Iurray, and the other lords who had joined him in his rebel- lious attempt, though now at a distance, and under a sentence of expatriation, still continued their machinations, and endeavoured to secure, by plot and con- trivance, that which they had failed to obtain by force. In these attempts tliey found a ready co-operator in the earl of IMorton, who, though entertain- ing every good-will to their cause, having taken no open part in their rebellious measures, was now amongst the few counsellors whom iMary had left to her. Working on the vanity and weakness of Darnley, Morton succeeded in inducing him to join a conspiracy, which had for its object the restoration of the banished lords, and the wresting from, or at least putting under such restraints as they should think fit, the authority of the queen. Tempted by promises of undivided sway, that imbecile prince, slighting the ties of natural affection, and forgetting MARY STUART. 3-43 all tlie kindnesses and honuuis which his wife had heaped upon him, became an active partizan in a plot devised against her interest, her dignity, and her hap- piness. Tiiere was, however, one person whose fidehty to tlie queen made him sufficiently dangerous to render it necessary, for the safety of all, that he should be removed out of the way. This was David Rizzio, JIary's secretary. Sin- cerely interested in the safety and honour of iiis royal mistress, he was known to have exerted his influence with her, against those who had aimed at depriv- ing her of her authority: and he was also known to have exerted that influence to prevent her yielding up too much of that authority to Darnley. Being thus equally detested by both, and generally unpopular on acciunt of his religion and his country, and for the high estimation in which he was held by the queen, his destruction was determined upon. On the evening of the Uth of 3Iarch, 15(3 5, the conspirators, headed by lord lluthven, entered the queen's chamber, whilst she was at supper with several of her household, including Kizzio. On their entering, the queen indignantly de- manded the meaning of this intrusion. This they soon explained; and im- mediately proceeded to attack their victim with their drawn weapons. Rizzio, by taking shelter behind the queen, for some time escaped the blows of the assassins, but was at length stabbed in the side over tlie queen's shoulder, and innnediately after dragged into an adjoining apartment, and de- spatched with no fewer than fifty-six wounds. Innnediately after the as- sassination, Darnley and 3Iorton placed the queen in ward ; and, en the fol- lowing morning, issued a proclamation, in the king's name, proroguing the par- liament, which was then sitting, and which had discovered such a disposition in favour of the queen, as rendered it highly dangerous. In the evening of the same day, Murray, with the other banished lords, returned from England. At this critical period, tl'.e vacillating Darnley, unable to pursue any course, whether for good or evil, steadily, began to repent of the part he was acting, and allowed himself to be persuaded by Mary, not only to desert his accom- plices, but to assist and accompany her in making her escape from Holyrood. Attended only by the captain of the guard and two other persons, Hilary and her husband Isft the palace at midnight for Dunbar, to which they rode without stopping. Here the queen found herself, in the course of a few days, sur- rounded by the half of her nobility, and at the head of a powerful army. With these she returned, after an absence of only five days, in triumph to Edinburgh, where she was again reinstated in full and uncontrolled authority. The con- spirators, unable to offer the slightest resistance, fled in all directions ; while their leaders, Morton, Maitland, Ruthven, and Lindsay, sought safety in New- castle. Mary had, a few days before, with not an unwise policy, lessened the number of her enemies, and increased that of her friends, by receiving 3Iurray, and several others of those who had been associated with him, into favour; and, therefore, now again enjoyed the benefit of the judicious counsel of her able, but ambitious brother. Soon after the occurrence of the events just related, 3Iary became aware of the near approach of the hour which was to make her a mother. In the antici- pation of this event, she took up her abode, by the advice of her privy council, in the castle of Edinburgh, where, on the lt)th of June, 156G, between the hours of nine and ten in the moi-ning, she was delivered of a son, afterwards Janies VI. of Scotland, and I. of England. The intelligence of Mary's accouchement was received with the utmost jny throughout the whole kingdom. In Edinburgh, it amounted to enthusiasm All the nobles in the city, accompanied by the greater part of the citizens, went in solemn procession to the high church, and returned thanks to the Al- 31 1 3r.\RY STUART. mighty fur Ijestuuiiig a prince upon them, and for the mercy which had been fcxtendeil to tlieir queen. This impressive cei'cmony was followed by three en- tire days of continued revelry and Iriuuipli. After lier recovery, tlie queen proceeded on an excursion through various parts of the country ; and again returned to Edinbui-gh on the lllh or 12th of September, liaving previously placed the infant prince in charge of the earl and lady 31ar. From this period, the page of 31nry's liistory rapidly darkens; and it is now that her enemies assail her cliaracter, and that her friends find themselves called upon to defend it. Each have written volumes, in their turn, to establish her guilt or her innocence, but hitherto without approaching to anything like com- plete success on either side. At the suggestion of the earl of Bollnvell, now one of the most active of Slary's officers of state, the privy council submitted to 3Iary, then (December, loljli) residing at Graigmillar castle, the proposal that she should divorce her husband Uarnley, to whom she liad now been married about a year and a half. Tiiera were sufiicient reasons, botli of a public and personal nature, to make such a proposal neitlier singular nor unwarrantable. Darnley's intellectual incapacity rendered him wholly unfit for his situation; and his wayward temper had wrecked the happiness of liis wife. But the proposal originated in neither of these considerations. It was the Hrst step of the new ambition of Bothwell, which aimed at the hand of his sovereign. 3Iary refused to accede to the pro- posal, alleging, amongst other considerations, tliat such a proceeding might pre- judice tlie interests of her son. This resolution, however, in place of diverting Bothwell from his daring project, had the eflect only of driving him to a more desperate expedient to accomplish it. He now resolved that Darnley should die. Attendetl by a band of accomplices, he proceeded, at midnight, on Sun- day, the yih of February, 15(37, to the Kirk of Field house, situated near to where the college of Edinburgh now stands, and where Darnley, who was at the time unwell, had taken up a temporary residence. The mode of his death had been matter of some discussion previously, but it had been finally deter- mined that it should be accomplished by the agency of gunpowder. A large quantity of that material had been, therefore, secretly introduced into the chamber beneath that in which Darnley slept. This, on the night spoken of, was fired by a match applied by the assassins, but which burrit slowly enough to allow of themselves escaping to a safe distance ; and in a few minutes, the house, with all its inmates, including Darnley, was totally destroyed. For some time after tlie murder, vague and contradictory surmises regarding the assassins, filled the kingdom. Suspicion, however, at length became so strong against the true perpetrator, that, at tlie instigation of Darnley's father, the earl of Lennox, he was brought to a public trial. Bothwell, however, was too powerful a man, and had too many friends amongst the nobility, to fear for the result. He had provided for such an occurrence. On the day cf trial, no one appeared to prosecute him, and he was acquitted. Thus far the dark and daring projects of Bothwell had been successful, and he now hurried on to tho consummation of his guilty career. On the 20th of April, little more than two months after the assassination of Darnley, Bothwell procured the signatures of a number of the nobility to a document setting forth, first, his innocence of that crime ; secondly, the necessity of the queen's immediately entering again into the married state ; and, lastly, recommending James, earl of Bothwell, as a fit person to become her husband. In two or three days after this, Mary left Edinburgh for Stir- ling, on a visit to her infant son ; and as she was returning from thence, she j\rA?.Y STUAPvT. 345 v.as waylaid by BotlnvelJ, accompanied by a troop of a thousand men, all well mounted, at a bridge uhicli crosses the river Almond, Avithin a mile of Linlith- gow, fllary, when slie encountered Bothwell, was attended by but a slight re- tinue, and by only three persons of note ; these were the earl of Huntly, secre- tary Maitland, and Sir James 3Ielville. Bothwell having dismissed all her attendants, with the exception of the tlnee last, seized the bridle of 3Iary's horse, and innnediately after the whole cavalcade proceeded with their ut- most speed to Dunbar, one of Bothwell's castles. Here fliary was de- tained for ten days, during which time Botliwell had succeeded in obtain- ing her consent to espouse hiin. At the end of this period, tiie queen and her future husband returned to Edinburgh, and in a few weeks afterwards were married, Bothwell having previously obtained a divorce from his wife, the lady Jane Gordon, and a formal pardon, before the lords of session, from 3Iary herself, for his having seized upon her person. With regard to tiiese transactions, thus brieiiy narrated, much has been said of the determined, unprincipled, and ferocious character of Bothwell, and nmch of the helplessness of the condition to which 3Iary was reduced ; but it c^mnot be denied that they present still a startling appearance, even after all that has been said to explain away what part of them affects the character of IMary. Bothwell, however, did not long enjoy the success of his villany : his own ruin, and that of his unfortunate partner, speedily followed their unhappy con- nexion. Disgusted with the insolence of his manner, and not improbably disappointed in the hopes which tliey had entertained from his elevation, a number of those very lords who had assisted him to attain it, together with many others, took up arms to displace him. On learning the designs of his enemies, Bothwell hastily collected at Dunbar a force of 2000 men, and with these marched towards Edinburgh on the 14th of June, 15G7. The hostile lords, with an army somewhat less in number, marched from the latter city to meet him, and on the 15th, the two armies came in sight of each other, Bothwell's troops occupying Carberry hill, a rising ground to the east of 3Iusselburgh. Neither army evincing mucii inclination to come to blows, negotiations Avere entered into, and the final result of these was, that 3Iary, who had accompanied Bothwell to the field, offered to deliver herself up to the opposite party, on condition, that they would conduct her safely to Edinburgh, and thereafter yield obedience to her authority. This being agreed to, she prevailed upon her husband to quit the field, and, conducted by^Kirkaldy of Grange, presented herself before the hostile lords, and claimed their protection. Mary was now conducted into Edinburgh, but with little respect either to her rank, her sex, or her feelings. Insulted by the rabble as she passed along, and dissolved in tears, she was taken to the house of the provost, instead of the palace, a circumstance which added greatly to her dis- tress. Dreading a rc-action of the popidar feeling towards the queen, \vhich, indeed, shortly afterwards took place, Clary's captors, for they now stood in that position, conveyed lier on the evening of the following day, to Holyrood, and at midnight, hurried her away on horseback to the castle of Lochleven, situated on a small island in a lake of that name in Fifeshire, and placed her in charge of lady Douglas, mother of the earl of Murray by James V,, a woman of haughty and austere mannei-s and disposition. This extreme proceeding towards the unhappy queen was in little more than a month afterwai'ds followed by another still more decisive and humiliating. On the -ilth of July, 1567, lord Lindsay and Sir Robert Lindsay, deputed by the lords of Secret Council, proceeded to Lochleven, and by threats of per- 316 SrAP.Y STUAET. soml violence, compelled Mary to sign a deed of abdication, a proceeding which was soon after followed by the election of Murray to the regency. l)otln\ell, in the mean time, after some inedectual attempts to regain his lost authority, retired to his estates in the north, but being pursued thither by Grange and Tullibardine, he embarked for Denmark. Ruthless and desper- ate Jn all his proceedings, he attempted, on his way thither, to replenish his exhausted finances by piracy. The intelligence of his robberies reaching Den- mark, several ships were despatched from that country in quest of him, and in a very short time he was taken and carried a prisoner into a Danish port. On his landing- he was thrown into prison, where he remained for many years, and finally ended his days in misery and neglect. Such was the fate of the proud, ambitious, and wicked Dothwell, the husband of3Iary, queen of Scotland. Though Mary's fortunes were at tliis low ebb, and though her enemies were both numerous and powerful, she had still many friends, who waited anxiously and impatiently for an opportunity of asserting her rights and avenging her wrongs ; and for such an opportunity, although attended with an unsuccessful result, they Avere not called upon to wait long. On the 25th of March, 1568, about nine months after she had been imprisoned in Lochleven castle, an attempt was made, by the assistance of George Douglas, a relation of the family of Lochleven, >vho resided in the cas- tle, to effect Mary's escape in the disguise of a laundress. She was, however, discovered by the boatmen, who had been employed to convey her to the shore, and carried back to the castle. In about a month afterwards, the attempt was again made, but now under the auspices of William Douglas, a young man of sixteen years of age, a relation of the Douglas family, and also a resident on the island. Douglas, having purloined the keys of the fortress, liberated the captive princess, May 2nd, and, conducting her to a boat which was in readiness to receive her, conveyed her to the shore. Here she was met, with the most lively expressions of joy and loyal affection, by a number of h.er nobility, who, having been previously informed of the design, were anxiously awaiting her arrival. Placing the queen on horseback, the whole party instantly set off at full speed for Hamilton, where they arrived on the following forenoon. The intelligence of 3Iary's escape, and of the place of her temporary abode, rapidly spread throughout the whole kingdom, and nobles and troops instantly poured in from all quarters to her assistance. In a few days 3Iary found her- self at the head of a formidable array, and surrounded by the greater part of her nobility. She now solemnly and publicly protested that her abdication had been compulsory, and therefore not valid, and called upon 3Iurray, who was then at Glasgow, to surrender his regency. This he refused to do, and both parties prepared for hostilities. On Thursday the 13th of May, IMurray, who was still at Glasgow, having learned that the queen, with her forces, were on their way to Dumbarton, where it was proposed by the friends of the former that she should be lodged, as being a place of greater safety than Hamilton, he hastily assembled an army of 4000 men, and marched out to a place called Langside, about three miles dis- tant from the city, to intercept her. The hostile armies soon came in sight of each other, and a battle followed, fatal to the hopes of Glary. The main body of the queen's army was led by the earl of Argyle, the van by Claud Hamilton, second son of the duke of Chatelherault, and the cavalry by lord Herries. Murray himself led on the main body of the opposing forces, and the earl of jMorton the van. Mary, on perceiving that the day had gone against her, (for she had witnessed the contest from a neighbouring height,) instantly took to horse, and^ ilAIlY STUART. M7 accompanied by lord Herries and a few other trusty friends, rode off at full speed, nor ever drew bridle until she had reached Uundrennan Abbey in Gal- loway, sixty miles distant from the field of battle. Here she remained for two days, uncertain whither to proceed. Resolving at length to throw her- self on the protection of Elizabeth, she embarked, with a train of eighteen or twenty persons, on board a fishing boat, and sailing along the shoi-e until she arrived at Workington, in Cumberland, was there landed with her suite. From Workington she proceeded to Cockermouth, twenty-six miles distant from Car- lisle, wliere she was met by the deputy of the warden of these frontiers and a number of gentlemen of rank and respectability, and conducted with every mark of respect to the castle of Carlisle. This honourable treatment, however, was but of short duration. Blary was now in the hands of her bitterest and most inveterate enemy, Elizabeth, and though not yet aware of it, the conviction of its truth was very soon forced upon her. From Carlisle Mary was, by Elizabeth's orders, removed to Bolton, where she was strictly guarded, and forbidden to hold any communication with her Scottish subjects. Elizabeth had previously refused to admit IMary to a personal interview, alleging, that she was under a suspicion of having been accessary to the murder of Darnley, and that, until her innocence of that crime was established, she could not afford her any countenance, or bestow upon her any mark of favour. Affecting an anxiety for Clary's honour, Elizabeth now proposed that an examination of evidence should be gone into, to prove either the truth or falsehood of the allegation. Three sets of commissioners uere accordingly appointed for this purpose, one by Elizabeth, as umpires or judges, one by Blurray and his party as defenders, and one by 3Iary as plaintilT. These met at York on the 4th of October, 156 8, bestowing upon their proceedings the gentle name of Conference. From York the Conference, unattended yet with any decisive result, was re- moved to Westminster, where it was again resumed, and finally, after several disingenuous proceedings on the part both of Elizabeth and iMurray's commis- sioners, was brought to a close without being terminated. Without any conclusive or satisfactory evidence of her guilt, or any decision having been pronounced on the evidence which had been led, Mary was, though not formally, yet virtually condemned to perpetual imprisonment. The unfortunate queen was now moved from castle to castle as notions of caprice or fancied security dictated, and with diminished comforts and enjoyments at each remove, until she was finally stripped, not only of all per- sonal liberty, but of every consolation which could make life endurable. Her letters of remonstrance to Elizabeth under this treatment are pathetic in the last degree, but they had no effect upon her to whom they were addressed. For eighteen years the severities to which she was exposed were left not only uninvestigated, but were gi-adually increased to the end of her unhappy career. On the 25th of September, 1686, Mary was removed from Chantly to the castle of Fotlieringay, with a view to her being brought to trial before a com- mission appointed by Elizabeth, on a charge of having abetted a conspiracy, in which the chief actor was one Anthony Babington, and which had for its object the assassination of Elizabeth and the liberation of the captive queen. The trial commenced on the 15th of October, but was afterwards adjourned to the Star Chamber at Westminster, where on the 25th of the same month it was finally adjudged that " oMary, commonly called queen of Scots and dowager of France, was accessary to Babington's conspiracy, and had compassed and imagined divers matters within the realm of England, leading to ihe hurt, death, and destruction of the royal person of Elizabeth, in opposition to the statute formed for her protection." IMary had been chai-ged with abetting a 318 JMARY STUART. number of minor plots timing the previous term of her captivity, and one in especial set on loot by the dnke of Norfolk, who had not only aimed at restoring licr to liberty, but had looked forward to tlie oI)taining lier hand. Norfolk's designs were discovered, and he perished on tlie scaflbld. Elizabeth's ])ariianicnt now, tlierefore, alleged, that their sovereign's security was incompatible with j\lary's life, and urged her to give efl'ect to the sentence of the Star Ciianiber, by ordering her immediate execution. Elizabeth affected to feel tlie utmost reluctance to proceed to the extremity recommended by tlie councillors, but at length gave way to their importunity, and signed the warrant for lier unfortunate captive's execution, and a commis- sion was given to the earls of Siirewsbury, Kent, Derby and others, to see it carried into etlect. Aware of her approaching fate, for the sentence of tiie commissioners had been early conveyed to her, with an intimation to pre- pare for the result, Wary calmly awaited its consummation, without stooping to any meanness to avert it, or discovering the slightest dread in its contem- plation. Tiie fatal hour at length arrived. On the 7th of February, 15S7, the earls who Avere appointed to superintend her execution arrived at Fotheringay, and requesting an audience of Mary, informed her of the purpose, for which they came, and that her execution would take place on the following morning at eight o'clock. Diary heard the dreadful intelligence without discovering the slight- est trepidation. She said she had long been expecting the manner of her deatli, and was not unprepared to die. Having, with the utmost composure and self-possession, arranged all her worldly aflairs, she retired to bed about two in the morning ; but, tiiough she lay for some hours, she slept none. At break of day she arose, and surrounded by her weeping domestics, lesumed her de- votions. She was thus employed when a messenger knocked at the door to an- nounce that all was ready, and in a short time afterwards, the sheriff, bearing in his hand the white wand of office, entered her apartment to conduct her to the place of execution. Mary was now led into the hall in which her trial had taken place, and which had been previously fitted up for the dreadful scene about to be enacted. A scaffold and block, covered with black cloth, rose at the upper end, and on one side of the latter stood the earls of Shrewsbury and Kent, on the other, two executioners. Having ascended the scaffold, which she did with a dignity and composure that rather increased than diminished as her fate approached, Blary pi-epared for the fatal stroke. After spending a short time in prayer, she desired Jane Kennedy, one of two female attendants, for whom she had with difficulty obtained the melancholy privilege of accompanying her to the scaffold, to bind her eyes with a handkerchief which she had brought with her for the purpose. This done, she laid her head on the block, and th.e axe of the exe- cutioner descended. Tlie severed head was immediately held up by the hair, which was now observed to have become grey, by the executioner's assistant, who called out " God save Elizabeth, queen of England !" To this sentence the earl of Kent added, " Thus perisli all her enemies !" Mary's remains were embalmed and buried in the cathedral at Peterborough, but, twenty-five years after^vards, were removed by her son James VI. to Henry VII.'s chapel in AVestminster Abbey. She was at the time of her death in the forty-fifth year of her age, and the nineteenth of her captivity. Tims and grief had greatly impaired tlie symmetry and beauty of lier person ; yet her figure, even at the hour of her death, was one of matchless elegance, Still mindful of her dignity, of her high birth, and of what she once had been, JAMES STUAFxT. 349 tho unfortunate queen appeared upon the scaffold, arrayed in her best and most Splendid attire, and her whole conduct throughout the trying scene was marked with the noble bearing and unshaken fortitude of a heroine. 3Iary never for a moment forgot tliat she was queen of Scotland, and she died with a magnani- mity worthy of the title. STUART, Jamss, Earl of 3Iurray, celebrated in Scottish history by the title of the " Good Regent," was an illegitimate son of James V., by 3rargaret Er- skine, daughter of John, fourth lord Erskine. The precise year of his birth, is not certainly known ; but there is good reason for believing that this event took place in 1533. Agreeably to the policy which James V. pursued with regard to all his sons, — that of providing them with benefices in the church, while they were yet in infancy, that he might appropriate their revenues dur- ing their nonage, — the priory of St Andrews was assigned to the subject of this memoir, when lie was only in his third year. Of th.e earlier years of his life, we have no particulars ; neither have we any information on tlie subject of his education. Tlie first remarkable notice of liim occurs in 154S, when Scotland was invaded by the lords Grey de Wilton and Clinton, the one by land, and the other by sea. The latter having made a descent on the coast of Fife, the young prior, who then lived at St Andrews, placed himself at the head of a determined little band of patriots, waylaid tho invaders, and drove them back to their boats with great slaughter. Shortly af- ter this, he accompanied his unfortunate sister, queen Mary, then a child, to France, whither a party of the Scottish nobles sent her, at once for safety, and for tlie benefits of the superior education which that country afforded. The prior, however, did not remain long in France on this occasion ; but he Eeems to have been in the practice of repairing thither, from time to time, dur- ing several years after. At this period he does not appear to have taken any remarkable interest in national aiTairs, and none whatever in those of the rhurch, to which he had always a decided aversion as a profession. He, how- ever, did not object to the good things in its gift. In addition to the priory of St Andrews, he acquired that of Pittenweem, and did not hesitate, besides, to accept that of 3Iascon in France, in commeiidam , with a dispensation to Iiold three benefices. For these favours of the French court, he took an oath of fealty to pope Paul III. in 15i4. From the year 1548, when the prior, as he was usually called, defeated the English troops under Clinton, till 1557, there occurs nothing in his history, with the exception of the circumstance of his accompanying I\Iary to France, worthy of any particular notice. In the latter year, accompanied by his brother, lord Robert Stuart, abbot of Holyrood, he made an incursion into England at the head of a small force, but without effecting any very important service, or doing much injury to the enemy. In the same year, he proceeded to Paris, to witness the ceremony of marriage between the young queen of Scot- land and the dauphin of France, having been appointed one of the commission- ers on the part of the former kingdom for that occasion. Soon after the cele- bration of the marriage, the prior solicited from 3Iary the earldom of 3Iun-ay ; but this request, by the advice of I er mother, the queen regent, she refused ; and, although she qualified the refusal by an offer of a bishopric, either in France or England, instead, it is said that from this circumstance proceeded, in a great measure, his subsequent hostility to the regent's government. During the struggles between the queen regent and the lords of the congre- gation, the prior, who had at first taken part with the former, how sincerely may be questioned, but latterly with the lords, gradually acquired, by his 350 JAMES STUART. judicious conduct and general abilities, a very liigli degree of consideration in the kingdom. He was by many degrees the most potent instrument, after John Knox, in establishing ihe reformed religion. Having now abandoned all appearance of the clerical character, he was, soon after the death of the queen regent, which happened on the 11th of June, loviO, appointed one of the lords of the Articles; and in the following year, lie was commissioned by a council of the nobility to proceed to France, to in- vite ftlary, whose husband was now dead, to return to Scotland. This commis- sion he executed with much judgment, and with much tenderness towards his ill-fated relative; having, much against the inclination of those by whom he was deputed, insisted on the young queen's being permitted the free exercise of her own religion, after she should have ascended the throne of her ancestors. On Mary's assuming the reins of government in her native land, the prior look his place beside her throne, as her confidant, prime minister, and adviser ; and, by his able and judicious conduct, carried her safely and triumphantly through the first act of her stormy reign. He swept the borders of the numer- ous bands of freebootei-s with which they were infested. He kept the enemies of Clary's dynasty in abeyance, strengthened the attachment of her friends, and by his vigilance, promptitude, .ind resolution, made those who did not love her go- vernment, learn to fear its resentment. P'or these important services, IMary, whose implicit confidence he enjoyed, first created him lieutenant of the borders, and afterwards earl of Mar. Soon after his creation, the earl married the lady Agnes Keith, daughter of the earl Marischal. The ceremony was publicly per- formed in the church of St Giles, Edinburgh, with a pomp which greatly oiTended the reformers, who were highly scandalized by the profanities which were practised on the occasion. The earldom, which the prior had just ob- tained from the gratitude of the queen, having been claimed by lord Erskine as his peculiar right, the claim was admitted, and the prior resigned both the title and the property attached to it ; but was soon after gi'atified by the earldom of Murray, which had long been the favourite object of his ambition. Immediately after his promotion to this dignity, the earl of Huntly, a disappointed compe- titor for the power and popularity which IMurray had obtained, and for the favour and confidence of the queen, having been proclaimed a rebel for various overt acts of insubordination, originating in his hostility to the earl ; the latter, equally prompt, vigorous, and efficient in the field as at the council board, led a small army, hastily summoned for the occasion, against Huntly, whom he en- countered at the head of his adherents, at a place called Corrichie. A battle ensued, and the earl of IMurray was victorious. In this engagement he displayed singular prudence, skill, and intrepidity, and a military genius, which proved him to be as able a soldier, as he was a statesman. On the removal of Huntly, — for this powerful enemy died suddenly and inuuediately after the battle, al- though he had received no wound, and his eldest son perished on the scaffold at Aberdeen, — Murray remained in undisputed possession of the chief authority in the kingdom, next to that of the sovereign ; and the history of Scotland does not present an instance, where a similar authority was more wisely or more judiciously employed. The confidence, however, amounting even to affection, which had hitherto subsisted between MuiTay and his sovereign, Avas now about to be interi^^,ucii, and finally annihilated. The first step towards this unhappy change of sentiment, was occasioned by the queen's marriage with Darniey. To this marriage, Blurray was not at first averse ; nay, he rather promoted it : but some personal insults, which the vanity and weakness of Darniey induced him to offer to IMurray, together with an offensive behaviour on the part of his father, tlie earl of Lennox, produced in the haughty statesman that hostility to JAMES STUAET. 35 [ the connexion, which not only destroyed the good understanding between him and the queen, but converted him into an open and undisguised enemy. His irritation on this occasion was further increased by 3Iary's imprudently evincing, in several instances, a disposition to favour some of his most inveterate enemies; and amongst these, the notorious earl of Bothwell, who had some time before conspired against his life. In this frame of mind, Blurray not only obstinately refused liis consent to the nroposed marriage of Mary to Darnley, but ultimately had recourse to arms to oppose it. In this attempt, however, to establish him- self by force, he was unsuccessful. After raising an army, and being pursued from place to place by Blary in person, at the head of a superior force, he fled into England, together with a number of his followers and adhei'ents, and re- mained there for several months. During his expatriation, however, a total change of aft'airs took place at the court of Holyrood. The vain and weak Darnley, wrought upon by the friends of IMurray, became jealous, not of the virtue, but of the power of the queen, and impatiently sought for uncontrolled authority. In this spirit he was prevailed upon, by the enemies of his consort, to league himself with Murray and the banished lords who were with hisii. The first step of the conspirators was the murder of Rizzio, the queen's secre- tary ; the next, the recall, on their own responsibility, sanctioned by Darnley, of the expatriated nobleman, who arrived in Edinburgh on the 9th of Marcli, 1566, twenty-four hours after the assassination of the unfortunate Italian. Although Murray's return had taken place without the queen's consent, she was yet very soon, not only reconciled to that event, but was induced to receive him again apparently into entire favour. Whatever sincerity, however, there was in this seeming reconciliation on the part of the queen, there appears to be good reason for believing that there was but little of that feeling on the side of IMurray ; for, from this period he may be distinctly ti-aced, notwithstanding of occasional instances of apparent attachment to the interests of the queen, as the prime mover, sometimes secretly, and sometimes openly, of a faction opposed to the government of Blary ; and whose object evidently was to overthrow her power, and to establish their own in its stead. To this end, indeed, the aim of jMurray and his confederates would seem to have been long steadily directed ; and the unguarded and imprudent, if not criminal, conduct of the queen, en- abled them speedily to attain their object. The murder of Darnley, and the subsequent marriage of Mary to Bothwell, had the twofold effect of adding to the number of her enemies, and of increasing the hostility of those who already entertained unfriendly sentiments towards her. The result was, that she was finally dethroned, and confined a prisoner in Lochleven castle, and the earl of Murray was appointed regent of Scotland. With this dignity he v/as invested on the 22nd of August, 1567; but whatever objection maybe urged against his conduct previous and relative to his elevation, or the line of policy he pur- sued when seeking the attainment of this object of his ambition, there can be none urged against the system of government he adopted and acted upon, when placed in power. He procured the enactment of many wise and salutary laws, dispensed justice with a fearless and equal hand, kept down the turbulent and factious, restored internal tranquillity and personal safety to the people ; and, in every public act of his authority, discovered a sincere desire for the welfare of his country. Still the regent was yet more feared and respected, than loved. He had many and powerful enemies ; while the queen, though a captive, had still many and powerful friends. These, having succeeded in ef- fecting her liberation from Lochleven, mustered in arms, and took the field in great force, Avith the view of restoring her to her throne. With his usual pre- sence of mind, fortitude, and energy, the regent calmly, but promptly, prepared S53 JOHN STUAET. to meet the coming storm ; and, in place of demitting the regency, as he had been required to do by the queen, he determined (in repelling force by force. Having mustered an army of tiiree thousand men, he encountered tiie forces of the queen, uhich consisted of double that number, at Langside, and totally routed tliem ; iiis cool, calculating judgment, calm intrepidity, and high mili- tary talents, being more than a match for their numerical superiority. This victory the regent instantly followed up by the most decisive measures, lie attacked and destroyed all the castles and strongholds of the nobles and gentle- men who had joined the queen; and infused a yet stronger, and more deter- mined spirit into the administration of the laws: and thus lie eventually estab- lished his authority on a firmer basis than that on which it had rested before. After the queen's flight to England, the regent, with some others, was sum- moned to York, by Elizabeth, to bear witness against hor, in a trial which had been instituted by the latter, to ascertain IMary's guilt or innocence of the crime of Darnley's murder. The regent obeyed the summons, and did not hesitate to give the most unqualified testimony against liis unhappy sister. Having performed this ungenerous part, he left the unfortunate queen in the hands of her enemies, and returned to the administration of the affairs of that kingdom, of which he was now uncontrolled master. The proud career, however, of this wily, but able politician, this stern, but just ruler, was now soon to be darkly and suddenly closed. While passing on horseback through the streets of Linlithgow, on the '23rd of January, 1570, he was fired at, from a window, by James Hamilton, of 13othwelhaugh, nephew to the archbishop of St Andrews. The ball passed through his body, but did not instantly prove fatal. Having recovered from the first shock of the wound, he walked to his lodgings, but expired a little before midnight, being at the period of his death in the thirty-eighth year of his age. Hamilton's hostility to the regent, proceeded from some severities with Avhich the latter had visited him, for having fought under the queen at Langside. The assassin escaped to France, where he died a few years afterwards, deeply regretting the crime he had committed. STUART, John, third earl of Bute, and prime minister of Great Britain, was the eldest son of the second earl of Bute, by lady Anne Campbell, daughter of Archibald, first duke of Argyle. He was born in the Parliament Square, Edinburgh, May 25, 1713, and succeeded to the title, on the death of his father, in January, 1723. In April, 1737, on a vacancy occurring in the representation of the Scottish peerage, the earl of Bute was chosen to fill it : he was re-chosen at the general elections of 1761, 17G8, and 1774. His lordship married, August 24, 1736, ftlary, only daughter of the celebrated lady Blary Wortley Montagu, by whom he had a numerous family. On his first introduction to court life, lord Bute had the good fortune to ingratiate himself with the princess of Wales, mother of George III., who admitted him to that close superintendence of the education of her son, which was the foundation of all his historical importance. In 1750, he was appointed one of the lords of the bed-chamber to Frederick, prince of Wales ; and on the settlement of the household of the heir apparent, in 175(5, the earl of Bute was appointed his groom of the stole. His lordship acquired the full confidence and friendship of the young prince; and is believed to have been chiefly instrumental in training and informing his mind. Befoi-e the prince's accession to the throne in 1760, Lord Bute was continued in his situation as groom of the stole ; and in March, next year, on the dismissal of the Whig ministry, was appointed one of the principal seci'etaries of state. His lordship was in the same year appointed keeper and ranger of Richmond park, on the resignation of the princess Amelia ; and invested with the order of the garter, — an honour, as is well JOHN STUAUT. 353 known, rarely bestowed, except upon persons who have rendered important services to tlie state. The elevation of a nobleman, only known heretofore as the royal preceptor, and who was also obnoxious to vulgar prejudices on account of his country, to such higli place and honour, naturally excited much irritation in England. This feeling was greatly increased, when, in iMay, 1762, his lordship was con- stituted first lord of the treasury. It reached its acme, on his lordship taking measures for concluding a war with France, in which the British arms iiad been singularly successful, and which the nation in general wished to see carried on, till that country should be completely Immbled. The great Whig oli- garchy, which, alter swaying the state from the accession of the house of Hanover, had now seen the last days of its dominancy, was still powerful, and it received an elective, thougli ignoble aid, from a popular party, headed by the infamous Wilkes, and inflamed by other unprincipled demagogues, cliiefly through the medium of the press. A newspaper, called tlie Briton, had been started for the purpose of defending the new administration. It was met by one called the North Briton, conducted by Wilkes, and Avhich, in scurrility and party violence, exceeded all tliat went before it. \A ilkes, it is said, might at one time have been bribed to silence by lord Bute; he now took up the pen with the determined purpose, as he himself expressed it, of writing liis lordship out of ortice. Neither the personal character of the minister, nor liis political proceedings furnishing much matter for satire, this low-niinded, though clever and versatile man, set up his country and countrymen as a medium through which to assail him. The earl, seeing it in vain to contend against prejudices so firmly rooted, lost no time, after concluding the pence of Paris, in resign- ing; he gave up office on the IGth of April, 1763, to the great surprise of his enemies, who, calculating his motives by their own, expected him, under all circumstances, to adhere to the so-called good things which were in his grasp. Tiie Bute administration, brief as it was, is memorable for the patronage which it extended to literature. The minister, himself a man of letters and of science, wished that the new reign should be the commencement of an Augustan era ; and he accordingly was the means of directing the attention of the young monarch to a number of objects, which had hitherto languished for want of the crown patronage. One of the most remarkable eft'ects of the spirit infused by his lordship into the royal mind was, the rescuing of the majestic mind of Johnson from the distresses of a dependence on letters for subsistence ; a transaction, for which many bosoms, yet to be animated with the breath of life, will expand in gratitude at the mention of the name of George III. The ministerial character of lord Bute has been thus drawn by an impartial wi'iter : " Few ministers have been more hated than lord Bute was by the Eng- lish nation ; yet, if we estimate his conduct from facts, without being- influenced by local or temporary prejudices, we can by no means find just grounds for the odium whicli he incurred. As a war minister, though his plans discovered little of original genius, and naturally proceeded from the measures of his predecessor, the general state of our resources, the conquests achieved, and the dispositions of our fleets and armies, yet they were judicious ; the agents appointed to carry them on Avere selected with discernment, and the whole re- sult was successful. His desire of peace, after so long and burdensome a war, was laudable, but perhaps too eagerly manifested. As a negotiator, he did not procure tlie best terms, which, from our superiority, might have been obtained. His project of finance, in itself unobjectionable, derived its impolicy from the unpopularity of his administration. Exposed from unfounded prejudices to 354 JOHN STUART. calumny, lie deserved and earned dislike by liis liauglity deportment. The uiai:- iiers \\iiich custom might have sanctioned from an imperious chieftain to his servile retainers in a remote corner of the island, did not suit the independent spirit of the Enojisli metropolis. The respectable mediocrity of his talents, with the suitable attainments, and his decent moral character, deserved an esteem which his manners precluded. Since he could not, like I'ilt, command by superior genius, he ought, like the duke of Newcastle, to have conciliated by affable de- meanour. His partizans have praised the tenacity of lord Bute in his pur- poses ; a quality which, guided by wisdom in the pursuit of right, and combined uith the power to render success ultimately probable, is magnanimous firmnesi, but, without these requisites, is stubborn obstinacy. No charge has been more frequently made against lord Bute, than that he was a promoter of arbitrary principles and measures. This is an accusation for which its supporters can find no grounds in his particular acts ; they endeavoured therefore to establish their assertion by circuitous arguments. Lord Bute had been the means of dispos- sessing the Wiiig connection of power, ai.d had given Scotsmen appointments, which were formerly held by the friends of the duke of Newcastle. To an im- partial investigation, however, it appears evident, that lord Bute merely preferred himself as minister to the duke of Newcastle. If we examine his par- ticular nominations, we shall find that he neither exalted the friends of liberty nor despotism, but his own friends. It would probably have been better for the country if lord Bute had never been minister ; but all the evils that may be traced to that period did not necessarily proceed from his measures, as many of them llowed from circumstances over which he had no control. Candour must allow that the comprehensive principle on which his majesty resolved to govern was liberal and meritorious, though patriotism may regret tliat he was not more successful in his first choice. The administration of Bute teaches an instructive lesson, that no man can be long an effectual minister of this country, ■who will not occasionally attend, not only to the well-founded judgment, but also to the prejudices, of Englishmen." i The earl of Bute spent the most of the remainder of his life in retirement, nt his seat of Luton in Bedfordshire, but not without the suspicion of Etill maintaining a secret influence over the royal counsels. " The spirit of the Favourite," says Junius, " had some apparent influence over every administra- tion ; and every set of ministers preserved an appearance of duration, as long as they submitted to that influence." The chief employment, however, of the ex- minister was the cultivation of literature and science. He was more fond of books of information than of imagination. His favourite study was botany, Avith \vliich he acquainted himself to such an extent, that the first botanists in Europe were in the habit of consulting his lordship. He composed a work on English plants, in nine quarto volumes, of A\hich only sixteen copies Avere thrown olf; the text as well as the figures of the plants being engraved on cop- per-plates, and these plates, it is said, immediately cancelled, though the work cost upwards of one thousand pounds. He presented to the Winchester college a bronze statue of their founder, William of Wykhani, supposed to have been the work of some great artist in the fourteenth century. It is a full length figure in the episcopal habit, sixteen inches high, and executed with remarkable elegance. His lordship was elected one of the trustees of the British IMuseuiu in 17G5, held the oiHce of chancellor of the ]Marischal college of Aberdeen, and, on the institution of the Society of Antiquaries in Scotland (1780,) was elected president. He was an honorary fellow of the Royal College of 1 Bisset's Reign of George III, ajnid Brydgcs' Peerage. DR. GILBERT STUART. oj5 Physicians at Edinburgh, and to him the university of that city was indebted for its useful appendage, the Botanic Garden. Part of his lordship's time in his latter years was spent at a marine villa •which he built on the edge of the clill^ at Christ Church, in Hampshire, over- looking the Needles and the Isle of Wight. Here his principal delight was to listen to the melancholy roar of the sea ; of which tlie plaintive sounds were probably congenial to a spirit soured with wliat he believed to be the ingrati- tude of mankind. His lordship died at his house in South Audley Street, Lon- don, JIarch 10, 1792, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. Of his private cliaracter and manners, which may now properly be touched upon, an acute ob- server has written as follows : — " I never knew a man with whom one could be so long tete a tete witliout being tired. His knowledge A\as so extensive, and consequently liis conversation so varied, that one thought one's self in the com- pany of several persons, with the advantage of being sure of an even temper in a man whose goodness, politeness, and attention, were never \vanting to those who lived with him." - STUART, (Dr) Gilbert, an eminent historical essayist, was born at Edinburgh in 1742. His father Avas 3Ir George Stuart, professor of humanity (Latin) and lloman antiquities, in tlie university of Edinburgh. Gilbert received an accom- plished education in liis native city, under tlie superintendence of his father. His education was directred towards qualifying him for the bar ; but it is question- able whether his magnificent opinion of liis own abilities permitted him ever seriously to think of becoming an ordinary practising advocate. Before he was twenty-two years of age, he made what was considered a splendid entrance on the career of authorship, by publishing an " Historical Dissertation concern- ing the English Constitution ;" the circumstance, that four editions of a work on a subject requiring so much information and power of thought, yet which almost every man possessed knowledge enough to criticise, were speedily issued, is of itself sufTicient evidence that the young author possessed a very powerful intellect.' When we consider the i-eputation of his father, it cannot perhaps be argued as a very strong additional evidence of the esteem in which the work was held, that the university of Edinburgh conferred on the author the degree of Doctor of Laws. His next literary labour was the editing of the second edi- tion of Sullivan's Lectures on the English Constitution, in 1772, to which he prefixed a " Discourse on the Ciovernment and Laws of England." Dr Stuart endeavoured to obtain one of the law chairs in the university of Edinburgh, whether that of Scottish or of civil law, the writers who have incidentally noticed the circumstances of his life, do not mention ; nor are th.ey particular as to the period, which would appear from his conduct to his opponents, in the Edin- burgh Rlagazine of 1773, to have been some time before that year.