66 August, 1600," 12mo. Two vessels, the Betsey Cunningham, and the Leith packet Pitcairn, from London to Leith, being wrecked on the shore between Dunbar and North Berwick, in the month of October, 1761, and pillaged by the country people, as was too often done on all the coasts of Britain, and is sometimes done to this day, Sir David published a sermon, which might have been preached in East Lothian on the 25th day of October, 1761: | Ac. xxvii. 1, 2, "The barbarous people showed us no little kindness." This is an admirable discourse, deeply affecting, and calculated in a particular manner to carry conviction to the offenders. In 1762 he published from the press of the Foulises, Glasgow, Memorials and Letters relating to the History of Britain in the Reign of James I. of England, from a Collection in the Advocates' Library, by Balfour of Denmyln, with a Preface and a few Notes." This is an exceedingly curious little volume, throwing much light on the character of the British Solomon and his sapient courtiers. In 1765 he published, from the same press, the works of the ever memorable Mr. John Hailes of Eaton, now first collected together, in three volumes, with a short preface, and a dedication to Bishop Warburton, the edition said to be undertaken with his approbation. The same year he published a specimen of a book entitled "Ane Compendious Booke of Godly and Spiritual Sangs, collectit out of sundrie parts of Scripture, with sundrie of other Ballotis changed out of Prophane Sangs for avoyding of Sin and Harlotrie," &c. This was printed at Edinburgh, in 12m0, and was the first introduction of that singular performance to the notice of modern readers. In 1766 he published at Glasgow, "Memorials and Letters Relating to the History of Britain in the Reign of Charles I., published from the originals, collected by Mr. Robert Wodrow, the historian of the sufferings of the Church of Scotland." This is a very curious performance; and it was followed, the same year, by one perhaps still more so-an account of the preservation of King Charles II. after the battle of Worcester, drawn up by himself; to which are added his letters to several persons. The same year he published the secret correspondence between Sir Robert Cecil and James VI.; and the year following, "A Catalogue of the Lords of Session, from the institution of the College of Justice, in the year 1532, with historical notes. The private correspondence of Dr. Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, and his friends in 1725, was published by Lord Hailes in 1768-69. An examination of some of the argu- | ments for the high antiquity of Regiam Majestatem, and an inquiry into the authenticity of the Leges Malcolmi. Also, Historical Memoirs concerning the Provincial Councils of the Scottish Clergy, from the Earliest Accounts to the Era of the Reformation. At the same time he published, Canons of the Church of Scotland, drawn up in the Provincial Councils held at Perth A.D. 1242 and 1269. In 1770 he published Ancient Scottish Poems, published from MS. of George Bannatyne, 1568, with a number of curious notes and a glossary. His lordship's next performance was The Additional Case of Elizabeth, Claiming the Title and Dignity of Countess of Sutherland, by her Guardian; wherein the facts and arguments in support of her claim are more fully stated, and the errors in the additional cases for the other claimants are detected." This most singularly learned and able case was subscribed by Alexander Wedderburn, afterwards lord-chancellor of England, and Sir Adam Ferguson, but is the well-known work of Lord Hailes. This performance is not to be regarded merely as a law-paper of great ability, but as a 66 | | treatise of profound research into the history and antiquity of many important and general points of succession and family history. In 1773 he published Remarks on the History of Scotland, inscribed to George, Lord Lyttleton. In 1776 he published, Huberti Langueti Epistola ad Philippum Sydneium, Equitem Anglum, &c., inscribed to Lord-chief baron Smythe. The same year was published his Annals of Scotland, from the Accession of Malcolm III., surnamed Canmore, to the Accession of Robert I. This was followed, three years after, by Annals of Scotland, from the Accession of Robert 1., surnamed the Bruce, to the Accession of the House of Stuart. This is a most admirable work, but as it enjoys universal celebrity, and is in the hands of every one who is studious of Scottish history, we do not think it necessary to give any particular remarks upon it. In 1776 he published the first volume of the Remains of Christian Antiquity, a work of great erudition, containing accounts of the martyrs of Smyrna and Lyons in the second century, with explanatory notes; dedicated to Bishop Hurd. This is a new and correct version of two most ancient epistles, the one from the church at Smyrna to the church at Philadelphia; the other from the Christians at Vienne and Lyons to those in Asia and Phrygia; their