At a proper age he was sent to King's College, in the University of Aberdeen; but it was probably from possessing a levity of disposition, which did not well accord with a system of theological study and discipline, and not having the authority of a father to controul him, that his stay there was short; for, after passing a single winter of study, and in that period gaining a burse, (as the college prizes are called) he took leave of hoth college and school with this solitary mark of triumph, and would never afterwards return to either. Shortly after this, he went to sea in the capacity of a midshipman; but the versatile character of his mind soon led him to relinquish the profession of a seaman. He had, however, resolution to perform a voyage to the East Indies, but was then too young to estimate justly the value of such a prospect as presented itself to him for the acquisition of independence. In his passage home he contracted an intimate friendship with a gentleman who had realized a handsome fortune during a residence of twenty-five years in the East; by whose invitation he visited Ireland, where he enjoyed the attention and friendship of his new acquaintance during the remainder of that gentleman's life. Among the persons of learning and worth to whom Mr. Raymond was introduced in that country, was the late Edward Tighe, Esq. the schoolfellow of Garrick, a gentleman of confessedly correct judgment as a critic, particularly in the line of the drama, and who was admitted to be the best reader of plays of his time. To this introduction are the public principally indebted for whatever theatrical merit he afterwards evinced, for had Mr. Ray mond not heard the tragedy of Oroonoko read by this gentleman, it is probable that he would never have thought of the stage as a profession; but the distresses of the sable prince were so pathetically delivered by Mr. Tighe, that they took immediate possession of Raymond's youthful mind, and from that moment he abandoned the idea of any other pursuit. In the course of a few weeks he appeared on the Dublin stage, under the auspices and instructions of his accomplished friend. During his performance, an unlucky incident occurred in the most interesting part of the last act; the misery in which he saw his adored Imoinda fixed itself with such strength in his tortured mind,

that, in a frenzy of love and despair, he applied his burnished cheek so closely to that of his unhappy princess, as to leave half of his sooty complexion on her fair face. This awkwark cir cumstance convulsed the house with laughter, and it was some minutes before they could be restored to their proper tone of feeling, notwithstanding the solicitude which the embarrassment of the late Mrs. Pope (the heroine) excited in her favour. The play finished so much to the satisfaction of young Raymond that he repeated the character several times.

After this successful essay of his theatrical powers, he assumed several of the first characters in tragedy, and became a great favourite with the public, and in process of time was deputed the acting manager.

About the year 1799, Mr. Raymond visited Manchester, where he was engaged for a short period, and during the summer vacation of the Manchester company, he performed a few nights at Lancaster, where Mr. Grubb, one of the then proprietors of Drury Lane Theatre, happened to stop on an excursion to the Lakes, saw him, and engaged him for that Theatre, on the boards of which he made his first appearance early in the following season, in the part of Osmond in the Castle Spectre, and was received with the most flattering marks of approbation. His career since that period is too well remembered to require minuting, but in the characters of the Stranger, Penṛuddock, Rolla, Octavian, Gloucester, Macduff. which call forth the stronger passions to their full extent, he has displayed talents sufficiently prominent to place him in a distinguished rank in his profession. His figure was manly, and his features, though of a small cast, flexible and not ill calculated to delineate the tragic muse. Notwithstanding the arduous application to, and the constant calls of, his profession, Mr. R. cultivated a taste for literature, and has written some dramatic pieces, to which, however, he has not affixed his name; but in 1806-7, he appeared before the public, as the author of the life of Dermody the Poet, to whose talents he has done ample justice, and whose memory, notwithstanding his many failings, has suffered no injury in the hands of his biographer.

How far he was qualified to appre ciate the merits of a poet may be

than Thomas, Lord Erskine, who was born on the 21st of January, 1749, O. S. Hereditary talents seems to have been the lot of the three sons of a father of sound and cultivated understanding, and a mother eminent not only for piety, but for learning.* The Earl, when Lord Cardross, commenced a diplomatic career under the auspices of the great Lord Chatham, but soon retired from public life to cultivate literature and the muses in the delicious retirement of Dryburgh. His published works are well known. Between him and his brothers the most affectionate union subsisted, from their infant days; and to the unreserved interchange of the sentiments and opinions of such men, not a little of the ability displayed by them all, may naturally be attributed.

In his infancy Mr. Henry Erskine was of a delicate habit, and his health precarious; being threatened with an affection of the lungs, though he happily surmounted that disorder, and reached the period of three-score and ten years. It was the good fortune, (for in the families of the great and rich, it is good fortune, so far as intellectual cultivation is concerned,) of the brothers we have named to be the younger branches of their noble house. Their education was committed to a tutor every way worthy of that charge, James Buchanan of Glasgow, the pupil of the eminent Maclawren, of Simson, of Francis Hutcheson, and of Principal Leechman, by whom he was recommended to the office, which through his scholars has reflected so much honour even on the name of the learned Professor of Oriental Languages and the Assistant Lecturer on Mathematics with Robert Simson.

