Lewis Morrison-Grant was born on the 9th of December, 1872, at a cottage in the vicinity of Loch Park, in the parish of Botriphnie, Banffshire. He received the rudiments of education at the parish school and at the Public School of Keith, and entered the University of Aberdeen in 1890. After attending two sessions his health failed, and he was unable to attend his third session. His short life was remarkable. When a mere boy he commenced to write verse, and his passion for this kind of writing became very strong. In the spring of 1892 his Protomantis and Other Poems was published in a volume of three hundred and nine pages, containing four pretty long poems, and one hundred and thirty-two shorter ones, which touch on a wide variety of subjects. His poems are of unequal merit, and in general they lack concentrated thought and strength; yet, taking into account that they were all written before he was twenty years of age, and the circumstances in which he was placed, his volume of poems is an extraordinary effort. If his life had been longer spared, no doubt he would have produced more highly finished work. After a protracted illness he died at Goldenwells, near Keith, on the 29th of June, 1893.24 The following lines are from his fine poem entitled "More Light" :

"I wait for light, I wait for God

To fall in living lines on thee,

O Soul!-in thoughts on which bestowed
Gleams some unveiling mystery.

And light is that I seek alone,

A light wherein all things shall seem
Even as to God they all are known :

Our human light is faint and dim.”

Before passing from this branch, I may remark that though a number of poets have been noticed in the preceding pages, they only form a fraction of the Scottish Poets, for "The Poet's Corner" of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow contains upwards of 5336 volumes of Scottish poetry, embracing the writings of 2000 different authors. Even this collection, which I understand is the most complete in existence, may not contain specimens of all the Scottish rhymers and poets. 25

24 A very interesting account of him, under the title of His Life, Letters, and Last Poems, edited by Jessie A. Anderson, was published by Gardner in 1894. 25 In connection with this, a volume appeared in 1887 entitled The Bards of Bon-Accord, by William Walker, Aberdeen, which is an important work of its

class. It covers the period from 1375 to 1860, and embraces notices of many poets and writers of rhyme-natives of Aberdeen and the neighbouring counties. In itself the work is exceedingly interesting. The notices of the various writers are very well executed-with taste, judgment, and sometimes keen and warm sympathy. The numerous quotations also show care and discrimination in their selection, while the author's comments exhibit much consideration, fairness, and good sense.

In an Appendix a Bibliography of the subject of the work is given which greatly enhances its value, especially to all those who take a lively interest in matters of this kind—a class gradually increasing in numbers with the advance of exhaustive historical inquiries and liberal culture. The work has also a very complete index, which the author has very skilfully arranged, "to serve a threefold purpose-biographical items being printed in small capitals-poems quoted, in italics -other matters, in ordinary type." Those who have had occasion to make literary inquiries will appreciate the value of an index of this character.

I

CHAPTER XLII.

Fiction of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.

HAVE already mentioned Smollett as a writer of history and verse, and the first fruit of his labour in the field of fiction was Roderick Random, which appeared in 1748. His other novels were published in the following years-Peregrine Pickle in 1751; Ferdinand Count of Fathom, 1754; Sir Launcelot Greaves, 1762; and The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, 1771.

Roderick Random is an exceedingly interesting work of fiction, and it was long popular. Its interest and attraction does not depend on the development of a well-conceived and elaborated plot, but on the inventive power, the native humour, and knowledge of the author. The turns in the fortune of the hero of the novel are many and varied, and scene follows scene with amazing rapidity, so the attention of the reader never flags; but the morality of the novel is low, and some coarse passages occur in it.

The hero in Peregrine Pickle is an unprincipled character. The humorous and comic features of his characters are well worked out, and presented in an attractive and amusing form, and the interest of the novel is admirably maintained. Ferdinand Count Fathom is a sort of romance, in which the chief character is an unscrupulous rascal who sticks at nothing. Humphry Clinker is the best of his novels. It is pervaded by a manly tone of feeling, natural, caustic, and humorous observation, and fine discrimination of character. The descriptions of rural scenery, society, and manners are clear and fascinating. Smollett was gifted with a keen sense of the comic and ludicrous, which he deftly used, while touches of pathos also occur in his writings.