^ Whether he possessed a knowledge of his subject sufficiently minute for the task of teaching- it to others, may have been a matter of doubt; his talents and general learning- were certainly sufficiently high, but his well-earned character for dissipation, the effect of which was not softened by the supercilious arrogance of his manners, 2 Rlemoirs of a Traveller now in Retirement, iv. 177. ' Kerr (Life of Smellie) and others say he was tlitn only twent3-t\vo years olil ; jet there is no edition of tliis work older than 1768, when, according to the same authorities, lie must have been tiventy-six years old. 2 According to the list of Professors in Bower's History of the University of Edinburgh, the only law chair succeeded to for many years at this peViod of Stuart's life, is that of the law of nature and nations, presented to Mr James Balfour, in 176t. If we can suppose this person to have been Mr Stuart's successful opponent, we would find him disappointed l)y the same fortunate person who snatched the moral philosophy chair from Hume. The list seems, however, to be imperfect. No nolice, for instance, is taken of any one entering on liie Scots law chair in 176o, when it was resigned bj- Ei-skine. 350 DR. GILBERT STUART. was, to Dr Robertson and others, s iflicieut reason for opposing him, uitlioiit fartlier inquiry. To tlie influence of tlie woitliy principal, it has generally been considered that his rejection was owing ; and as he was of a temperament never to forgive, he turned the course of his studies, and the future labour of his life, to tlie depreciation of the literary performances of his adversary; turn- ing aside only from his grand pursuit, when some other object incidentally at- tracted his virulence, and making even his inordinate thirst of fame secondary to his desire of vengeance. After his disappointment, Stuart proceeded to London, where he was for some time employed as a writer in the Blonthly Re- view. His particular contributions to this periodical have not been specified ; but to one at all curious about the matter, it might not be difficult to detect every sentence of his magniloquent pen, from the polished order of the sen« tenccs, their aspect of grave reflection, and the Mant of distinctness of idea, when they are critically examined. By the establishment of the Edinburgh ]Magazine and Review, in 1773, Stuart had more unlimited opportunities of performing the great duty of his life. As manager of that periodical, he was associated with iMr Smellie, a man of very difl'erent habits and temperament ; and Blacklock, Richardson, Gillies, and other men of considerable eminence, were among the contributors. This periodical, which extended to five volumes, was creditable to the authors as a literary production, and exhibited spirit and originality, unknown to that class of literature in Scotland at the period, and seldom equalled in England. But in regard to literature, Edinburgh was then, what it has ceased to be, a merely provincial town. The connexions of the booksellers, and the literature expected to proceed from it, did not enable it to support a periodical for the whole country. It was the fate of that under consideration, while it aimed at talent which would make it interesting else- where, to concentrate it, in many instances, in virulence which Avas uninterest- ing to the world in general, and which finally disgusted those persons more personally acquainted with the parties attacked, whose curiosity and interest it at first roused. Mr DTsraeli has discovered, and printed in his Calamities of Authors, a part of the correspondence of Stuart at this period, curiously charac- teristic of his exulting hopes of conquest. " The proposals," he says, " are issued ; the subscriptions in the booksellers' shops astonish : correspondents flock in ; and, what will surprise you, the timid proprietors of the Scots Magazine, have come to the resolution of dropping their work. You stare at all this ; and so do I too." " Thus," observes Mr D'Israeli, " he flatters him- self he is to annihilate his rival, without even striking the first blow ; the ap- pearance of his first number is to be the moment when their last is to come forth." Authors, like the discoverers of mines, are the most sanguine creatures in the world. Gilbert Stuart afterwards flattered himself that Dr Henry was lying at the point of death, from the scalping of his tomahawk pen. But of this anon. On the publication of the first number, in November, 1773, all is exub tation ; and an account is facetiously expected, that " a thousand copies had emigrated from the Row and Fleet Street." There is a serious composure in letter of December, which seems to be occasioned by the tempered answer of his London correspondent. The work was more suited to the meridian of Edinburgh, and from causes sufficiently obvious, its personality and causticity. Stuart, however, assures his friend, that " the second number you will find bet- ter than the first, and the third better than the second." The next letter is dated 3Iarch 4th, 1774, in which I find our author still in good spirits. " The magazine rises and promises much in this quarter. Our artillery has silenced all opposition. The rogues of the ' uplifted hands ' decline the combat." These rogues are the clergy : and some others, who had " uplifted hands," DR. GII.BERT STUART. 357 fvom the vituperative nature of their adversary : for he tells us, that " now the clergy are silent ; the town council have had the presunijjtion to oppose us, and have threatened Creech (ihe publisher in Edinburgli) with the terror of making him a constable for liis insolence. A paniplilet on the abuses of Heriol's hospital, including a direct proof of perjury in the provost, was the punishment inflicted in turn. And new papers are forging to chastise them, in regard to the poor's rate, which is again started ; the improper clioice of professors ; and violent stretches of the impost. Tlie liberty of the press, in its fullest extent, is to be employed against them."'' The natural conclusion from the tone of these letters, from circumstances in the conduct of Stuart, which we liave already recoi-ded, and from some we may hereafter mention, might perhaps be, that he was a man possessed with a gene- ral malignity against the human race ; yet it has been said that he was warm in his friendships, and that his indignation against vice and meanness, frequently exhibited, came from his heart. It will appear perhaps to be the truest con- clusion as to his character, that he was simply one of those men who are termed persons of violent passions, and who may be made Falconbridges, squire Wes- terns, or Gilbert Stuarts, from circumstances. 'Ihe circumstances which swerved his feelings into their particular course, appear to have done so, by feeding ]iis mind with arrogance, and making him look upon himself as a being of superior mould to that of his fellous. Such a man, independently of the want of restraint, which he must feel from the opinions of people whom he thinks beneath him, invariably finds the world not so complimentary to his genius as he is himself ; and he consequently feels surrounded by enemies, — by people who rob him of his just right. His father, long a respectable professor, is said to have possessed the same fiery temperament ; but his mind was regulated by a routine of studies and duties. He probably entered the world with lower expec- tations than those of his son, and had less opportunity of nursing his arrogance, and liis passions effervesced in common irritability, and enthusiasm for parti- cular branches of litei'ature. The mind of such a man as Stuart deserves a little study, beyond the extent to which his merely literary importance would entitle him ; and pei-haps a few extracts from his letters to Mv Smellie — a man certainly his equal in talent, and Iiis superior in useful information — may form not uninteresting specimens of his arrogance. As Stuart was above troubling himself with dates, the extracts are picked miscellaneously. " Inclosed is IMurray's letter, which you will consider attentively, and send me the result, that I may write to him. That was to have been done by Creech and you, but has not yet been thought of by either. The business we are about to engage in, is too serious to be trifled with. *' It appears to me perfectly obvious, that without a partner in London, we cannot possibly be supplied with books ; and on our speedy supply of them, the whole success of the work must depend. IMurray seems fully apprized of the pains and attention that are necessary, — has literary connexions, and is fond of the employment, — let him, therefore, be the London proprietor. " If I receive your letters to-morrow, they may be sent ofl' the day after. Shut yourself up for two hours after supper. I3e explicit and full ; and in the mean time, let me know what books are sent oft*, besides Harwood and the Child of Nature ; \vhich, by the by, might have been sent oft' three full weeks ago, as they have been so long in your possession. " As to the introductory paragraph about an extract from Karnes, I wrote you fully about it ten days ago ; and it is a pain to me to write fifty times on the same subject. It is odd that you will rather give one incessant trouble, " Calamities of Authors, i. 51 — 7. '53 DR. GILBERT STUART. than keep a book of transactions, or lay aside the letters yoii receive, with copy incloseth The extract IVoiu Kamcs is laid aside, lo make way tor extracts from I'emiaiit, uhicli are more popular. Explain to , who is by ihis lime in town, tiie ridiculousness of his beiiaviour. It would seem tliat his servants are j>erfect idiots, and that he trusts to them. If 1 were in his place, and a ser- vant once neglected to do what I had ordered him, he should never receive from me a second order. " I beg that Creech and you may have some communing about the fate of the magazine ; as I am no longer to have any concern with it. 1 do not mean to write anything f(;r it, after the present volume is finished ; and I fancy the next is the last number of the third volume. I have another view of disposing of my time, and I fancy it will almost wholly be taken up ; the sooner, there- fore, that 1 am informed of your resolutions, the better."^ Poor Tilr Smellie seems to have laboured witii patient, but ineflectual perse- verance, to check the ardour of his restlcES colleague. An attack by Stuart on the Elements of Criticism by lord Karnes, he managed, by the transmutation of a few words, adroitly to convert into a panegyric. " On the day of publica- tion," gays the memorialist of Smellie, " Dr Stuart came to inquire at the print- ing office, 'if the was damned;'" using a gross term which he usually in- dulged in, when he was censuring an author. Mr Sii;ellie told him what he had done, and put a copy of the altered review into his hands. After reading the two or three introductory sentences, he fell down on the floor, apparently in a fit : but, on coming to himself again, he good naturedly said, " Vv'illiam, after all, 1 believe you have done right."^ Smellie was not, however, so for- tunate on other occasions. The eccentricities of the classical Burnet of Mon- boddo, afforded an opportunity which Stuart did not wish to omit. He pro- posed to adorn the first number of the Magazine with " a print of my lord i\Ionboddo, in his quadruped form. I must, therefore," he continues, " most earnestly beg that you will purchase for me a copy of it in some of the maca- roni-print shops. It is not to be procured at Edinburgh. They are afraid to vend it here. We are to take it on the footing of a figure of an animal, not yet described ; and are to give a grave, yet satirical account of it, in the man- ner of Bufibn. It would not be proper to allude to his lordship, but in a very distant manner."'" Although this laborious joke was not attempted, Stuart's criticism on the Origin and Progi-ess of Language, notwithstanding the mollifi- cations of Smellie, had a sensible effect on the sale of the magazine. " I am sorry," says iMr Murray, in a letter to Smellie, " for the defeat you have n;et Avith. Had you praised lord IMonboddo, instead of damning him, it would not have happened." It is to be feared the influence against the periodical was produced, not so much by its having unduly attacked the work of a philosopher, as from its having censured a lord of session. During his labours for this magazine, Stuart did not neglect his pleasures. He is said one night to have called at the house of his friei d Smellie, in a state of such complete jollity, that it was necessary he should be put to bed. Awaken- ing, and mistaking the description of place in which he was lodged, he brought Jiis friend in his night-gowxi to his bed-side, by his repeated cries of " house I house .'" and, in a tone of sympathy, said to him, *' Smellie I 1 never expected to see you in such a house. Get on your clothes, and return immediately to your wife and family : and be assured I shall never mention this affair to any one." The biographer of Smellie, who has recorded the above, giies the fol- lowing similar anecdote of Stuart and his friends. " On another ransble of ^ Ktrr's Life of Smellie, v. i. ' Kerr's Smellie, i. 4C9. '^ Calamities of Authors, i. 63, DR. GILBERT STUART. dissipation, Bi- Stuart is said to have taken several days to travel on foot be- tween the cross of Edinburgh and Blusselburgh, a distance of only six miles ; stopping at every public house by the May, in wliich good ale could be found. In this strange expedition he was accompanied part of tlie way by several boon companions, wlio were fascinated beyond their ordinary excesses, by his great powers of wit and hilarity in conversation ; but who gradually fell off at various stages of the slow progression. The last of those companions began his re- turn towards Edinburgh from the Olagdalen bridge, -within a mile of Mus- selburgh ; but, oppressed by the fumes of the ale, wliich he had too long and too liberally indulged in, he staggered, in the middle of the night, into the ash-pit of a great steam engine, which then stood by the road side, and fell into a profound sleep. On av.akening before day, he beheld the mouth of an im- mense fiery furnace open, several figures, all grim with soot and ashes, were stirring tlie fire, ranging the bars of the enormous grate, and throwing on more fuel ; while the terrible clanking of the chains and beams of the machinery above, impressed his still confused imagination with an idea that he Avas in Jiell. Horror-struck at the frightful idea, he is said to have exclaimed, * Good God! is it come to this at last?' "'' The persecution of Her.ry, the author of the History of Great Britain, com- menced by Stuart in tlie Edinburgh Tdagazine and Review, has been recorded in the memoir of that individual. Before quitting this subject, let us give the parting curse of the editor for his literary disappointments in Scotland. " It is an infinite disappointment to me that the Blagazine does not grow in Lon- don, I thought the soil had been richer. But it is my constant fate to be dis- appointed in everything I attempt; I do not think I ever had a wish that Avas gratified : and never dreaded an event that did not come. With this felicity of fate, I wonder how the devil I could turn projector. I am now sorry that I left London ; and the moment I have money enough to carry me back to it, I shall set ofS / mortally detest and abhor tins place, a7id every body in it. Never was there a city where there was so much pretension to loiowledge, and that had so little of it. The solemn foppery, and the gross stupidity of tho Scottish literati are perfectly insupportable. I shall drop my idea of a Scots newspaper. Nothing will do in this country that has common sense in it ; only cant, hypocrisy, and superstition, will flourish here, A curse on the coun- try, and on all the men, women, and children of ity^ Accordingly, Stuart did return to England, and along with Whitaker, the historian of IManchester, a man of very dilVerent literary habits, but somewhat similar in temper, for some time supported the English Review. In 1778, he published his well known " View of Society in Europe in its progress from rudeness to refine- ment ; or, Inquii-ies concerning the History of Law, Government, and Manners," This, the most popular of his works, and for a long time a standard book on the subject, is certainly the most carefully and considerately prepared of all his writings. Its adoption almost to caricature, of that practice of the great Olontesquieu, which was all of him that some writers could imitate, of dra>ving reflections whether there were, or were not facts to support them, was fashionable, and did not perhaps disparage the work ; while the easy flow of the sentences fascinated many readers. It cannot be said that in this book he made any discovery, or established any fact of importance. He contented him- self with vague speculations on the description of the manners of the Germans by Tacitus, and new i-eflections upon such circumstances as had been repeated- ly noticed before. To have made a book of permanent interest and utility ' Kerr's Smellie, i. 501. s Calamities of Authors, ii. CO. 3G0 DR. GILBERT STUART. from facts wliich every one knew, leqiiiicd a higher philosophical genius than tliat of Stuari, anil since tiie more accurate researches of llaliani and Meyer, the hook has fallen into disuse. In 1779, he puhlishod "Observations concerning the I'ublic Law, and tiie Constitutional History of Scotland, wiih occasional remarks concerning English Antiquity," To a diligent man, A\ho would have taken the trouble of investigating facts, there would here have been a very tolerable opportunity of attacking Robertson, at least on the score of omissions, for his constitutional views are very imperfect ; Stuart, however, had no more facts than those which his adversary provided him with, and he contented himself with deducing opposite opinions. As there %vas a real want of matter sufficient to supply anything like a treatise on the sub- ject— a want scarcely yet filled up — this work was still more vague and senten- tious, than that on the general history of luirope. A sentence towards the commencement is very characteristic of tlie author's habits of thought. " An idea has prevailed, that one nation of Europe adopted tlie feudal institutions from another, and the similarity of fiefs in all the states where they were es- tablished, has given an air of plausibility to this opinion. It is contx-adicted, however, by the principles of natural reason, and by the nature of the feudal usages : and, if 1 am not mistaken, it receives no real sanction from records or history." Thus, his own opinions on " the principles of natural reason," and on " the nature of the feudal usages," were to him of more importance than " records or history." In 1780, he published his " History of the establishment of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland," conmiencing in 1517, and ending in 15GI ; and in 1782, " 'Ihe History of Scotland, from the Establishment of the Reformation till the death of queen Blary." Both these works are said by tliose who have perused them, to be written with the view of controverting the opinions of Dr Robertson. In 1785, Stuart was at the head of " The Political Herald and Review, or a survey of Domestic and Foreign Politics, and a critical account of Political and Historical Publications." In this work we frequently meet the flowing sentences of Stuart, especially in papers relating to Scotland, of which there are several. It is a curious circumstance that, especially in letters of animadversion addressed to individuals, lie has evidently endeavoured to ingraft the pointed sarcasm of Junius on his o^vn slashing- weapon. One of these, " An Address to Henry Dundas, Esq., treasurer of the Navy, on the Perth Peerage," is with some servility signed " Brutus." This work extended, we believe, to only two volumes, which are now rather rare. In London, Stuart seems to have sufl'ered most of the miseries of unsuccessful authorship, and to have paid dearly for talents misapplied. In the life of Dr William Thomson, in the Annual Obituary for 1822, there is the following highly characteristic notice of his life and habits at this period : " Although the son of a professor, and himself a candidate for the same office, after a regular education at the university of Edinhurgh : yet we have heard his friend assert, and appeal to their common acquaintance, Dr Grant, for the truth of the position, that, although he excelled in composition, and possessed a variety of other kno^vledge, yet he was actually unacquainted with the common divisions of science and philosophy. Under this gentleman, f.s has been al- ready observed, he (Dr Thomson) composed several papers for the Political Herald, for which the former, as the ostensible editor, was handsomely paid ; while the latter received but a scanty remuneration. But it was as a boon com- panion that he was intimately acquainted with this gentleman, who was greatly addicted to conviviality, and that too in a manner, and to an excess ^vhich can scarcely be credited by one who is acquainted with the elegant eftusions of his polished mind. The ' Peacock.' in Grays-Inn lane, was the scene of EGBERT TANNAIIILL. SGI their festivities, and it was there that these learned Doctors, in rivulets of Bur- ton ale, not unfrequcntly quaffed libations to their favourite deity, until tho clock informed tlicm of the approaching day." His constitution at length broke down, and he took a sea-voyage to the place of his nativity for tlie recovery of his health, but died of dropsy, at his fathex*'s house, neai* Musselburgh, August 13, 17S6, aged forty-four. TANNAHILL, Robert, a very popular writer of Scottish songs, was born in Paisley on the 3rd of June, 1774. He was the son of James Tannahill, a weaver of silk gauze there, who originally came from Kilmarnock, and Janet Pollock, the daiigliter of a farmer near Beith. Both parents were much respected for their intelligence and worth ; the mother, in particular, was a woman of very general information, and exemplary conduct in life. Their family consisted of six sons and one daughter ; Hobert being the fourth child. At his birth, one of his legs was deformed, the foot being considerably bent, and the leg smaller than the other. During his boyhood, he was much ashamed of liis crooked foot, and took every opportunity, when alone, to try and straighten it with his hand. In tliis manner, by constant application, he brought it into a proper position ; but the leg always continued smaller than its fellow, and, to hide this deformity, he generally wore upon it two or more pairs of stockings. Th.e deception suc- ceeded so well, that few of his companions knew that the one leg diflered from the other; nor did he suffer much inconvenience from it, being able to join in the dance, or afternoon excursion, without betraying any lameness, although in long journeys it generally failed him. AVlien at school, he began to distinguish himself by writing vei-ses. These were generally upon some odd character about the place, or upon any unusual circumstance that might occur. After school-hours, it was customary for the boys to put riddles to each other, or, as they called it, to " speer guesses." Robert usually gave his in rhyme ; and a schoolfellow', to whom we are indebted for some of the particulars of this me- moir, remembers one of them to this day. It was as follows t— My colour's brown, my shape's uncouth, ■ On ilka side I hae a mouth ; And, strange to tell, I will devour My bulk of meat in half an hour. Tliis riddle, on being solved, turned out to allude to the big, brown, unshapely nose of a well-known character, who took large quantities of snuff. From the school, where he was taught to read, write, and cast accounts, Tannahill was sent to the loom. About this time, the weaving of cotton was introduced into Paisley ; and the high wages realized by it, induced parents to teach their children the trade at an early age, so that their apprenticeships were generally finished by the time they reached fifteen or sixteen. The flow of money, which persons thus so young could command by the exercise of a flourish- ing handicrafr, led to the early marriages for which Paisley was then noted; and no town at the time abounded in more merrymakings, or presented a more gay and thriving community. _ Education was widely diffused amongst tho inhabitants, who were remarkable for the intelligent and active interest they took in public affairs. The weaving population could alwa3's aiford a weekly half-holiday for cultivatii:)g their gardens or rambling into the countrj'. Tannahill participated in the general prosperity. Dancing parties and rural excursions were frequent iv ,_. 2 862 ROBERT TANNAHILL. nmong the young people of botli sexes, and in those he often joined, lie then formed many of those poetical attachments, which he afterwards celebrated in tiong. It was in such meetings, and such excursions, that he first saw " Jessie the flower o' Damblane,"' — first heard the song of the " mavis" from the " Wood of Craigielee,'" — and first breathed the fragrant " broom" of the " Braes o* Gleniffer." While at Avork, it was his custom to occupy his mind with the composition of verses. To his loom !:e attached a sort of writing-desk, by whicli he was en- abled, in tlie midst of his labours, to jot down any lines that might occur to him, without rising from his seat. In this way, some of his best songs were composed. He had a correct car for music, and played the flute well ; and whenever a tune greatly pleased him, it was his ambition to give it appropriate words of his own. It has been said in most of the notices of his life, that from his fourteenth to his twenty-fourth year, he wholly neglected the muse ; but this is a mistake. He seldom allowed many days to pass without composing some song or copy of verses, which it was his custom to read to one or two only of his intimate acquaintances. The first poem of his which ap- peared in print, Avas in praise of Ferguslee wood ; a wood which was one of his favourite haunts, and which often in the summer evenings rang to the notes of his flute. The lines were sent to a Glasgow periodical, and obtained immediate insertion, accompanied with a request for further favours. This was the more gratifying to the young poet, as in one or two previous endeavours at publica« tion, he had been unsuccessful ; and from this period he continued, for two or three years afterwards, to send occasional contributions to the Glasgow papers. After his apprenticeship had expired, he removed to the village of Loch- winnoch, about nine miles from Paisley, where he continued to work at the loom for some time. It may be worth mentioning, that Alexander Wilson, the poet and future American ornithologist, was at this time also weaving in the same village. He was by some years the senior of Tannahill ; and the latter, being then unknown to fame, had not the fortitude to seek his acquaintance, although he greatly admired the pieces by which Wilson had already distin- guished himself. About the year 1 SOO, some of the figured loom-Avork, for which Paisley was famed, was beginning to be manufactured in England, and it was reported tliat great ^vages were to be had there for weaving it. Tempted by the report, or more probably by a desire of seeing the country, Tannahill left Paisley for England, accompanied by a younger brother. They went away without inform- ing their pai'ents, who, they rightly supposed, would have put a stop to the journey, as their circumstances in Paisley were too comfortable to justify a change. They were both at this time in the strength and buoyancy of youth ; they were both also of industrious habits, of excellent dispositions, and of modest manners. They travelled mostly on foot, often stepping out of the way to view the curiosities of the country, until they reached Preston, which they had marked as the limit of their journey. They found, however, that nothing but plain work was woven there ; and while Robert Mcnt forward to Bolton, to in- quire after figured work, his brother took lodgings at Preston, in the house of nn old woman of the Roman catholic persuasion. At Bolton, Robert found 1 It disturbs tlie fancy to know, tliat, although Tannahill wrote all his love-songs under the inspiration of some particular object, in this cuso the girl was neither a Jessie, nor was she from Dumblane. The words were originally written to supplant the old doggerel song, " Bob o' Dumblane, "■ — hence the title. Tannahill never was in Dumblane, — never, indeed, beyond the Forth,. — and knew no person belonging to Dumblane; jet the guards of coaches, and others, hesitate not to point out the very house in Dumblane in which Jessie was born. ROBERT TANNAIIILL. 363 plenty of employment of the desired description: but his brother, notwith- standing- the supei-ior wages to be made there, remained at Preston all the time he resided in England, being constrained to do so by the kindness of his old landlady, in whom he found a second mother. The two brothers, though thus separated, did not forget each other. Being much attached, they frequently met half-way between Preston and Bolton, and spent a few hours together : they also frequently Avrote home to their parents an account of their welfare. Their stay in England lasted two years, and was only cut short by receiving intelligence of the fatal illness of their father. They hurried home without delay, and arrived in time to receive his dying blessing. After that event, they did not choose to return to England, The younger brother married, while Robert took up his abode with his mother, and till his death continued to be a comfort to her. His filial affections were at all times strong, and tlirough life he honourably discharged the duties of an affectionate son. It may be proper here to advert to a very en-oneous impression which prevails respecting his Avorldly circumstances. In most of the notices taken of liim, he is represented as leading a life of privation, and as fulfilling all that is sup- posed to be connected with the poet's lot in regard to penury. But so far from this being the case, his means were ahvays above his wants. The house in which his mother resided was her own, and she was not only herself comfortably situated, but was enabled, by indulging in little charities, to add somewhat to the comforts of others. Such, also, was the state of trade at the time, that Robert could command good wages without extreme labour, and though more than one respectable situation, as foreman or OAerseer, was offered him, he chose to continue at the loom, because, by doing so, his time was more at his own disposal, and his personal independence greatef. He had no wish to ac- cumulate money ; but long befoi-e his death, he lodged twenty pounds in the bank, with the express intention that it should go to defray the expense of his funeral, and this sum was found untouched wlien his melancholy decease took place, a circumstance which of itself proves the unfounded nature of the i-eports regarding his poverty and destitution. Soon after his return from England, he had the good fortune to become ac- quainted with the late Mr R. A. Smith, a gentleman of distinguished talent as a composer, who set to music and an-anged some of his finest songs. He also formed an intimacy with several other individuals possessed of good judgment in musical matters, such as, Mr James Barr of Kilbarchan (composer of the tune of ' Craigielee,') IMr Andrew Blaikie, engraver. Paisley, and Mr James Clark, master of the Argyle Band. These gentlemen, and several others, were of service to him in improving his taste for composition, and in encouraging him in his love of song. His own manners were so retiring, and his reliance on himself so small, that, without the assurances of friendship, he probably would never have been induced to give to the world many of those pieces which have made his name known. The first edition of his " Poems and Songs" appeared in the year 1807. It was very favourably received by the public, the previous popularity of several of his songs tending to make it sought after. But the author speedily came to regret that he had so prematurely given it to the world. Errors and faults he now detected in it, which had before escaped him, and he began assiduously to correct and re-write all his pieces, with a view to a second edition. He con- tinued also to add to the number of his songs, and in these reached a high de- gree of excellence. Some of them, indeed, may be pronounced to be the very perfection of song-writing, so far as that consists in the simple and natural ex- pression of feelings common to all. The extensive popularity which they at- ROBERT TANNAUILL. tained indicites liow universally were felt and understood the sentiments which tliey rccoided. It is gratifying- to know, tliat the poet was in some measure a uitness of his own success, and lived to hear his songs sung with approbation both in liall and cottage. In a solitary walk, on one occasion, his musings were interrupted by the voice of a country girl in an adjoining field, who was singing by herself a song of his own — " We'll meet beside the dusky glen, on \on burnsido ;" — and he used to say, that he was more pleased at this evidence of his popularly tlian at any tribute which had ever been paid him. But Iiis celebrity as a song writer brouglit its annoyances. Visitors of every description bi'oke in upon his daily labours ; an adjournment to the tavern was often the result, and actjuaintanceships were formed too frequently ever the bowi.'^ TannahiU at no time was addicted to liquor, but tlie facility of his nature prevented him from resisting the intrusions of idle and curious people, and the very character of the pieces i'or which he was distinguished led to con- vivialities, for how could the merits of a song be tested without the flowing glass ? 'ihis was the more to be pitied, as the slightest irregularity injured him. His constitution was never strong. His father, his sister, and three brothers had ail died of consumption, and he himself was often troubled with a pain in the chest, which was increased by working too hard. For some time before his lamenta- ble end, he was observed frequently to fall into a deep melancholy. His tem- per became irritable, he was easily agitated, and prone to imagine that his best friends were disposed to injure him. His eyes were observed to sink, his countenance got pale, and his body emaciated. His whole appearance, in short, indicated a breaking up of his mental and bodily powers. The second edition of his Poems, which he had prepared for the press, was offered about this time to 3Jr Constable of Edinburgh for a very small sum, but was unfortunately de- clined. This tended still farther to depress him, and he came to the resolution of destroying everything which he had written. All his songs, to the amount of one hundred, many of which had never been printed, and of those printed all had been greatly corrected and amended, he put into the lire; and so anxious was he that no scrap of his should be preserved, he requested his acquaintances to return any manuscript which they had ever got from him. Of the immediate circumstances connected with his death, we have received the following account. The day previous to that event, he went to Glasgow, and displayed there such unequivocal proofs of mental derangement, that one of his friends, upon whom he called, felt it necessary to convoy him back all the way to Paisley, and to apprize his relations of the state of his mind. Alarmed at the intelligence, his brothers, who were married, and resided at difierent parts of the town, hastened to their mother's house, where they found that he had gone to bed, and as it Avas now late, and he was apparently asleep, they did not choose to disturb him, hoping that by the morning he would be belter-. Aboui an hour after leaving the house, one of the brothers had occasion to pass the door, and was surprised to find the gate that led to it open. On further inves- tigation, it was found that Robert liad risen from bed, and stolen out, shortly after their departure. Search was now made in every direction, and by th& 2An exception must heie be made in favour of Mr James Hogg, the Eltrick Shepherd, who, much to his own credit, and the credit of TannahiU, made a pilgrimage to Paisley, witli the express purpose of seeing him. They spent one happy night together, and, next morning, TannahiU convoyed him lialf-way on the road to Glasgow. On parting, Tanna- hiU, with tears in his eyes, said, " Farewell ! we shall never meet again! Farewell I I shall never sec \ou mere !" a prediction which was too truly verified. JAMES TAYLOR. 3G5 grey of the morning, the •worst fears of the poet's friends were i-ealizecl, by the discovery of his coat lying at the side of a pool in the vicinity of Paisley, which pointed out where his body was to be found. Tliis melancholy event hap- pened on the 17th of May, 1810, when he had only reached his thirty-sixth year. TannahiU's appearance was not indicative of superior endowment. He was small in stature, and in manners diffident almost to bashfulness. In mixed company he seldom joined in general conversation, yet from the interest ha manifested in all that was said, his silence was never offensive. Among intimate friends he was open and communicative, and often expressed himself with felicity. His sympathies invariably went with the poor and unfortunate, and per- haps it was the result of his education and position in society, that he was jealous of the attentions of the wealthy, and disposed rather to avoid than to court their company. In his disposition he was tender and humane, and ex- tremely attached to his home, his kindred, and his friends. Ilis life was simple and unvaried in its details, but even the uneventful character of his existence renders more striking and more affecting its tragic close. In 1838 an enlarged edition of his poems and songs, with memoirs of the author and of his friend, Eobert Archibald Smith, by Mr Philip A. Ramsay, was published in Glasgow. TAYLOR, James, whose name must ever bear a conspicuous and honourable place in the history of the invention of steam navigation, was born, May 3, 1758, at the village of Leadhills, in Lanarkshire, and received the rudiments of his education at the academy of Closeburn. After fitting himself to enter the medical profession, he was engaged, in the year 1785, by Mr Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, to superintend the education of the two sons of that gentleman, Avho were in attendance at the university of Edinburgh. It was also the aim of Mr Miller, that Mr Taylor, whose scientific acquirements had been warmly spoken of by the common friend who recommended hini to the situation, should assist him in those mechanical pursuits with which for some years he had been in the habit of amusing his leisure hours. In the year just mentioned, Mr Miller was engaged in a series of operations for applying paddle wheels to vessels, rather with a view to extricating them from perilous situations against the im- pulse of wind and tide, than with any expectation that such machinery, driven, as he contemplated it to be, by human power alone, could be of use in ordinary navigation. Mr Taylor entered at once into Mr Miller's views, and aided in the preparation of a double vessel, of sixty feet in length, with intermediate paddles, driven by a capstan, which Mr Miller tried in the Firth of Forth, in spring, 1787, against a custom-house whei'ry, which it easily distanced. On this occasion Mr Taylor became convinced of the utility of the paddles ; but, observing that the men were much exhausted by their labour, he was equally convinced that a superior mechanical power was wanting, in order to realize the full value of the invention. Having communicated his thoughts to Mr Miller, he received from that gentleman the following answer : — " I am of the same opinion, and that power is just what I am in search of. My object is to add mechanical aid to the natural power of the wind, to enable vessels to avoid and to extricate themselves from dangerous situations, which they cannot do on their present construction." Invited to co-operate in this object, Mr Taylor applied himself to the considera- tion of all the mechanical powers ah-eady in common use, but without being able to convince himself of the applicability of any of them. At length the steam- engine presented itself to him; and though he might be naturally supposed to have been himself startled at the boldness of such a thought, he soon convinced himself of its being practicable. On suggesting it to Mr Miller, he found he had excited more astonishment at the novelty, than respect for the feasibility of the Echeme. Mr Miller allowed the sufficiency of the power] but was disposed to 3GG JAllES TAYLOR. deny that it coiilil be applied, more particularly in those critical circumstances to obviate niiich was the chief aim of liis own project. " In such cases," said he, "as that disastrous event which happened lately, of the wreck of a whole fleet upon a lee shore, off the coast of Spain, every hre on board must be ex- tinguished, and of course sucli an engine could be of. no use." Mr Taylor was not daunted by these objections, but, on the contrary, the more he thought of the project, the more convinced he became of its practicability. He repre- sented to 31r Miller, that, if not applicable to purposes of general navigation, it might at least prove useful on canals and estuaries. After many conversa- tions, the latter gentleman at length conceded so far to Mr Taylor's suggestion, as to request him to make drawings, for the purpose of showing how the engine could be connected with the paddle-wheels. Mr Taylor did so, and IMr Miller, being still farther satistied, though as yet, it appears, unconvinced, agreed to be at the expense of an experiment, provided it should not amount to a large sum, and that Mr Taylor should superintend the operations, as he candidly confessed he was a stranger to the use of steam. The two projectors were then at Dalswinton ; but it was arranged that, when they should return to Edinburgh in the early part of winter, an engine should be constructed for the purpose. Part of the summer was employed by IMr Miller in drawing up a narrative cf his experiments upon shipping, with a view to its being printed and circulated. This he submitted to Mr Taylor for the benefit of his correction ; and the latter gentleman, observing that no mention had been made of the application of the steam engine, " I have not done that inadvertently," answered Mr Miller, " but from a wish not to pledge myself to the public for a thing I may never per- form : you know my intentions on that subject are as yet conditional." Mr Taylor replied, that he could hardly look upon them in that light, as he was satisfied that any expense which could attach to so small a matter would not prevent him (3Ir 3iiller) from making the experiment ; that he considered the mention of the steam engine as of importance ; and that it could be alluded to in such a manner as to pledge him to nothing. Mr Miller was convinced, and introduced an allusion to steam, as an agent he might perhaps employ for the propulsion of his vessels. Copies of the paper thus improved were transmitted to the royal family, the ministers, many of the leading members of both houses of parlia- ment, and to all the maritime powers in Europe, besides the president of the United States of America. In November, 1787, Olr Miller removed as usual to the capital, and Mr Taylor, having been empowered by his employer to proceed about the con- struction of an engine, recommended to Mr Miller's notice a young man named Symington, who had attempted some alterations upon the steam engine, and was now residing in Edinburgh for his improvement in mechanics. It was agreed that Symington should form an engine on his own plan, and that the experiment should be made in the ensuing summer upon the lake cf Dalswinton. The construction of the engine occupied several months, and was not completed at the conclusion of that session of the university ; so that IMr Taylor was detained in town, to superintend the operations, for some time after his pupils had returned with their father to the country. When all was ready, he proceeded with Symington to Dalswinton, where, on the 14th of October, 1788, the experiment was made in the presence of IMr Miller and a con- siderable concourse of spectators. The boat was a double one, and the engine, which had a four inch cylinder, was placed in a frame upon the deck. The experiment was successful beyond the most sanguine wishes of any of the parties concerned. The vessel moved at the rate of five miles an hour, and neither was any awkwardness found in the connexion of the engine with the wheels. JAMES TAYLOR. 