510 SKKTCH OF THE PERSONAL CHARACTER OP 



As I profess only to give such particulars of him as fell within my own 

 knowledge, I pass over the period of his service as Recorder of Bombay. 

 He acquitted himself with honour in that office. He possessed every 

 talent and every acquirement necessary for a judicial station. During 

 the whole period of his service he was the sole judge of his court. The 

 anxiety and labour he bestowed upon the consideration of some import- 

 ant cases were testified by his correspondence with his friends inEngland. 

 He wrote to me occasionally on such subjects, as well as on others that 

 he thought might attract my attention. I regret that I have not been 

 able to find several of his letters on which I placed a high value. 



He returned to this country in 1812, after an absence of eight years, 

 and found his friend Mr. Perceval at the head of public affairs. I had 

 before learned from that minister himself, his wish to have the benefit of 

 Sir James Mackintosh' assistance, and to place him in some eminent 

 office, worthy of his talent and reputation. I expressed my doubt 

 whether he could be induced to accept any political office in the existing 

 state of parties, but I was not fully aware till the day of Mr. Perceval's 

 death, that the proposal had actually been made and rejected. The cir- 

 cumstances will be thought worthy of narration by those who take an 

 interest in the history and character of Sir James Mackintosh. 



My excellent and much valued friend, the late Lord Cawdor, made 

 some communication to me on the subject of the representation of the 

 county of Nairn in Scotland, in which his family and connexions had an 

 influence, that would be important at the next general election. I 

 ventured to suggest to him Sir James Mackintosh, as one who would do 

 most honour to his lordship's interest, and who could not fail of being 

 acceptable to that county as the neighbourhood of the seat of his birth 

 and family. Lord Cawdor acquiesced without hesitation in all that I 

 said ; he had, however, but a slight personal knowledge of Sir James, 

 and had heard some doubts cast upon his political principles. He was 

 not desirous that the county of Nairn should be represented by any per- 

 son that would accept office under the existing administration, and at all 

 events would not himself be the instrument of recommending such a 

 candidate. It was impossible I could give him any positive assurance 

 upon this point, upon which I had never conversed with my friend since 

 his return from India, and I could not desire him to act on my opinion 

 in so delicate an affair ; especially as I had reason to believe that Sir 

 James would be exposed to the temptation of office. It was therefore 

 arranged that I should endeavour to ascertain from himself whether he 

 persevered in those political sentiments and attachments which he was 

 known to profess before he went to India, and whether they would so 

 far prevail with him as to make him decline office. I proceeded with- 

 out delay on my mission, and found him at home, in the act of folding 

 up a letter. I stated to him that I had been asked more than once what 

 part he was likely to take if in Parliament, and that I took the liberty of 

 an old and sincere friend in putting the question to himself, that I might 

 be able to answer it on the best authority that I certainly had my own 

 opinion upon it, but that was not enough to satisfy inquiries that might 

 be made with a serious object. He replied that he was not surprised at 

 such a question being proposed to me, after the insinuations that had 

 been made against his political consistency : that he had thought it not 