From this able tuition, the three brothers were transferred to the Univer sity of St. Andrew, thence to Glasgow,

* This lady was the second daughter of Sir James Stwart, Bart, of Goodtress, Solicitor-General for Scotland, by Anna, daughter of Sir Hugh Dalrymple, Lord President of the College of Justice, who was the third son of the illustrious and learned Vi-count Stair. Her ladyship bad one brother. (the scientific author of the Political !conomy, and various other works displaying the deepest erudition), who married lady Frances Wemyss, eldest daugh.

ter of the late Earl, by whom he had one son, the present Sir James Stewart Denham, a general in the army, and Colonel of the 24 Royal Scots.

and finally, to complete the course of study, to the capital of Scotland.

Henry Erskine was called to the Scottish bar in the year 1768, when in his 22d year. From that era, till the year 1812, when he retired from practice, he was one of the brightest ornaments of his profession-classical, witty, luminous, and eloquent. In the course of his legal career he held for several years the appointment of Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, from which, party poli tics then running very high in Scotland, he was driven by the ascendancy of that party to which he was opposed. He was also twice appointed Lord Advocate, namely, under the Rockingham Administration in 1782, and the Grenville and Fox Administration in 1806. During the latter, he represented the Dunbar and Dumfries district of Boroughs in Parliament, and the writer of this article can state, from a perfect recollection of the fact, that he produced a strong impression upon the House, by the speeches which he delivered. It is seldom that the oratory of the bar can bear transplanting to the senate, but in this instance the effect was equal, and what was wont to convince in the one place, did not fail to carry great weight with it in the other.

Of Mr. Erskine's talents as an advocate, the writer had but few oppor tunities, and those early in life, of forming an estimate. He remembers well, however, that their display created a powerful interest in his mind, and elevated the speaker to the highest place in his admiration. There was a gentlemanly ease in his manner, and a grace which detracted not from the force of his argument, and a degree of humour, never displaced nor ill-timed, which lightened the gravest and adorned the most barren questions. But hs eulogy in this respect has been so well composed, and by a judge so competent to the task, that we drop our pen to copy the character of his forensic eloquence from that of Mr. Jeffrey.

"In his long and splendid career at the bar, Mr Erskine was distinguished not only by the peculiar brilliancy f his wit, and the gracefulness, case, an vivacity of his eloquence, but by t still rarer power of keeping those ducing qualitiesin perfect subordinati, to his judgment. By their assista he could not only make the most pulsive subjects agrecable, but the mo abstruse, easy and intelligible. In 1

profession, indeed, all his wit was argument, and each of his delightful illustrations a material step in his reasoning. To himself it seemed always as if they were recommended rather for their use than their beauty. And unquestionably they often enabled him to state a fine argument, or a nice distinction, not only in a more striking and pleasing way, but actually with greater precision than could have been attained by the severer forms of reasoning.

"In this extraordinary talent, as well as the charming facility of his eloquence, and the constant radiance of good humour and gaiety which encircled his manner in debate, he had no rival in his own times, and has yet had no successor. That part of eloquence is now mute, that honour in abeyance."

To an able correspondent, we are also indebted for a further communication on this interesting subject, which expresses so well what we should otherwise have attempted to express, that we gladly substitute it for our own composition.

"The character of Mr. Erskine's eloquence bore a strong resemblance to that of his Noble Brother, (Lord Erskine) but being much less diffusive, it was better calculated to leave a forcible impression: he had the art of concentrating his ideas, and presenting them at once in so luminous and irresistible a form, as to render his hearers masters of the view he took of his subject; which, however, dry or complex in its nature, never failed to become entertaining and instructive in his hands; for, to professional knowledge of the highest order, he united a most extensive acquaintance with history, literature, and science; and a thorough conversancy with human life and moral and political philosophy. The writer of this article has witnessed, with pleasure and astonishment, the widely different emotions excited by the amazing powers of his oratory; fervid and affecting in the extremest degree, when the occasion called for it; and no less powerful, in opposite circumstances, by the potency of wit and the brilliancy of comic humour, which constantly excited shouts of laughter throughout the precincts of the court, the mirthful glee even extending itself to the ermined sages, who found too much amusement in the scene to check the fascinating actor of it. He assisted the great powers of his un