387 nor hazard apprehended in any considerable degree from the introduction of a furnace into so inflamnmble a fabric. The experiment was repeated several times during the course of the few ensuing days, and always with perfect suc- cess, insomuch that the invention became a subject of great local notoriety. An account of the experiments, drawn up by Mr Taylor, was inserted in the Dumfries Journal newspaper, and the event was also noticed in the Scots Maga- zine of the ensuing month. Mr Miller now formed the design of covering his own and Mr Taylor's joint invention by a patent; but, in the first place, it was judged expedient that ex- periments should be made with a vessel and engine more nearly approaching the common size. For this purpose Mr Taylor went to the Carron foundry, with his engineer, Symington, and there, in the summer of 1789, fitted up a vessel of considerable dimensions, with an engine, of which the cylinder measured eighteen inches in diameter. In the month of November this was placed on the Forth and Clyde canal, in the presence of the Carron Committee of Manage- ment, and of the parties chiefly interested. The vessel moved along very smoothly for a space beyond Lock Sixteen, when, on giving the engine full play, the flat boards of the paddles, which had been weakly constructed, began to give way, which put an end to the experiment. Tlie paddles having been re- constructed on a stronger principle, another experiment was made on the 26th of December, when the vessel made easy and uninterrupted progress, at the rate of seven miles an hour. Except in speed, the performances on those occasions were as perfect as any which have since been accomplished by steam-vessels. The project was now conceived, by all parties, to have gone through a sufficient pi-obation, so far as the objects of inland navigation Avere concerned; and in an account of the latter experiments, drawn up by Mr (afterwards lord) Cullen, and published in the Edinburgh newspapers, February 1790, this view is firmly taken. On reviewing the expenses of these proceedings, Mr Miller found considerable cause of chagrin in their amount, which, chiefly in consequence, as he said, of the extravagance of the engineei', greatly exceeded what he had been led to expect. Subsequently he devoted his attention and means to agricultural im- provements; and Mr Taylor could never prevail on him to resume tlieir project. The culiivation of fiorine grass at last took such hold of the mind of Mr Miller, that, in the belief of Mr Taylor, no other object on earth could have withdrawn Lim from it. Mr Fergusson, younger of Ci-aigdarroch, in 1790, endeavoured, but in vain, to engage the interest of the court of Vienna in the new invention. The indifference of Mr Miller, the direction of public attention to the war which soon after commenced, and the unfavourable situation of Mr Taylor, in an inland part of the country, and unable of himself to do anything, conspired to throw the project for several years into abeyance. At length, in 1801, Mr Symington, who had commenced business at Falkirk, resolved to prosecute a design, in the origination of which he had borne an active and serviceable, though subordinate part. He wished lord Dundas to employ him to fit up a small experimental steam-vessel, which was tried on the Forth and Clyde canal, but, causing much disintegration of the banks, was forbidden by the Company to be ever set in motion again. This vessel was laid up at Lock Sixteen, where it remained for a number of years. Symington was afterwards in tei*ms with the duke of Bridgewater for introducing steam navigation on his grace's canal, and IMessrs Miller and Taylor were about to take measures to protect their joint invention from being appropriated by this individual, when the death of the duke, and the abandonment of the scheme, saved them that trouble. Some time after, Mr Fulton, from the United States of America, accompanied )G8 THOMAS TELrORD. by Mr Henry Bell of (Glasgow, when on a visit to the Carron Avorlcs, waited on ?flf Syminoton, and inspected the boat which he had fitted up for the Forth ami Clyde canal. The consequence was, that, in 1S07, the former gen- tleman launched a steam vessel on the Hudson, and, in 1812, Mr Bell another upon Clyde, being respectively tlie first vessels of the kind used for the service of the public in the new and old heniisplicrcs. Thus, after all the primary dif- ficulties of the invention had been overcome, — when the bark was ready, as it were, to start from tlie shore, and waited only for the master to give the word for that purpose, — did two individuals, altogether alien to the project, come in and appropriate the honour of launching it into the open sea. Unquestionably, the merit of these individuals in overcoming many practical difficulties, is very considerable ; yet it is clear that they were indebted for the idea to the previous inventions and operations of 3Iessrs Miller and Taylor, and that if the latter gentlemen had, in tiie one instance, been inclined, and in the other able, to carry their project into ellect at the proper time, they would not have been ,nnticipated in this part of the honour, any more than in the suggestion of the paddles and tiie engine. It appears that Mr Taylor by no means sat tamely by, while Fulton and Cell were reaping the credit due to tiieir labours. IMr Taylor repeatedly urged Mr Miller to renewed exertions, though always without success; kept his claims as well as he could before the public eye; and, on finding that Mr Symington had obtained a patent, forced him into an agreement to share the profits, none of wliich, however, were ever realized. When the vast impor- tance of steam navigation had become fully established, the friends of Mr Taylor, Avho was not in prosperous circumstances, urged upon him tlie propriety of laying his claims before the government, and soliciting a reward Buitablt' to the magnitude and importance of the discovery. At last, in 1S24, he was induced to draw up a statement of his concern in the invention of steam navigation, which he printed and addressed to Sir Henry Parnell, chairman of a select committee of the House of Commons, upon steam boats. He hoped that this narrative might be the means of obtaining from the government some remuneration for the incalculable services he had performed to mankind ; but it had no such effect. Bowed down by infirmities, and the fruits of a long life of disappointments, this ingenious man died on the 18th of September, 1825, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. TELFOllD, Thomas, an eminent engineer and constructor of public works, was born about the year 1755, in the parish of Westerkirk in Dumfriesshire. His outset in life was strikingly hun)ble in comparison with its close. He began tlie world as a working stone-mason in his native parish, and for a long time was only remarkable for the neatness with which lie cut the letters upon those frail sepulchral memorials which " teach the rustic moralist to die." His occupation fortunately afforded a greater number of leisure hour« than what are usually allowed by such laborious employments, and these young Telford turned to the utmost advantage in his power. Having previously acquired the elements of learning, he spent all his spare time in poring over such volumes as. fell witliin his reach, with no better light in general than what was afibrded by the cottage fire. Under these circumstances tlie powers of his mind took a direction not uncommon among rustic youths ; he became a noted rhmyster in the homely style of Ramsay and Fergusson, and, wliile still a very young man, contributed verses to Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine, under the unpretending signature of " Fskdale Tain." In one of these compositions, which was ad. dressed to Burns, he sketched his own character, and hinted his own ultimate r:;te — THOMAS TELPOED. 3G9 Nor pass the tcntie curious lad, \Vho o'er the ingle hangs his hejid, And begs of neighbours books to re<.d ; For hence arise, Thy country's sons, who far are spread, Baitii bold and wise. Though Mr Telfoiil afterwards abandoned the tlirifiless trade of versifying, lie is said to have retained through life a strong- *' frater-feeling " for the corps, which he showed in a particular manner on the death of Burns, in exertions for tlie benefit of his family. Having proceeded to London in quest of work, he had the good fortune to be employed under Sir William Chambers in ilia buiMing of Somerset house. Here his merit was soon discovered by tiie illus- trious architect, and he experienced promotion accordingly. We are unable to detail the steps by which he subsequently placed himself at the head of the profession of engineering; but it is allowed on all hands that his elevation was owing solely to his consummate ability and persevering industry, unless we are to allow a share in the process to the singular candour and integrity wliicli marked every step in his career. His works are so numerous all over the island, that there is hardly a county in England, Wales, or Scotland, in which they may not be pointed out. The Menai and Conway bridges, the Caledonian canal, the St Katharine's docks, the Holyhead roads and bridges, the Highland roads and bridges, the Chirke and Pontcysulte aqueducts, the canals in Salop, and great works in that county, of which lie was surveyor for more than half a century, are some of the traits of his genius which occur to us, and which will immortalize the name of Thomas Telford. The Menai bridge will probably be regarded by the public as the most im- perishable monument of 3Ir Telford's fame. This bridge over the Bangor ferry, connecting the counties of Caernarvon and Anglesea, partly of stone and partly of iron, on the suspension principle, consists of seven stone arches, ex- ceeding in magnitude every work of the kind in the world. They connect the land with the two main piers, which rise fifty-three feet above the level of the road, over the top of which the chains are suspended, each chain being 1714 feet from the fastenings in the rock. The first three-masted vessel passed mider the bridge in 1826. Her topmasts were nearly as high as a frigate, but they cleared twelve feet and a half below the centre of the roadway. The sus- pending power of the chains was calcidated at 2016 tons. The total weight of each chain, 121 tons. The Caledonian canal is another of Mr Telford's splendid works, in con- structing every part of which, though prodigious difficulties were to be sur- mounted, he was successful. But even this great work does rot redound so nmch to his credit as the roads throughout the same district. That from Inver- ness to the county of Sutherland, and through Caithness, made not only, so far as respects its construction, but its direction, under Blr Telford's orders, is supe- rior in point of line and smoothness, to any part of the road of equal conti- nuous length between London and Inverness. Tiiis is a remarkable fact, Avhich, from the great difficulties he had to overcome in passing through a rugged, hilly, and mountainous district, incontrovertibly establishes his great skill in the engineering department, as well as in the construction of great public communi- cations. Mr Telford was not more remarkable for his great professional abilities than for his sterling worth in private life. His easiness of access, and the playful- ness of his disposition, even to the close of life, endeared him to a numerous circle of friends, including all the most distinguished men of his time. For I'^- 3 A 3r0 ANDREW THOMSON, D.D. some years before his tlcatli, lie had withdrawn himself in a great mcasm'c from profcsjionnl cniploymcnt, and amused his leisure by writing a detailed account of the i>rincipnl worhs he had planned, and lived to see executed. He died Sep- Icmlicr 9, 183-1, in his seventy-ninth year, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. TII03IS0N, Andrew, D. D., an eminent modern divine, and leader in the rational church courts, was born at Sanquhar, in Uunifries-shire, July 11, 1779. His father, Dr John Thomson, was originally minister of Sanquhar, afterwards of I\Iarkinch in Fife, and lastly one of the ministers of Edinburgh. In early life, the subject of this memoir exhibited no indications of those singular talents which af[er^vards distinguished him ; and he was several years at college before lie discovered any predilection for that profession of >\hich he was destined to become so great an ornament, or felt the influence of that spirit which is so necessary for its effectual exercise. The precise period when he first turned his attention to the ministry, is not known : but, in 1S02, he was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Kelso; and, on the 11th of March of the same year, was ordained minister of the parish of Sprouston : shortly after which lie married, and, by a happy union, added greatly to his felicity. Thougli Dr Tliomson's earlier years presented no indications of those powei-- ful talents which raised liini, in more advanced life, to a high place amongst tlie eminent men of his country and time, he had not long ascended the pulpit before these talents became conspicuous. During his ministry at Sprouston, he was distinguished by that unbending integrity of character, that zeal in the sacred cause to which he had devoted his life, and that vigorous eloquence A\hich procured him so high a reputation in the elevated sphere in A\hich he Mas afterwards placed. Dr Thomson now, also, began to take an active part in the business of the church courts, of Avhich he was a member; and further aided the interests of religion, by publishing a catechism on the Lord's Supper, which subsequently passed througli many editions, and has proved eminently beneficial and useful. In 1808, Dr Thomson was removed to the East church of Perth, ^^here he laboured, assiduously and successfully, till the spring of ISIO, when he received a presentation from the magistrates and council of Edinburgh to the New Grey Friars' church in that city. He was now in a situation, Mhere his singular ta- lents could be fully appreciated, and where they had a field wide enough for their exercise: of these advantages he did not fail to avail himself. He applied himself to the discharge of his sacred duties with redoubled ardour, and with a vigour and activity both of body and mind, that at once procured him an extraor- dinary share of public admiration. His powerful eloquence and fearless charac- ter, pointed him out as no ordinary man, and made an impression on the public mind, which has but few parallels in the history of ministerial labours. Inde- fatigable and zealous, in a singular degree, he left no hour unemployed, and no means untried, to forward the good work in which he was engaged. He la- boured incessantly ; and such was the vigour and grasp of his comprehensive mind, and the versatility, as well as brilliancy of his talents, that he could, at one and the same time, bring the most various and wholly different means, to bear upon the one great end which he had in view, the spiritual and temporal happiness of mankind. To the discussion of every variety of subject within the sphere of his calling, he came alike prepared, and on each shed the strong light of his powerful intellect, exciting the admiration of all who heard him, by his manly eloquence, and convincing most, it is to be hoped, by the force of his reasoning. Among the other means to which Dr Thomson had recourse to promote the interests of religion, was the publication of a periodical work, entitled " The ANDREW THOMSON, D.D. 371 Christian Instructoi'." This work he commenced, with the assistance of several of his clerical brethren, a few months after his settlement in Edinburgh; and for many years he discharged the duties of its editor, besides contributing largely to the work itself. It is almost unnecessary to add, after what has been said of Dr Thomson, that the " Christian Instructor" is a work of singular merit, and, altogether, perhaps, one of the ablest of tlie kind which the cause of Christianity has produced. Dr Thomson's literary labours were not, however, confined at this period to the " Christian Instructor." He contributed, besides, many valuable articles to the Edinburgh Encyclopasdia ; all of which are distinguished by that nervous style and accui'acy of conception, which so peculiarly belonged to their author. The extraordinary merits of Dr Thomson had early forced themselves on the public notice ; but they were now become so obvious and incontestable, as to engross a very large share of the public attention, and to form a subject of its consideration. The result of this general feeling was, his appointment to St George's church, which took place on the IGth of June, 1814; one of the most important and dignified charges in the church of Scotland. In this conspicuous situation, he rapidly extended his reputation, and increased the number of his friends; and, ultimately, acquired an influence over his congregation, composed of the most influential persons in the metropolis, which few preachers have ever enjoyed. Previously to his appointment to St George's, Dr Thomson had not been in the habit of writing out his discourses. He trusted to the natural promptness with which his ideas presented and arranged themselves, and to the remarkable fluency of expi-ession with which he was gifted ; and these did not fail him: but he now thought it advisable, as he was to preach to a more refined class of persons, to secure more correctness for his discourses, by committing them to paper, before delivei-ing them from the pulpit. And in the pursuance of this resolution, he weekly composed and A\T0te two sermons, and this in the midst of other avocations, which alone would have occupied all the time cf any man of less bodily and mental activity than he was possessed of. To the ordinary duties of the Sunday, Dr Thomson added the practice of catechising the young persons of his congregation, devoting to this exercise the interval between the forenoon and afternoon services. He also held week-day meetings in the church, for the purpose of instructing in the principles of re- ligion, as they are taught in the Shorter Catechism ; and, to complete the sys- tem of moral and religious culture, which his unwearying zeal had planned out, he instituted a week-day school, for the benefit of those of Ids young parishioners whose circumstances either prevented their attending church, or rendered a greater extent of tuition necessary than he could afibrd to bestow on Sunday. But he did still more than merely institute this little seminary. He compiled suitable books for the different classes it comprised, and crowned tlie good work, by acting- himself as their teacher, — as the teacher of the poorest and humblest of his floclc. With all this devotion to the higher and more important duties of his sacred office, Dr Thomson di-d not neglect "those of a minor character. Amongst these, church music had an especial share of his attention. Together with his other rare endowments, he possessed an exquisite ear and taste for music, and not only introduced an improved psalmody into the Scottish church, but added to it several eminently beautiful compositions of his own. Admirable as Dr Thomson was in all his relations to his flock, he was in none more so, tlian in that of the personal friend, the soother of aflliction, and the alleviator of domes- tic misery. His private labours of this kind v.ere very great, and eminently £uccessful. His presence never failed to excite a new feeling cf animation, 372 ANDREW THOMSON, D.D. nor his wortls to inspire hope. To the sick and the bereaved his visits were peculiarly acceptable; for his manner and his language were kind, and soothing, and conciliating, in a remarkable degree: and, althougli these could not alwaj's lessen pain, they never missed of reconciling the sufferer to that which was inevitable. Besides thus faithfully and laboriously discharging the various important duties of his otlice, Dr Thomson took an active part in all the church judicatories of which he was a member. In these, his singular talents and high charactei-, as as might be expected, always secured for him the first place, and at length ac- quired for him the distinction, conceded silently but spontaneously, of being con- sidered the leader of the evangelical party in the church to which he had attached himself. Amongst the other characteristics of that party, was a strong feeling cf hostility to the system of patronage ; and to this feeling Dr Thomson gave utterance in the General Assembly, on several occasions, in a strain of eloquence, and with a power of reasoning, that will not soon be forgotten. Although a zealous member of the church of Scotland, and strongly attached to her institutions, Dr Thomson's liberal and enlightened mind kept him entirely rJoof from anything approaching to bigotry. With dissenters of all descriptions he maintained a friendly understanding. He made every allowance for differ- ence of opinion on points of comparatively inferior importance; and, when he was satisfied that a genuine spirit of Chi-istianity existed, never allowed such differ- ence of opinion to disturb that harmony which he wisely and benevolently con- ceived ought to exist between those who, after ail, laboured in the same vine- yard, and to obtain the same end. Ever ready to lend liis powerful aid to all rational schemes for promoting the interests of religion and extending its sacred influence, he eagerly enrolled himself amongst the supporters of the British and Foreign Bible Society ; and V, hile that society adhered to the principles which were laid down at its institution, he continued to take a warm interest in its afi'airs, and laboured witli tongue and pen to secure success to its efforts. On the departure, however, of this society from one of the leading conditions by which it was understood it should be regulated, namely, that the copies of the Bible which it issued, should be purely scriptural, and unaccompanied by note or conunent of any kind ; Dr Thomson felt hin;self called upon, as a minister of the gospel, not only to with- draw his support from it, but to oppose, by every means in his power, the con- tinuance of a system so injurious to the best interests of religion. Into the Avell known controversy which ensued, and which has been called " the Apo- crypha Controversy," he entered with all his chai-acteristic zeal ; and so effec- tually employed his powerful talents during its progress, that his enemies, whatever cause they may have found for rejoicing in the issue, could find but little in the circumstance of having provoked his resentment. The last great public effort of Dr Thomson was in behalf of the slaves in our West India colonies; and, in the prosecution of this humane and philanthropic work, he, on several occasions, made displays of oratory, which have been seldom equalled, and still seldomer surpassed. He demanded immediate eman- cipation, and supported this demand with an eloquence and power of reasoning, which were altogether overpowering. These mighty labours, and unceasing exertions in the causes of religion and philanthropy, were destined, however, to come to a premature termination. Dr Thomson's constitution was naturally strong, and in person he was robust and athletic ; but unremitting study, and incessant toil of both body and mind, had their usual effects. His healtii was impaired ; and for some time be- fore his death, a secret sensation gave him warning that that event would take JAMES THOMSON. 373 place soon, and suddenly. The fulfilment of this melancholy anticipation look place on the 9Lh of Fcbruaiy, 1831. On that day, he appeared in his usual health, and went through the ordinary routine of business witli his accus- tomed activity and energy, taking the same interest in everything that came under his consideration, as lie had been accustomed to do ; and altogether pre- senting nothing, in either manner or appearance, to indicate the near approach of that catastrophe which was to deprive religion and morality of one of their ablest supports, and society of one of its brightest ornaments. Having com- pleted the out-door business of the day, Dr Thomson returned home about five o'clock in the afternoon, and while standing on the threshold of his own door, just previous to his entering the house, he suddenly fell down, and expired ivithout a struggle or a groan. His remains were interred in St C'uthbert's church-yard ; and if anything were wanting to impress those who have only read or heard of him, with a full conception of the estimation in which he was held by all ranks and denominations in the metropolis, it would be found in a description of his funeral, — the most numerously attended, perhaps, that had ever been witnessed in the Scottish capital. Dr Thomson's literary labours ex- liibit a long array of religious works of various descriptions, including lectures, sermons, and addresses. To these there is to be added, a volume of posthu- mous " Sermons and Sacramental Exhortations," published in Edinburgh in the same year in which he died ; with a memoir prefixed. TH03IS0N, James, a celebrated poet, was born, September 11, 1700, at Ednam, near Kelso, of which parish his father was minister. Beatrix Trotter, the mother of the poet, was daughter and co-heiress of a small portion of land at Foggo in Eerwicksiiire, and is described as having been a woman of " a sin- gular fervour of imagination," at the same time that she shone in the domestic and social virtues. The difficulty Avith which his father supported his family, having nine children, occasioned his removal, in the early childhood of the poet, to the parish of Southdean, in the presbytery of Jedburg^h, Avhere ihe stipend, though not large, was somewhat better than that which he had en- joyed at Ednam. The change was from a low and beautifully ornamented part of tlie country, and the close neighbourhood of a considerable market town, to an elevated pastoral disti-ict, enlivened only by the slender waters of the Jed, and frequented by few except the lonely angler. In the church-yard of South- dean, may yet be seen the liumble monument of the father of the poet, with the inscription almost obliterated. The manse in which that individual reared his large family, of whom one was to become so illustrious, was what would now be described as a small thatched cottage.' The poet received the rudiments of his education at the school of Jedburgh, and was not distinguished among his youthful companions, by remarkable superiority of parts. He was still, however, very young, when his talents for writing verses attracted the attention of several respectable individuals in that part of the country. Mr Riccarton, minister of the neighbouring parish of Hobkirk, and a man of taste and learning, observed and encouraged this talent ; and young Thomson was occasionally invited, on account of his promising abilities, to spend his vacations at the country seats of Sir William Bennet of Chesters, Sir Gilbert Elliot of Minto, and lord Cranstoun. He was so little pleased, however, with the poetry he produced at this early period, that on every new-year s day he burnt all that he had composed during the foregoing year. At a proper age he was sent to the university of Edin- burgh. According to tradition, a servant of his father conducted him to the capital, seated behind himself on horseback ; but such was his reluctance to for- sake the country, that he had no sooner been left to himself in the city, than * Inlbnnalion by Mr Richn\ond, the present minister of Southdean. JAMES THOMSON. heset out on foot for home, ami was back at his father's manse (between fifty and sixty miles distant) as soon as tiie man and t!ie horse. When his parents remonstrated with hiin respecting tliis disobedient conduct, he passionately ob- served tint " ho could study as well on the haughs of Sou'den [so Southdean is commonly pronounced] as in Edinburgh."- lie was, nevertheless, prevailed upon to commence a course of study in Edinburgh. Ill the second year of his attendance at the nniversity, his studies were interrupted by the suddeii deatli of his father. He was summoned home to re- ceive liis parent's dying bonediction, but came too late. Tliis circumstance ccntributed to increase his sorrow, and his filial piety was expressed on this mournful occasion in instances of conduct which his surviving relations afterwards deliglited to recollect. His mother now realized as much as she could from her own little inheri- tance, and removed with her family to Edinburgh, in order to give them what p:rsons of her ranli in Scotland generally consider as the best of all endow- mnts, a good education. .Tames re-commenced his studies, and with some re- luctance was induced by Iiis friends to enter upon a course of divinity, with the view of applying his talents to the church. After the usual attendance on the professor of theology, he delivered a probationary exercise in the hall ; but liis diction was so poetically splendid, that the professor reproved him for using lan- guage unintelligible to a popular audience; which so disgusted him witli his theological pursuits, tliat he seems to have, soon after this event, resolved to abandon them. He had already contributed to a poetical volume, entitled the Edinburgh 3Iiscellany, which was compiled by a society of young aspirants in verse Avho were attending the college, and among whom was David Mallet. About the same time he acted as tutor to lord Binning, — the son of the sixth eail of Haddington, and himself a poet ; to whom he had probably been introduced by his mother's friend, lady Grizzel Baillie, mother-in-law to his lordship, and viLose " 3Ieinoirs " possess so much tender interest ; who, finding him unliltely to do well in any other pursuit, advised him to try his fortune in London as a poet, and promised him some countenance and assistance. Accordingly, in tlie a tumn of 1725, he took leave of his mother, whom he was never more to be- Lcld, and proceeded by sea to London, carrying with him little besides his poem of " Winter." On arriving in the metropolis, he found his way to his college friond Mallet, who ihen acted as preceptor to tlie two sons of the duke of Mon- trose ; he also sought out iMr Duncan Forbes, afterwards president of the court of session, who, having conceived a favourable opinion of his talents in Scotland, was now disposed to promote his views' by all means in his power. He was at first in considerable difficulties for the means of subsistence, and is found writing to r.u incient friend of his family, the minister of Ancrum, for the loan of twelve pounds, in order to pay off some little debts he had contracted since his arrival in the metropolis, and to procure necessaries, till he should raise some- thing by the sale of his deceased mother's lands of Whithope. By the friendly intervention of IMallet, a bookseller named Millar was induced to buy " Winter " at a low price, and it -was accordingly published in 1726, with a dedication to Sir Spencer Compton, and several recommendatory verses by his friends. Though unnoticed for some time, it gradually attained that estimation which it has ever since maintained, and soon procured for the autlior the friendship of all tlie men then distinguished in literature. His acrjuaintance was sought by Dr Bundle, afterwards bishop of Derry, who recommended him to tlie lord chancellor Talbot. In 1727, he published another of his Seasons, " Suiu- mer," which he at first proposed dedicating to lord Binning, but eventually 2 Tlie editor is oLligod for this curious aiiecdotc to Mr Riclimcnl. JAMES THOMSON. 375 fcy the disinterested advice of that noblenian, inscribed to Mr Dodington, after- Avards lord ?.Ielcorabe, whom Binning thought liliely to advance his interest. The same year he gave to the public two more of his productions ; " A Poem Sacred to the Memory of Sir Isaac Neuton," who died in that year ; and *' Britannia," a poetical invective against the ministry, whom the nation then thought not forward enough in resenting the depredations of the Spaniards. His " Spring," published in 1723, and addressed to tlie countess of Hertford, afterwards duchess of Somerset, procured liim an invitation to pass a summer at lord Hertford's country-seat. Tlie Seasons were not completed by tJie addition of " Autumn," till 1730, when he published his poems collectively. Autumn was addressed to 3Ir Onslow. In the same year, he brought upon tlie stage, at Drury Lane, his tragedy of Sophonisba, ivhicli raised suoli expectation, that every rehearsal was dignified with a splendid audience, collected to anticipate the delight that was preparing for the public. It was observed, however, that nobody was affected, and that tlxe company rose as from a moral lecture. It was one of the many proofs tliat dramatic genius is a very different thing from the power of putting in dialogue fine sentiment and poetical description. Not long afterwards, the recommenda- tion of Dr Rundle caused him to be selected as the travelling associate of the honourable 3Ir Talbot, eldest son of the chancellor, with whom he visited most of the courts and countries of the European continent. Such an opportunity could not fail to be a source of much improvement to one, whose mind was well prepared for the observation of the different forms of society, and appearances in external nature. The idea of his poem on Liberty suggested itself to him during this tour, and after his return he employed nearly two years in its com- pletion. He was now enabled to pursue his studies at leisure, having been re- munerated for liis attendance on Blr Talbot, by the place of secretary of tlie briefs, which was nearly a sinecure. His poem " Liberty " at length appeared, being inscribed to Frederick, prince of Vv'ales, and opening with an affectionate tribute to the memory of 3Ir Talbot, who had died during his journey with the poet. Thomson congratulated himself upon this work as the noblest effort of his mind ; but it was received with coldness by the public, and has never been so generally read as the rest of his compositions. In reality, a long historical piece in blanlc verse, the incidents of which were taken from common reading, was not very likely to prove attractive. The lord chancellor soon after died, and, Thomson having neglected to ap- ply for a renewal of his place, it wns bestowed by the succeeding judge, lord Hardwicke, upon another. The poet was, therefore, reduced once more to a dependence on liis talents for support. It is creditable to him, that, while in this painful situation, he showed, in liis letters to a friend in Edinburgh, an affectionate anxiety to assist the narrow circumstances of his sisters, Jean and Elizabeth, who then lived with 3Ir Gusthart, one of the ministers of the city. He was introduced, about this time, by 3Ir (afterwards lord) Littleton, to tlie prince of Wales ; and, being questioned as to tlie state of his affairs, he an- swered, " tliat they were in a more poetical posture th.an formerly :" Avhich induced the prince to bestow upon him a pension of one hundred pounds a- year. In 1738, his second tragedy, entitled " Agamemnon," was brought upon the stage at Drury Lane. Pope, who had favoured the author, when in Italy, wilh a poetical epistle, countenanced the performance on the first aiight by his pre- sence ; and was received in the house with a general clap. It had the fate of most mythological pieces, and was only endured, not favoured. The reception it met with, is said to have thrown tlie author into such a copious perspiration, )76 JAMES THOMSON. that he found it necessary to change his y\\<^, before he could join a party of friends at supper. Another tragedy, which he otVered to the tlieatre, was '' I'dward an«l Ideonora ;" but it was prevented from appearing by the lord chamberlain, on account of its political complexion. In 1740, he wrote, in conjunction with 31allet, the " Masque of Alfred," which was performed before the prince of Wales, at Cliefden House, on the birth-day of the princess Au- gusta. In this piece was introduced the song, " Rule Britannia," which has ever since maintained so high a popularity. It is understood to be the com- position of Tliomson." The most successful of bis dramatic compositions, " Tancred and Sigls- munda,'' was brought out at Drury Lane, in 1745 : it is still occasionally acted. llis poem, entitled " Tlie Castle of Indolence," which bad been several y«ars under his polishing hand, and which is perhaps the most perfect and pleasing of all bis compositions, was published in 1740. His friend, lord Lyttleton, was now in pouer, and procured iiim the place of surveyor-general of tlie Leeward Islands ; from which, when his deputy was paid, he received about three hun- dred pounds a-year. He did not live long to enjoy this state of comparative independence. He was in the habit of walking from London to his house at Kichmond, for the sake of exercise. One evening, after he had proceeded a certain distance, being fearful that he would be too late, he took a boat for the remainder of the way, not observing that the dews of the evening, and the cold air of the river, were dangerous to a person whose pores were opened by the perspiration of a hasty walk. The cold which he caught on this occasion, ter- minated in a fever, which carried him off, August 27, 1748, when he had nearly completed the forty-eighth year of his age. He was buried under a plain stone in Kichmond church, where the earl of Buchan, forty yeai-s afterwards, erected a tablet to bis memory. A monument, however, had been raised to him at an earlier period in Westminster Abbey. The poet left a tragedy, en- titled " Coriolanus," which was brought upon the stage at Covent Garden, in 1749, and realized a considerable sum for the benefit of his relations. It is as a descriptive poet that Thomson has gained a permanent fame ; for all llis compositions, except of that hind, have sunk into comparative neglect. His " Seasons" has now kept its place amongst the poetical classics of England, for upwards of a century; and still there is no perceptible tendency to decline in its popularity. In reference to this poem, Dr Johnson has written as follows ; and no further criticism seems to be necessary : — " As a Avriter, Thomson is entitled to one praise of the highest kind, — his mode of thinking, and of ex- pressing his thoughts, is original. His blank verse is no more the blank verse of Milton, or of any other poet, than the rhymes of Prior are the rhymes of Cowley. His numbers, his pauses, his diction, are of his own growth, without transcription, without imitation. He thinks in a peculiar train, and he always tliinks as a man of genius : he looks round on nature, and on life, with the eye which nature only bestows on a poet, the eye that distinguishes, in every thing presented to its view, whatever there is on which imagination can delight to be detained, and with a mind that at once comprehends the vast, and attends to the minute. The reader of the ' Seasons,' wonders that he never saw before what Thomson shows him, and that ho never yet felt what Thomson impresses. His descriptions of extended scenes, and general efi'ects, bring before us the whole magnificence of nature, whether pleasing or dreadful. The gaiety of 3 It appears from the letters published by the earl of Buchan, that Thomson at this limo rented a liouse at the upper end of Kew Lane ; and that the Amanda whom he so fre- qu?ii;ly celebrated in his verses, was a Miss Young, sister of Mrs Robertson, wife of the sur- geon to the household at Kew. JAMES THOMSON. 