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tomed themselves tamely to fubmit! The Earl of Buchan, with the spirit of an ancient Baron, took an early opportunity of declaring, that he would oblige the Secretary of State who fhould infult him with fuch an application, to wash away the affront with his blood. The practice, from that time, ceased; and minifters were obliged to adopt some other less offenfive mode of exercifing their electioneering influence over the Caledonian peerage.

The Earl had two very promifing brothers, both younger than himself; and on their education he carneftly bestowed that care which was to be expected from the kindness and vigilance, not merely of a near relation, but of a prudent and affectionate parent. The fortunes of his family had been, from different causes, not dishonoured indeed, but impaired fo confiderably, that they could no longer afford an annual income fufficiently ample to fupport its dignities with due fplendour, and to enable him to gratify all the generous wishes of a munificent fpirit. Struck with this, he refolutely adopted a plan of economy, admirably fitted to retrieve and re establish those falling fortunes; and his endeavours (perhaps the most honourable and difficult which a young and liberal minded nobleman could refolve upon), without subjecting him to the imputation of parfimony, have been crowned and rewarded with opulence.

He perceived, with concern, that fince the days of Sibbald, and Gordon of Straloch, the ftudy of the antiquities of the Scottish history had been fhame

fully

fully and unhappily neglected; and it is chiefly owing to his patriotic exertions, that the Royal Antiquary Society of Scotland is indebted for its exift

ence.

The high School of Edinburgh is confeffedly one of the best feminaries of the kingdom, for the initiation of youth in the firft principles of the Latin langaage. By frequent vifits to this feminary, the Earl of Buchan has fought every opportunity of rccommending to public notice the fkill and attention. of the teachers, as well as the happy proficiency of their pupils; and he has bestowed an annual premium upon the fuccefsful competitor in a trial of excellence among the ftudents at the univerfity at Aberdeen.

On reviewing the memorials of the Scottish nobility, Lord Buchan felt his enthufiaftic veneration in a particular manner excited by the fcience and virtues of the illuftrious Napier, the inventor of logarithms, and the most eminent difcoverer in philofophy of which Scotland can as yet boaft. With a generous hand he afpired to crown the memory of his illuftrious countryman with due honours; and in a well-written biographical memoir, difplayed his life and character to the reverence and imitation of the prefent age. The enthufiafm of Lord Buchan has alfo inftituted an annual feftive commemoration of Thomson, at Ednam, the fcene of that poet's birth. Mr. Pinkerton, the hiftorian and antiquary; Burns, who was prematurely fnatched away from the admiration of the prefent age; Tytler,

the

the tranflator of Callimachus; and a long lift of other men of genius, have been fo fortunate as to attract the patronage and friendship of Lord Buchan.

The life of Andrew Fletcher has been, by his care, happily illustrated; and we owe to him fome precious fragments of fpeeches and effays, by that incomparable patriot, which had not been before printed.

The Earl's exertions have been as invariably faithful to the cause of Liberty as of Literature. He has been always understood to be among the moft zealous votaries of the principles upon which the revolution of 1688 was accomplished, and yet he unaccountably failed in an attempt to reprefent his own order in the British parliament. His voice, bis writings, his exertions in every manly and honourable mode, have ever been ready to refift any threatened infringement of those principles, in the British legiflature or government. When the new dawn of a revolution feemingly favourable to genuine liberty broke forth in France, he was not among the moft tardy to hail its rife, and to blefs its progrefs. When the kings of Europe arofe in arms for the purpose of once more binding the genius of that nation in the fetters of defpotifm, the Earl could not view the ill-omened enterprise without devoutly wifhing that its force might be shattered against the facred armour of that virtue, and new-born freedom, which it boafted to destroy.

On viewing the exceffes into which the French have been hurried in the progrefs of their revolutionary cahe lamented that the errors of humanity are ever

reer,

too

too clofely affociated with its moft fplendid and heroic exertions, yet without abandoning thofe generous wishes for the immortal establishment of Gallic freedom, which he had before accustomed himself to entertain.

Long may he furvive to do honour to the age by his virtues; to fuiin by his voice and his exertions. the caufe of genuine British freedom; and to patronife that literature, and thofe fine arts, in which he himfelf excels! T. N.

JAMES NORTHCOTE, ESQ. R. A.

THIS ingenious artift is defcended from the ancient and refpectable family of the NORTHCOTES, which has been fettled in Devonshire at leaft ever fince the Conqueft, given feveral high fheriffs to the country, many reprefentatives for it in parliament, and on which a baronetage was conferred in the reign of James the First.

The fubject of the prefent article was born at Plymouth, in the year 1746. His father was an eminent tradesman in that town, and brought up his fon to his own bufinefs. His propenfity to the elegant arts, however, prevailed over the drudgery of a incchanical employment; and at length he determined to abandon the occupation in which he had been engaged, and devote himfelf entirely to his favourite object. With this view he went to London, and placed himself under the care and tuition of his countryman and friend Sir Joshua Reynolds, then in the zenith of his glory. That great, man was ever ready

has never, in the flightest inftance, deviated from morality and decency. The reputation which Mr. Northcote has acquired, as a painter, is doubtless well-merited. His colouring is chafte, forcible, and diftinct; his pictures have that breadth of light and fhade which is one of the moft agreeable properties of a good painting, and which is yet fo feldom obferved, even in the works of masters. His hiftorical pieces fhew a great, and an accurate acquaintance with the fubject, much study, and that vigour of conception which is the true characteristic of native genius.

In private life, Mr. Northcote is greatly esteemed, as a modeft, unaffuming, virtuous, well-informed, and communicative man.

W.

RICHARD WATSON, D. D.

LORD BISHOP OF LANDAFF.

THIS liberal minded prelate was born in the village of Everfham, about five miles from Kendal, in the county of Weftmoreland, in the year 1737. His father was a clergyman, and master of the free grammar-school in Kendal, where our divine received the whole of his school education, prior to his going to the university of Cambridge. To this place he brought with him a good flock of claffical learning, a fpirit of perfevering indufiry, and a very bad provincial accent, which he retained for a long time. He was admitted of Trinity college, and diftinguished, while there, by a clofe application to his ftudies, and

conftantly

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