antiquity and authenticity are undoubted. Great part of both is extracted from Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History. The former was first completely edited by Archbishop Usher. Lord Hailes, with that singular modesty which characterized him, says of his notes to this work, that they will afford little new or interesting to men of erudition, though they may prove of some benefit to the unlearned reader. The erudition Lord Hailes possessed on these topics was of a kind so singular, and is so little studied, that he might have spared any apology on the subject, the learned being, in fact, for the most part, on these subjects more ignorant than the unlearned. With much useful learning, however, these notes display what is still better, true piety and ardent zeal, connected with an exemplary knowledge of Christianity. In 1778 his lordship published the second volume of this work, dedicated to Dr. Newton, Bishop of Bristol. This volume contains the trial of Justin Martyr and his companions; the epistle of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch; the trial and execution of Fructuosus, Bishop of Torrocena in Spain, and of his two deacons Augurius and Eulogius; the maiden of Antioch, &c. These are all newly translated by Lord Hailes from Ruinart, Eusebius, Ambrose, &c. The notes of this volume display a most intimate acquaintance with antiquity, great critical acumen, both in elucidating the sense and detecting interpolations, and, above all, a fervent and enlightened zeal in vindicating such sentiments and conduct as are conformable to the word of God, against the malicious sarcasms of Mr. Gibbon. The third volume appeared in 1780, dedicated to Thomas Balgray, D.D. It contains the history of the martyrs of Palestine in the third century, translated from Eusebius. In the notes and illustrations to this volume Gibbon comes again under review, and his partiality and misrepresentations are most satisfactorily exposed. In 1781 he published Octavius, a Dialogue by Marcus Minucius Felix, with notes and illustrations. The speakers are Cœcilius, a heathen, and Octavius, a Christian, whose arguments prevail with his friend to become a Christian proselyte. In 1782 he published a treatise, by L. C. F. Lactantius, of the manner in which the persecutors died. This was dedicated to Dr. Porteous, Bishop of Chester, afterwards Bishop of London, and largely illustrated by critical notes. In 1783 he published Disquisi tions concerning the Antiquity of the Christian Church, | inscribed to Dr. Halifax, Bishop of Gloucester. This small but highly original work consists of six chapters: Ist, of the conduct and character of Gallio; 2d, of the time at which the Christian religion became known at Rome; 3d, of the cause of the persecution of the Christians under Nero, in which the hypothesis of Gibbon is examined; 4th, of the emi-jects as he thought particularly called for by the nent heathens who are said by Gibbon to have contemned Christianity, viz. Seneca, the Plinys elder and younger, Tacitus, Galen, Epictetus, Plutarch, and Marcus Antoninus (this chapter is particularly interesting to the admirer of heathen philosophers and heathen philosophy); 5th is an illustration of a conjecture of Gibbon respecting the silence of Dion Cassius concerning the Christians; and the 6th treats of the circumstances respecting Christianity that are to be found in the Augustan history. There can scarcely be a doubt, that all these works treating of the early ages of Christianity, were suggested by the misrepresentations of Gibbon, and were they circulated as widely as Gibbon's work, would be found a complete antidote. His lordship, however, was not satisfied with this indirect mode of defence, and, in 1786, published An Inquiry into the Secondary Causes which Mr. Gibbon has Assigned for the Rapid Growth of Christianity; in which he has most triumphantly set aside his conclusions. This performance he gratefully and affectionately inscribed to Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester. The same year his lordship published sketches of the lives of John Barclay; of John Hamilton, a secular priest; of Sir James Ramsay, a general officer in the army of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden; of George Leslie, a Capuchin friar; and of Mark Alexander Boyd. These lives were written and published as a specimen of the manner in which a Biographica Scotica might be executed, and we do not know that he proceeded any further with the design. In 1788 he published, from her original MSS., the Opinions of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, with notes, corrective of her ladyship's splenetic humour; and, in 1790, he translated and published, with notes and illustrations, The Address of Q. Sept. Tertullian to Scapula Tertullus, Pro-consul of Africa. This address contains many particulars relating to the church after the third century, and in the notes some strange inaccuracies of Mr. Gibbon are detected. popularity been