377 Spring, the s[)lendour of Summer, the tranquillity of Autumn, and the honors of Winter, take, in their turns, possession of tlie mind. The poet leads us througii tile appearances of things, as they .are successively varied by the vicis- situdes of tlie year ; and imparts to us so much of his own enthusiasm, that our thougiits expand witli his imagery, and kindle witii his sentiments. Nor is the naturalist without liis sliare in the entertainment; for he is assisted to recollect and to combine, to arrange his discoveries, and to amplify the sphere of his i I contemplation." " Thomson," says Dr Aikin, " was in person large and ungainly, with a heavy nnanimated countenance, and nothing in his appearance or manner in mixed society indicating the man of genius or refinement. He was, however, easy and cheerful with select friends, by whom he was singularly beloved for the kindness of his heart, and his freedom from all the little malignant passions, uhicii too often debase the literary character. His benevolence is said to be more ardent than active, for indolence was extremely prevalent in his nature ; and though he would readily give to the utmost of his ability, he could not overcome his reluctance to exert himself in doing services. He was fond of in- dulgences of every kind, and was more attached to the grosser pleasures of sense, than the sentimental delicacy of his writings would lead a reader to sup- pose : but tliis is a common failing. No poet has deserved more praise for the moral tenor of his works. Undoubted philanthropy, enlarged ideas of the dig- nity of man, and of his rights ; love of virtue, public and private, and of a de- votional spirit, narrowed by no views of sect or party, give soul to his verse, when not merely descriptive : and no one can rise from the perusal of his piges, without melioration of his principles or feelings." Tiie remark here made as to the attachment of Tliomson " to the grosser pleasures of sense," demands some comment. The purity of his writings has been celebrated by lord Lyttleton, and generally allowed by the world; and, excepting the above remark, whicli is to be traced to the report of Savage to Dr Johnson, and has not been generally credited, no charge has ever, till lately, been laid against the private character of the poet. In a work lately published, under the title of " Records of my Life," a posthumous autobiography of ftir John Taylor, the author of the humorous poem of " Monsieur Tonson," a curious tale is related, on the authority of the late Mr George Chalmers. " IMr Chalmers," says Taylor, " had heard that an old housekeeper of Tiiomson's was alive, and still resided at Richmond. Hav- ing determined to write a life of the celebrated poet of his country, he went to iiichmond, thinking it possible he might obtain some account of the domestic habits of the poet, and other anecdotes which might impart interest and novelty to his narration. He found that the old houseiceeper had a good memory, and was of a communicative turn. Siie informed him Thomson had been actually married in early life, but that his wife had been taken by him merely for her person, and was so little calculated to be introduced to his great friends, or in- deed his friends in general, that he had kept her in a state of obscurity for many years ; and when he at last, from some compunctious feelings, required her to come and live with him at Richmond, he still kept her in the same se- cluded state, so that she appeared to be only one of the old domestics of the family. At length his wife, experiencing little of the attention of a husband, though otherwise provided witli every tiling that could make her easy, if not comfortable, asked his permission to go for a few weeks to visit her own rela- tions in the north. Thomson gave his consent, exacting a promise tiiat she would not reveal her real situation to any of his or her own family. She agreed; but when she had advanced no farther on Iier journey than to London she was IV. 3 B 378 DR. WILLIAM THOMSON. there taken ill, and in a short limo died. The nevrs of her death -was immedi- ately convcj'ed to Thomson, ■who ordered a decent funeral ; and she was buried, as the old liousckccper said, in the churchyard of old Marylebone church. Mr Chalmers, -who was indefatigable in his inriuirics, was not satisfied with the old woman's information, but immediately went and examined the church register ; where he found the following entry — 'Died, Mary Thomson, a stranger' — iu confirmation of the housekeeper's testimony-." There is little, perhaps, in this story to invalidate the commonly received notions as to the worth of Thomson's character ; th.ough, allowing it to bo true, it certainly is not calculated to elevate him in the estimation of the world. The present writer has, of course, no wish to degrade any of the eminent names of the past ; but he thinks it worth while, by way of correcting a piece of lite- rary history, to mention that the late carl of Buchan possessed a poem in Thorn- son's hand-writing, and bearing all the erasures, interpolations, and other pe- culiarities, that could mark the composition as his own, vvhicli displayed a marked degree of licentiousness. Ho has, therefore, been satisfied that Thom- son, tliough he had the good sense to publish nothing of an impure character, was not incapable of delighting in gross ideas, and composing lines — ' which, djing, he could wish to blot." THOMSON, (Dr) William, an ingenious, versatile, and multifarious writer, was born in 1746, in the parish of Forteviot, in Perthshire. His father, though in humble, was in decent circumstances, earning a livelihood by uniting the businesses of carpenter, builder, and farmer. Young Thomson was instructed in the first rudiments of education by his mother, and was then sent to tho parochial school. He afterwards attended the gi-ammar-school of Perth, and on leaving it proceeded to St Andrews, where his abilities attracted the notice and procured him the patronage of the Earl of Kinnoul, then chancellor of the uni- versity. This munificent nobleman, after satisfying himself, by personal exami- nation, that young Thomson's high reputation as a classical scholar was not ex- aggerated, admitted him into his family in the capacity of librarian, and shortly after directed his views to the church, with the intention of presenting him to one of the livings in his gift. Sir Thomson prosecuted his theological studies, first at St Andrews, and then at Edinburgh, and, having obtained a license to preach, was appointed assistant to tho minister of Jlonivaird. Unfortunately neither his tastes nor habits accorded with the clerical calling. His temper was irascible, and he delighted more in field sports and jovial companionship than in the discharge of his professional duties. The complaints of the parishioners induced him to resign his office, and he resolved to try his fortune in London as a man of letters. In this he was at first far from suc- cessful. At length, through theinfluenceof his distinguished frlcndsjDrs Robertson and Blair, he was chosen to continue the History of Philip III. of Spain, a work begun by Dr Robert Watson, principal of the United Colleges of St Andrews, but which that gentleman left unfinished at his death, which happened in 17S0. This work Dr Thomson completed in a manner highly ci-editable to his talents, and so much to the satisfaction of the public, that he soon found himself surrounded with friends, and his hands filled with employment. The former procured him about this period, wholly unsolicited on his part, the degree of LL.D. from the university of Glasgow. Dr Thomson now became a regular London author, being ready to write on any subject, and for any one who should employ his versatile talents. Business increased apace upon him, and from this period till near the close of his life, extending to upwards of five and thirty years, he continued in close connection with the press, and with the exception TVILLIAlil TURNBULL. 379 of poetry, went, in tiiat time, creditably ihrougli every department of English literature. Nothing came amiss to him ; history, biography, voyages, travels and memoirs, novels and romances, pamphlets and periodicals. In all of these he wrote largely, and wrote well. In his literary labours he was inde- fatigable. Night and day he wrought with unwearying perseverance, and, by dint of this industry, associated with a remarkable facility in composition, he accom- plished, in the course of his life, a greater amount of literary work, and of a greater variety of character, than perhaps any English writer who preceded him. Amongst the most important of his avowed works are, " The Man in the Moon," a novel ; " Travels in Europe, Asia, and xVfrica," a compilation from other works, published in I7S2 ; a translation of " A History of Great Britain from the Revolution in 1GS3, to the Accession of George I. in I71-i," from the Latin of Cunningham, 2 volumes 4to, 17S7; " 3Ieraoirs of War in Asia," 17SS; " 3Iammoth, or Human Nature displayed on a Grand Scale/' a novel, 1789 ; " Travels in the Western Hebrides, from 1782 to 1790," from notes by the Rev. John Lane Ruchanan, A. 31., missionary minister to the Isles from the church of Scotland, 1793. Dr Thomson also largely assisted in a work which appeared about this period, entitled, " Travels into Norway, Den- mark, and Russia," by A. Smith, Esq. Numerous as this list is, it comprises but a very small portion of our author's literary achievements, and gives but a faint idea of the extent and variety of his labours. He contributed largely, besides, to various newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals of the day. He also frequently acted as a reporter, and is said to have greatly excelled in this department of literary labour. Eor many years he published a weekly abridgment of politics in the Whitehall Evening Post, but lost this employment in 1798, in consequence of some political transgressions. In the latter years of his life, he was engaged in bringing up the arrears of Dodsley's Annual Register, of which he compiled the historical part from 1790 to 1800 inclusive. Amongst the last of his literary perform- ances, (and it is a remarkable proof of the variety of his attainments,) Avas a vrodi entitled *' Memoirs relative to 3Iilitary Tactics," dedicated to his royal high- ness, the duke of York, commander-in-chief of the forces. This work, which was begun in 1803, and finished in the ensuing year, was reckoned no incon- siderable addition to that department of literature to which it belongs, and is said to have been looked upon with favour by those competent to judge of its merits. Towards the close of his life, Dr Thomson wholly resigned his literary labours, and retired to Kensington, ^vhere he died, in decent, but not by any means aifluent circumstances, on the IGth of March, 1817, in the 71st year of his age, leaving behind him a reputation very far from being proportioned, either to the extent of his labours, or to the amount of his abilities and ac- quirements. TURNBULL, William, bishop of Glasgow, and lord privy seal of Scotland, descended from the Turnbulls of Minto, in Roxburghshire, was born in the early part of the fifteenth century. Having been educated for the church, he entered into ordei's, and was appointed prebend of Balenrick (connected with which dignity was the lordship of Frevan) in the year 1440. In the year 1415, he was preferred to be secretary and keeper of the privy seal ; at which time, as appears by the act of council, he was called William Turnbull, lord of Prevan. He was shortly after this inaugurated Doctor of Laws, and made archdeacon of St Andrews, within the bounds of Lothian. By some writers, he is said to have been about this time bishop of Dunkeld ; but this, we think, is doubtful. In the year 1447, he was promoted to the see of Glasgow, upon the death of bishop Bruce, and was consecrated in the year 1448. 380 WILLIAM TURNBULL. No sooner was bishop Turnbull settled in the see, than he set about erecting or founding a college in the city. For tliis purpose, a bull, at the request of king James II., was procured from pope Nicliolas V., consliluting a university, to continue in all time to come, in the city of dlasgow, " it being ane notable place, with gude air, and plenty of provisions for human life." llie i>oj)e, by his apostolical authority, ordaincvhatever station in society they might afterwards attain. The rector and deputies were also the council of the college. It was their business to de- liberate upon, and digest all matters to be brought before the congTegation of the doctors and masters, whose determinations in such cases were accounted, in respect of authority, next to the statutes. Two other oflice-bearers were chosen annually, on the day after St Crispin's, namely, a bursar ius, who kept the uni- versity purse, and accounted for all his intromissions ; and a promoter, wln>se business it was to see to the observation of the statutes, and to bring delin- quents before the rector's court, which had power to enforce the statutes, or to dispense Tilth them, in certain case?. The second division of the university was WILLIAM TURNBULL. 381 into its different faculties, four of which, in the pope's bull, are specified by name. Theology, Canon Law, Civil Law, and the Arts. All others are com- prehended in a general clause, quacimqiie licita faciiUate. In these times, tlie professions of tlieology, canon, and civil laws, were denominated tiie three learned professions, as being the only ones in which learning was tiiought ne- cessary. They alone fitted men for honourable or profitable employments, for being admitted to dignities in tiie church or the state ; and to train men to eminence in these professions, was the original intention of universities. Tlie arts, however, under which were comprehended logic, pliysics, and morals, be- ing considered as necessary to these professions, formed an indispensable part of study in every university. Tiie universities were all incorporated by tlie popes, who appear to have borrowed their plan from that of incorporated to\vns and burghs, the university corresponding to the whole incorporation of the burgh, and the different faculties to the different companies of trades or crafts into which the burgh is divided. The companies in the incorporated towns, were anciently called collegia, or colleges ; and the whole incorpora- tion, comprehending all the companies, was called tlie wuversitas of that town. These names, by analogy, were at first applied to corporations of the learned professions, and at length appropriated solely to them. The govern- ment of every faculty was similar to that of the university. Each had its own statutes, determining the time of study, and the exercises and examinations necessary for attaining degrees in that faculty. Each chose annually its own dean, its own bursarius, and sometimes four deputations, as a council to the dean. Of the three higher faculties in this university, nothing is known, there being no record of their statutes or transactions extant. A third division in the college was made, according to the academical degree of every member. The highest degree in theology, canon and civil law, was that of doctor in the arts. In all the faculties, there were two degrees by which a man rose to the highest. These wei'e bachelor and licentiate. The degree of licentiate, as well as that of doctor or master, was conferred by the chancellor or vice-chancellor. The requisites to all the degrees, were a certain time of study, having heard certain books prelected upon, and performed certain exercises, and gone through cer- tain examinations. The age of fifteen was necessary for being made a bachelor of arts, and twenty to become a master. It was forbidden, under a heavy penalty, to give any man the title of master', by word or writing, who had not attained that degree ; and the penalty was still heavier, if any man took it to iiimself, without having obtained it in the regular manner. Nor can we feel surprised at degrees being thus carefully guarded, seeing they were held to be of divine institution, and were always conferred by the chancellor, or vice-chan- cellor, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Some years after the university was founded, a number of the students being young men to whom tuition as well as teaching was necessary, provision was made that they siiould live and eat in one house, which was called Pedagogium, or the college of arts. Here they were tauglit and governed by certain masters, called Begentes Artibus. This college was at fii-st on the south side of the Rottenrow, near the cathedral ; but afterwards a tenement was bequeathed for it by lord Hamilton, situated where the college now stands. There were at first in the university, three regents in the arts, viz., Alexander Geddes, a Cistertian monk; Duncan iiurch, and William Arthurlie. Afterwards there wei'e sometimes two, and sometimes only one. This seems to have been the most laborious and least coveted ofiice in the university. Besides teaching and presiding in disputa- tions, every lawful day, the regents lived within the college, ate at a common table with the students of arts, visited the rooms of the students before nine 382 WILLIAM TURNBULL. at niglit, when the gates were shut, and at five in the morning-, and assisted in all exaui'iuations for degrees in the faculties of arts. For many years the office had no saLiry, and the fees paid by the students were very small. All that held the on\i:e two only excepted, kept it but for a short time ; and often one, who was not a member of the faculty, was called to the office ; which renders it probable that there was no competition in those days, either for the office it- self, or for the patronage of it ; but, on the contrary, some difficulty was ex- perienced in finding persons qualified to fill it, or uho were willing to lake it. James II., the year after its foundation, granted a royal charter in favour of the university, by which the rectors, the deans of the faculties, the procurators of the four nations, the masters, regents, and scholars, with the beadles, writers, stationers, and parchment makers, were exempted fiom all taxes, watchings, and Avardings,' weapon-schawings, Sec. ; but it had no property, either of lands, houses ° or rents. The congrecjatio zmiversilatis was always held at tlie cathedral. 'Ihe doctors and masters met sometimes at the convent of the Dominicans, or predicatorcs, as they were called, wl'.ere all the lectures we find mentioned in theology, canon and civil law, were read. ^ There was a university purse, into which perquisites, paid on being incorporated at examinations and promotions to degrees, were put. From this purse, after it had accumulated for some years, cups of ceremony were fur- nished ; but to defray tlie expense of a silver rod or mace, to be borne be- fore the rector on solenni occasions, it was necessary to tax all tlie incor- porated members, on Avhich occasion David Cadzow, the first rector, gave twenty nobles. The first property the college acquired was two or three chap- lainaries bequeathed by some of its first members. The duty of the chaplain was to perform certain masses at a specified altar for the souls of the founder and his friends, for which he was paid a small annuity. These cliaplainaries were commonly given to some of the regents of the college of arts, probably be- cause they were the parent of the sacerdotal order in the university. Tliis patronage, and this purse, so far as appears, were all the property the univei-sity ever possessed ; nor does it appear that the faculties of theology, canon and civil lav.', ever had any property. The individuals had each livings through all parts of the nation, abbacies, priories, prebendaries, rec- tories, and vicarages, but the conimunity had nothing. Its privileges were the sole inducement to bring rich ecclesiastics into a society in which they lived at ease free of all taxes, and subject to no authority but that of their own rector. 'Ihe college of arts, however, which the public even then had the good sense to see was the most useful part of the whole, and particularly entitled to public favour, as being entrusted with the education of youth, soon came to have some property. In the year 146D, only eight yeai-s after its foundation, James lord Hamil- ton bequeathed to 3Ir Duncan Burch, principal regent of the college of arts, and his successors, regents, for the use of the said college, a tenement, with the pertinents lying on the north side of the church and convent of the Domini- cans, together with four acres of land in the Dove-hill, with a request that the regents and students every day after dinner and after supper sliould stand up and pray for the souls of him lord James Hamilton, of Fuphemia, his spouse, countess of Douglas, of his ancestors and successors, and of all from whom he had received any benefit for whicii he had not made a proper return. These four acres of land still form part of the college garden, and from this date the faculty of arts from time to time were enabled to devote somewhat to tiie re- pairing, and even to make additions to the buildings of the college, furnishing rooms for the regents and students, with things necessary for the kitchen and ■WILLIAM TYTLER. 383 a common table. Nearly thirty years after this, Mr Thomas Arthurlic- bequeathed to the university another tenement adjoining to the college. By this time tlie students consisted generally of the youth of the nation, whose education was of the utmost importance to the public. They were distinguished according to their rank into sons of noblemen, of gentlemen, and those of meaner rank, and, with a degree of consideration which in modern times has been lost sight of, for the expense of their education were taxed accordingly. Such is the early history of tlie university of Glasgow, founded by bishop Turnbull, probably in imitation of that established by bishop Wardlaw at St Andrews. Neither of those bishops, it may be remarked, bestowed any or their funds upon the colleges they were the means of establishing, and in this respect came far short of bishop Elphinston of Aberdeen, who not only procured the foundation of a college in that city, but contributed lai'gely to its endowment. Bishop Turnbull also obtained from James II. a charter erect- ing the town and patrimonies of the bishopric of Glasgow into a regality, and after he had done many acts highly beneficial to the age in which he lived, and worthy to be remembered by posterity, died at Rome, on the 3rd day of September, 1454. His death was universally regretted; and his name must always bear a conspicuous place among the more worthy and useful clergy of the elder establishment in Scotland. TYTLER, WxLLiAM, of Woodhouselee, an eminent antiquarian writei", was born in Edinbui-gh on the 12th October, 1711. His father, Alexander Tytler, was a writer by profession in the same city. His mother was daughter of Mr William Leslie, merchant in Aberdeen, and grand-daughter of Sir Patrick Leslie of Iden. The subject of this memoir received his education at the High School and university of his native city, and in both distinguished himself by assiduity in his studies, and by an early and more than ordinary proficiency in classical learning. Having added to his other acquirements a competent knowledge of municipal law, which he studied under Mr Alexander Bryce, professor of tliat science in the university of Edinburgh, he was, in 1744, admitted into the Society of Writers to his majesty's Signet, in which capacity he practised witli increasing success till his death, Mr Tytler's first appearance as an author took place in 1759, when he pub- lished an " Inquiry, historical and critical, into the Evidence against Mary, Queen of Scots, and an Examination of the Histories of Dr Robertson and Mr Hume with respect to that Evidence." In this work Mr Tytler warmly espoused the cause of the unfortunate princess, and brought a force of argument, and an acuteness and precision of reasoning to the discussion of the interesting question of her innocence or guilt, wliich had never been employed on it before. It was the first appeal in behalf of the Scottish queen which made any impression on the public mind, or which excited any feeling of particular interest in the charges which had been brought against lier moral character. A similar attempt with this of Jlr Tytler's, had been made some years previously by Walter Goodal, one of the under keepers of the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh, but it was so inditl'ei-ently written, and its matter so unskilfully arranged, that it entirely failed to attract any share of the public attention. Mr Tytler, how- ever, found it a useful assistant. He adopted many of Goodal's arguments, but he arranged them anew, and gave them tliat consistency and force which is so essential to efiiciency. The first edition of the Inquiry was published in a single octavo volume ; another, considerably enlarged, particularly in the historical part, soon afterwards appeared, and in 1790, a fourth edition was published in two volumes. 584 WILLIAM TYTLEK. The ability displayed by tbis uoik acqiiiied for Mr Tytler a very higb reputalion in the world of letters. It was eagerly read tbrouglioiit Britain, and nas scan-.ely less jiopular in France, into tbe language of wbicli country it was pretty ably translated. Tbe interest wbicb tbe Inrpiiry excited was also very great. There were a novelty and cbivalry in tbe attempt eminently calculated to attract attention, and to excite synipatby, and it obtained a large sbare of both. It was reviewed in many of tbe dilierent periodicals of tbe day by some of tbe most eminent literary men tben living ; amongst these were Johnson, Smollett, and Douglas, bishop of Salisbury. To the favourable tes- timony to the merits of tbe work borne by these competent judges, was added that of lord chancellor liarduicke, who said it was the most conclusive arrange- ment of circumstantiate proofs he bad ever seen. Mr Tytler's next literary production was, " The Poetical Remains of James tbe First, king of Scotland," in one volume, 8vo, Edinburgh, 1783. In this publication 31r Tytler, on very strong grounds, ascribes to that monarch the celebrated poems of " The King's Quair," and " Ciuist's Kirk on the Green." His reasoning here, as in the defence of Mary, is remarkable for cogency and conciseness, and if it is not always convincing, it is, at least, always plausible. To tbe Foelical Remains there is added a Dissertation on tbe Life and Writings of James, remarkable at once for profound antiquarian research, and tbe lucid arrangement of its facts. 3Ir Tytler was an ardent lover of music, especinlly of tbe music of bis native country. He was himself a good performer, and his theoretical knowledge of the science was fully equal to his practical proficiency. This devotion to music, toocther with a fine seniibility, which subjected him in a peculiar manner to the influence of the pathetic strains of tbe national melodies of Scotland, led him to write a highly interesting, though in some respects fanciful, essay on Scottish music, which is appended to Arnot's History of Edinburgh. The ability which these various publications displayed rapidly increased Mr Tytler's reputation, and procured him the respect and esteem of men of taste and learning, especially of those of his native country, \\ho felt and acknow- ledged tbe good service he was doing towards completing their national history by bis industry, diligence, and patient research in the peculiar walk of litera- ture he had chosen : a feeling which was yet further increased by his subse- quent publications. The next of these, of tbe character alluded to, was a Dis- sertation on the marriage of Queen Mary to tbe earl of Bothwell, published in tbe first volume of the 'I'ransactions of the Society of Antiquaries in 1791. In this Dissertation, which is distinguished by all tbe merits displayed by Mr Tytler's other productions, he defends, with much ingenuity, that unhappy step Avhich united Mary to Bothwell; but it is to b« feared, that, with all its inoenuity and judicious remark, it can never be otherwise considered than as an attempt, generous and chivalrous indeed, but unavailing, to defend a thing in it. self indefensible. In the year following, viz., 1792, Mr Tytler published, through the same channel with that by which tbe Dissertation had been given to the world, " Ob- servations on the Vision, a poem," first published in Ramsay's Evergreen. The object of these observations was the generous one, of vindicating Ramsay's title to the merit of being the author of tbe poem in question, of which some doubts had been entertained. The " Observations," &c., were soon after followed by a production of singular interest. This was " An Account of the Fashionable Amusements and Enter- tainments of Edinburgh in the last (seventeenth) century, with tbe plan of a grand Concert of 3Iusic performed there on St Cecilia's day^ 1G95." ALEXANDER ERASER TYTLER. 385 Mr Ty tier was also tlie author of a paper in the Lounger, No, IG, entitled the '•Defects of 3Iodern Female education in teaching the Duties of a Wife;" and Avith tliis terminates the catalogue of his published literary achievements, so far as these are Itnown or acknowledged. To MrTytler's talents and acquirements his works will always bear evidence, but there are other merits uhich he possessed in an eminent degree, which it requires the pen of the biographer to perpetuate. His works surticiently inform us of his profound and intimate acquaintance with Scottish history and antiquarian lore ; of his zealous patriotism, and eminent knowledge of the science of nmsic; but they do not inform us of his generous and benevolent disposition, nor of that delightful and enviable buoyancy of spirit, Mhich enabled him, at the latest period of a life protracted beyond the usual limit of human existence, to join, with the utmost glee, in all tlie pranks and follies of the young persons, his friends and relatives, who came to visit him, and whom he was always rejoiced to see. Mr Tytler not only attained and enjoyed himself a healthy and happy old age, but had a prescription ready for his friends which would confer tlie same blessing. This prescription was " short, but cheerful meals, music, and a good conscience." Mr Tytler was one of the original members of the Musical Society of Edin- burgh, and continued his connexion with that body for nearly sixty years. He usually spent a portion of the summer at his beautiful country seat of Wood- houselee. Here in a private and shady walk he had erected an urn witli the following inscription :— Hunc lucum Caiis mortuis araici.--, S;icium dicat ^v. T. Some time before his death, Mr Tytler was seized with a slight paralytic af- fection, but it did not much debilitate his frame, nor did it in tiie least degree affect his faculties, all of which remained unimpaired till the hour of his death, an event which happened on the 12th of September, 1792, in the eighty-first year of his age. Mr Tytler was married in 1745, to 3Iiss Anne Craig, daughter of James Craig, Esq. of Costerton, in the county of Mid Lothian, one of the writers to liis majesty's Signet, by whom he left two sons, Alexander Eraser Tytler, after- wards lord Woodhouselee, and major Patrick Tytler, fort-major of the castle of Stirling-. He left also one daughter, IMiss Christina Tytler. It only remains to be added to this sketch, and the addition though short, comprises one of the strongest eulogiums which was ever bestowed on human virtue: it is re- corded of 3Ir Tytler, that no one ever spoke ill of him. TYTLER, Alexander Frasek, usually styled Lord Woodhouselee, was born in Edinburgh, on the 15th of October, 1747. He was the eldest sou of William Tytler, esquire of Woodhouselee, by his wife, Anne Craig. The earlier rudiments of education he received from his father at home ; but in the eighth year of his age, he was sent to the High School, then under the direction of Mr 3Iatiiison. At this seminary, young Tytler remained for five years, distinguish- ing himself at once by the lively frankness of his manners, and by the industry and ability with which he applied himself to, and pursued his studies. The latter procured him the highest honours of the academy ; and, finally, in tho last year of his course, obtained for him the dignity of dux of tlie rector's class. Oti tlie completion of his curriculmn at the High School his father sent him IV. 3C 38G ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER. to an academy at Kensington, for tlie still fuiUicr improvement of ills classical attainments. This academy uas then under the care of Mr Eiphiiiston, a man of great learnin!"- and singular worth, who speedily formed a strong attachment to his pupil, arising from the pleasing urbanity of his manners, and the zeal and devotion witii which he apjilied himself to the acquisition of classical learn- ing. When 3Ir Tytler set out for Kensington, nhich was in 1703, in the six- teenth year of his age, he went with the determination of returning an accom- plished scholar ; and steadily acting up to this determination, he attained the end to which it was directed. At Kensington, he soon distinguished himself by his application and proficiency, particularly in Latin poetry, to which lie iioav became greatly attached, and in which he arrived at great excellence. Ifis master was especially delighted with his efibrts in this way, and took every op- portunity, not only of praising them himself, but of exhibiting them to all with whom ho came in contact Avho were capable of appreciating their merits. To his other pursuits, while at Kensington, I\Ir Tytler added drawing, which soon became a favourite amusement with him, and continued so tiirougiiout the whole of his after life. He also began, by himself, to study Italian, and by earnest and increasing assiduity, quickly acquired a sufficiently competent knowledge of that language, to enable him to read it fluently, and to enjoy the beauties of the authors who wrote in it. The diversity of IMr Ty tier's pursuits extended yet further. He acquired, while at Kensington, a taste for natural history, in the study of which he was greatly assisted by Ur Russcl, an intimate friend of his father, who then lived in his neighbourhood. In I7G5, BIr Tytler returned to Edinburgh, after an absence of two years, which he always reckoned amongst the happiest and best spent of his life. On his return to his native city, his studies naturally assumed a more direct relation to the profession for which he was destined, — the law. With this ob- ject chiefly in view, he entered the university, yhere he began the study of civil law, under Dr Dick ; and afterwards that of municipal law, under BIr Wallace. He also studied logic, under Dr Stevenson ; rhetoric and belles lettres, under Dr Blair ; and moral science, under Dr Fergusson. BIr Tytler, however did not, by any means, devote his attention exclusively to these preparatory profes- sional studies. He reserved a portion for those that belong to general know- ledge. From these he selected natural philosophy and chemistry, and attended a course of each. It will be seen, from the learned and eminent names enumerated above, that Mr Tytler was singularly fortunate in his teachers ; and it will be seen, from those that follow, that he was no less fortunate, at this period of his life, in his acquaintance. Amongst these he had the happiness to reckon Henry Mac- kenzie, lord Abercromby, lord Craig, Mr Playfair, Dr Gregory, and Dugald Stewart. During the summer recesses of tiie university, Mr Tytler was in the habit of retiring to his father's residence at Woodhouselee. The time spent here, however, was not spent in idleness. In the quiet seclusion of this de- lightful country residence, he resumed, and followed out with exemplary assi- duity, the literary pursuits to which he was so devoted. He read extensively in the lioman classics, and in French and Italian literature. He studied deeply, besides, the ancient ivriters of England; and thus laid in a stock of knowledge, and acquired a delicacy of taste, which few have ever attained. Nor in this devotion to severer study, did he neglect those lighter accomplishments, Avhich so elegantly relieve the exhaustion and fatigues of mental application. He in- dulged his taste for drawing and music, and always joined in the little family concerts, in which his amiable and accomplished father took singular delight. In 1770, Mr Tytler was called to the bar; and in the spring of the succeed- ALEXANDER TRASER TYTLER. 387 ing year, he paid a visit to Paris, in company with Mr Kerr of BlacksUiels. Shortly after this, lord Kanies, with whom he had the good fortune to become acquainted in the year 17G7, and who had perceived and appreciated his talents, liaving seen from time to time some of his little literary eflbrts, recommended to liim to Mrite something in the way of his profession. This recoanaendation, which had for its object at once the promotion of his interests, and the acquisi- tion of literary fame, his lordship followed up, by proposing that Mr Tytler should write a supplementary volume to his Dictionary of Decisions. Inspired with confidence, and flattered by the opinion of his abilities and competency for the work, which this suggestion implied on the part of lord Karnes, 3ir Tytler inmiediately commenced the laborious undertaking, and in five years of almost unremitting toil, completed it. The work, which was executed in such a manner as to call forth not only the iniqualified approbation of tlie eminent person who had first proposed it, but of all who were competent to judge of its merits, was publishetl in folio, in 1778. Two years after this, in 1780, Mr Tytler was appointed conjunct professor of universal history in the college of Edinburgh with 3Ir Pringle ; and in 17SG, he became sole professor. From this period, till the year 1800, lie devoted himself exclusively to the duties of his odice ; but in these his services were singularly efficient, surpassing far in importance, and in the benefits which they conferred on the student, what any of his predecessors had ever performed. His course of lectures was so remarkably comprehensive, that, although they were Chiefly intended, in accordance with tl;o object for which the class was instituted, for tlie benefit of those who were intended for the law, he yet numbered amongst his students many who were not destined for that profession. The favourable impression made by these performances, and the popularity which they acquired for Mr Tytler, induced him, in 1782, to publish, what ho modestly entitled " Outlines" of his course of lectures. These were so well received, that their ingenious author felt himself called upon some time afterwards to republisli them in a more extended form. This he accoi-d- ingly did, in two volumes, under the title of "Elements of General History." Tlie Elements were received with an increase of public f^ivour, proportioned to the additional value which had been imparted to the work by its extension. It became a text book in some of the universities of Britain ; and was held in equal estimation, and similarly employed, in the universities of America. The work has since passed throLUgh many editions. The reputation of a man of letters, and of extensive and varied acquirements, which IMr Tytler now de- servedly enjoyed, subjected him to numerous demands for literary assistance and advice. Amongst these, was a request from Dr (jregory, then (1788) en- gaged in publishing the works of his father, Dr John (jregory, to prefix to these works an account of the life and writings of the latter. With tliis request, Iilr Tytler readily complied; and he eventually discharged the trust thus con- fided to him, with great fidelity and discrimination, and with the tenderest and most affectionate regard for the memory which he was perpetuating. iMr Tytler wrote pretty largely, also, for the well known periodicals, the Slirror and the Lounger. To the former of these he contributed, Nos. 17, 37, 50, and 79 ; and to the latter, Nos. 7, 9, 24, 44, G7, 70, and 79. The first of these were written with the avowed intention of giving a higher and sprightlier character to the work to which they were furnished ; qualities in which he thought it deficient, although he greatly admired the talent and genius displayed in its graver papers ; but he justly conceived, that a judicious admixture of a little humour, occasionally, w ould not be against its popularity. The circumstances in which his contributions to the Lounger were composed, afi'ord a very remarkable instance of activity of mind and habits, of facility of 3S8 ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER. expression, and felicity of imagination. They were almost all written at inns, where he hnppcned to be detained for any length of time, in his occasional journeys from one place to anotiier. Few men would have thought of devoting such liours to any useful purpose ; but the papers of the Lounger, above eim- nierated, show iiow much may be made of them by genius and diligence. On t!ie institution of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in 1783, Mr Tytler be- came one of its constituent members; and was soon afterwards unanimously elected one of the secretaries of the literary class, in which capacity he drew up an account of the Origin and History of the Society, which was prefixed to the first volume of its Transactions. In 1788, Mr Tytler contributed to the Transactions, a biogra- phical sketch of Robert Dundas of Arniston, lord president of the Court of Ses- sion; and in the year following, read a paper to the society on the vitrified forts in the Highlands of Scotland. The principal scope of this paper, which dis- covers great antiquarian knowledge and research, is to show, that, in all proba biiity, this remarkable characteristic of the ancient Highland forts — their vitri- fication— was imparted to them, not during tlieir erection, as was generally sup- posed, but at their destruction, which its autlior reasonably presumes, would be, in most, if not all cases, effected by fire. With the exception of some trifling differences of opinion in one or two points of minor importance, Ivlr Tytler's essay met with tiie warm and unanimous approbation of the most eminent anti- quarians of the day. The next publication of this versatile and ingenious writer, was, an " Essay on the Principles of Translation," published, anqnymously, in 1790. By one of those singular coincidences, which are not of unfrequent occurrence in the literary world, it iiappened that Dr Campbell, principal of the Marischal col- lege, Aberdeen, had, but a short Avhile before, published a work, entitled " Translations of the Gospel; to which Avas prefixed a Preliminary Dissertation on the Principles of Taste." Between many of tlie sentiments expressed in this dissertation, and those promulgated in IMr Tytler's essay, there was a resem- blance so strong and close, that Dr Campbell, on perusing the latter, immedi- ately conceived that the anonymous author had pillaged his dissertation ; and instantly wrote to IMr Creech of Edinburgh, his publisher, intimating his sus- picions. IMr Tytler, however, now came forward, acknowledged himself to be the author of the suspected essay, and, in a correspondence which he opened with Dr Campbell, not only convinced him that the similarity of sentiment which appeared in their respective publications, was the result of mere acci- dent, but succeeded in obtaining the esteem and warmest friendship of his learned correspondent. 3Ir Tytlei's essay attained a rapid and extraordinary celebrity. Compli- mentary letters flowed in upon its author from many of the most eminent men in England ; and the book itself speedily came to be considei'ed a standard work in English criticism. IMr Tytler had now attained nearly the highest ]'innacle of literary repute. His name was widely known, and was in every case associated Mith esteem for his wortli, and admiration of his talents. It is no matter for wonder then, that such a man should have attracted the notice of those in power, nor that they should have thought it would reflect credit on themselves, to promote his interests. In 1790, Mr Tytler, through the influence of lord Melville, was appointed to the high dignity of judge-advocate of Scotland. The duties of this important office had always been, previously to IMr Tytler's nomination, discharged by de- puty ; but neither the activity of his body and mind, nor the strong sense of tile duty he owed to the public, would permit him to have recourse to such a subterfuge, lie resolved to discharge the duties now imposed upon him in ALEXANDER TRASER TYTLER. 389 person, and continued to do so, attending himself on every trial, so long as he held the appointment. He also drew up, uhile acting 'as judge-ndvocnte, a treatise on Martial Law, uhii;ii hns been found of great utility. Of the zeal Avith Avhich 3Ir Tytler discharged the duties of his office, and of the anxiety and impartiality with which he watched over and directed tlie course of justice, a remarkable instance is afforded in tlie case of a court-martial, which was held at Ayr. I\lr Tytler thought the sentence of tiiat court unjust ; and under this impression, which Avas well founded, inunediately represented the matter to Sir Charles IMorgan, judge-advocate general of England, and prayed for a re- version of the sentence. Sir Chai'les cordially concurred in opinion with Mr Tytler regarding the decision of the court-martial, and immediately pro- cured the desired reversion. In the fulness of his feelings, the feelings of a generous and upright mind, 3Ir Tytler recorded his satisfaction with the event, on the back of the letter which announced it. In the year 1792, Mr Tytler lost his father, and by his death succeeded to the estate of Woodhouselee, and shortly after 3Irs Tytler succeeded in a similar manner to the estate of Balmain in Inverness-shire. On taking possession of Woodhouselee, Mr Tytler designed, and erected a little monument to the memory of his father, on which was an appropriate Latin inscription, in a part of the grounds which his parents had delighted to frequent. This tribute of filial aiTection paid, Mr Tytler, now in possession of affluence, and every other blessing on which human felicity depends, be- gan to realize certain projects for the improvement and embellishment of his estate, which he had long fondly entertained, and thinking with Pope that " to enjoy, is to obey,"' he prepared to make the proper use of the wealth which had been apportioned to him. This was in opening up sources of rational and innocent enjoyment for himself, and in promoting the happiness and comfort of those around him. From this period he resided constantly at Woodhouselee, the mansion-house of which he enlarged in order that he might enlarge the bounds of his hospitality. The felicity, however, which he now en- joyed, and for which, perhaps, no man was ever more sincerely or piously grateful, was destined soon to meet with a serious interruption. In three years after his accession to his paternal estate, viz. in 1795, Mr Tytler was seized with a dangeious and long protracted fever, accompanied by delirium. The skill and assiduity of his friend Dr Gregory, averted any fatal consequences from the fever, but during the pai'oxysms of the disease he had burst a blood vessel, an accident which rendered his entire recovery at first doubtful, and afterwards ex> ceedingly tardy. During the hours of convalescence which succeeded his illness on this occasion, Mr Tytler employed himself in improving, and adapting to the advanced state of knowledge, Derham's Physico-Theology, a work which he had always held in high estimation. To this new edition of Derham's work, which he published in 1799, he prefixed a " Dissertation on Final Causes." In the same year Mr Tytler wrote a pamphlet entitled, " Ire- land profiting by Example, or the Question considered. Whether Scotland lias gained or lost by the Union." He was induced to this undertaking by the cir- cumstance of the question having been then furiously agitated, whether any benefit had arisen, or was likely to arise from the Union with Ireland. Of Mr Tytler's pamphlet the interest was so great that no less than 3000 copies were sold on tiie day of publication. The well earned reputation of Mr Tytler still kept him in the public eye, and in the way of preferment. In ISO!, a vacancy having occurred in the bench of the court of Session by the dentil of lord Stonefiekl, the subject of this memoir was appointed, througli the influence of lord IMelville, to succeed him, 300 ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER. and took his seat, on the 2nd of February, 1S02, as lord Woodhouselee. His lordship now devoted liiniself to tlie duties of his office with tlie same zeal and assiduity Avhicli had distinguislied his proceedings as judge-advocate. While the courts Mere sitting, he resided in town, and appropriated every hour to the business allotted to him ; but during the summer recess, he retired to his country-seat, and there devoted himself with similar assiduity to literary pur- suits. At this period his lordship contemplated several literary Avorks ; but gratitude, and a warm and aflectionate regard for the memory of his early patron induced him to abandon them all, in order to write the Life of Lord Kames, This work, wliicli occupied him, interveniently, for four years, Avas published in 2 volumes, quarto, in 1 S07, with tlie title of " 3Iemoirs of the Life and Writings of Henry Home, lord Kames." Besides a luminous account of its proper sub- ject, and of all his writings, it contains a vast fund of literary anecdote, and many notices of eminent persons, of whom there Avas hardly any other com- memoration. On the elevation of lord justice clerk Hope to the president's chair in 1811, lord Woodhouselee Avas appointed to the Justiciary bench, and Avith tliis appointment terminated his professional advancement. His lordship still continued to devote his leism-e hours to literary pursuits, but these Avere now exclusiA-ely confined to the revision of his Lectures upon History. Li this task, hoAvever, he laboured Avith unAvearied assiduity, adding to them the fresli matter with Avhich subsequent study and experience had supplied him, and im- proving them Avhere an increased i-efinement in taste showed him they were defective. ' In 1S12, lord Woodhouselee succeeded to some property bequeathed him by his friend and relation. Sir James Craig, governor of Canada. On this occasion a journey to London Avas necessary, and his lordship accordingly pro- ceeded thither. Amongst the other duties Avhich devolved upon him there, as nearest relative of the deceased knight, Avas tliat of returning to the sovereign the insignia of the order of the Bath Avith Avhich Sir James had been invested. In the discharge of this duty his lordship had an intervieAV Avith the Prince Itegent, Avho received him Avith marked cordiality, and, from the conversation Avhich afterwards followed, became so favourably impressed regarding him, that he caused an intimation to be conveyed to him soon after, that the dignity of baronet Avould be conferred upon him if he chose it. This honour, hoAvever, his lox'dship modestly declined. On his return from London, his lordship, Avho Avas noAV in the sixty-fifth year of his age, Avas attacked Avith liis old complaint, and so seriously, that he Avas advised, and prevailed upon to remove from Woodhouselee to Edinburgh for tiie benefit of the medical skill AA-hich the city afforded. No human aid, hoAV- ever, could now avail him. His complaint daily gained ground in despite of every effort to arrest its progress. Feeling that he had not long to live, although perhaps, not aware that the period Avas to be so brief, he desired his coachman to drive him out on the road in the direction of Woodhouselee, the scene of the greater porti'on of- the happiness Avhich he had enjoyed tlu-ough life, that he might obtain a last sight of his beloved retreat. On coming within view of the Avell-knoAvn grounds his eyes beamed Avith a momentary feeling of deliglit. He returned home, ascended the stairs Avhich led to his study Avith unwonted vigour, gained the apartment, sank on the floor, and expired Avitiiout a groan. Lord Woodhouselee died on the 5th January, I SI 3, in the 66th year of his age ; leaving a name Avhich Avill not soon be forgotten, and a reputation for taste, talent, and personal Avorth, Avhich Avill not often be surpassed. JAMES TYTLER. 