Henry Mackenzie was born in Edinburgh, and educated at the High School and the University of his native city. He followed the profession of law, and mixed freely in the literary circles of the capital, which then rejoiced in the names of Hume, Robertson, Adam Smith, Fergusson, and others.

1 In 1745; died in 1831.

It seems that Mackenzie had read and studied the writings of Sterne, but he is superior to him in taste and in delicacy of feeling. In 1771, Mackenzie published The Man of Feeling, which was followed by The Man of the World, and Julia de Roubigne. He is also the author of various sketches which appeared in the Mirror and Lounger, and of some dramatic pieces which were acted at Edinburgh. There is no distinctly conceived plot developed to an issue in Mackenzie's novels, still there is much interesting reading in his productions. His humour is natural and pure; his style is elegant and expressive, natural and easy, but lacking in strength. He was amongst the first to denounce the system of slave-labour in the West Indies, in these words :

:

"I have often been tempted to doubt whether there is not an error in the whole plan of negro-servitude; and whether whites or creoles born in the West Indies, or perhaps cattle, after the manner of European husbandry, would not do the business better and cheaper than the slaves do. The money which the latter cost at first, the sickness often owing to despondency of mind-to which they are liable after their arrival, and the proportion that die in consequence of it, make the machine, if it may be so called, of a plantation extremely expensive in its operations. In the list of slaves belonging to a wealthy planter, it would astonish you to see the number unfit for service, pining under disease, a burden on their master. I am only talking as a merchant; but as a man-good heavens! when I think of the many thousands of my fellow-creatures groaning under servitude and misery! Great God! hast Thou peopled those regions of Thy world for the purpose of casting out their inhabitants to chains and torture? No, Thou gavest them a land teeming with good things, lightest up Thy sun to bring forth spontaneous plenty; but the refinements of man, ever at war with Thy works, have changed this scene of profusion and luxuriance into a theatre of rapine, of slavery, and of murder.

"Forgive the warmth of this apostrophe! Here it would not be understood; even my uncle, whose heart is far from a hard one, would smile at my romance, and tell me that these things must be so. Habit, the tyrant of nature and of reason, is deaf to the voice of either; and she stifles humanity and debases the species-for the master of slaves has seldom the soul of a man." These are worthy sentiments, well expressed.

Dr. John Moore 2 was a native of Stirling, the son of a minister in that town. He was educated at the University of Glasgow, and studied medicine and surgery under Mr. Gordon, who had a large practice. He afterwards entered into partnership with Gordon, and practised in Glasgow for a number of years. At different times during his life he lived on the Continent for eight or nine years, mostly in France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, which gave him many opportunities of observing varied forms of society on a large scale. Sir John Moore, the noble General who led the memorable retreat in Spain, and fell at the battle of Corunna, was the eldest son of Dr. Moore.3

Dr. Moore's novels are-(1) Zeluco: Various Views of Human Nature, taken from Life and Manners, Foreign and Domestic, which appeared in 1786; (2) Edward: Various Views of Human Nature, taken from Life and Manners, chiefly in England, 1796; and (3) Mordaunt Sketches of Life, Character, and Manners, in various Countries, including the Memoirs of a French Lady of Quality, 1800. All his novels indicate an elevated moral aim, and are more remarkable for wide observation than the invention of plot interest.

He is the author of several other works:-Medical Sketches, published in 1785; A Journal during a Residence in France, from the beginning of August to the middle of December, 1792, in two volumes, which appeared in 1793-94; A View of the Causes and Progress of the French Revolution, in two volumes, published in 1795. Moore was an accurate observer of men and things. His knowledge of mankind was vast; his powers of observation are well displayed in his novels; and his account of the striking scenes of the French Revolution are still well worth reading. A complete edition of his works has been published in seven volumes, with a memoir of his life, by Dr. Robert Anderson.

Elizabeth Hamilton was born at Belfast in 1758. Her father was a merchant, descended from a Scottish family, and died early, leaving a widow and three children. The children were brought up and educated by their relatives. Elizabeth, the youngest, was sent to Mr. Marshall, a farmer in Stirlingshire, married to her father's sister; and the child found a warm home with Mr. and Mrs. Marshall.

2 Born in 1729; died in 1802.

3 My father was then under Sir John Moore, and was wounded in the left arm at the battle of Corunna; and of all the generals whom he fought under for a period of fourteen years, Sir John was his greatest favourite.