his intention, as it was of too many of his contemporaries, there cannot be a doubt but that he could have made himself the most shining meteor among them. Instead, however, of fixing upon subjects that might interest the frivolous, or draw upon him the smiles of the fashionable and the gay, he sedulously devoted his studies to such subcircumstances of the times, and with which all would be benefited by becoming acquainted. A shallow spirit of scepticism was abroad, which, aided by ignorance and misrepresentation, was threatening to become universal, and to change the sober and meditative character of Britons into frothy petulance and flippant vanity. This he attempted to meet by sober investigations into the truth of the facts that had been so confidently assumed respecting the early history of Christianity, by which he certainly left his opponents without the shadow of an excuse for persisting in their conclusions, having proved to a demonstration that their premises were false. Whether he might not have done this in a more popular form we cannot now stay to inquire into. We certainly think the mode he adopted that which was best calculated to cut off the cavilling of adversaries, and to carry conviction to the mind of the reader; and to those who wish to treat the subject in a more popular form, his lordship has furnished abundant materials. His various republications of the ancient poetry of Scotland, and the publication of original letters regarding her history and manners, while they throw much light upon the history of the country and the domestic economy of the times to which they relate, present his lordship in a most amiable point of view; and, while we admire the scholar and the philosopher, we cannot cease to venerate and to love the man. Of his Annals we have already spoken. Though necessarily written in a close and severe style, they have long ago risen to a pitch of popularity far beyond many works that took a more immediate hold of the public mind; and we have no doubt that ages will only add to their value. Indeed, he has left nothing to be done for the periods that came under his review. His inquiry into the secondary causes which Gibbon has assigned for the rapid progress of Christianity, is also a masterpiece of its kind, displaying great critical acumen, close reasoning, and great zeal for truth, without the This was the last work which Lord Hailes lived smallest particle of that rancour which too often to publish. His constitution had been long in an runs through theological controversy. With all his enfeebled state, which so much diligence in study virtues and all his acquirements, joined to the finest must have tended to increase. He continued, how-natural abilities, Lord Hailes was not one of those ever, to prosecute his studies, and to attend his duty on the bench till within three days of his death, which happened on the 29th of November, 1792, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. His lordship was twice married. By his first wife, Anne Brown, only daughter of Lord Coalston, one of the judges of the Court of Session, he left issue one daughter, who inherited his estate. By his second wife, Helen Ferguson, youngest daughter of Lord Kilkerran, he left also issue, one daughter. Having no male issue, his baronetcy descended to his nephew. Of the character of Lord Hailes, there can be but one opinion. As an able lawyer and an upright judge, he stands eminently conspicuous in an age and a country where such characters were not rare; and when the exercise of such qualities, from their superabundance, scarcely could merit praise. As a man of general erudition he stands, if we except Warburton, almost without a rival in the age he lived in. His skill in classical learning, the belles-lettres, and historical antiquities, especially those of his own country, have been universally admitted; and had who could boast of the large sums he received for the copyright of his works. He was most commonly his own publisher; and, as is generally the case in such circumstances, the circulation of his writings was, with a few exceptions, confined to the particular friends and acquaintances whom he had drawn around him. The consequence is, that there are many of them no longer to be met with, being wholly confined to the cabinets of the curious. It would be a meritorious work in these days of literary enterprise, and we cannot doubt that an intelligent and spirited publisher might find it a profitable speculation, to publish a neat, cheap, and uniform edition of his multifarious publications. Lord Hailes possessed a natural taste for retirement. The state of his affairs, at a most important period of his life, rendered it necessary for him, and the habit grew upon him as he advanced in years. His constitution, of which he was careful, as well as his principles and habits, rendered him averse to every kind of dissipation. After he was constituted a judge, he considered it unbecoming his character to mingle much with |