391 TYTLER, James, a laborious miscellaneous writer, was the son of the minister of Fern, in the county of Forfar, where he was born about the middle of the last century. After receivino^ a good education, he was apprenticed to a Mr Ogiivie, a surgeon in Forfar, for wliom he probably prepared the drugs Avhich almost invariably form a part of the business of such provincial practi- tioners. He afterwards commenced a regular medical education at the uni- versity of Edinburgh, for which the necessary finances were partly supplied by two voyages which he made in the capacity of surgeon on board a Greenland whaler. From his earliest years, and during the whole course of his professional studies, he read with avidity every book that fell in his way ; and, having a retentive memory, he tlms acr[uired an immense fund of knowledge, more parti- cularly, it is said, in the department of history. If reared in easy circumstances, and with a proper supervision over his moral nature, it is probable that Tytler would have turned his singular aptitude for learning, and his prompt and lively turn of mind, to some account, either in the higher walks of literature, or in some professional pursuit. He appears, however, to have never known anything but the most abject poverty, and to have never been inspired with a taste for anything superior : talent and information were in him unaccompanied by any develop- ment of the higher sentiments : and he contentedly settled at an early period of life into an humble matrimonial alliance, which obliged him to dissipate, upon paltry objects, tlie abilities that ought to have been concentrated upon some considerable effort. Whether from the pressing nature of the responsibilities thus entailed upon him, or from a natural want of the power of application, Tytler was never able to fix himself steadily in any kind of employment. He first attempted to obtain practice as a surgeon in Edinburgh ; but finding the profits of that business inadequate to the support of his family, and being- destitute of that capital which might have enabled him to overcome the first difficulties, he was soon induced to remove to Leith, in order to open a shop for the sale of chemical preparations. For this department he was cer- tainly (junlified, so far as a skill in chemistry, extraordinary in that age, could be supposed to qualify him. But either from the want of a proper market for his commodities, or because, as formerly, he could not afibrd to wait till time should establish one, he failed in this line also. In the mean time, some lite- rary efforts of Tytler had introduced him to the notice of the booksellers of Edinburgh, and he was employed by Messrs Bell and Macfarquhar, as a contri- butor to the second edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which began to be published in 1776. As noticed in the life of Mr AVilliam Smellie, the first edition of the Encyclopaedia was chiefly compiled by that gentleman, and ^vas comprised in three volumes quarto. Mr Smellie having declined both a commercial and literary share in the second impression, on account of its including a biographical department, the proprietors appear to have en- gaged the pen of Mr Tytler as the next most eligible person that was at their command as a compiler ; and accordingly, a large proportion of that addi- tional matter, by which the work was expanded from three to ten volumes, was the production of the subject of this memoir. The payment for this labour is said to have been very small, insomuch that the poor author could not support his family in a style superior to that of a common labourer. At one time, dur- ing the progress of the work, he lived in the village of Duddingston, in tlie house of a washerwoman, whose tub, inverted, formed the only desk he could command ; and the editor of this dictionary has heard one of his children re- late, that she was frequently despatched to town with a small parcel of copy, upon the proceeds of which depended the next meal of the family. It is curious to reflect that the proceeds of the work which included so much of 392 JAMES TYTLElt. tliis poor man's lalmurs, were, in the next ensuing edition, no less tlian forty- two tlHiiitand jiounils. It is proper, however, to mention that the poverty ot' Tytler was chielly attributable to liis own imprudence and intemperate habits. A hiijhiy riiaraclerislic anecdote, related by an anonymous biographer,^ will nnke this suriiciently clear. " As a proof," says this writer, " of the extra- ordinary stock of general knowledge which 3Ir I'ytler possessed, and with what ease ho could write on any subject almost extempore, a gejitleman in the city of Edinburgh once told me that he had occasion to apply to this extraordinary man for as much matter as would form a junction between a certain his- tory and its continuation to a later period. He found him lodged in one of those elevated apartments chilled garrets, and was informed by the old woman with whom he resided, that he could not see him, as he had gone to bed rather the worse of licpior. Determined, however, not to depart without his errand, lie was shown into 3Ir Tyller's apartment by the light of a lamp, where he found him in the situation described by the landlady. The gentleman having acquainted him with the nature of tlie business which brought him at so late an hour, ."Mr Tytler called for pen and ink, and in a short time produced about a page and a half of letter-press, wiiich answered the end as completely as if it had been the result of the most mature deliberation, previous notice, and a mind undisturbed by any liquid capable of deranging its ideas." A man \vlio has so little sense of natural dignity as to besot his senses by liquor, and who can so readily make his intellect subservient to the purposes of all who may choose to employ its powers, can hardly expect to be otiierwise than poor; while his very poverty tends, by inducing dependence, to prevent him from gaining the proper reward for his labours. Tytler, moreover, had that contentment with poverty, if not pride in it, which is so apt to make it permanent. " It is said," proceeds his biographer, after relating the above anecdote, " that 3Ir Tytler was perfectly regardless about poverty, so far as to feel no desire to conceal it Irom the world. A certain gentleman who had occasion to wait upon him on some particular business, found him eating a cold potatoe, which he continued to devour with as much composure, as if it had been the most sumptuous repast upon earth." It is mentioned elsewhere by the same writer that poor Tytlei never thought of any but present necessities, and was as happy in the possession of a few sliillings as a miser could be with all the treasures of India. Besides his labours in the Encyclopedia Britannica, to the third edition of which he is said to have also contributed, (particularly the article " Electricity," which was allowed to be excellent,) he was employed in the compilation of many miscellaneous books of an useful character, and also in abridgments. At one time, while confined within the precincts of the sanctuary of Holyrood, he had a press of his own, from Avhich he threw oft" various productions, generally without the intermediate use of manuscript. In a small mean room, amidst the equalling and squalor of a number of children, this singular genius stood at a printer's case, composing pages of types, either altogether from his own ideas, or perhaps with a volume before him, the language of which he was condensing by a mental process little less difficult. He is said to have, in this manner, fairly commenced an abridgment of that colossal work, the Universal History : it was only carried, however, through a single volume. To increase the sur- prise which all must feel regarding these circumstances, it may be mentioned, that his press was one of his own manufacture, described by his biographer, as being " wrought in the direction of a smith's bellows ;" and probaljly, there- fore, not unlike that subsequently brought into use by the ingenious John Ruth- 1 See "a Biographical Sketch of the Life of James Tytler-" Edinburgh, printed by and for Denovan, Lawiimarket, 1S03. ^ *^ •' JAMES TYTLER. 393 ven. This machine, however, is allowed to have been ** but an indifferent one :" and thus it was with almost everything in which Tytler was concerned. Everything was wonderful, considering the circiunstances under wliich it was produced ; but yet nothing was in itself very good. Tytler was at one period concerned in a manufactory of magnesia, which, however, did no good as long as he was connected with it ; though it is said to have I'ealized much money afterwards to his partner and successors. Such was constantly his fate : his ingenuity and information, useless to himself, were per- petually taken advantage of by meaner, but more steady minds. On the com- mencement of the balloon mania, after the experiments of Montgolfier, Tytler would try his hand also at an aeronautic voyage. Accordingly, having con- structed a huge dingy bag, and filled it with the best hydrogen he could pro- cure, he collected the inhabitants of Edinburgh to the spot, and prepared to make bis ascent. The experiment took place in a garden within the Sanctuary; and the wonder is, that he did not fear being carried beyond it, as in that event, he would have been liable to the gripe of his creditors. There was no real danger, however ; the balloon only moved so high, and so far, as to carry him over the garden wall, and deposit him softly on an adjoining dunghill. Tile crowd departed, laughing at the disappointed aeronaut, who ever after went by the name, appropriate on more accounts than one, of " Balloon Tytler." During his residence in the Sanctuary, Tytler commenced a small periodical work, entitled the " Weekly Review," which was soon discontinued. Afterwards, in 1780, a similar work was undertaken by a printer, named IMennons, and Tyt- ler was employed in the capacity of chief contributor. This was a cheap miscel- lany, in octavo ; and the present writer, who once possessed a volume of it, is inclined, on recollection, to say, that it displayed considerable talent. Tytler also tried poetry, and was the author of at least one popular song — " I canna come ilka day to woo ;" if not also of another, styled " The bonnie brucket Lassie." Burns, in his notes on Scottish Song, alludes with surprise to the fact, that such clever ballads should have been the composition of a poor devil, witii a sky-light hat, and hardly a shoe to his feet. One of the principal works compiled by Tytler, was the " Edinburgh Geographical Grammar," published by IMr Kincaid, as an improvement upon the work bearing the name of Guthrie, which had gone through numerous editions, without any revisal to keep it abreast of the march of information. In the year 1792, Mr Tytler was conducting a periodical work, entitled " The Historical Register, or Edin- burgh iVIonthly Intelligencer," and putting the last hand to a " System of Sur- gery," in three volumes, which he had undertaken for a surgeon in Edinburgh, who wished to have the nominal credit of such a work, when he was suddenly obliged to leave his native country. Having espoused the cause of parlia- mentary reform, and joined the society entitled " Friends of the People," he published, at the close of the year 1792, a political placard, which, in that excited time, was deemed by the authorities to be of a seditious tendency. Learning that the emissaries of the law had been sent forth in quest of him, he souglit refuge in the house of a friend in a solitary situation on the northern skirts of Salisbury Crags ; whence, after a short concealment, he withdrew to Ireland; and thence, after finishing his " System of Surgery," to the United States of America. Having been cited before the High Court of Justiciary, and failed to appear, he was outlawed by that tribunal, January 7, 1793. His family, which he necessarily left behind him, was for some time in great dis- tress ; nor did they ever rejoin him in the land of his adoption, poverty on botii sides, perhaps, refusing the necessary expenses. In America, Tytler resumed 594 SIR THOMAS URQUHART. the course of life wliicli had been inteirupted by political persecution. Ho was conduotiii"- a newspaper at Saleii), when he died of a severe cold, in the lat- ter part of tlie year 1803. Tliis extraordinary genius was, perhaps, a fan* specimen of a class of literary men who lived in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and were charac- terized by many of the general peculiarities of that bad era, in a form only exaggerated perhaps by their abilities. They were generally open scolders at what their fellow creatures held sacred ; decency in private life, they esteemed a mean and unworthy virtue ; to desire a fair share of worldly advantages, was, with them, llie mark of an ignoble nature. Tliey professed boundless benevolence, and a devotion to the spirit of sociality, and thought that talent not only excused all kinds of frailties, but was only to be effectually proved by such. The persons " content to dwell in decencies for ever," were the chief objects of their aver- sion ; while, if a man would only neglect his affairs, and keep himself and his family in a sudicient degree of poverty, they would applaud him as a para- gon of self-denial. Fortunately, this class of infatuated beings is now nearly extinct ; but their delusion had not been exploded, till it had been the cause of much intellectual ruin, and the vitiation of a large shave of our literature. u URQUHART, (Sm) Thomas, of Cromarty, as he designates himself, was a writer of some note, in the seventeenth century, but is nmch more remarkable for tlie eccentricity, than either the depth or extent, of his genius. Of this singular person, there is scarcely anything more known, than that ho was knighted, though for what service is not recorded, by Chai-les I. at White« iiall ; and that having, at an after period, viz., in 1651, accompanied his suc- cessor, Charles H., from Scotland, in his invasion of England, he was taken prisoner at the battle of Worcester. After his capture, he was detained in London on his parole ; and this interval he employed in writing some of tho extraordinary works which have perpetuated liis name. He appears to have travelled, at some period of his life, through the greater part of Europe, to have been well skilled in the modern languages of the continent, and to have been tolerably accomplished in the fashionable arts of the times in which he lived. Meagre and few as these particulars are, they yet comprehend all that is left us regarding the history of a person, who, to judge by the expressions which he employs, when speaking of himself in his writings, expected to fill no in- considerable space in the eyes of posterity. Amongst Sir Thomas's works, is a translation of Rabelais, remarkably well executed ; but, with this performance, begins and ends all possibility of conscientiously complimenting him on his literary attainments. All the rest of his productions, though in each occasional scintillations of genius may be discovered, are mere rhapsodies, incoherent, unintelligible, and extravagantly absurd. At the head of this curious list, ap- pears *' The Discovery of a most exf[uisite Jewel, more precious than diamonds inchased in gold, the like whereof was never seen in any age ; found in the kennel of Worcester streets, the day after the fight, and six before the autumnal equinox, &c., &c., anno 1651." This extraordinary work was written, as its author avows, for the extraordinary purpose of helping him, by the display of tr.lent winch he conceived it would exhibit, to the recovery of his forfeited WILLIAM WALLACE. 395 estates in Cromarty. As may be readily conceived, however, it had no such effect; and it will be at once understood why it should not, when it is men- tioned that Cromwell was then protector of England. The " Jewel," its author boasts, was written in fourteen days ; there being a struggle between him and the printer, wliich should get on fastest : a contest which sometimes bore so hard upon him, that he was, as he tells us, obliged to tear off fragments from the sheet he was writing, in order to keep the press going. The "Jewel" contains, amongst other piquant matters, the adventures of the Admirable Crichton, and a pedigree of the author's family, in which he traces the male line, witli great precision and accuracy, from Adam to liimself ; and on the female side, from Eve to his mother ; i-egulating, as he goes along, the gi'eat events in the history of the Viorld, by the birtlis and deaths of the Urquharts; to which important events, he, Avith a proper sense of the respectability and dig- nity of his progenitors, makes them quite subordinate. This multifarious and elaborate work, although the most important of the learned knight's productions, was not the first in point of time. In 1645, he published, in London, a ti-eatise on Trigonometry, dedicated, in very flowery language, to " the right honourable, and most noble lady, my dear and loving mother, the lady dowager of Cromartie." This work, though disfigured by all the faults of manner and style peculiar to its author, yet discovers a knowledge of mathematics, which, when associated with his other attainments, leaves no doubt of his having been a man of very superior natural endowments. w WALLACE, WtLLiiJM, the celebrated assertor of the national independence, was born probably about the middle of the reign of Alexander III., or the year 1270. Fart of the circumstances whicli called forth this hero from obscurity are already detailed under the life of Baliol ; the remainder must here be briefly noticed. After the deposition of that unfortunate sovereign in I2D6, king Edward I. overran Scotland with his troops, and united it, as he thought, for ever, to his native dominions. Many of the nobility wiio had taken part in the i-esistance of king John, fell into his hands, and were sent prisoners to England, whither Baliol himself, along with his eldest son, liad also been sent. He destroyed or took away all the public records ; and endeavoured to obliterate every monument of the former independence of Scotland. He displaced those who liad held important offices under Baliol, and bestowed them on Englishmen. Warenne, earl of Surrey, was appointed governor, Hugii de Cressingham treasurer, and William Ormesby justiciary of Scotland ; and having thus set- tled all tilings in a state of seeming tranquillity, he departed with the conviction that he had made a final conquest of the country. Scotland was now fated to experience the most flagrant oppression and tyranny. Tiie unlimited exactions of Cressingham, the treasurer, a volup- tuous and selfish ecclesiastic, and the rigour of Ormesby, the justiciary, in taking the oath of fealty, soon rendered them odious to the nobles; while the rapacity and barbarism of the soldiers laid the wretched inhabitants open to 396 WILLIAM -WALLACE. every species of wTong- and insult^ Those who refused to take the oath of al- legiance to Edward were deprived of their iestates, and in many cases of their lives. Wiiatever was valuable in the kingdom was seized upon by its oppres- sors ; even tlie cause of female virtue was not held sacred under their unhal- lowed domination ; and in short, the whole country was laid under a military despotism of the most unqualified and irresponsible kind. It was at this dark hour of Scotland's history, when the cry of an oppressed people as(!ended to heaven, and tlic liberty for which they had so long struggled seemed to have departed for ever frosn them, that Sir ^^'lLLIAM W^u-lack arose, to avenge the wrongs, and restore the rights of his country. Sir William Wallace was descended from an ancient Anglo-Norman family in the west of Scotland. His father was knight of Elderslie and Anchinbothie, in Kenfrewshire, and his mother daughter of Sir IJaynauld Crawford, sherift" of Ayr. Wynton, in his Chronicle, speaking of him, says, H}s Fadyerc was a manly knycht, Hys IMod3ere was a lady bricht, Begothcne and born in mariage ; Hys eldare brodyere ttie iierytage Had and enjoyed in his da} is. According to some writers, his father and brother were both slain by the English at Lochinaben ; but froni the above lines it would seem, that the elder ' Barbol'r. in liis Bruce, has given the following lively picture of the deplorable stiite lo which the country was reduced : — Fra Weik anent Orkena}-, To Mull\r sn-.vk in Gallaway; And stutiyt all with Ingliss men. Schyrreffys and bail\ he3S maid he then ; And alk}n othir officeris, That for to gowern land afferis, He maid oil' Inglis nation; That worth) t than sa r\ch fdlone, And sa w\kk} t and cowatoiiss. And swa liawtane and dispitouss, That Scottis men niycht do na tiling That euir mycht ple^ss to thar liking. Thar wyffis wald thai oft forty, And thar dochtrys dispitusly: And gylfony of thaim thair at war Thai waljt hym wele with gret scaith'. For thai suld fyiid sone enchesone To put hym to destructione. And g) (f that ony man thaim by Had ony thing that wes worthy, As horss, or hund, or othir thing, That war plesand to tliar liking; AVith r\cht or wrang it have wald thai And gyf ony wald thaim withsay ; Thai suld swa do, that thai suld tyno Othir land or Ijfl', or le\ttin pyne. For thai dempt thaim eftir thair will. Takand na kep to rjcht na skill. A ! quhat thai dempt thaim felonly For gud knjchlis that war worthy. For litill enchesoune, or than nane. Thai hanjiyt be the nekbane. Als that folk, that euir wes fre, And in fredome wount for to he, Throw thar gret myschance, and foly, War tretyt than sa wykkytly. That thair fays thair jugis war: Quhat wrechitnes may man have mar ? WILLIAM WALLACE. 397 brother purvired his father, and succeeded to the heritage. Sir William, who, as already ^lentioned, seems to have been born about the middle of the reign of Alexander III., received the rudiments of his education at Dunipace in Stirlingshire, under tiie guardianship of his uncle, a wealthy ecclesiastic there. This worthy man is said to have stored his nephew's mind with the choicest maxims from tiie ancients, and in particular to liave imprinted upon his memory tlie following Leonine verses, which Wallace often repeated in after years : Dico tibi verum, Liberfag optima reruin, Nunqiiam servili sub nexu vlvito, fili. Thus translated by 3Ionipennie : My Sonne (I sa> ) Freedom is best. Then never yield to thrall's arrest. From Dunipace Wallace was removed to a public seminary at Dundee, where he contracted a friendship with John Blair, a Benedictine monk, who afterwards became his chaplain, Blair, being an eye-witness to most of his actions, composed a history of them in Latin ; but the work has not, unfortu- nately, come down to us, though a liberal use has evidently been made of it in the vernacular metrical work of Blind Harry.' It would appear that AVallace first displayed his intrepid temper in a qnarrel at Dundee with a young English nobleman of the name of Selby, whom, provoked by some wanton indignity, he stabbed with his dagger, and slew en the spot. The consequence of this was, that he was obliged to seek for safety among the wilds and fastnesses of his country,^ where by degrees he collected a little band, whom he inspired with his own patriotic sentiments. Although deserted by their nobility, a spirit of determined hostility to the English government ^vas strongly manifested by the great body of the people-. Throughout the country, numerous bands of armed peasants collected, and harassed in every possible way the English soldiers. A master spirit was only wanting to guide them to the restoration of their country's independence — and such they found in Sir William Wallace. He had every personal and mental fjualification to constitute him the leader of his countrymen at this period of oppression. In the fragment ascribed to Blair, which is preserved, he is de- scribed as of a tall and gigantic stature, a serene countenance, a pleasant as- pect, large and broad-shouldered, but of no unwieldy bulk ; liberal in his gifts, just in his judgments, eloquent in discourse, compassionate to those in 1 The following lines occur near the conclusion of Blind Harrj 's performance : Of Wallace' Life, who hath a belter skeel, May show forth more with wit and eloquence For I to this have done my diligence, After the pi-ose, giuenjrom the Latin book, Which Master Blair in his lime undertook. In fair Latin cominled lo an end, &c- - " There is a respectable man in Longforgan, Perthshire, who has in his possession a stone, ctUed Wallace s stone. It was what was formerly called in this country a bear stone, hollow like a large mortar, and was made use of to unhusk the bear or barley, as a prepara- tive for the pot, with a large wooden mell, long before barley-mills were known. Its station was on one side of the door, and covered with a flat stone for a seat when not other- wise employed. L^pon this stone Wallace sat on his way from Dundee, when he fled after killing Selby, the governor's son, and was fed with bread and milk by the goodwife of the house, from whom the man who now lives there, and is the proprietor of the stone, is lineal- ly descended ; and here his forbears (ancestois) have lived ever since, in nearly the same station and circumstances for about £00 years. "^ — Statistical Account of Scotland, xix. 66L 398 WIIJJAM AVALLACE. distress, a strong protector and deliverer of the oppressed and poor, and a great enemy to liars and cJteals. Fordun and Bik hanan also characterize him ns superior to the rest of mankind in bodily stature, strength, and activity; in bearing cold and heat, thirst and hunger, watching and fatigue ; valiant and prudent, magnanimous and disinterested, undaunted in adversity, modest in prosperity, and animated by the most ardent and unextinguisliable love of his country. With these qualifications, and witli a band of followers who confided in him, and \vho were stimulated by tiie same wish of rescuing their country from tlie tyranny under wiiich it groaned, he soon became a terror to the l'"nglish, and 2)erformed many daring feats of valour. His early and desultory enterprises against the enemy \vere almost all successful ; and the result was, that numbers who had looked with indignation at the usurpation of the crown by Edward, and who only waited for an opportunity of asserting the independ- ence of their country, flocked to his standard, until lie found himself at the head of a great body of men, all fired with the same patriotic spirit. As Wallace's party grew stronger, several of the Scottish nobles joined him. Among these were, the steward of Scotland, and Sir Andrew iMur- ray of Bothwell ; Sir John the Grahame, who became Wallace's bosom friend and confidant; William Douglas, lord of Douglasdale, designated the Hardy; Sir Robert Boyd; Alexander de Liudesay ; Sir Richard Lundin ; and Wisheart, bishop of Glasgow. These either acted together, or engaged in sepai'ate ex- peditions, as circumstances allowed. Ormesby, the English justiciary, was about this time holding his court at Scone. Wallace attacked him there, killed some of his followers, and took many prisoners ; but the justiciary had the good fortune to escape. While Wallace was engaged in this expedition, or some other equally daring, lord Douglas recovex'ed the castles of Durisdeer and Sanquhar from the English.^ About the same period, a memorable adventure in the history of Wallace, — the burning of the barns of Ayr, — is said to have taken place. According to prevalent tradition, the English governor of Ayr invited to a friendly con- ference many of the Scottish gentry, in some large buildings, called the Barns of Ayr, where, by a treacherous and premeditated stratagem, they were strangled to death. Among those slain in this base manner, were, Sir Raynauld Craw- ford, sheriff' of the county of Ayr, and maternal uncle to Wallace j Sir Neil 3 The manner of liis taking the castle of Sanquhar, is thus described b}- Hume of Gods- croft, in his History of the House of Douglas: — " There was one Anderson that served the castli', and furnished it with wood and fuel. The lord Douglas directs one of his trustiest and stouttst of his servants to deal with him, or to find some means to betray the castle to him, and to bring him witliin the gates only. Anderson, either persuaded by entreaty, or corrupted by money, gave my lord's servant, called Thomas Dickson, his apparel and car- riages-, who, coming to the castle, was let in by the porter for Anderson. Dickson stabbed the porter ; and, giving the signal to my lord, who lay near by with his companions, set open the gates, and received them into the court. They, being entered, killed the ciptain, and the whole of the English garrison, and so remained masters of the place. The captain's name was Beauford, who had oppressed the country that lay near him very insolently. One of the English that had been in the castle, esaiping, went to the other garrisons that were in other castles and towns adjacent, and told them what had befallen his fellows, and wi'lial informed them how the castle might be recovered. Whereupon, joining their forces together, they came, and besieged it Lord Douglas, finding himself straitened, and unprovided of necessjiries fur his defence, did secretly convey his man, Dickson, out at a postern or some hidden pass.-ige, and sent him to William Wallace for aid. Wallace was then in Lennox ; and, hearing of the danger Douglas was in, made all the haste he could to come to his relief. The English, having notice of Wallace's approach, left the siege, and retired towards Eng- land, jet not so quickly, but that Wallace, accompanied bj- Sir John Graham, did overtake them, and killed five hundred of their number, before they could pass Dalswinton. By these, and such like means, Wallace, with his assistants, having beaten the English from most parts of their strengths in Scotland, did commit the cire and custody of the whole countr}', from Drumlanrig to A}r, to the charge of the lord Douglas." -WILLIAT^I WALLACE. 899 Montgomerie, Sir Bryce Blair, and Crystal of Seaton.* Wallace, on liearing of this circumstance, instantly set forward towards Ayr, accompanied by his confederates ; and, about midnight, surrounded the barns, where the English soldiers were cantoned, set them on fire, and either killed, or forced back to perish in the flames, all who endeavooi-ed to escape. 3Iany of the English soldiers who lodged in a convent, were, at tlie same time, attacked and put to the sword by the friars : and this is still proverbially called the Friar of Ayr's Blessing, On returning from Ayr, with a body, it is said, of three hundred men, Wallace proposed to make an attack upon Glasgow, which was possessed by an English force of a thousand soldiers. With this purpose, he divided his band into two, giving the command of one of them to Boyd of Auchinleck," with instructions to make a circuit and enter tlie town at an opposite point, while he himself would engage in the front. Wallace came in contact with the English, near the present site of the college ; a desperate and well-con- tested combat ensued : the leader of the English fell beneath the sword of Wallace ; and, on the appearance of Boyd, the English wei-e thrown into con- fusion, and pursued, with great loss, as far as Bothwell castle. These, and similar gallant exertions in the cause of Scotland, at length roused the indignation of the English monarch, who had been at first inclined to treat them with disdain. Calling forth the military force on the north of the Trent, he sent Sir Henry Percy, nephew of the earl of Surrey, and Sir Robert Clifford, into Scotland to reduce the insurgents, at the head of an army of forty thousand foot, and three hundred fully caparisoned horse. The Eng- lish army marched through Annandale to Lochmaben, where, during the night, their encampment was suddenly surprised, and attacked with great fury by Wallace and his party, who, however, in the end, were obliged to retire. At break of dawn, the English advanced towards Irvine, and soon discovered the Scottish squadrons drawn up on the border of a small lake. The force of the latter was unequal to a well-appointed army; but Wallace was among them, and under his conduct they might have made a successful resistance. Dissen- sions, however, arose among the chiefs as to precedency ; and they were, per- haps, the more untractable from a conviction of their inferiority to the enemy. Sir Richard Lundin was the first to set the example. Exclaiming that he would not remain with a party at variance with itself, he left the Scottish camp, and went over with his retainers to the English. He was followed in this by Bruce, (afterwards the hero of Bannockburn,) who had lately joined the Scot- tish army ; by the steward of Scotland, and his brother ; by Alexander de Lindesay ; William, lord of Douglasdale ; and the bishop of Glasgow. All these acknowledged their offences, and for themselves and their adherents made submission to Edward. A treaty*' to this effect, to which their seals were appended, was drawn up in Norman French, and a copy transmitted to Wal- - Barbour, a credible author, sajs, (alluding to Crystal of Seaton,) It wes gret sorrow sek3rly, That so worthy persoune as lie, Suld on sic mamier hanijyt be : This gate endyt his \Yorthynes, A7id off' Crauford ah Scliyr Ranald wes. And Scht/r Bryce als the Blar, Hangyl in tiU a barne in Ar, The Bruce, iii. 260. SThe father of this warrior, in conseciuence of the gallantry he displayed at the battle of Largs, obtaiTied a grant of lands in Cunningham from Alexander 111. 0 It is dated 9th July, 1297. See Rymer, Foedera, vol ii. p. 774). 400 -WILLIAM WALLACE. lace ; but this bi-ave and patriotic man rejected it uith disdain. It is supposed that Sir .lolui (iraliame and Sir Robert Boyd were not present on this occasion; their names are not in tlie treaty ; and historians say, that Sir Andrew IMurray of Holhwell was tiie only baron who remained with Wallace, after this disgrace- ful desertion. Undismayed by the occurrence, Wallace retired to the north, after venting his indignation on the castle and lands of the bishop of Glasgow, who was the negotiator of the treaty, and who, by his intrigues, had the common fortune of being- suspected by both parties. There are no authentic memorials regarding the particular actions of Wallace duriiig the summer months that intervened be- tween tlie treaty of Irvine and the battle of Stirling ; but he seems to have been active and successful in raising a formidable army. The spirit of his country- men was now roused. Knighton, an old English historian, informs us, that " although the nobility of Scotland had attached themselves to England, the HEART OK THE PEOPLK WAS WITH Wallace, and tlic Community of the land obeyed him as their leader and their prince." The cause of this is obvious. IMany, or most of the nobles, were Normans, of recent connexion with Scotland, still disposed to look rather to England than to Scotland as their country, and to the English monarch, than to the Scottish, as their sovereign : while the conj- nion people had no attachment but to their native soil, and their native prince. Wallace was one of the Anglo-Normans who sided with the body of the people, in this quarrel, and it is easy to see that much of the jealousy of the nobility towards him, was excited by the reflection, that he deserted the cause of his kindred aristocracy, for the sake of popular and national riglits. It was when Wallace had succeeded in expelling the English from the castles of Forfar, Brechin, IMontrose, and nearly all their strongholds on the north of the Forth, and had just begun the siege of the castle of Dundee, that intelli- gence reached him of the English army, under the command of the earl of Sur- rey and Cressingham, the treasurer, being on its march to oppose him. Charging the citizens of Dundee to continue, on pain of death, the siege of the caslle, he hastened with all his troops to guard the important passage of the Forth, before Surrey had passed the bridge at Stirling, and encamped behind a rising ground in the neighbourhood of the abbey of Cambuskenneth. His army, at this time, .^mounted to forty thousand foot, and a hundred and eighty horse. That of the English was superior in numbers, being fifty thousand foot, and one thousand horse. The Steward of Scotland, the earl of Lennox, Sir Richard Lundin, and others of the Scottish barons, were now with the Englisli, and, on the army reaching Stirling bridge, they requested Surrey to delay an attack, till they had attempted to bring Wallace to terras. They soon returned with the information, that they had failed in their efforts at a reconciliation, and that they had not been able to persuade a single soldier to desert. Surrey, who seems to have been aware of the danger of passing the bridge, as a last resource, sent two friars to offer a pardon to Wallace and his followers, on condition that they would lay down their arms. But the spirit of Wallace was unsubdued. *' Go back to your masters," he said, " and tell them, that we stand not here to treat of peace, but to avenge the wrongs, and restore the freedom of our country. Let the English come on — we shall meet them beard to beard,'' On hearing this defiance, the English impatiently demanded to be led to the attack ; but Surrey, alive to the strong position occupied by the Scots, hesitated, until overcome by the taunts and impatience of Cressingham. " Why, my lord," cried this insolent churchman, " should we protract the war, and spend the king's money ? Let us forward as becomes us, and do our knightly duly." The English army began to cross the bridge, led by Sir 3Iarmaduke Twenge and Cressinghara ; and when nearly the half had passed, Wallace charged them with Ill's whole force, before they had time to form, and threw them into inex- tricable confusion. A vast multitiule was slain, or drowned in the river in at- tempting to rejoin Surrey, who stood on the other side, a spectator of tlie dis- comfiture. Cressinghani, the treasurer, was among the first who fell ; and so deeply was his character detested, that the Scots mangled his dead body, and tore the skin from his limbs.' Twenge, by a gallant struggle, regained the bridge, and got over to his friends. A panic seized the English who stood with Surrey, spectators of the rout. Abandoning their wagons and baggage, they lied precipitately, burning the bridge, (which was of wood.) to prevent pursuit. The earl of Lennox and the Scottish barons, perceiving this, threw olY their mask of alliance with Edward ; and, being joined by part of the Scottish army, who crossed the river by means of a ford at some distance from the bridge, pursued the English with great vigour as far as Berwick, which was soon abandoned, and taken possession of by the victorious army. It is not known iiow many of the English fell at this battle, but the slaughter must have been great, as few of those who crossed the bridge escaped ; and the Scots, smarting under the cruel insolence and rapacity with which they had been treated, gave little quarter. On tiie side of tiie Scots, few of any note were slain, with the exception of Sir Andrew 3Iurray of Bothwell, the faithful com- panion of Wallace, whose son, some time after, was made regent of Scotland. This decisive engagement took place on the 11th of September, 1297 ; and its consequences were important. The castles of Dundee, Edinburgh, and Roxburgh, immediately surrendei-ed to Wallace : and in a short time not a for- tress or castle in Scotland remained in the hands of tho English. Thus, through the means of one man, was Scotland delivered from the iron yoke of Edward, and her name and indt^pendence among the rations of the earth restored. Wallace was now declared, by the voice of the people, governor and guardian of the kingdom, under Baliol.** About the same time, a severe dearth and fa- mine, the consequence of bad seasons and the ravages of war, afilicted Scot- land; and Wallace, with the view of procuring sustenance for his followers, and of profiting by his victory at Stirling, resolved upon an immediate expedition into England. For the purpose of raising a formidable army, he commanded that from every county, barony, town, and village, a certain proportion of fighting men, between the ages of sixteen and sixty, should be levied ; and al- though the jealousy of the Scottish nobility began to be more than ever excited, and many endeavours were made by them to prevent cordial co-operation, iie soon found himself at the head of a numerous body of men, with whom he marched towards the north of England, taking with him, as his partner in com- mand. Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, son of the gallant knight who fell at the battle of Stirling bridge. The approach of the Scottish army, struck the inhabitants of the 'northern counties with terror: they abandoned their dwel- lings, and, with their cattle and household goods, took refuge in Newcastle. " At this lime," says Hemingford, an English historian, "the praise of God was unheard in any church or monastery throughout the whole country, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to the gates of Carlisle ; for the monks, canons regular, ' It is said in an old IMS. Chronicle, that Walince made a sword-belt of Cressinghani's skin. This may be the origin of the story, that the Scots made girths of his skin ; an absur- ciity upon which lord Hailts is at the pains of passing a joke. 8 His title runs thus in a document of his own time: — «' Willelmus Walays, miles, custos regni Scolise, et ductor exereituum ejusdem, r.omine pra:clari Prindpis Domira Joliannis, Dei gratia, regis Kcotiae illustris, de consensu communituis ejusdem.'' IV. Si: 402 ■WILLIAM WALLACE. aud other prleste, who were ministers of the Lord, fled, with the whob people, from the face of the enemy : nor was tliere any to oppose tliem, except that, now and tlicn, a few English, who beh)nged to the castle of Alnwick, and other stren'^lhs, ventured from their safe-holds, and slew some stragglers. Jjut these were sli"ht successes; and the Scots roved over the country, fiom the Feast of St Luke's to St 3Iartin'8 Uay, inflicting npon it all the miseries of unrestrained rapine and bloodshed.'" All the tract of country, from Cockermouth and Carlisle, to the gates of Newcastle, was laid waste; and it was next determined to invade the county of Durham. But the winter set in with such severity, and provisions became so scarce, that nmltitudes of the Scots perished through cold and famine, and Wallace was obliged to draw o(f his army. It seems that he endeavoured in vain to restrain many outrages of his followers. The canons of Hexham, a large town in Northumberland, complained to him that their monastery had been sa- crilegiously plundered, and that their lives were in danger. *' Remain with me," he said ; "for I cannot protect you from my soldiers, when you are out of my presence." At the same time, he granted them a charter, by w hich the priory and convent were admitted under the peace of the king of Scotland ; and all persons interdicted, on pain of the loss of life, from doing tlieni injury This curious document still exists. It is dated at Hexham on the Sth of Novem- ber, 1297. After his return from England, Wallace proceeded to adopt and enforce tliose public measures, which he considered necessary for securing the liberty of his country. With the consent and approbation of the Scottish nobility, he con- ferred the office of constabulary of Dundee, on Alexander, named Skirmischur, or Scrimgeour, and his heirs, " for his faithful aid in bearing the banner of Scotland."