derstanding by an indefatigable industry, not commonly annexed to extraordinary genius; and he kept his mind open for the admission of knowledge by the most unaffected modesty of deportment. The harmony of his periods, and the accuracy of his expressions, in his most unpremeditated speeches, were not among the least of his oratorical accomplishments. In the most rapid of his fights, when his tongue could scarce keep pace with his thoughts, he never failed to seize the choicest words in the treasury of our language. The apt, beautiful, and varied images which constantly decorated his judicial addresses, suggested themselves instantaneously, and appeared, like the soldiers of Cadmus, in complete armour and array to support the cause of their creator, the most remarkable feature of whose eloquence was, that it "never made him swerve by one hair-breadth from the minuter details most benefitting his purpose; for, with matchless skill, he rendered the most dazzling oratory subservient to the uses of consummate special pleading, so that his prudence and sagacity as an advocate, were as decisive as his speeches were splendid. Mr. Erskine's attainments, as we have before observed, were not confined to a mere acquaintance with his professional duties; he was an ele gant classical scholar, and an able ma thematician; and he also possessed many minor accomplishments in great perfection. His knowledge of music was correct, and his execution on the violoncello most pleasing. In all the various relations of private life Mr. E.'s character was truly estimable, and the just appreciation of his virtues extended far beyond the circle of his own family and friends; and it is a well-authenticated fact, that a writer (or, as we should say, attorney) in a distant part of Scotland, representing to an oppressed and needy tacksman, who had applied to him for advice, the futility of entering into a lawsuit with a wealthy neighbour, having himself no means of defending his cause, received for answer, "Ye dinna ken what ye say, Maister, there's nae a puir man in Scotland nced to want a friend or feur an enemy while Harry Erskine lives!" How much honour does that simple sentence convey to the generous and benevolent object of it! He had, indeed, a claim to the affection and respect of all who were within the

knowledge of his extraordinary talents and more uncommon virtues.

"With a mind that was superior to fear and incapable of corruption, regulated by undeviating principles of Integrity and uniformity, elevated in adversity as in prosperity, neither subdued by pleasure into effeminacy, nor sunk into dejection by distress ;-in no situation of his life was he ashamed or afraid of discharging his duty, but constant to the God whom he worshipped he evinced his confidence in the faith he professed, by his actions; to his friends he was faithful, to his enemies generous, ever ready to sacrifice his little private interests and pleasures to what he conceived to be the public welfare, or to the domestic felicity of those around him. In the words of an eloquent writer he was "a man to choose for a superior, to trust as a friend, and to love as a brother: the ardency of his efforts to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures was a prominent feature in his character; his very faults had their origin in the excessive confidence of too liberal a spirit, the uncircumscribed beneficence of too warm a heart. It has been remarked of a distinguished actor, that he was less to be envied whilst receiving the meed of universal applause than at the head of his own table: the observation may justly be applied to Mr. E.

In no

sphere was the lustre of his talents more conspicuous, while the unaffected grace and suavity of his manners, the bencvolent smile that illumined his intelli gent countenance in the exercise of the hospitalities of the social board, rendered indeed a meeting at his house “ feast of reason and a flow of soul." In person Mr. E. was above the middle size, well proportioned but slender; his features were all character and most strikingly expressive of the rare qualities of his mind. In early life his carriage was remarkably graceful-dignified and impressive as occasion required it; in manner he was gentle, playful, and unassuming, and so persuasive was his address that he never failed to attract attention, and by the spell of irresistible fascination to fix, and unchain it. His voice was powerful and melodious, his enunciation uncommonly accurate and distinct, and there was a peculiar grace in his utterance which enhanced the value of all he said, and engraved the remembrance of it indelibly on the minds of his hearers. For

many years of his life, Mr. Erskine had been the victim of ill health, but the native sweetness of his temper remained unclouded, and during the painfully protracted sufferings of his last illness the language of complaint was never heard to escape his lips, nor the shadow of discontent seen to cloud his coun tenance! "Nothing in his life became him, like the leaving it," he looked patiently forward to the termination of his painful existence, and received with mild complacency the intelligence of his danger, while the ease and happiness of those, whose felicity through life had been his primary consideration, was never absent from his thoughts. It is said that Swift, after having written that celebrated satire on mankind, Gulliver's Travels, exclaimed whilst meditating on the rare virtues of his friend Arbuthnot. "Oh! were there ten Arbuthnots in the world, I would burn my book."-It is difficult to contemplate such a character as Mr. Erskine's without a similar sentiment, without feeling that were there many Erskines one should learn to think better of mankind. The general voice placed him, while living, high among the illustrious characters of the present age; may the humble memorial the author is giving to the public, preserve his name unblemished by mis-representation till some more equal pen shall hand it down to posterity, as a bright example of what great usefulness extraordinary talents may prove to society when under the direction of sound judgment, incorruptible integrity, and enlarged philan thropy."

Mr. Erskine died, on the Sth of Oct. last, at his seat of Ammondell, a transfer to him from Lord Buchan's estate of Kirkhill, West-Lothian, about twentyone years ago, as an occasional retreat from the fatigues of his profession. To him the noble Earl, who we hope will accept our grateful acknowledgments for supplying us with the dates and several particulars in the life of his lamented brother, has with singular felicity applied the language of the Roman orator: "Mihi quidem frater meus, quanquam nunc ereptus, vivet tamen, semperque vivet: virtutem enim amavi illius fratris, quæ extincta non est. Nec mihi soli versatur ante oculos, qui illam semper in manibus habeo, sed etiam posteris erit clara et insignis! Equidem ex omnibus rebus, quas mihi aut fortuna aut natura tribuit, nihil