^" He divided the kingdom into military districts, in order to secure new levies, at any time when the danger or exigency of the state required them. He appointed an officer or sergeant over every four men, another of liigher po^ver over every nine, another of still higher authority over every nineteen ; and thus, in an ascending scale of disciplined authority, up to the officer, or chiliarch, who commanded a thousand men. In other respects, his administration was marked by justice and sound judgment. He was liberal in rewarding those who deserved well of their country, by their exertions during- its late struggle for liberty ; and strict in punishing all instances of private wrong and oppression. But the envy and jealousy of the higher nobility, who could ill brook the elevation of one whose actions had thrown them so nmch into the shade, perplexed the councils, and weakened the government, of the country, at a time when the political existence of Scotland depended on lis unanimity. Edward was in Flanders when the news reached him, that the Scots, under Sir William Wallace, had entirely defeated Surrey, driven every English sol- dier out of their country, invaded England, and, in short, had thrown off effectually the yoke with which he had fettered them. Inflamed against them, at this overthrow of his exertions and schemes, he issued orders to all the forces of England and Wales to meet him at York ; and, concluding a truce with France, hastened home, to take signal vengeance on the assertors of their liberty, and to make final conquest of a counti-y which had proved so con- tumacious and untractable. At York, he held a parliament, on the Feast of 9 In retaliation, lord Robert Clifl'ord twice invaded Annandale with an army of twenty thousand men and one hundred horse. In his second inroad, the town of Annan", which be- longed to Robert Bruce, and the clmrch of Gxsbome, were burnt and plundered. 'I'his is said to have determined Bruce to desert the English, and join the party of Wallace. W This grant is dated at Torphichen, 29th March, 1298. WILLIAM WALLACE. 403 Pentecost, 1298, where, to secure the hearty co-operation of his subjects in his invasion of Scotland, he passed several gracious and popular acts, and came under a promise of ratifying- more, should he return victorious. He soon found himself at the liead of an army, formidable in number, and splendid in equip- ment. It consisted at first of seven tliousand fully caparisoned horse, and eighty thousand infantry ; and these were soon strengtiiened by the arrival of a powerful reinforcement from Gascony. A large fleet, laden with provisions, had orders to sail up the Frith of Forth, as the army advanced. The English rendezvoused near Roxburgh ; and, about midsummer, ad- vanced into the country by easy marches. A party under Aymer de Valloins, earl of Pembroke, landed in the north of Fife. Wallace attacked and routed them in the forest of Black Ironside, 12th June, 1298. Among the Scots, Sir Duncan Balfour, sheriff' of Fife, was the only person of importance who fell in this engagement. This partial success, however, of the ever-active gTiardian of his country, could not affect the terrible array that was now coming against him. He had no army at all able to compete with Edward ; and his situation was rendered more perilous by the mean fears and jealousies of the nobility. Many of these, alarmed for their estates, abandoned him in his need ; and others, who yet re- tained a spirit of resistance towards the English supremacy, envied his eleva- tion, and sowed dissensions and divisions among his council. Wallace, how- ever, with a spirit equal to all emergencies, endeavoured to collect and conso- lidate the strength of the country. Among the barons who repaired to his standard, only the four following are recorded: John Comyn of Badenoch, the younger ; Sir John Stewart of Bonkill ; Sir John Graham of Abercorn ; and IMacduff, the grnnduncle of tiie young earl of Fife. Robert Bruce remained with a strong body of his vassals in the castle of Ayr." As the army of Wallace was altogether unequal to the enemy, he adopted the only plan by which he could hope to overcome it. He fell back slowly as Edward advanced, leaving some garrisons in the most important castles, driving off all supplies, wasting the counti-y through which the English were to pass, and waiting till a scarcity of provisions compelled them to retreat, and gave him a favourable opportunity of attacking them. Edward proceeded as far as Kirkliston, a village six miles west of Edin- burgh, without meeting any resistance, except from the castle of Dirleton, which, after a resolute resistance, surrendered to Anthony Beck, bishop of Durham. But a devastating army had gone before him, and his soldiers began to suffer severely from the scarcity of provisions. At Kirkliston, therefore, lie deter- mined to wait the arrival of his fleet from Berwick ; but, owing to contrary winds, only a few ships reached tlie coast ; and, in the couise of a month, his army was reduced to absolute famine. An insurrection, also, arose among the English and Welsh cavalry, in Avhich the latter, exasperated at the death of several of their companions, threatened to join the Scots. " Let them go," said Edward, courageously; " I shall then have an opportunity of chastising all 1' The story told by Fordun of the interview between Wallace and Bruce on the banks of the Ccirron, afier the battle of Falkirk, is not well borne out by (he circumstances of the par- ties. Bruce was not prtsent at the battle, and at that period did not belong to the English interest; which is proved by the fact, that, after that fatal engagement, he fled fiom his castle at A3ron the approacli of Edward. At the same time, it must be confessed, that he held a suspicious neutrality witii regard to Walh.ce; and, if we can reconcile ourselves to the probability of a meeting between these two herots, it is not difiicuit to suppoie that it might be, in its gener.J bearing, such as it is represented. About 1817 or 1818, aa expatriated Scotsman offered a prize to ar.y one who should write the best poem on this heroic interview. JMrs Ilemans, who afterwards distinguished herself by mar.y beautiinl effusions in verse, was the success.ul competitor. 404 WILLIAM WALLACE. my enemies at the same time." Worn out, however, by a daily increaeing fa- mine Edward »as at last obliged to abandon his prospects of ambition and vo- veu"o and to issue orders for a x'etreat to the eastern borders. It was at lliis i:ritic;ii moment, wlien the Eiiglisii army began to break up tlieir quarters, that Edward, througli tiie trcndiery of two Scottisij lords, I'atridt, ear! of Uunbar, and the carl of .Angus, received information that the Scots lay encamped in tiio forest of Falkirk ; and that it was tlie intention of Wallace to surprise him by a niglit attack, and to hang upon and harass his rear. " Tiiank (iod," cried Edward: " they siiall not need to follow me; 1 siiall go and meet them." His army was immediately marched towards Falkirk, and on the evening of the dayon which he received the information, encamped on a licath near Linlithgow. Next morning, (July 22nd, 1293,) the Si;ottish army was descried forming en a stony field at the side of a small eminence in the neighbourhood of Fal- kirk. It did not amount in number to the third pirtof the English, and, weak as it was, is said by the Scottisii historians to have been slill further weakened by fatal dissensions. Wallace, however, seems to have availed himself of every advantage which his situation and circumstances permitted. He placed his army on the front of a morass, and divided his infantry into four compact bodies of a circular form. In these masses composed of his spearmen, and called Shiltrons,'^ consisted the strength of the Scottish army ; for they were linked together so closely that it was extremely difficult to break theni.'^ In the spaces between the Shiltrons were placed the archers, connuanded by Sir John Stewart, of Bonkill, and at some distance in the rear was drawn up the cavalry, amounting to no more than a thousand. When he had thus drawn up his little army, and the enemy appeared in view, W^allace said pleasantly to his man, " I have brought you to the ring ; let me see how you can -dance. "'* The English monarch arranged his army into three divisions; the first headed by Bigot, earl Marshall, and the earls of Hereford and Lincoln ; the second by the bishop of Durham and Sir Ralph Basset of Drayton ; and the third by Edward himself, who, although wounded on th3 previous night by tlie utmost by the repeated failures of his attempts, and lie Licward and IMr John Brown had found an asylum, and were now em- ployed in dispensing ordinances to numerous congregations ; but on the com- plaint of one Henry ^Vilkie, whom the king had placed at the head of tiie Scottish factory at Campvere, who found his interests suffering by the greater re- sort of Scottish merchants at Rotterdam, for the sake of enjoying the ministry of these worthy men, the states-general wei-e enjoined by the British government to send all the three out of their territories. In the case of Wallace, the states were obliged to comply, as he had been condemned to be executed as a traitor, wiien he should be apprehended, and his lands forfeited for his majesty's use 5 but they gave him a recommendation to all kings, republics, &c., &c., to whom he might come, of the most flattering description. In the case of tiie other two, the order seems to have been evaded. Wallace ventured in a short time back to Holland, and died at Rotterdam in the end of the year 1678, " lamented of all the serious English and Dutcli of his acquaintance, who were many ; and, in particular, the members of the congregation, of which he was a ruling elder, bemoaned his death, and their loss, as of a father," " To the last, he testified his attachment to the public cause which he had owned, and his satisfaction in retiecting on what he had hazarded and suffered in its defence." He left one son, who succeeded to his father's property, as the sentence of death and of fugitation, which was ratified by the parliament in 1669, was re- scinded at the Revolution. Among the suffering Scottish exiles, there ;vere few more esteemed than colonel Wallace. Mr Brown of Wamphray, in a testament executed by him at Rotterdam, in 1676, ordered one hundred guineas " to be put into the hands of jMr Wallace, to be given out by him to such as he knoweth indigent and honest;" and while he leaves the half of liis remanent gold to 31r Macward, he leaves the other half to Sir Wallace. 3Ir Macward, who was honoured to close the eyes of his valued friend and fellow Christian, exclaims : " Great Wallace is gone to glory ; of whom I have no doubt it may be said, he hath left no man behind him in that church, minister nor professor, who hath gone through such a variety of tentations, Avithout turning aside to the right hand or to the left. He died in great serenity of soul. When the cause for which he suffered was men- tioned, when it was scarce believed he understood or could speak, there was a sunshine of joy looked out of his countenance, and a lifting up of hands on higli, as to receive the martyr's crown ; together with a lifting up of the voice, with an ' AJia,^ as to sing the conqueror's song of victory." WALLACE, (Db) Robert, celebrated as the author of a work on the numbei-s of mankind, and for his exei-tions in establishing the Scottish 31inisters' ^^ idons' Fund, was boi-n on the 7th January, 1697, O.S. in the parish of Kincardine in Perthshire, of which his father, iMatthew Wallace, was minister.^ As he was an only son, his early education was carefully attended to. He acquired Latin at the g-rammar-school of Stii-ling, and, in 1711, was sent to the univei-sity of Edinburgh, where he passed through the usual routine of study. He was one of the original members of the Rankenian club, a social literary fraternity, which, from the subsequent celebrity of many of its members, became remarkably connected with the literary history of Scotland. IMr Wal- lace directed his studies towards qualifying himself for the church of Scotland. In 1722, he was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Durablane, and in Au- gust, 1723, the marquis of Annandale presented him with the living of Moffat. Dr Wallace had an early taste for mathematics, to which he directed his al- ' Scots Blagazine, xxxiii. 340. Ixxi. 591. 41 G DR. ROBERT WALLACE. tention wliilc n student at the university, and on that study he bestowed many of his spare hours during liis ininistry. He has loft bcliind him voluminous manuscript specimens of liis Libours; but it v^ill probably be now considered better evidence of his early proficiency, that in 1720 ho was chosen assistant to Dr Gregory, tlien suffering under bad healt!). Wallace was, in 1733, appointed one of the ministers of tlie Greyfriars' church in Edinburgh. The countenance of tlic government, which he liad previously obtained, ho forfeited in 1733, by refusing to read in his church the act for the more effectually bringing to justice the murderers of Porteous, which the zealous rage of the ministry and the house of peers had appointed to be read from the pulpit. He was in disfavour during the brief reign of tlie Walpole ministry; but under their successors was intrusted witli the conduct of ecclesiastical affairs. The revolution in the ministry hap- pened at a moment when Dr Wallace was enabled to do essential service to his country, by furthering the project of the Ministers' Widows' Fund. The policy of that undertaking was first hinted at by Mr Mathieson, a minister of the high church of Edinburgli ; Dr Wallace in procuring the sanction of the legislature, and Dr Webster, by an active correspondence, and tlio acquisition of statistical information, brought the plan to its practical bearing, by apportioning the rates, &c., and afterwards zealously watched and nurtured the infant system. As the share wliich Dr Wallace took in the promotion of this measure is not vei-y well known, it may be mentioned, that it appears from documents in the office of the trustees of the Ministers' Widows' Fund, that he was moderator of the General Assembly in 1743, which sanctioned the measure. In the ensuing November he was commissioned by the church, along with Mr George Wisliart, minister of the Tron church, to proceed to London, and watch the proceedings of the legis- lature regarding it. He there presented the scheme to the lord advocate, who reduced it to the form of a Bill. Tlie corrections of Messrs Wallace and Wishart appear on the scroll of the Bill. In 1744, Dr Wallace was appointed one of the royal chaplains for Scotland. He had read to the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, of which he was an original member and active promoter, a "Dissertation on the numbers of Man- kind in ancient and modern times," which he revised and published in 1752, In this work he was the first to apply to pui'poses of investigation one of those truisms which, however plain, ai*e never stated until some active mind employs them as foundations for more intricate deductions, that the number of human beings permanently existing in any portion of the earth must be in the ratio of the quantity of food supplied to them. The explanation of this truth by Dr AVallace has been acknowledged by Malthus, and the work in which it was discussed has acquired deserved fame for the mass of curious statistical informa- tion with which the author's learning furnished it; but in the great theory which he laboured to establish, the author is generally allowed to have failed. He maintained, as a sort of corollary to the truth above mentioned, that where the greatest attention is paid to agriculture, the greatest number of human beings will be fed, and that the ancients having paid greater attention to that art than the moderns, the world of antiquity must have been more populous than that of modern days. Were all food consumed where it is produced, the proposition would be true, but in a world of IrafiSckers, a sort of reverse of the proposition may be said to hold good, viz., that in the period where the smallest proportion of the human beings on the surface of the earth is employed in agriculture, the world will be most populous, because for every human being that exists, a quantity of food sufficient to live upon must be procured; for procuring this food the easiest method will always be preferred, and therefore when the proportion of persons engaged in agriculture is the smaller, we are to presume, not HENRY WARDLAW. -117 that the less is produced, but that the easier method of providing for the aggre- gate number has been followed. The great engine of facilitating ease of production is commerce, wliich makes the abundance of one place supply the deficiency of another, in exchange for such necessaries and luxuries, as enable tiie dwellers on tlie fertile spot to bestow more of their time in cultivation than tliay could do, were they obli;^cd to provide tliese things for themselves. Hence it is pretty clear, tliat increase of populousness has accompanied modern connuercc. Previously to the publication of this treatise, Hume had produced his invaluable critical essay on the populousness of ancient nations, in which, on politico-eco- nomical truths, he doubted the authenticity of those authorities on the populous- ness of anliquity, on n.any of which Wallace depended. In publishing his book, Dr Wallace added a long supplement, discussing Hume's theory with much learning and curious information, but leaving the grounds on which the sceptic had doubted the good faith of the authorities unconfuied. Wallace's treatise was translated into '"rench, under the inspection of Montesquieu , and was republished in 1903, with a life of the author. Dr Wallace's other pub- lished works, are " A Sermon, preached in the High Church of Edinburgh, Monday, January 6, 1745-li, upon occasion of the Anniversary I\Ieeting of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge ;'' in which he min- gled, with a number of extensive statistical details concerning education, col- lected with his usual learning, and tinged with valuable remarks, a political at- tack on the Jacobite insurrection of the period, and the motives of its instigators, " Characteristics of the Present State of Great Britain," published in 175S ; and " Various Prospects of ^Mankind, Nature, and Providence," published in 17G1 ; in which lie discussed the abstruse subjects of liberty and necessity, the perfecti- bility of human nature, &rc. He left behind him a MS. essay on Taste, of con- siderable length, which was prepared for the press by his son, IMr George Wallace, advocate, but never published. From the new aspect v.hich modern inquiries on this subject have assumed, in their adoption of the cumulative prin- ciple of association, tliis work can now be of littlo interest ; but it may be worth while to know, that his " Principles of Taste," or sources from whence tlie feeling was perceived to emanate, were divided into, 1st, grandeur ; 2nd, novelty; 3rd, variety; 4lh, uniformity, proportion, and order; 5th. symmetry, congruity, or propriety ; and, Gth, similitude and resemblance, or contrast and dissimilitude. Ur Wallace died on the 29th of July, 1771, in consequence of a cold, caught in being overtaken in a walk by a snow storm. His son George, already mentioned, is known as the author of a work on the Descent of ancient Peerages, and " Principles of the Law of Scotland," which has fallen into obscurity. WAllDLAW, Hkxry, bishop of St Andrews, and founder of the university there, was descended from the Wardlaws of Torry, in Fife, and was nephew to Walter Wardlaw, bishop of Glasgow, who was created a cardinal by pope Urban \L, in the year 13S1. The subject of this memoir, having received the usual education of a churchman, was appointed, not improbably through the interest of his uncle, to the office of precentor in the cathedral church of Glas- gow. He afterwards went to Avignon, probably on some mission from his dig- nified relative. While residing at the papal court there, Thomas Stewart, son to Robert II., king of Scotland, who had been elected bishop of St Andrews, died, and the subject of this memoir was preferred to the vacant see by pope Benedict XIIL, in the year 1404, He returned to Scotland shortly after, bearing the additional title and office of pope's legate for Scotland. Being a man of strict morals, his first care was to reform the lives of the clergy, wliich had become profligate to an extreme degree. In the mean time, king Robert HI., having lost his eldest son David, by the treacherous cruelty of his brother 418 HENRY AYARDLAW. the duke of Albany, to secure the life of his sou James, sei.t him to the care of bishop W.irdl.nv, who, dreading the power and the cruelty of Albany, advised Ills faliier to send him to Franco to the care of Ciiarles VI,, on whose friendly dispositions lie assured hini he might confidently rely. On llie seizure of James, in 1401, by Henry IV. of England, the bishop was left at liberty to pursue Ids plans of improvement at his leisure, but from the unsettled slate of the country, and the deplorable ignorance which prevailed among all classes of the community, with very little success. With the view of surmounling these obstacles, he erected a college at St Andrews in lill, for which he procured a confirmation from Tope Benedict in the year following. His agent on this occasion was Alexander Ogilvy. On the return of this missionary in the year 1412, with the bull of confirmation, bonfires were kindled, bells were rung, and the night spent with every demonstration of joy. The next day was devoted to a solemn religious procession, in ^\hich there were four hundred clergymen, besides novices of various orders and degrees. The model upon whic^h the bishop formed this university was that of Paris, where, it is probable, he liad received his own education ; and he nominated Mr John Shevez, his first official, Blr William Stephen, afterwards bishop of Dumblane, and Sir John Leister, a canon of the abbey, readers of divinity, Mr Laurence Lindores, reader of the canon, and BIr Richai'd Cornwall of the civil law, and Messrs John Gow, William Foulis, and William Croisier, profes- sors of philosophy, " persons," says Spotiswood, " worthy of being remem- bered for being the first instruments that were employed in that service, and for the attendance they gave upon it, having no allowance for their labour." Buchanan has not recorded the names of these worthy men, but he alludes to them when he says, " the university of St Andrews was founded through the ef- forts of learned men, who gratuitously ofl'ered their services as professors, rather than from any stipendiary patronage either of a public or private character." For sixty-four years after its foundation the lectures were read in a Avooden building called the pedagogy, erected on the spot where St Blary's now stands, the nundier of students amounting, if we may credit some authors, to several thousands. The professors had no fixed salaries, and the students paid no fees.^ Notwithstanding all the bishop's industry, and the diligence of his professors, matters do not seem to have mended with the clergy. King James, after his return, attempted to check their licentiousness without effect, as they had now got beyond the reach of all autliority except that of the court of liome. The university seems as yet to have been wholly unappreciated by the only classes who could partake of its benefits ; for we find the monarch, in order to i id himself of the profligate clergy, bestowing a large portion of his attention ou the establishment of schools, and supporting them liberally, that they might be available to all ranks. Learned men he induced by rewards to attend him, and as often as he could disengage himself from public business he resorted to the scene of their disputations, and listened to their discourses. By these means he laboured to overcome the ignorant prejudices of his nobility, who, look- 1 Forty.four )ears after this, viz., 1455, while the pedagogy was yet standing, aidibishop Kennedy founded St Salvador's college, and in 1512, one hundred and one years after the foundation of the pedagogy, prior Hepburn founded St Leonard's. The pediigogy being taki'u dowii, St Mar) 's or Divinity colkge was erected in its stead. Towards this trtciiuu the two Bcntons, David and James, contributtd considerable sums, and lectures on theology were there first introdured hy c;irdinal Beaton's successor, archbishop Hamilton, about ilie year 1557. St Salvador's and St Leonard's were in comparatively recent times conjoinec!, and go by the name of the United college. St Mary's is still dislinct, and by the favour cf ditlerent individuals, all of them have been pretty liberally endowed. HENRY Vv^ARDLlW. 419 iiig at the worthless and ignoble lives of the clergy, only conceived iliat learning, to uhicli the latter urged an exclusive claim, \\as the nurse of idle^ iiess and sloth, and fit to be exercised only in the gloom of a monastic cell. In these generous and truly jirincely entleavours, however, James u?.s grievously thwarted by the exhausted coivdition of tlie public revenues, uhicli, ^\hnt with foreign wars, and domestic seditions, had almost entirely disappeared. To remedy this evil he called a parliament at Edinburgh, mainly with a view to relieve the hostages that remained in England for the king's ransom, of which one half, or two liundred thousand merks, stood unpaid, 'lo raise this money a general tax of t\\elve pennies on the pound of all land, spiritual ar.d tem- poral, and four pennies on every cow, ox, and liorse for the s]iace of two years •lias imposed. Tliis tax, however, was so grievously resented by the people, and so many extortions were committed in its exaction, that the generous monarch, after the first collection, compassionately remitted what was unpaid, and, so far from being enabled to be more generous in rewarding men of learning and talents, the greater number of the hostages for his ransom were allowed to die in bondage, from his inability to redeem them. What good was in liis power, liowever, he did not fail to perform, lie invited from the universities on the continent no fewer than eighteen doctors of theology, and eight doctors of the canon law. He attended in person the debates in the infant university of St Andrews, and visited the other seminaries of learning. He advanced none to any dignity in the church but persons of learning and merit ; and he passed a law, that no man should enjoy the place of a canon in any cathedral church till he had taken the degree of a bachelor in divinity, or of the canon law. He placed choristers and organs in every cathedral in the kingdom ; and, that the nobility might be compelled to apply themselves to learning, he ordained, that no niibleman should be allowed to accede to Ills father's estates till he was in some degree acquainted with the civil law, or the common law of his own country. James Avas also careful to encour- age artists from abroad to settle among his rude people, who were miserably destitute of all the conveniences and comforts of civilized life. A degree of prosperity, for a long period unknown in Scotland, fidlowed ; and, in its train, if we may believe Buchanan, ease, luxury, and licentiousness, and, to such an extent, as not only lo disturb the public tranquillity, but to destroy all sobriety of individual conduct. Hence, he says, arose sumptuous entertainments by day, and revellings by night, masquerades, a passion for clothes of the most costly foreign materials, houses built, not for use but for show, a perversion of manners under the name of elegance, native customs came to be contemned, and, from a fastidious fickleness, notliing was esteemed handsome or becoming that was not new. All this was charged by the common people, though they themselves were following it up as fast as possible, upon tiie courtiers who had come with the king from England, in the train of his queen, Jane, daughter to the duke of Somerset. Nor did the king himself escape blame, thougli, by his own example, he did all that he could to repress the evil ; for not only were his dress and his household expenses restrained within the most moderate bounds, but extravagance of every kind he reproved, wherever he beheld it. The nsatter, however, was considered of so great im- portance by some of the Scottish nobility, who were accustomed themselves to wear the plainest habiliments, to live on the plainest and simpltst description of food, and to accustom themselves to all manner of privations, in order to fit them for the fatigues of Avar, that they pressed the bishop to move the king to call a parliament, for abolishing these English customs, as they were called. A parliament was accordingly assembled at Perth, in the year 1430, when it was 420 DR. EGBERT WATSON. enacted tliat pearls should bo worn only by ladies, who were permitted to hang a sninll collar of them about their necks. All furs and ermines, and excessive use of gold and silver lace, all banqueting and riolous feasting-, with other abuses of a similar kind, Averc prohibited; aud this prohibition, says the writer of the bishop's life, was so eft'ectual, that no more complaints of the kind were heard of. The bishop, though remarkable for the great simplicity of his character, for his piety and well meaning, was yet a greater enemy to what he believed to be heresy, than to immorality. In 1422, John Rcsby, an English- man, was apprehended by Lawrei.ce Lindorcs, professor of common law in the newly erected university of St Andrews, who accused him in the ecclesiastical court of having denied the pope's vicarship, &c., &c. For tliis, Resby was condemned to be burnt alive, and suffered accordingly. In the year 1432, Paul Ciaw, a Bohemian, was also apprehended in the university of St Andrews, and accused before the bishops' court of following Wieklilie and Huss; of denying that the substance of bread and wine, in the sacrament, was changed by virtue of any words; of denying that confession should be made to priests; or that prayer should be offered up to saints. lie likewise was condemned and burnt alive, at the instigation of the bishop. Notwithstanding this, Wardlaw was celebrated for his charity; and though he laboured to suppress the riotous living which had become so general in the kingdom, he was yet a man of boundless hospitality. It is recorded of him, that the stewards of his household, on one occasion, complained to him of the numbers that resorted to his table, to share in the good things which it afforded; and requested that, out of compassion for his servants, who were often quite Avorn out with their labours, he would furnish them with a list of his intended guests, that they might know how many they should have to serve. To this he readily assented, and sent for his secre- tary, to prepare the required document. The latter having arranged his writing materials, inquired Avho was to be put down. " Put down, first," replied the bishop, "Fife and Angus," (two large counties). This was enough: his servants, appalled by anticipations of a list which began so formidably, instantly relin- quished their design of limiting the hospitality of their generous master. For tlie benefit of his diocese, the bishop built a bridge over the Eden, near its mouth. Dempster charges him with having written a book, " Do Reformationo Cleri et Oratio pro Reformationo conviviorum et luxus;" but this seems to have been simply a speech which he delivered in parliament on the sumptuary laws, and which, by some miracle, similar to that so often employed by Livy, has found its way into the Scottish histories. "Wardlaw departed this life in his castle of St Andrews, on the 6th day of April, 1440, and was buried in the church of that city, wiih great pomi^ and splendour, having held his dignified situation for nearly forty years. WATSON, (Dr) Robert, author of the History of the Reign of Philip II. of Spain, was born at St Andrews about the year 1730. lie was the son of an apothecary of that city, who was also a brewer. He studied succcssivelj' at the universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, with a view to tlie ministry, availing himself of the leisure which a course of theology leaves to the student to cultivate English literature and rhetoric, upon which subjects he delivered a series of lectures in Edinburgh, to an audience comprising the principal literary and philosophical men of the day. Soon after he had been licensed to preach, a vacancy occurred in one of the churches of his native city, and for this he became a candidate, but was disap- pointed. About this time, however, Mr Rymcr, the professor of logic in St Salvador's college, feeling the infirmities of old age advancing upon him, was inclined to enter into a negotiation for retiring, and, according to a DU. ROBERT WATSON. 421 prevailing though not a laudable custom, Watson obtained his chair for the payment of a small sum of money, and on the condition that the retiring pro- fessor should continue to enjoy his salary. The subject of our memoir obtained at tlie same time a patent from the crown, constituting him professor of rhetoric and belles lettres. Tiie study of h'gic, ia St Andrews, as in most other places, uas confined to syllogisms, modes, and figures. Watson, whose mind had been expanded by intercourse witii the most enlightened men of his day, and by the study of tiia best modern literature, prepared and read to his students a course of metaphysics and logic on an improved plan ; in which he analyzed the powers of the mind, and entered deeply into the nature of the difierent species of evidence of truth or knowledge. After having- fully arranged the course of his professional duties, Watson was induced by the success of Robertson and Hume in the composition of history, vell spent life with ease and comfort in the bosom of his family. At no time liad lie taken any active share in the management of the busi- ness of tiie Solio foinidery, nor were his visits to it, even while he was a partner, by any means frequent. BIr Boiilton Avas a man of excellent address, grenc wealth, of business habits, and full of enterprise, and contributed greatly to tho improvement of the steam engine, by taking upon himself the entire managc- nifint of the works at Soho : he thus relieved from all worldly concern, the mind of his illustrious partner, which was much more profitably employed on those profound and valuable researches, by which he has added so largely to the field of science. As Dupin well observes, "men who devote themselves en- tirely to the improvement of industry, will feel in all their force the services that Boulton has rendered to the arts and mechanical sciences, by freeing the genius of Watt from a crowd of extraneous dilllculties which Avould haA'e con- sumed those days that were far better dedicated to the improvement of the useful arts." Although 3Ir AVatt retired from public business, he did not relax in liis ar- dour for scientific pursuits and new inventions. Towards the end of the year 1 S09,he Avas applied to by the Glasgow Water Company to assist them'in pointing- out a method of leading water across the river, from a Avell on the soutli side, Aviiich afforded a natural filter. From a consideration of the structure of the lobster's tail, lie formed the idea of a flexible main, Avith ball and socket joints, to be laid across the bed of tlie river, and Avhich was constructed accord- ing to his plan in the summer of 1810. This ingenious contii\'ance gaAC such satisfaction, that another precisely similar Avas added a short time afterwards. Two years subsc'quent to this, he received the thanks of the Board of Admiralty, for his opinion and advice regarding the formation of the docks then carrying on at Sheerness. About the year 1813, it Avas proposed to publish a complete edition of Dr Robison's Avorks, and the materials Avere delivered, for the purpose of editing, into the hands of his able friend, Playfair, Avho, not having sufficient leisure for such an undertaking, transmitted them to Sir D. Brewster. The latter gentleman applied to Mv Watt for his assistance in the revision of the article " Steam Engine," for Avhich article he had originally furnished some materials, Avhen it first appeared in the Encyclopredia Britannica; and to the article, in its new form, he furnished many valuable corrections and additions. In 1817, BIr Watt paid a visit to his native country ; and it surprised and delighted his friends to find that he enjoyed good health, his mind possessed its Avonted vigour, and his conAcrsation its Avonted charms. During the last years of his life, lie employed himself in contriving a machine for taking copies of pieces of sculpture. This machine never received the finishing touch of its in- ventor's hand ; but it Avas brought to such perfection, that seven specimens Avere executed by it in a very creditable manner. Some of these he distributed among his friends, " as the productions of a young artist, just entering his eighty-third year." When tliis machine Avas considerably advanced in construc- tion, Mr A\ att learned that a neighbouring gentleman had been for some time engaged in a similar undertaking ; and a proposal Avas made to Mr Watt, that they should jointly take out a patent, wliicli he declined, on the ground, that from his advanced age, it Avould be unwise for him to enter upon any ncAV spe- culation. It Avas always Mr Watt's opinion that this gentleman had no kno»v- ledge A\hatever of the construction of the machine. The health of 3Ir Watt, Avhich Avas naturally delicate, became gradually bet- JAMES WATT. 431 ter towards the latter period of his long and useful life. Intense headaches arising from an organic defect in the digestive system, often afflicted him. These were often aggravated and induced by tlie severe study to which he com- monly subjected himself, and the perplexity arising from the frequent law- suits in which he had been engaged towards the close of the eighteenth cen- tury. It must not be inferred from this last statement, tliat this great man, whose discoveries we have been recounting, was by any means litigiously in- clined. His quiet and peaceful mind was ever disposed to shrink from the agitations of paper Avars and law pleas, and to repose in tlie quiet retreats ot science. Many attempts were made to pirate his inventions and to encroach upon his patent rights, against which he never made any otiier defence than that which become an honest man, i. e. an appeal for the protection of the \s.\\ of the land. He lived to see all these attempts to rob him of the profits of his inventions, as well as the envy and detraction wliich are ever the followers of merit, silenced for ever, and terminated a long, useful, and honourable life in the full possession of his mental faculties, at his residence at Heathfield in Staf- fordshire, on the 25th of August, 1819, having reached liis eiglity-fourth year. The fame of Watt will in future ages rest secure upon the imperisliable basis of his many discoveries, and he will ever be ranked in the first class of those great men who have benefited the human race by the improvement of the arts of industry and peace. Even during his lifetime this Avas known and recog- nized, and he received several honorary distinctions. In 1784, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the year following he became fellow of the Royal Society of London. In 1787, he was chosen correspond- ing member of the Batavian Society; in 1806, he received the honorary de- gree of LL.D. from the university of Glasgow ; and ten years later, he was made a member of the national institute of France. Respecting the private character of Watt it would be difficult to communi- cate an adequate idea of its excellence. Those Avho knew liim will ever remember that in his private intercourse \\\\.\\ society he elicited from them more love and admiration than they can ever express. He was benevolent and kind to all those who came about him, or solicited either his patronage or ad- vice. His conversation Avas easy, fluent, and devoid of all formality ; replete Avith profound and accurate information on all subjects, blended Avith pertinent and amusing anecdote — such that, Avhen combined Avith his plain unaffected lan- guage, the mellow tones of his manly voice, his natural good humour and ex- pressive countenance, produced an effect on those around him Avhich Avill hardly ever fade from memory. He read much, and could easily remem- ber and readily apply all that Avas A'aluable of Avhat he read. He Avas versed in seACral of the modern languages, antiquities, laAV, and the fine arts, and Avas largely read in light literature. His character Avas draAvn up by his iViend Francis Jeffrey, Avith a fidelity and eloquence that has made it Isnown to almost every one. We Avill, therefore, forbear to quote it here, and bring this memoir to a conclusion by placing before the reader Avhat has been said of Watt by his illustrious countryman and friend, the author of Waverley. In the playful letter to captain Clutterbuck in the introduction to the IMonas- tery, Sir Walter Scott gives the foUoAving lively desci-iptioa of his meeting in Edinburgh Avith this remarkable man: — "Did you know the celebrated Watt of Birmingham, captain Clutterbuck ? I believe not, though, from what I am about to state, he would not haA^e failed to ha\'e sought an acquaintance with you. It was only once my fortune to meet him, whether in body or in spirit it matters not. There were assembled about half a score of our northern lights, who had 432 JAMES ^YATr. amongst tlicm, lienvcn knows Iiomt, a well known cliaractcr of your country, Jcdcdiali CloUhbotliain. This worthy person having come to Edinburgh during the Christmas vacation, had become a sort of lion in the place, and was led in leash from house to house along with the guizzards, the stone cater, and other amusements of tlic season, which 'exhibit their unparalleled feats to private funily parties, if required.' Amidst this company stood Mr Watt, the man whose genius discovered the means of multiplying our national resources to a degree perliaps even beyond his own stupendous powers of calculation and combination, bringing the treasures of the abyss to tho summit of the earth; giving the feeble arm of man the momentum of an Afrite; commanding manu- factures to arise, as the rod of the prophet produced water in the desert; affording the means of dispensing with that time and tide which wait for no nian, and of sailing without that wind which defied the commands and tlireats of Xerxes himself. This potent commander of the elements — this abridger oi* time and space — this magician, whose cloudy machinery has produced a change on tho world, the eflects of which, extraordinary as they are, are perhaps only now beginning to be felt — was not only the most profound man of science, the most successful combiner of powers and calculator of numbers, as adapted to practical purposes — was not only one of the most generally well informed, but one of the best and kindest of human beings. " There he stood, surrounded by the little band I have mentioned of north- ern literati, men not less tenacious, generally speaking, of their own fame and their own opinions than the national regiments ai'e supposed to be jealous of the high character which they have gained upon service. Methinks I yet see and hoar what I shall never see and hear again. In his eighty-fifth year, the alert, kind, benevolent old man had his attention at every one's question, his information at every one's command. His talents and fancy overilowcd on every subject. One gentleman was a deep philologist; he talked with liim on the origin of the alphabet as if he had been coeval with Cadmus : another was a celebrated critic; you would have said the old man had studied political economy and belies lettres all his life; of science it is unnecessary to speak, it was his own distinguished walk. And yet, captain Clutterbuck, when he spoke with your countryman, Jedediah Cleislibotham, you would Lave sworn he had been coeval with Clavcrse and Burley, with the persecutors and persecuted, and could number every shot the dragoons had fired at the fugi- tive Covenanters. In fact, we discovered that no novel of the least celebrity escaped his perusal, and that the gifted man of science was as much addicted to the productions of your native country, (the laud of Utopia aforesaid ;) in other words, as shameless and obstinate a peruser of novels as if ho had been a very milliner's apprentice of eighteen." A highly characteristic statue of Watt, by Chanfrey, adorns a Gothic monu- ment reared to his memory, by his son, Mr James Watt, who died June 2, 1848, in his 80th year. Three other statues of him by Chantrey have been erected — one of them, of colossal size, stands in Westminster Abbey, and bears an elegant inscription by lord Brougham. The countenance of this statue has been cha- racterised as the personification of abstract thought. Glasgow possesses the otiier two — one of marble, in the museum of the university, and the other of bronze, in George's Square. His native town of Greenock has also rendered appropriate homage to his genius, by erecting not only his statue but a public librai-y, which bears his name. An admirable Elogo on Watt and his inventions was pronounced before the National Institute of France by the late M. Arago. Lord I5rougham has also celebrated liis merits in his Historical Account of the Composition of Water, which is published as an appendix to the Eloge. ROBERT WATT, M.D. 433 WATT, Robert, M.D., the author of the EiBLioinECA Bhitann'Ica, and of several medical treatises, was born in May, 1774. His father, Jolin Watt, possessed a small farm, called IMuirhead, in tlie parish of Stcwarton, Ayrshire, ■n-hich had belonged to the family for several generations, but wliich was sold shortly after his death, in 1810. Robert was tlic youngest of three sons; and, with liis elder brothers, was employed, during his boyhood, in attending school, and in assisting his father in the management of tlie farm. His early life, it would seem, was subject to considerable hardships, and aftorded few op- portunities for cuUivating liis mind. In a letter of his now before us, written a sliort time before his deatli, we find tlie following notauda of his early years, prepared at the request of a friend. After recording his recollections of an English school, to wliich he was sent at the age of five or six, and where he learned to read, write, and count, the narrative proceeds: — " About the age of thirteen, I became a ploughboy to a farmer in a noigh- bourinff parish. After this, I was sometimes at home, and sometimes in the service of othei' people, till the age of seventeen. Before this age, I had ben-un to acquire a taste for reading, and spent a good deal of my time in that way. The books I read were such as I found about my father's house ; among which I remember the " Pilgrim's Progress," " The Lives of Scotch Wor- thies," Sec. A spirit for extending my knowledge of the country, and other things, had manifested itself early, in various forms. When very young, my "reat ambition was to be a chapman ; and it was long before the sneers of my friends could drive me from this favourite project. It was the same spirit, and a wish of doing something for myself, that made me go into the service of other farmers. I saw more than I did at home, and I got money which I could call my own. IMy father's circumstances were very limited ; but they were equal, with his own industry, to the bringing up of ln"s family, and putting thera to trades. This was his great wish. I remember he preferred a trade greatly to being farmer's servants. " With a view to extend my knowledge of the country, I went with a party into Galloway, to build stone dykes. On getting there, however, the job which we had expected was abandoned, on account of some difference taking place between the proprietor of the land and the cultivator; and we went to the neighbourhood of Dumfries, where our employer had a contract for making part of the line of road from Sanquhar to Dumfries. During my short stay in (jalloway, which was at Loch Fergus, in the vicinity of Kirkcudbright, I lodged in a house where I had an opportunity of reading some books, and saw occasionally a newspaper. This enlarged my views, increased the desire to see and learn more, and made me regret exceedingly my short stay in the place. " On our arrival at Dumfries, we were boarded on the farm of Ellisland, in the possession of Robert Burns. The old house which he and his family had recently occupied became our temporary abode. This was only for a few days. I was lodged, for the rest of the summer, in a sort of old castle, called the Tsle, from its having been at one time surrounded by the Nith. While at El- lisland, I formed the project of going up to England. This was to be accom- plished by engaging as a drover of some of the droves of cattle that continually pass that way from Ireland and Scotland. 3Iy companions, however, disap- proved of the project, and I gave it up. *' During the summer I spent in Dumfries-shire, I had frequent opportunities of seeing Burns t but cannot recollect of having formed any opinion of him, except a confused idea that he was an extraordinary character. A\ hile liere, I read Burns's Poems ; and, from an acquaintance with some of his relations, I 434 ROBERT WATT, M.D. occasionally got from his library a reading of other works of the same kind. With these I used to retire into some of the concealed places on the banks of the Nilli, and pass my leisure hours in reading, and occasionally tried my hand in writin"- riiynies myself. 3Iy business at this lime consisted ciiiefly in driving stones, from a distance of two or three miles, to build bridges and sewers. Tiiis occupation gave me a further opportunity of perusing books, and nlthough, from the desultory nature of my rending, I made no proficiency in any one tbing, I acquired a sort of smattering knowledge of many, and a de- sire to learn more. From this period, indeed, I date the commencement of my literary pursuits. " On my return home, the first use I made of the money I had saved was to purchase a copy of Bailey's Dictionary, and a copy of Eurn's English gram- mar. AVith these I began to instruct myself in the principles of the English language, in the best way I could. " At tills time, my brother John, who had been in Glasgow for several years, following the business of a joiner and cabinet-make'r, came home, with the design of beginning business for himself in the country. It was proposed that I should join him. This was very agreeable to me. I had, at that time, no views of anything higher ; and it accorded well with the first bent of my mind, which was strongly inclined to mechanics. If of late all my spare hours had been devoted to reading, at an earlier period they had been equally devoted to mechanics. When very young, I had erected a turning lath in my father's barn ; had procured planes, chisels, and a variety of other implements, Avhich I could use with no small degree of dexterity. " For some time my mind was wholly occupied ^vith my new trade. I acquired considerable knowledge and facility in constructing most of tlie dif- ferent implements used in husbandry, and could also do a little as a cabinet- maker. But I soon began to feel less and less interest in my new employ- ment. My business came to be a repetition of the same thing, and lost all its charms of novelty and invention. The taste for reading, which I had brought from the south, though it had suffered some abatement, had not left me. I was occasionally poring over my dictionary and grammar, and other volumes that came in my way. " At this time, a circumstance occurred which gave my mind an entirely new bent. My bi-other, while at Glasgow, had formed a vei-y close intimacy with a student there. This young gentleman, during the vacation, came out to see my brother, and pass a few days in the country. Prom him I received marvellous accounts of what mighty things were to be learned, what wondei-s to be seen — about a university ; and I imbibed an unquenchable desire to fol- low his course." Here his own account of himself closes, and what we have to add must of course be deficient in that interest which attaches itself to all pei-sonal memoii-s that are written with frankness and sincerity. The newly-imbibed desire of an academical education, to which he alludes, was not transient in its character. To prepare himself for its accomplishment, he laid aside as much of his earnings as he could spare, and applied himself, in the intervals of manual occupa- tion, to the Latin and Greek languages. It was not long ere he thus qualified himself for beginning his course at the university. In 1793, at the age of eighteen, he matriculated in the Glasgow college, under professor Richardson ; and, from that period, went regularly through the successive classes in the uni- versity, up to the year 1797. During the summer recesses, he supported him- self by teaching, at first as a private tutor ; but latterly he took up a small public school in the village of Symington, in Ayrshire. It ivas his first ROBERT WATT, JI.D. 435 determination to follow the clerical profession ; but after lis had attended two sessions at the Divinity Hall of Glasgow, he turned himself to the study of medicine; and, in order to have every advantage towards acquiring a proficiency in tiiat branch of knowledge, he removed to Edinburgh, whicii has been so long celebrated as a medical school. Here he remained until he had gone through the usual studies of tlie science. In 1799, he returned to Glasgow; and, after an examination by the faculty of Physicians and Surgeons there, he was found ' a fit and capable per- son to exercise the arts of surgery and pharmacy.' In the same year, he set up as surgeon in tiie town of Paisley ; and soon began to attain great popular- ity in his profession, and to reap the reward of liis talents and perseverance. In a short time he had engrossed so much practice, as to find it ne- cessary to take in, as partner and assistant, Blr James fliuir, who had been his fellow student at Edinburgh. This gentleman possessed considerable literary abilities, and was author of various pieces of a didactic character, which appeared in the periodicals of the day. On his death, which hap- pened early in life, he left behind him, in manuscript, a volume of mis- cellaneous essays, and a poem, entitled " Home," consisting of 354 Spen- serian stanzas. He was, in particular, greatly attached to painting, and exlinusted much of his time and money upon that art. Dr Watt, on the other hand, was chiefly attached to that department of human inquiry which comes under the denomination of experimental philosophy — particularly chemistry, to ^\hich science he, for a considerable time, devoted his leisure hours almost exclusively. Yet, with these differences of pursuits, they lived in good harmony during a partnership of nearly ten years, each following his own course, and both holding the most respectable station of their profession in the place where they resided. The period of Dr \Vatt's residence in Paisley, was perhaps the busiest in his life. He enjoyed, during it, a better state of health than he ever did after- Avards ; and had, besides, all the ardour and enterprise of one newly entered into a sphere for which he liad long panted. The number and variety of manu- scripts which he has left, sufficiently attest the persevering activity of his mind during this period. The most important, perhaps, of these is one in quarto, entitled " An Abstract of Pliilosophical Conjectures; or an Attempt to Explain the Principal Phenomena of Light, Heat, and Cold, by a few simple and ob- vious Laws." This volume contains some curious and interesting experiments; but, of course, since the date of its composition (1805) many new lights have been thrown on tlio subjects it embraces, which, in a great measure, diminish its importance, and render its publication unadvisable. The only work wliich he ventured to publish while at Paisley, amid the many he composed and contem- plated, was one, entitled " Cases of Diabetes, Consumption, &c.; with Observations on the History and Treatment of Disease in general." This appeared in 1803, and excited considerable interest at the time among the learned of the profession. The method v.-hich the author adopted in treating Diabetes, was venesection, blistering, and an abstemious diet; and the various cases which he records, were considered at the time as tending to establish the propriety of this mode of treat- ment. At the cud of the volume observations axe given upon different diseases, as asthma, English cholera, colic, &c.; and these are also illustrated by cases which came under his own observmion. Soon after the publication of this volume, he felt a. desire to remove to an- other quarter, and commence for himself on a higher scale than he had hitherto done. There Avas no place, however, which he hnd particularly fixed upon ; and, before coming to any decision on this point, he deterrnined to make a 436 ROBERT WATT, ILT). tour throiioh Eno-land, with the view of ascertaining whetlser that country might not artbrd an eligible spot. The journey woukl, at the same time, be favour- able to his heallii, uhich was beginning to be impaired. In 1S09, having fur- nished liimseir witli letters of recommendation to many eminent in his profession throuohout England, he went to London, by a circuitous route, embracing, on his way, most of the principal towns in the country. It does not appear, how- ever, that lie found any situation there agreeable to his wishes ; for on his re- turn home, after an absence of several months, he determined on settling at (ilasgow : and, accordingly, in IS 10, as soon as matters could properly be ar- ranged, he removed to that city. Treviously to tiiis, he had received from the university of Aberdeen the title of doctor in 3Iedicine, and had been elected member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He had also heconie pretty well known in the neighbourhood as an eminent practitioner, and had every reason to calculate upon success, whatever rank of his profession he should assume. He, there- fore, connnenccd upon the highest scale, took a large house in Queen Street, and confined his profession to that of physician and accoucheur. In the same winter, he began his lectures on the theory and practice of medicine ; and thus at once placed himself in that station of life for which he was so eminently cjualitied. His success in Glasgow was complete and inimediato. As a physician, he suddenly acquired a most respectable and extensive practice; and as a lecturer, his popularity was equally gratifying. The continental war, which was then raging, occasioned a great demand for surgeons, and increased the number of students much above the ordinary average. Dr Watt's lecture-room was numerously attended ; and he spared no pains or expense that might conduce to the advantage of his pupils. His lectures were formed on the best models, and from the most extensive sources, and his manner of delivering them was easy and engaging. During the first course, he read them from his 3ISS. ; but he afterwards abandoned that method for extemporaneous delivery, assisting his memory merely by brief memorandums of the chief heads of discourse. He used to say, that this method, by keeping his mind in a state of activity, fatigued him less than the dull rehearsal of what lay before him. With a view to the advantage of his students, he formed a library of medical books, which was very complete and valuable, containing, besides all the popular works on medicine, many scarce and high-priced volumes. Of this library he published a catalogue, in 1812 ; to which he appended, " An Address to 3Iedical Stu- dents on the best Method of prosecuting their Studies." The " Bibliotheca Britannica" may be said to have oi-iginated with the for- mation of this library. Besides the catalogue of it, which was printed in the usual form, having the works arranged under their respective authors in alpha- betical order, he drew out an index of the various subjects which the volumes embraced, making references to the place which each held upon the shelf; and thus brought before his eye, at one view, all the books in his possession that treated on any particular point. The utility of this index to himself and his students, soon turned his mind to the consideration of one upon a more com- prehensive scale, that would embrace all the medical works which had been printed in the British dominions. This he immediately set about drawing out, and devoted nmch of his time to it. After he had nearly completed his object, he extended the original plan by introducing works on law, and latterly works on divinity and miscellaneous subjects. This more than tripled his labours ; but it proportionably made them more useful. The extent of the design, how- aver, was not yefc completed. Hitherto, all foreign publications had been ex- ROBERT WATT, M.D. 437 eluded from it ; and, although a prospeclus of the work had been publishod, containing very copious explanations and specimens, uhich might be supposed to have determined its nature and bounds, he resolved — when it was on tlie eve of going to press — to make the work still furtiier useful, by introducing the more popular and important of foreign authors and their productions ; embracing, at the same time, the various continental editions of tlie classics. Thus was an- otlier mighty addition made to the original plan ; and it is thus that many of the most splendid monuments of human intellect tind industry originate in tritling or small beginnings. In 1813, he published a " Treatise on the History, Nature, and Treatment of Ciiincough." He was led to investigate particularly this disease, by a severe visitation of it in his own family, in which four of his children were alfected at the same time, the two eldest of whom died. The treatise contains not only the author's own observation and experience, but also that of the best medical writers on the subject. To the volume is subjoined, " An Hiquiry into the Relative JMortality of the principal Diseases of (Children, and the Numbers Avho have died under Ten Years of Age, in Glasgow, during the last Thirty Years." In this Inquiry, the author was at infinite pains in comparing and digesting the registers of the various burying-grounds in the city and suburbs; and of these he gives numerous tables, so arranged, as to enable the reader to draw some very important conclusions regarding the diseases of children, and their respec- tive mortalities. In IS 14, he issued, anonymously, a small volume, entitled " Rules of Life, with Reflections on the Planners and Dispositions of Mankind." The volume was published by Constable of Edinburgh, and consisted of a great number of apophthegms and short sentences, many of them original, and the others selected from the best English writers. About this time, his health began rapidly to decline. From his youth he had been troubled with a stomachic disorder, which attacked him at times very severely, and kept him always under great restrictions in his diet and general regimen. The disease had gained ground with time, and perhaps was accele- rated by the laborious life which he led. He, nevertheless, continued to struggle against it, maintained his usual good spirits, and went through the various arduous duties of his profession. His duties, indeed, had increased upon him. He had become a member of various literary and medical societies, of several of which he was president, and had been elected physician to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and president of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons. These two latter situations involved a great deal of trouble and at- tention. He held them both for two successive years ; the former he was obliged to resign, on account of the state of his health, just at the period •when a handsome compensation would have followed his holding it ; the latter was resigned at the expiry of the usual term of its continuance. Althouo^h he had long laboured under that painful disease which we have spoken of, and of which he eventually died, it was not until the year 1817, that he totally discontinued his professional pursuits. Nor would, perhaps, his active spirit have so soon submitted to this resignation, had not another employ- ment engaged his attention. He had, by this time, brought his great work, the " Bibliotheca Britannica," to a very considerable state of forwardness; had become interested in it, and anxious for its completion. He probably saw that, from the state of his health, the duration of his life must be but limited, and was desirous, while yet some strength and vigour remained, to place the work in such a state, that even his death would not prevent its publication. He retired, therefore, with his family, to a small country-house about two mile^ 438 ROBERT WATT, M.D. from Glasgow, engaged sevei-al young men as amaiiuenses,^ and devoted liimself exclusively lo the compilation. In liiis literary seclusion, Dr Watt was for some time able to make great pro- gress ill his undertaking; but, though freed from worldly interruptions, he had to combat wilii a disease which was every day becoming more formidable, and which at last obliged him to discontinue all personal labour. He still, how- ever, continued to oversee and direct his amanuenses ; and iiotliing could ex- ceed the kind attention which he paid to their comforts, even when suflering under his fatal malady. In his own retirement, he practised every method which his knowledge or experience could suggest to stem the progress of the disease, but they were all unavailing. In the liope that travel and a sea voyage might benefit him, he went in one of the Leith smacks to London, made a considerable tour through England, and returned more exhausted and ema- ciated than before. From that period, until his death, he was scarcely out of bed, but underwent, with wonderful fortitude, an alllicting and uninterrupted illness of several mouths. He died upon the 12lh of IMarcli, 1819, aged only forty-five, and was interred in the Glasgow^ High Church burying ground. Dv Watt's personal appearance Avas prepossessing. He was tall in stature, and in early life, before his health declined, robust. His countenance displayed great intelligence. In private lil'e, he was universally esteemed. His character was formed on the strictest principles of morality, with which was blended a gene- ral urbanity of manners, that won at once the good-will of whoever he addressed. His conversation was communicative and engaging, apart equally from dulness and tediousness, as from what is quite as intolerable, a continued study at effect. In his liabits, lie A\as extremely regular and persevering. Thei'e was nothing from wliich he shrunk, if usefulness recommended it, and exertion made it at- tainable. This is particularly exemplified in his undertaking and executing such a work as the " Bibliotheca Britannica," the bare conception of which would, to an ordinary or less active mind, have been appalling ; but which, be- set as he was by professional duties and a daily increasing malady, he under- took and accomplished. But laborious as the work is — beyond even what the most intelligent reader can imagine — it is not alone to industry and perse- verance that Dr Watt lias a claim upon our notice. He was ingenious and original-minded in all his schemes ; and ivhile his great ambition was that his labours might be useful, he was careful that they should not interfere with tliose of others. His various works, both published and unpublished, bear this dis- tinction. The whole plan of the "Bibliotheca" is 7iew; and few compilations, of similar magnitude and variety, ever presented, in a tirst edition, a more com- plete design and execution. It is divided into two parts; the first part con- taining an alphabetical list of authors, to the amount of above forty thousand, and under each a chronological list of his works, their various editions, sizes, pi'ice, &c., and also of the papers he may have contributed to the more cele- brated journals of art and science. This division differs little in its construc- tion from that of a common catalogue, only that it is universal in its character, and in many instances gives short biographical notices of the author, and criti- cal opinions of his works. It also gives most ample lists of the various editions of the Greek and Roman classics, &:c., and, under the names of the early printers, lists of the various books which they printed. In the second part, all the titles of works recorded in the first part, and also anonymous works, are arranged alphabetically under their principal suljects. This part forms a minute index _ » Among those so engaged wera the late Mr T»llliam Mothervrell, who distinguished himself by his beautiful ballads; and the lata Mr Alexauder AVhitelaw, editor of 'The Casquet," •• Republic o: Letters." c:c. DR. ALEXANDER WATJGH. 439 to the first, and upon it the chief claim of the " Bibliotheca" to novelty and value rests ; for it lays before the reader at a glance, a clironologlcal list of all t!ie works that have been published on any particular subject that he may wish to consult, with references to their respective authors, or with the publisher's name, if anonymous. While, in short, the first part forms a full and compre- hensive catalogue of authors and their works, the second forms an equally com- plete and extensive encyclopedia of all manner of subjects on wliich books have been written. The utility of such a work, to the student and author in particular, must be obvious ; for, with the facility with which he can ascertain in a dictionary the meaning of a word, can he liere ascertain all that has been written on any branch of human knowledge. Whatever may be its omissions and inaccuracies, (and these were unavoidable in a compilation so extensive,) the plan of the work, we apprehend, cannot be improved ; and, amid the numerous and laborious methods that have been offered to the public, for ar- ranging libraries and catalogues, we are ignorant of any system that could be adopted, with greater advantage, both as to conveniency and completeness of reference, w ithout at the same time affecting the elegant disposal of tiie books upon the shelves, than the one upon which the " Bibliotheca Britiinnica " is founded. Dr Watt married, while in Paisley, r\Iiss Burns, the daughter of a farmer in his father's neighbourhood, by whom he had nine children. At his death, the publication of the " Bibliotheca" devolved upon his two eldest sons, who de- voted themselves to its completion with filial entliusiasm. They were both young men of the most promising abilities ; and it is to be feared that their lives were shortened by the assiduity with which they applied themselves to the important charge that was so prematurely laid upon them. John, the elder of the two, died in 1S21, at the early age of twenty ; James, his brother, lived to see the work completed, but died in 1S29, leaving behind him the deep re- grets of all who knew and could appreciate his high character and brilliant talents. The printing of the " Bibliotheca" was completed in 1S24, in four large quarto volumes. The first division or portion of it was printed in Glasgow, and the second in Edinburgh. Messrs Archibald Constable and Company, of Edinburgh, purchased the whole for about £2,000, giving bills to that amount, but before any of the bills were honoured, the house failed, and thus the family of Dr Watt was prevented from receiving any benefit from a Avork to which so many sacrifices had been made, and upon which all their hopes depended."^ WAUGH, (Dr) Alexances, an eminent divine of the United Secession church, was born on the 16th August, 1754, at East Gordon, in the parish of Gordon, Berwickshire, where his father followed the occupation of a fai'raer. The subject of this memoir, who was devoted by his parents from his infancy to the church, was put to the parish school of Gordon, at which he ^ In connexion with the misfortunes attendant upon the vrork, we may mention here, in a note, one, fortunately in this country, of singular occurrence. Not long after Dr Watt's death, his countrA-house was broken into, in the middle of the night, by a band of ruffians, disguised with blackened faces, and armed with guns, swords, &c. While one party held their fire-arms over the unhappy inmates, another ransacked the house, and packed up everj'thing valuable of a portaljle nature, which they carried off, and which were never re- covered. They even took the rings from Mrs Watt's fingers. Among their ravages, they imfortunately laid their hands on a portion of the unprinted MS. of the " Bibliotheca," \Yhich they thrust into the fire, with the purpose of lighting the apartment. It took nearly a year's labour to remedy the destruction of this MS. Four of the robbers were afterwards taken, and executed for the crime at Glasgow, in 1--20. 440 DR. ALEXANDER WAXJGII. reinahied till he had attained his twelfth yeai-, when he uas removed to that of the neighbouring- parish of Earlston, where the schoolmaster was celebrated as a teaciier of Latin and (ireek. Here he remained till 1770, when lie entered the university of lulinburgli, leaving behind him at Earlston a reputation for talents and piety whicli, young as he then was, made a deep impression on all who knew him, and led them to anticipate ibr him the celebrity he afterwards attained as a preac^lior. I\Ir Waugh continued at the university throughout four sessions prior to his entering on his theological studies, during which he attended the Latin, Greek, and Natural and 3Ioral philosophy classes. He subsequently studied and ac- (juired a competent knowledge of Hebrew. At the end of this period, he was examined by the presbytery regarding his proficiency in philoso]>hy and the learned languages, and, having been found qualified, was admitted to the study of divinity, which he commenced in August, 1774, under the tuition of the Kev, John lirown of Haddington, Three years afterwards, he repaired to the university of Aberdeen, and attended for one session the lectures of Ur Beattie, professor of moral philosophy, and of Dr Campbell, professor of divinity in the IMarischal college. In the following year, having been found amply qualified by prior attainments, he received his degree of M. A. On the completion of his studies, Blr AVaugh was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Edinburgh at Dunse, June 28, 1779, and in two months afterwards was appointed by the presbytery to supply the Secession congrega- tion of W ells-street, London, left vacant by the death of the liev. Archibald Hall. On this occasion he remained in London for about ten weeks, when he returned to Scotland, and soon after received a unanimous call from the con- gregation of Newton, which was sustained by th.e presbytery at their meeting on December 21, 1779, and on the 30th of August, 1780, he' was formally in- ducted to this charge. The efiects of the favourable impression, however, which he had made upon his hearers in London reached him, even in the retired and obscure situation in which he was now placed. A call to him from the Wells-street congrega- tion was brouglit before the Synod whicii met at Edinburgh in Way, 1781, but he was continued in Newton by a large majority. He himself had declined this call previously to its being brought before the Synod, and that for reasons which strikingly exhibit the benevolence of his disposition and the uprightness of his character. Amongst these were the unsettled slate of his congregation, which was yet but in its infancy, the strong attachment Avhich they had manifested to him, and the struggles which tliey had made for the settlement of a minister among them. But so desirous were the Wells-street congregation to secure his services, that, undeterred by the result of their first application, they for- warded another call to him, which was brought before the Synod on the 27th November, 17 Si, when it was again decided that he should continue at Newton The second call, however, was followed by a third from the same congregation, and on this occasion the call was sustained by the presbytery on the 19th IMarch, 1 7 82. JMr Waugh received at the same time a call from the Bristo- street congregation of Edinburgh, but, owing to some informality, it did not come into direct competition with the former, and therefore was not discussed. The presbytery of Edinburgh having been appointed to admit him to his new charge, this ceremony took place at Dalkeith on the 30th May, 17 82; and in June following he set out for London, where he arrived on the 14th of that month, and inmiediately conmienced his ministry in the Secession church, Wells- street. He soon extended the reputation, which he had already acquired, amongst the body of Christians in London to which he belonged, and became DR. ALEXANDER WAUGH. 441 exceedingly populai', at once Ly his singularly amiable character, his unweariej activity and unremitting zeal in the discliarge of his ministerial duties, and by his fervid and impressive eloquence in tiie pulpit. He also took an active part in promoting the interests of the London 3Iissionary and Bible societies; and even extended his benevolent exertions to many other religious and charitable institutions in the metropolis. In 1S15, he received the degree of doctor of Divinity from the Marischal college of Aberdeen, and was much grntilied by this mark of distinction from that learned body, which he did not deem the less flattering, that, although he had studied there in his youth, he was, when it was conferred, almost an entire stranger, personally, to all of them. Previously to this, Ur Waugh had been seized with a serious illness, which had compelled him to revisit his native country, with the view of benefiting by the change of air. From this illness, he finally recovered ; but, in ^lay, 1 823, he received an injury by the fall of some scaffolding, at the laying the foundation stone of the Orphan asylum at Clapton, from the etiects of which he never entirely recovered. He, however, continued to preach with unremiuing zeal, till the beginning of 1827, when increasing infirmities, particularly an inability to make himself audible in the pulpit, rendered it necessary to procure an assistant to aid him in his labours, as well on his own account, as on account of the spiritual interests of his con- gregation. In this year, therefore, he was relieved from a large portion of the laborious dulies which had before devolved upon him. But this excellent man was not destined long to enjoy the ease which his affectionate congregation had kindly secured for him. In the last week of November, he caught a severe cold, \\liich finally terminated his useful and active life, on the 1-llh of Decem- ber, 1827, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, and the forty-fifih of his ministry in London. The remains of Or Waugh were attended to the grave by an immense con- course of people, drawn together on that melancholy occasion, by the celebrity and popularity of his character ; and his congregation, as a testimony of their affection for his memory, erected an elegant tablet of marble, with a suitable inscription, in their chapel in Wells-street. They also claimed it as a privilege to defray tlie funeral expenses. But they did much more than all this : they secured an annuity for his widow, and expressed their sympathy in her bereave- ment, by many other acts of generosity and kindness. Dr Waugh, in all the relations of life, was, perhaps, one of the most amiable men that ever existed. His character was pure and spotless ; his benevolence unbounded ; his philanthropy unqualified. His manners were mild, gentle, and highly prepossessing, and his piety sincere and ardent, and wholly without any portion of that gloominess which has been erroneously believed to belong to heart-felt i-eligious feeling. So far from this, he was lively, cheerful, and humorous, and delighted in innocent mirth and raillery. To those of his coun- trymen, A\ho came to London, his house and table were ever open ; and his advice, counsel, and assistance in furthering their views, always at their service. His kindness in this way, indeed, he carried to an almost blamcable extent. His talents, too, generally, and particularly as a preacher of the gospel, were of a very high order ; and of this the London 3Iissionary society, in common with others, was so sensible, that he was employed in frequent missions by that body, and always with eminent success. His whole life in London was one of continued and unremitting activity. He laboured early and late in the dis- charge of the important duties intrusted to him, and willingly undertook, at ail times, in addition to these, any others which had from their nature a claiui upon his exertions. IV. 3K 412 DR. AI,EXANDER "OEBSTEIl. WEBSTER, (Dr) Alexander, an eminent divine and statistical inquirer, was born in Eilinburgh about tlie j-ear 1707, being the son of a clergyman of the same name, who, after suffering persecution under the reigns of the latter Stuarts, had become minister of the Tolbooth parish in that city, in wliich charge he acquired considerable celebrity as a preacher of the orthodox, school. Tiie subject of tliis nisuioir studied for the church, and, after being duly licensed, was ordained minister of Culross, where he soon became noted for his eloquence in the pulpit, and the laborious zeal with which hi discharged every duty of his office. The congregation of the Tolbooth church, who had lost his father in the year 1720, formed the wish to liave the son set over them, and accordingly, in 1737, he received an unanimous call from them, and thus was restored to the society of his native city. Previously to this event, he had obtained the affections of IMiss Mary Erskine, a young lady of fortune, and nearly related to the family of Dundonald. lie had been employed to bespeak the favour of 3Iiss Erskine for a friend, and for this purpose paid frequent visits to Valleyfield, a house within the parish of Culross, where she resided. The suit of his friend he is said to have urged with equal eloquence and sincerity, but, whetlier his own figure and accomplishments, which were highly elegant, had prepossessed the young lady, or she despised a suitor who could not make love on his own account, his efforts were attended with no success. At length 3Iiss Ei'skine naively remarked to him that, had he spoken as well for himself, he might have succeeded better. The hint was too obvious to be overlooked, and its promise too agreeable to be neglected. Webster spoke for himself, and was readily accepted. Tiiey were married a few days after his accession to the pulpit of the Tolbooth church. Though the reverend gentleman was thus prompted by the lady, it does not appear that he was in the least degree deficient in that affection which ought always to be the motive of the nuptial connexion. On the contrary, he seems, from some verses composed by himself upon the occasion, to have been one of the most ardent of lovers, and also one of the most eloquent of amatory poets ; witness the following admirable stanza : — When I see thee, I love thee, but hearing adore, I wonder, and think 30U a woman no more ; Tin, mad wiLli admiring, I cannot contain, And, kissing tliose L'ps, find you woman again. With the fire of a profane poet, and the manners and accomplishments of a man of the world, AVebster possessed the unction and fervour of a purely evan- gelical divine. The awakenings which occurred at Canibuslang, in consequence of the preaching of 'Whitefield, lie attributed in a pamphlet, to the direct in- fluence of the Holy Spirit; while the Seceders imputed the whole to sorcery and the direct influence of the devil. In the pulpit, both his matter and his manner gave the highest satisfaction. His voice was harmonious, his figure noble ; the dignity of his look, the rapture of liis eye, conveyed an electric impression of the fervent devotion which engrossed his soul. In prayer and in sacramental addi-esses, his manner was particularly noble and august. The diction of his sermons was strong and animated, rather than polished, and somewhat lowered to the capacity of his hearers, to whose situation in life he was always attentive. To the best qualities of a clergyman, lie added an ardent, but enlightened zeal for the external interests of the church, a jealousy of con-uption, a hatred of false politics and tyrannical 1 Webster's Lines, Scottish Songs, ii. 537. Thii fine lyric seems to have been first pub- lished in tlie Scots JMagazine, 1747. DR. ALEXANDER WEBSTER. 4i5 measures, which sometimes exposed him to calumny from the guilty, but secured him unbounded esteem from all who could value independence of soul and integrity of heart. His sentiments respecting the atl'iirs .of, both church and state were those of what may now be called an old xuJiici ; he stood upon the Revolution establishment, alike anxious to realize the advantages of that transaction, and to prevent further and needless or dangerous changes. " Nature," says an anonymous biograplier, " had endowed hiui with strong faculties, which a very considerable share of learning had matured and im- proved. For extent of comprehension, depth of tiiinking, and accuracy in the profoundest researches, he stood unrivalled. In the knowledge of the world, and of human nature, he was a master. It is not wonderful that the best societies in the kingdom were perpetually anxious to possess a man, who knew how to soften the rancour of public theological contest with the liberality and manners of a gentleman. His address was engaging ; his wit strong as his mind ; his convivial powers, as they are called, enchanting. He had a constitutional strength against intoxication, which made it dangerous in most men to attempt bringing him to such a state : often, when they were unfit for sitting at table, he remained clear, regular, and unaffected." Among the gifts of Dr Webster, was an extraordinary power of arithmetical calculation. This he began soon after his settlement in Edinburgh, to turn to account, in the formation, in company with Dr Robert Wallace, of the scheme for annuities to the widows of the Scottish clergy.^ From an accurate list of the ministers of the church, and the members of the three southern universities, compared with the ordinary ratio of births, marriages, and deaths, in this and other kingdoms, he was enabled to fix on a series of rates to be paid annually by the members of these two departments, the amount of which rates was to supply a specific annuity to every widow, whose husband should be a contributor, and a proportional sum for the children of the same. To forward this scheme, he opened a correspondence with the difitrent presbyteries in the kingdom ; and, in the year 1742, received for it the sanction of the General Assembly of the church, which, after suitable examination, approved of the whole plan, with the exception of a few immaterial particulars. Accord- ingly, the several presbyteries and universities concurred with the Assembly, in petitioning parliament for an act, enabling them to raise and establish a fund, and obliging the ministers of the church, with the heads, principals, and mas- ters of St Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgii, to pay annually, each according to his option, one of the following rates, viz., either £2. 12s. Gd. £3. 1 8s. 9d. ^5. 5s., or ^6. 1 Is. 3d., to be repaid in proportional annuities of ^G 1 0,^1 5, £'20, or ^£25, to their widows, or in similar provisions of ^£100, dF150,£200,or ^£250, to their children. The act was obtained in terms of the petition, (17 Geo. II.,) with liberty to employ the surplus of the annual payments and expenses in loans of i£30 a-piece among the contributors, and to put out the re- mainder at interest, on proper security. A second act, amending the former, was procured in the 22nd year of the same i-eign, (1748,) regulating the several parts of the management, and granting liberty to raise the capital to ^£80,000, including the sums lent to contributors.^ The conunencement of the fund is reckoned from the 85ih of March, 1744, tiie whole trouble of planning, arranging, and collecting the revenues, and applying them to their immediate purposes, devolving on the original proposer, who, with a - The ensm'ng' account of the Clerg\'s Wicloivs' Scheme is taken from a memoir of Dr Webster, in the Scots Magazine for 1602. Some fuither particulars are given in ilie article Dh Robert Wallace. •^ By this act, the university of Aberdeen was included on request. 444 DK. ALEXANDER "U'EBSTER. patience ami perseverance nearly equal to the extreme accuracy of his calcula- tions, at List completed tlie scheme. In the yenr 1770, a new act of parlia- iiu'iit procuroil by advice of Dr Webster, prescribed tlie full form in wiiich the fund is at present conducted. The loans granted to contributors were discon- tinued as prejudicial to tlie parties concerned ; liberty was granted to extend the c.ipilal to .£100,000 ; the methods of recovering payments; the nomination and duties of trustees ; the salaries of the collector and clerk ; in short, the A\hole economy of the institution, were fixed and determined. A tax on the maniage of each contributor, amounting to one year's annual rate of his particular option; and, if he were forty years of age at his accession to liis benefice, and had children, the sum of two years and a half of his rate, be- sides Iiis ordinary dues and marriage, were added to the revenue. Further, a sum of half his usual rate was declared due to the fund, out of the ann. ; or, in case of its not falling, out of his real or personal estate, on the death of a minister ; and patrons were assessed in the sum of £3. 2s. for every half year's vacancy. A report of the state of the fuud was ordered to be made annually to the General Assembly by the trustees, and this afterwards to be printed. Dr Webster, in the year 174S, had finished a series of calculations, in which he not only ascertained the probable number of ministers that would die an- nually, of widows and children that would be left, of annuitants drawing whole or half annuities, and the medium of the annuities, and annual rates, but also the different annual states of the fund, in its progress to completing tlie capital stock. These calculations have approached the fact with astonishing precision. It would exceed our limits to insert the comparison between the calculations and the facts stated in the reports for the years 1762, 1765, and 1779, and printed again in those for 1790, &c ; but we shall only mention, that in the second of these statements, the comparison ran as follows : thirty ministers were calculated to die annually ; inde for twenty-one years, from 17i4, to 1765, the number by calculation is 630; the fact was G15, being only 15 of total dif- ference. Twenty widows were calculated to be left annually in the foremen- tioned period ; tliere were left 41 1 : the calculation was 420, and the difference 9. It was calculated, that six families of children, Avithout a widow, would be left annually ; the calculated amount for the above period, was 126, the fact 1 24, the dillerence 2. Four ministers or professors were calculated to die annually, without either widows or children; the calculated number fur the first twenty- one years was 84, the fact was 82. The differences for that period, between the calculated mediums of the whole number of annuities, and of annual rates, compared each with its respective fact, was, for the number of annuities, Is. 2d. C-12th3, and for the rates 3s. Od. 6-12ths. On the 22nd of November, 1799, in the fifty-sixth year of the fund, and the year whicli completed the capital stock fixed by act of parliament, Dr Webster's calculations, after having approached the truth for a long series of years with surprising accuracy, stood in the following manner: the stock and surplus for that year were ,£105,504, 2s. Ud. 3-12ths, and the calculated stock was ,£36,448, 12s. lOd. 8-12ths; consequently the dilference was c£ 19,055, 10s. Od. 7-12ths. In the year 1745, when the Highland army under prince Charles Stuart, took possession of Edinburgh, Dr Webster manifested the sincerity and firm- ness of his principles, as well as his general vigour of character, by remaining in the city, and exerting his eloquence to support the people in their attach- ment to the house of Hanover. On the day afterwards appointed by the General Assembly for a thanksgiving for the victory of Culloden, (June 23, 1746,) he preached a sermon, afterwards ])rinted, in which he made a ma-ter!y DI?. ALEXANDER TVEB3TE5. 445 exposure of the new-born affection then manifested by the Tory pnrty for the existino- dynasty. This composition, however, is degraded by a panegyric on tlie infamous Cumberland, and a number of other allusions to secular persons and artiiirs, more consistent perhaps Avith tlie manners of tlie times, than with the immutable principles of taste in pulpit oratory. It lias only the negative merit of being less fulsome in its respect for tiie hero of the day, than a similar composition by Dr Hugli lilair, whicii contained tlie following passage : " AVMien the proper season was come for (Tod to assert liis own cause, then lie raised up an illustrious deliverer, whom, for a blessing to his country, he had prepared against this time of need. Him he crowned \vith the graces of his right hand ; to the conspicuous bravery of early youth, he added the conduct and wisdom which in others is the fruit only of long experience; and distin- guished him with those qualities which render the man amiable, as well as the Hero great. He sent him fortii to be the terror to his foes, and in the day of death, commanded the shields of angels to be spread around him." At tlie time when this and similar eulogia were in the course of being pronounced, the subject of them was wreaking upon a defeated party the vengeance of a mean and brutal mind. He whom the shields of angels had protected on a day when superior strength rendered danger impossible, was now battening, with savage relish, on the fruits of an easy conquest. Cottages were smoking in every direction for a hundred miles around him, a prey to conflagration ; their tenants, either murdered by cold steel, or starved to death ; while the dictates of law, of humanity, of religion, were all alike unheard. Nor could these cir. cumstances be unknown to the courtly preachers. Ur Webster had now become a conspicuous public character, and the utility of his talents and dignity of his character were universally acknowledged, The comprehensiveness of his mind, and the accuracy of his calculating powers, rendered him a desirable and most useful ally in almost all kinds of schemes of public improvement, of which, at that period of nascent prosperity, a great number were set in motion. As the friend of provost Drummond, he aided nuich in the plan of the new town of Edinburgh, not scrupling even to devise plans for those public places of amusement which, as a minister of the church of Scotland, he was forbidden by public opinion to enter. He was a most zealous encourager of the plan of civilizing and propagating religion in the Highlands; and in 1753, published a sermon on that subject, entitled, "Zeal for the civil and religious Interests of Mankind Recommended." In the year 1755, he drew up, at the desire of lord president Dundas, for the information and service of government, an account of the number of people in Scotland ; being the first attempt at a census ever made in the kingdom. His researches on this occasion were greatly facilitated by a general correspondence which he liad opened in 1743, both with the clergy and laity, for the purposes of the Clergy's Widows' Fund. " Dr Webster's well-known character for accuracy," says Sir John Sinclair, " and the success with which his calculations have been uniformly attended, ought to satisfy every one that the report he drew up may be safely relied on." Yet, as the means employed on the occasion were only calculated to produce an approximation to correctness, it must not be disguised that the census of 1755, as it is sometimes called, was in no respect compara- ble to those which actual survey has since etlected. Our limits will not allow us, nor our information suffice, to enumerate all the charitable institutions, or projects of public welfare, temporary or lasting, in which Dr Webster was engaged. As he lived to an advanced age, he had the pleasure of seeing many of them arrive at their maturity of usefulness ; the best reward, perhaps, which merit ever enjoys. He preserved, to the latest 4i6 ALEXANDER WEDDERBURN. period of his course, that activity botli of mind and body, which dietin- guishoJ iiiiii ill llie priiuo of life ; and, ripe like a sheaf in aiituuin, obtained his freijiieiit wish and prayer, an ensy and peaceful death, after a very short indisposition, on Sunday, tiie 25th of January, 1784. By his lady, who died November 2S, 176G, he had six sons and a daughter: one of tiie former, colonel Webster, fell in the American contest. Tiie person of Dr Webster was as already mentioned, dignified and conniianding. In latter life, it berame somewhat attenuated and bent. His countenance, of which a good memorial by David Martin, is in tlie office of the Ministers' Widows' Fund, was of an elevated and striking cast, and highly characteristic of his mind. It is related to his honour, that the superior income which his wife's fortune placed at his command, was employed with unusual bountifulness in behalf of the poor to whom lie tlius proved himself a practical as well as theoretic friend. WEDDERBURN, Alexander, first earl of Rosslyn, was born, February 13, 1733, at Chesterhall in East Lothian, His father was Peter Wedderburn, of Chesterhall, Esquire, an eminent advocate, who became in 1755, a jud^-e of the court of session, with the designation of lord Chesterhall. The It is highly probable from TOrious circumstances that Vredderhurn was educated in the city just named, and that he studied either in King's, or in the newer institution, Marischal col- Ice. In 1G02, a vacancy occurred in the grammar-school of Aberdeen, by Ihe death of Thomas Cargili, a grammarian of great reputation, and author of n treatise on the (iowrie conspiracy, now apparently lost. After an exaniinatieu which lasted four days and extended to " oratorie, poesie., and compositioun in prois and verss," Wedderburn and Rlr Thomas Keid, afterwards the well-known Latin secretary to James VI., were appointed " co-cquall and conjunct masters" of the institution, with salaries of ^640 yearly, and the quarterly fees of the scholars limited to ten shillings. They were inducted into this cfncc by «* de- livery to thame of ane grammar buke."^ Early in 1G03, Wedderburn ap- peared before the town council, and stated, that being " urgit and burdenit be the lait provinciall assemblie of ministers, hauldin at this burghe, to accept upon him the function of ane minister of Goddis word, he wes r-esolvit to enter in ihe said function and obey God, calling him thairtobe the said assemblie, and to leave and desert the said school!," and concluded by craving leave to demit his oftice. This the council granted, and accompanied it with a testimonial of his faithful discharge of his duty ; but, from what cause is now unknown, Wed- derburn in the same year resumed his office. Before he had retained it twelve months, a complaint was lodged against him for making exorbitant claims on the sd'.olars for fees, charity on Sundays, " candle and bent siller." These exactions were repressed by the magistrates, and in 1619, the quarterly fees were advanced from ten shillings to thirteen shillings and fourpence. Several yeai-s before this, in 1612, his scholars distinguished themselves by an act of mutiny of the boldest nature. In conjunction with the other scholars of the town, they took possession of the Song or Music school, and fortified theni- sslves within it. Being armed with guns, hagbuts, and pistols, they boldly sallied forth a.s occasion required, and, attacking the houses of the citizens, broke open the doors and windows, " and maisterfullie away took their foullis pultrie, breid, and vivaris." They also intercepted the supplies of fuel and provisions intended fur the city markets, and continued in this state of open insurrection for two days, when they submitted to the authority of the magis- trates, who punished the ringleaders by imprisonment, and banished twenty- one of tlieir associates from all the city schools.^ In 1614, on the death of Gilbert Gray, principal of Marischal college, Wed- derburn was appointed to teach " the high class" of the university, probably meaning the class then usually taught by the principal. In 1617, ap- peared tlie first of his publications, two poems on the king's visit to Scot- land in that year, the one entitltd, " Syneuphranterion in reditu Regis 1 Kirk iiml Bridge AVoik Accounts of Aberdeen, 1634-1CS5. 2 Council Kcgisler of Aberdeen, xl. 4*^9, 410. 3 Council Itegister of Aberdeen, xlv. 85^. DAVID WEDDERBUKN. 431 in Scotiam, 1617," and the other " Propempticon Caritatuiu Abi'edonensiuir./' 15oth these poems (along with five others by the author,) were reprinted in the " Delitigj Poetarum Scotoruui," and the last of these, composed at the request of the magistrates, procured him a donation of fifty merits. In 1619, he was appointed to teach a lesson in humanity once a- week to the students of Marischal college, from such authors as tlie magistrates might select, and also to compose in Latin, botii in prose and verse, an essay on the common affairs of the city. For this he was to receive a salary of eighty nierks per annum. In ]()25, he wrote a poem on the death of James VI., wiiich was printed at Aber- deen by Edward Raban, under tlie title of " Abredonia Atrata sub Obitura Serenissiiui et Potentissimi Monarchae Jacobi VI., Abredonise, 1G25," 4to, pp. 12. This was dedicated "Ad Amplissimos Curiae Abredonensis Primatus," and is now so rare as to be priced at two giiineas. In 1630, he completed the writing of a new granuuar for tiie use of his pupils, and received from the magistrates a reward of jG 1 00 Scots. It was found, however, that this work could " neither be prentit nor publisht for the use of young schollaris, whoaie the same concernls, unto the tyuie the same resalve approbatioune frome the lordis of counsall." In consequence of this, the magistrates " thocht meit and expede, that the said Mr David address himself with the said waik to Edinburgh, in all convenient diligence, for procuring the saidis lordis thair approbatioan thalrto, and ordanis the soume of ane hundreth pundis moe to be debursit to him be the tounis thesaurar for making of his expenss in the sudeward."^ It is unknown whether Wedderburn succeeded in procuring the license of the privy council ; but if published no copy of this " gramer newly reformed" seems to have been preserved. In 1G35, Wedderburn lost a friend and patron in the learned Patrick Forbes of Corse, bishop of Aberdeen ; and among the many distin- guished contributors to that prelate's " Funerals" we find the name of "David Wedderburnus Latinae ScholcE in Urbe Nova Abredonl^e Praefectus." In 1640, he was so borne down by bodily infirmity that he was allowed to retire from the rectorship of the grammar-school on a pension of two hundred merks annually. The succeeding year he was called on to mourn the death of the celebrated Arthur Johnston, with whom he had lived in the closest friendship. One of the most beautiful of Joliastou's minor poems was addressed " Ad Davi« dem Wedderbux-num, amicum veterem," and drew forth a reply from Wedder- burn of equal elegance. He thus speaks of their friendship : " Noster talis amor; quern non (pia numina tester) Uila procelloso turbine vincit hicms. Absit! ut iEacides pal mam vel fidus Ach.Ttcs Hanc tibi prxripiat, prajripiatve milii."' And Johnston dwells with much feeling on their early mtimacj : " Aptius at vestra;, tu Wetiderbume, senectae Consulis, et, qucc fert dura senccta malis. Dum mihi te sisto, dum, quos simul egimus aiaios, IMente puto, mutor, nee mihi sum quod train, .a^sona carminibus mutavit Colchis el herbis; Hac juveiiem trtmulo do sene fecit ope. Colchidis in morem, veteri lu reddes amicc. Qui pede veloci prieteiiere dits. Tempora dum ve coIo tecum simul acta juventto Me mihi vestituens, ipsa juventa redit. Colchida tu vincis : longo molimine Colchis Quod semel aura fuit, tumihi sa;pe facis." * Cjuncil Re2;iifer, vol. 62. p. S. 453 JOHN v>t:lcii. On the death of this valued friend, Wedderbuin publislicd six elegies, under tlio title of " Sub obitiim viri darissimi et caiissiini D. Arcturi Jonstoni, Medici IJe^ii, Davidis W'eddcrburiii Siispiiia— Abredoni.-B, 1 G4 i ." Tiiis tract bas since bee'ii reprinted by Lauder in iiis " roetaium !!-ootorinu Musre Sacra," Kdinburgii, 1731. Two years alter llie publication of bis " Suspiria " be publislied, at Aberdeen, " Meditationuni Campestriuni, seu Epigraniniatum Moralium, Cen- turire dure," and in tiie following year, IG44, appeared " Centuria terlia." 15otb these works are from tlie press of lidward Raban, and are of great rarity. It is probable tliat liiey were tlie last compositions of their aullior which were printed in bis liletime, if we except some counnendatory verses to a treatise " Ue Arte conservando sanitatem," published at Aberdeen in 1G51. Thouoli (be precise year of Wedderburn's death has escaped our researches, it may be (ixed within a few years from tiiis last date. In 1GG4, his brotlier, Alexander, •••ave to the world " I'ersius Enucleatus, sive Conunentarius exaclissimus et maxime perspicuus in Persium, Toetaruni omnium difficillimuni, studio Davidis Weddcrburni, Scoti Abredonensis— opus rosthumiim ; Amslelodami," 12nio. Besides the works now enumerated, Wedderburn was the author of a great number of commendatory poems and elegiac verses. His learning has been celebrated by Vossius, who styles him " homo eruditissimus beneque promovens de studiis juventulis." His reputation is attested by the terms on which lie lived with many pf the most eminent persons of his time. His intimacy with Arthur Jolmstou and bishop Patrick Forbes, has been already mentioned ; the well known secretary Keid was bis coadjutor; and he counted among his friends Jameson the painter, A\ illiam Forbes, bishop of Edinburgli, Gilbertus Jacobffius, Duncan Liddel, baron Dun, Kamsay, Ross, and many otber illus- trious individuals. His poems show in every line an intimate acquaintance with tbe classic writers, and are filled wilb happy allusions to ancient history and fable. His verses, indeed, are more to be admired for their learning tban for their feeling ; he has nowhere succeeded in reaching tbe highest flights ot poetry, and bas frequently sunk into connnon-place and bathos. But it is im- possible to withhold admiration from the ease and elegance of his latinity, the epigrammatic vivacity of his style, or the riches of classical lore with which he has adorned his pages. WELCH, John, a celebrated divine of the seventeenth century, was born about the year 1570. His father was a gentleman of considerable note in Nithsdale, -where he possessed a pretty extensive and valuable estate called Collieston. Tbe outset of Mv Welch's career was an extraordinary one, and presents one of tha most striking and singular contrasts of conduct and disposition in one and the same person at diil'erent periods of life which can perhaps be found in tbe annals of biography. This faithful and exemplary minister of tlie church (for be became both in an eminent degree) began tbe world by associating himself with a band of border thieves. While at school, he was remarkable for the unsteadiness of Iiis habits, and for an utter disregard for the benefits of instruction and for tbe admonitions of his friends and preceptors. He was also in the practice of ab- senting bimself, frequently and for long periods, from school, a habit in which he indulged until it finally terminated in his not only abandoning tbe latter entirely, but also bis father's house, and betaking himself to tbe borders, where, as already noticed, he joined one of those numerous bands of freebooters with which those districts were then infested. Wlietber, however, it was that a bet- ter spirit came over the young prodigal, or tliat he found the life of a border marauder either not such as he bad pictured it, or in itself not agreeable to him, he soon repented of the desperate step be bad taken, and resolved on ro- tiirninjr to bis father's house. JOHN ^'ELCIT. 453 In pursuance of this resolution he called, on his way homewards, on one of his aunts, who lived in Dumfries, with tiie view of making- her a mediator between hiuiself and liis oflended fatlier, an office which she undertook and ac- complished in the course of an accidental visit which young Welch's father paid her whilst his son was still under her roof. The former, however, had antici- pated a very diHcrent issue to his son's profligate courses, for, on a sort of trial question being put to him by tlie young man's aunt, previously to her producing him, whether he liad lieard anything lately of John, he replied, " Tlie first news I expect to hear of liim is, that he is hanged for a thief." On the recon- ciliation with his father being effected, young Welch entreated him, with many protestations of future amendment, all of which he afterwards faithfully imple- mented, to send liim to college. With this request his father complied, and the young convert gave him no reason to repent of his indulgence. He became a diligent student, and made such rapid progress in the learning of the times that he obtained a ministerial settlement at Selkirk before he had attained his twentieth year. His stay here, however, was but short, as, for some reason or another which has not been recorded, he seems to liave been an ob- ject of dislike and jealousy both to the clerg-y and lay gentlemen of the district in which he resided. It is not improbable that his former lite was recollected to his disadvantage, and that this was, at least in some measure, the cause of the enmity with which he was persecuted. But, whatever the cause was, it is certain that it is not to he found in his conduct, which was now exemplary, both in a moral and religious point of view. 'Ihe latter, indeed, was of an ex- traordinary character. It was marked by an intensity and fervour, an unre- mitting and indefatigable zeal, which has been but rarely equalled in any other person, and never surpassed. He preached publicly once every day, prayed, besides, for seven or eight hours during the same period, and did not allow even the depth of the night to pass without witnessing the ardency and en- thusiasm of his devotions. Every night, before going to bed, he threw a Scotch plaid above his bed-clothes, that, when he awoke to his midnight prayers, it might be in readiness to wrap around his shoulders. These devotional habits lie commenced with his ministry at Selkirk, and continued to the end of his life, rinding his situation a very unpleasant one, Mr Welch readily obeyed a call which had been made to him from Kirkcudbright, and lost no time in re- moving thither. On this occasion a remarkable instance occurred of that unac- countable dislike with which he was viewed, and which neither his exemplary- piety nor upright conduct seems to have been capable of diminishing. He could not find any one person in the whole town excepting one poor young man of the name of Ewart, who would lend him any assistance in transporting his furniture to liis new destination. Shortly after his settlement at Kii'kcud- bright Mr Welch received a call from Ayr. This invitation iie thought proper also to accept, and proceeded thither in 1590. Some of the details of tins period of Blr Welch's life afibrd a remarkably sti iking evidence of the then rude and barbarous state of the country. On his arrival at Ayr, so great was the aversion of the inhabitants to the ministerial character, and to the wholesome restraints wliich it ought always to impose, that he could find no one in the town who would let him have a, house to live in, and he was thus compelled to avail himself of the hospitality of a merchant of the name of Stewart, who oflered him the shelter of his roof. At this period, too, it appears that the streets of Ayr were constantly converted into scenes of the most sanguinary combats between factious parties, and so frequent and to such an extent was this murderous turbulence carried that no man could walk through the town witii safety. -iS-i JOHN WELCH. Among the first duties which Mr Welch imposed upon himself after his EOttlenient at Ayr, was to correct this ruthless and ferocious spirit, and the inetiiod lio took to acconiplisli his good work was a singular but, as it proved etfectanl one. Regardless of tlie consequences to hiniselC, he rushed in between the infuriated combatants, wholly unarmed, and no otherwise protected from any accidental stroke of their weapons than by a steel cap which he previously placed on his head on such occasions. When he Iiad, by this fearless and de- termined proceeding, succeeded in staying the strife, he ordered a table to be covered in the street, and prevailed upon the hostile jiarties to sit down and eat and drink together, and to profess themselves friends. This ceremony he concluded witli prayer and a psalin, in wliicli all joined. The novelty of this proceeding, the intrepidity of its originator, and above all the kind and christian-like spirit which it breathed, soon had the most beneficial effects. The evil which 3Ir Welch tlius aimed at correcting gradually disappeared, and he himself was received into high favour by tlie inhabitants of the town, who now began to reverence his piety and respect his worth. While in Ayr Mr ■\Velcii not only adhered to the arduous course of devotional exercise which he had laid down for himself at Selkirk, but increased its severity, by adopting a practice of spending whole nights in prayer in the church of Ayr, which was situated at some distance from the town, and to which he was in the habit of repairing alone for this pious purpose. Among the other objects of pas- toral solicitude which particularly engaged 3Ir Welch's attention during his ministry at Ayr, was the profanation of the Sabbath, one of the most prominent sins of the place. Tiiis he also succeeded in remedying to a great extent by a similarly judicious conduct with that he observed in the case of feuds and quarrels. This career of usefulness Mr Welch pursued with unwearied dili- gence and unabated zeal till the year IG05, when on an attempt on the part of the king (James VI.,) to suppress General Assemblies, and on that of the clergy to maintain them, he, with several more of his brethren, was thrown into prison for holding a diet, in opposition to the wishes of the court of delegates of synods, of which I\Ir Welch was one, at Aberdeen. For this offence Ihey were summoned before the privy council, but, declining the jurisdiction of that court in their particular case, they were indicted to stand trial for high treason at Linlithgow. By a series of the most unjust, illegal, and arbitrary proceed- ings on the part of the otRccrs of the crown, a verdict of guilty was obtained against them, and they were sentenced to suffer the death of traitors. The conduct of the wives of the condemned clergymen, and amongst those of 3Irs Welch in particular, on this melancholy occasion, was worthy of the brightest page in Spartan story. They left their families and hastened to Linlithgow to be present at the trial of their husbands, that they might share in their joy if the result was favourable, and that they might inspire them with courage if it were otherwise. On being informed of the sentence of the court, " these heroines," says Dr 3I'Crie, " instead of lamenting their fate, praised God who had given tlieir husbands courage to stand to the cause of their blaster, addinjr, that, like Him, they had been judged and condemned under the covert of night." If spirit be hereditary, this magnanimous conduct, on the part of Mrs Welch at any rate,jnay be considered accounted for by the circumstance of her having been the daughter of John Knox. She was the third daughter of that celebrated person. I-.iiher deterred by the popularity of the prisoners, and the cause for which they suffered, or satisfied with the power which the sen- tence of the court had given him over their persons, James, instead of brinn-ino that sentence to a fatal issue, contented himself with commuting it into banish- ment; and on the 7th November, IGOG, 3Ir Welch, accompanied by his wife, JOHN -ft'ELCII. 4.55 and Ills associates in misfortune, sailed from Leith for Franco, after an im- prisonment of many montlis' duration in the castles of Edinburgh and Blacli- ness. So great Vias tlie public sympathy for these persecuted men, that, thouo^li the hour of tlieir enibarlcation was as early as two o'clock of the morning, and that in the depth of winter, they were attended by a great number of persons who came to bid them. an affectionate farewell. The part- ing of the expatriated men' and their friends was soleuin and characteristic, prayers were said, and a psalai, (the •23rd,) in which all who were present joined, was sung. On his arrival in France, 3Ir Welch immediately commenced the study of the language of the country, and such was his extraordinary diligence, and his anxiety to make himself again useful, that he acquired, in the short space of fourteen weeks, such a knowledge of French as enabled liiui to preach in it. This attainment v.as soon after followed by a call to the ministry from a protestant congregation at Nerac. Here, however, he remained but for a short, period, being translated to St Jean D'Angely, a fortified town in Lower Charente, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his slay in France, which was upwards of fourteen years. While living at St Jean D'Angely, Mr V.elch evinced, on an occasion which called for it, a degree of courage in the field not less remarkable than that which distinguished him in the pulpit. A war having broken out between Louis Xlir. and his protestant subjects, the foi-mer besieged the town in person. During the siege Mr Welch not only exhorted the inliabitanls to make a de- termined and vigorous resistance, but took his place upon the walls of the city, and assisted in serving the guns. When the town capitulated, which it finally did, in terms of a treaty entered into with the besiegers, the French monarch ordered that Mr Welch, who, with characteristic intrepidity, continued to preach, to be brought before him. The messenger whom he despatched for this pur- pose was the duke D'iipernon, who entered the church in uhich 3Ir >A elcli was at the moment preaching, with a party of soldiers to take him from the pulpit. On perceiving the duke enter, IMr Welch called out to him in a loud and authoritative tone to sit down and hear the word of God. The duke instinc- tively or unconsciously obeyed, and not only quietly awaited the conclusion of the sermon, but listened to it throughout with the gi'eatest attention, and af- terwards declared himself to have been much edified by it. On being brought into the presence of the king, the latter angrily demanded of Mr Welch how he had dared to preach, since it was contrary to the laws of the kingdom for such as he to officiate in places wliere the court resided. Mr Welch's reply was bold and characteristic. " Sir," he said, " if your majesty knew what I preached, you ^vould not only come and hear it yourself, but make all France hear it ; for I preach net as those men you used to hear. First, I preach that you must be saved by the merits of Jesus Christ, and not your own, (and I am sure your conscience tells you that your good works will never merit heaven :) next, I preach, that, as you are king of France, there is no man on earth above you ; but these men whom you hear, subject you to the pcne of Rome, which I will never do." This last remark was so exceedingly gratifying to the king, that it had the effect not only of disarming him of his wrath, but induced him to receive the speaker instantly into his royal favour. " Very well," re- plied Louis, " you shall be my minister," and to these expressions of good- will he added an assurance of his protection, a pledge which he afterwards amply redeemed. When St Jean D'Angely was again besieged by the French monarch in 1G2I, he ordered the captain of his guard to protect the house and property of " his minister," and afterwards supplied him with horses and wagons 45G SIR HENRY MONCRIEFP WELLWOOD. BART., D.D. to transport his family to Rochelle, wlillhcr he removed on the capture of the town. 3Ir Welch «ns at this period seized with an illness which his physicians ds- clared could be removed only by his returning to hreatlie the air of his native' country. Under these circumstances he ventured, in 1G22, to come to London liopinrotestant preachers, to appear before him ; but their trial was prorogued by the queen regent's orders, and ihey ivere sununoned to appear before the Justiciary court at Stirling. In the mean lime, the gentle- men of the counties of Angus and ^learns, where the protestant doctrines pre- vailed, assembled >vith their followers, with the avowed intention of accom- jianying the ministers to Stirling. The queen regent became alarmed, and promised to Erskine of Dun, " to take some better order." Upon the faith of this promise, they retired, and the ministers did not, of course, consider them- selves as still bound to appear. But when the day of trial came, the regent ordered the summons to be called, the ministers outla\ved, and their cautioners unierciatcd. It is fortunate when such instances cf dnpiicity meet with " the skaitli and the scorn" which they deserve. This was certainly the case in the present in- stance. While the breach of faith alienated the affections of some of her best supporters, it had not even the temporary effect of retarding the progress of the new doctrines. In the following July, Willock preached in St Giles's, Edinburgh, to large audiences ; and in harvest, the sacrament of the Lord's supper was publicly administered. The regent requested that mass might still be said, the church leaving it to the option of the people to attend the popish or the protestant service; but Willock and his party were sufficiently powerful to resist the proposal, and she had the mortification of seeing her wishes frus- trated by the very men whom she had proclaimed rebels not two months before. She was to receive a yet more decided blow from them. In October, the nobi- lity, barons, and burgesses, assembled at Edii:burgh, to discuss the question, whether a regent who had contemptuously refused the advice of her bom councillors, — who had infringed the laws, both of the realm and of common good faith, — and who had carried on a civil war in the kingdom, — should be suffered any longer to rule tyrannically over them. After a statement of their opinions by Willock and Knox, she was solemnly deposed, and a council, as- sisted by four ministers, of whom Willock was one, was appointed to carry on the government, till the first meeting of a parliament. Tiie arrangements which followed the establishment of the Piefcrmation, and the appointment cf superintendents over provinces, have been noticed in several of the lives in this work. In September, 15G1, Willock Avas ordained superin- tendent of the west, at Glasgow, in presence of some of the most powerful of the nobility.'^ From this period ceases everything in his history, that may be ' See an account of their ccntrovcrsj, so far as it proceeded, in Keillrs History, Appendix, tD3 — 9. ' Allhougli the form of admission did not take place till lliat date, there is evidence tliat Willock was settled in the west, and had an allowaiife from the revenues of the arch- bishopric of Glasgow, as early as October, 1500, before the meeting of the first General Asembly. In the following January, his wife, who appears to have resided in England JOHN WtLLISON. 467 supposed to interest a general reader. He was now occupied, apparently, in llie routine of liis duties, and in the business of the General Assembly, of whicli he was several times (in 1563, 1565, and 1568) chosen moderator. In or before 1567, he seems to have gone to England; and the General Assembly, in testimony of their esteem, and of the value of his services, ordered John Knox to request him to return. This he did in a most aflectionate letter, and it hat! its effect Willock did return, and was appointed moderator of the next As- sembly. For reasons which it is now in vain to conjecture, he is supposed to have returned to England, almost immediately afterwards. With this period closes every authentic trace of this excellent man, of whose history throughout, we unfor- tunately only know enough to excite, but not to gratify, our interest. A charge, apparently of a very absurd nature, has been brought against him by IMr George Chalmers. In a MS. in tlie State Paper office, that author discovered, that in April, 1590, " twa men, the ane namyt Johnne Gibsonne, Scottishmn'j, preacher, and Johne Willokes, were convicted by a jury of robbery ;" and he immediately concluded that this could be no one else, but " the reforming co- adjutor of Knox:" a conclusion which could not fail to gratify his prejudices. Without troubling- the reader with any lengthened defence of the supposition that there may have been more than one John Willock in broad England, we shall merely state, that as our Willock was a preacher in 151.0, if not earlier, he must now have been at an age when robbers (when the gallows spares them) generally think of retiring from their profession. Respecting the works of John Willock, we have not been able to learn any- thing. Dempster, in his account of him,-— one of the most bitter articles in hi? " Historia Ecclesiastica," — ascribes to him, "Impia Qusedam;" which, however, he had not seen when he pronounced tins opinion of them.^ WILLISON, John, an eminent divine, and author of several weil known re- ligious works, was born in the year 1680. The singularly gentle and pious disposition which he evinced, even in his boyhood, together with the extraordi- nary aptness which he discovered for learning, determined his parents to devote him, from a very early period of his life, to the service of the church, and in this determination young Willison cordially acquiesced. It was the profession of all others which he himself preferred. On completing a regular course of academical education, he entered on the study of divinity, and prosecuted it with remarkable assiduity and success. Having duly qualified himself for the sacred calling of the ministry, he was al- most immediately thei-eafter invited, 1703, by an unanimous call, to the pas- toral office at Brechin. Here lie acquired so great a degree of popularity by his abilities as a preacher, and by the simplicity and purity of his manners and conduct, and the benevolence of his disposition, that he xvas earnestly and unanimously called upon by the people of Dundee to fill a vacancy which shortly after occurred in tiiat town. He accordingly removed tliilher, and remained there till his death. Mr Willison's abilities procured him a remarkable prominency in all public discussions regarding church matters in the period in which he lived, esnecially in the question of patronage, to which he was decidedly hostile. He was, in- deed, considered the leader of the party who advocated the right of the people to choose their own pastors agreeably to the settlement of the church at tlie rev<;- lution, in 1689, and was indefatigable in his exertions to i-estore tlie exercise during the struggles which preceded the Reformation, joined him. ( Wadrow's Biographical Collections, printed by the Maitland Club, i. 4oO. ) " Abridged from Wodrovv's Biograpluciil CoUeciions i., 99 — IIG, ilS — 453. 463 ALEXANDER AVILSON. of this popular right, which had been overturned by an act of parliament passed in n\2. In these exertions, however, both Mr Willison and his party were unsuccessful till the year 1731, when tiiey were fortunate enough to procure the co-operation of the General Assembly in their views. That body had hitlierto strenuously seconded tiie enforcement of the system of exclusive patronage, but in the year just named it happened to be composed of men who entertained directly opposite sentiments on that subject to those avowed and acted upon by their predecessors; — so opposite, indeed, that tl>ey determined, in the following year, 1735, to apply to parliament for a repeal of the patronage act. The known abilities, zeal, and activity of Mr AA illison sug- gested him as one of the fittest persons to proceed to London on this in)portant mission, a>id lie was accordingly appointed, with two other clergymen, Messrs Gordon and IMackintosh, to perform that duty ; but the application was unsuc- cessful. Mr Willison also distinguished himself by the strenuous eflorls he made to keep the peace of the church, by endeavouring to prevent those schisms, and to reconcile liiose difl'erences, which led to the separation of large bodies of Cluistians from the established church, and which first began to manifest themselves about this period. His efforts were unsuccessful, but not the less meritorious on that account. Besides being a popular preacher, Mr Willison was also a popular author, and in the religious world his name, in the latter capacity, still stands, and will long stand, deservedly high. His principal works are, " The Afflicted Man's Companion," written, as he himself says, with the benevolent intention " that liie afflicted may have a book in their houses, and at their bed sides, as a monitor to preach to them in private, when they are restrained from heariug sermons in public ;" and the work is admirably calculated to have tlie soothiug" effect intended by its able and amiable author ; " The Church's Danger and IMinisters' Duty ;" " A Sacramental Directory ;" " A Sacramental Cate- chism;" "An Example of Plain Catechising;" "The Balm of Gilead ;" "Sacramental Meditations;" "Appendix to Sacramental Meditations;" "A Fair and Impartial Testimony;" " Gospel Hymns;" " Popery another Gos- pel ;" and " The Voung Communicant's Catechism." An edition of these very useful and pious works, in one volume, 4to, was published at Aberdeen in 1817. iMr Willison is described as having been most exemplary in all the relations of liie, and singularly faithful and laborious in the discharge of the important duties of his sacred office, especially in visiting and comforting the sick. In this benevolent work he made no distinction between the rich and the poor, or, if he did, it was in favour of the latter. Neither did he confine his exer- tions in such cases to those of his own persuasion, but with a truly christian liberality of sentiment, readily obeyed the calls of all in affliction, whatever I'lieir religious creed might be, who sought his aid. Mr Willison died at Dundee, on the 3rd of May, 1750, in the seventieth year of his age, and the forty-seventh of his ministrj'. WILSON, Alexander, the celebrated Ornithologist, was born in Paisley, on the 6th July, 1766. His father was at that time a distiller in a limited way ; poor in circumstances, but sober, religious, and industrious, and possessed of sagacity and intelligence much beyond most men in his sphere of life. From the period of his son's birth, he entertained the project so fondly cherished by almost every parent among our Scottish peasantry, of rearing him up to be a minister of the gospel. There is no evidence to show that young A\ iison displayed any unusual precocity of intellect or bias of disposition to ju^ ALEXANDER WILSON. 469 tify so high a destination : but even if he had, he would have been compelled to relinquish his views by the death of his mother, which left his father em- barrassed with the charge of a young family. Alexander was at this time ten years of age, and allhough his education had necessarily been restricted to the ordinary branches of writing, reading, and accounts, the judicious and careful superintendence of his father had even then imbued his mind with a passion for reading, and a predilection for the beauties of nature, which continued to influence his character ever afterwards. In his correspondence at a later period of his life, Wilson often recurs, with expressions of warm-filial gratitude, to the paternal anxiety with which his early studies Avere directed, to which he attri- luited all the eminence and honours he subsequently attained. In a letter, dated February, ISll, he says: — "The publication of my OrnitJiology , though it has swallowed up all the little I had saved, has procured me the honour of many friends, eminent in this country, and the esteem of the public at large ; for which I have to thank the goodness of a kind father, whoso attention to my education in early life, as well as the books then put into my hands, first gave my mind a bias towards relishing the paths of literature, and the charms and magnificence of nature. These, it is true, particularly the latter, have made me a wanderer in life ; but they have also enabled me to support an honest and respectable situation in the world, and have been the sources of almost all my enjoyments." Wilson's father soon married again ; a d three years passed away, during which time Alexander seems to have had no other occupation, but reading and roaming about, feeding in solitude habits of reflection, and an ardent poetic temperament, which led him to shun the society of his frolicksome compeers. An American biographer erroneously attributed this disposition for solitary rambling, and his ultimate departure from the paternal dwelling, to the harsh treatment of his stepmother ; but it has been clearly proved by subsequent writers, that she discharged her duty towards him with great tenderness and affection ; and Wilson himself uniformly speaks of her ^vilh great respect. At the age of thirteen, — that is in July, 1779,— Wilson was apprenticed for three years to William Duncan, a weaver, ^ho had married his eldest sister. This occupation was quite at variance with his disposition and pre- vious habits ; yet he, nevertheless, not only completed his indenture, but afterwards wrought for four years as a journeyman, residing sometimes at Paisley, at other times in his father's house, (who had then removed to Lochuinnoch,) and latterly with his brother-in-law, Duncan, who had shifted his quarters to Queensferry. Having much of his time at his own disposal during the last four years, Wilson gave a loose to his poetical disposition ; his relish for the quiet and sequestered beauties of nature, which began to assume almost the character of a passion, he indulged more and more, giving utterance to his feelings in verses — chiefly descriptive — which, if exhibiting no great power of diction, certainly display an expansion of thought, a purity of taste, and a refinement of sentiment, that are very remarkable in one so young, and so unfavourably circumstanced for the cultivation of literary pursuits. The only explanation which can be given of the fact, is, that he possessed an insatiable thirst for reading ; and with that and solitary musings, passed t!ie leisure hours ^shich others generally devote to social amusements. An almost necessary consequent on this gradual refinement and elev'ation of mind, was, a disgust with the slavish and monotonous occupation of the loom; and the incon- gruity between his worldly circumstances and the secret aspirations of his soul, frequently occasioned fits of the deepest melancholy. Unlike, however, but too many of the like sensitive character, similarly situated, he never sought relief 470 ALEXANDER WILSON. from his morbid despondency in the deceitful stimulant of the bottle. He yielded to its inniiciice, only in ns far as he manifested an increasing- arevsior to his (icciipnlion ; or, as nioro uorldly-niindcd people Mould term it a ten- den(-y to idleness. Nor did the circumstance of teveral of his juvenile pieces appearing about this time in the Gla.igow Advertiser, (now the Glasgow Herald,) and uhich attracted no small attention amongst iiis townsmen tend anything to reconcile him to the shuttle. Tiiis was immediately before Iiis migration to Qiieensferry ; on his removal to which place, a circimistnnce occurred, which had a strong inilucnce upon his future fortunes and character. His brotiier-in-Iaw, Duncan, finding the trade of weaving inadequate to the support of liis family, resolved to attempt that of a peddler or travellino- mer- chant, for a while, and invited Wilson to join in tlie expedition. No proposal could riave been more congenial to tlie young poet's mind, promising, as it did the gratification of the two most powerful passions which he cheiisiied, a desire for increasing his knowledge of men and manners; and a thirst for con- templating the varied scenery of nature. From a journal which he kept, in- deed, (lie was in his twentieth year when he set out,) during this expedition, it is evident tliat his sensations almost amounted to rapture; and he speaks with the most profound contempt of the " grovelling sons of interest, and the grubs of tills world, who know as little of, and are as incapable of enjoying, the pleasures arising from the study of nature, as tliose miserable spirits who are doomed to perpetual darkness, can the glorious regions and eternal delights of paradise!" For nearly three years did Wilson lead this wandering life, durin<>- which time it appears that he paid less attention to the sale of his wares than to gratifying his predilection for reading and composition, and indulging iu a sort of dreamy meditation, little compatible with the interests of his pack. In fact, of all occupations, the sneaking, cajoling, and half-mendicant profession of a peddler, was perhaps the most unsuitable to the manly and zealously inde- pendent tone of Wilson's mind ; but he was consoled for his want of success, by the opportunities he enjoyed of visiting those spots rendered classical, or hallowed by the " tales of the days of old." He used to speak, for instance, with rapt enthusiasm, of the exultation he experienced in visiting the viljaoe of Athel- staneford, successively the residence of Blair and Home. During this happy period— the only truly happy one, perhaps, of his whole life — his muse was so busy, that, in 1789, he began to think of publishing. As he could get no book- seller, however, to risk the necessary outlay, he was compelled to advance what little gains he had stored up, and getting a bundle of prospectuses thrown oil', he set out on a second journey with his ^jack, for the double purpose of selling- muslins and procuring subscribers for his poems. In the latter object, ha was grievously disappointed; but Wilson was not a man to travel from Dan to lieersheba, and say all is barren, even although foiled in the immediate pur- pose of his iieart. His journal, during this second journey, indicates the strong and rapid growth of his understanding, and exhibits powers of observation and philosophic reflection, remarkable in a young man of the immature age of twenty-three. Upon his return home, he obtained the publication of his poems by 3Ir John Neilson, printer in Paisley, when he again set out on his former route, carrying with him a plentiful supply of copies, for the benefit cf those who might prefer poetry to packware. A less sanguine individual than Wilson, might have anticipated the prejudice with \^hich attempts at literary eminence, emanating from such a quarter, were likely to be viewed by the world. But our author was one to whose mind nothing but the test of experience could ever carry conviction — a characteristic, which, in his subsequent career, proved one of the most valuable attributes of his mind. His expectations were ALEXANDER WILSON. 471 soon resolved in the present instance. The amount of iiis success may 1)6