ROBERT BLAIR. — JOHN HOME. 67 



Leading the retired life of a country minister, and preferring the conscientious 

 discharge of liis sacred and domestic functions to the allurements of fame, few 

 particulars of his private history have survived. He was a serious, impressive, 

 and animated preacher, and universally respected for a life and conversation 

 in strict unison with those principles of which he was so zealous an advocate. 

 He died of fever at the premature age of forty-six, and left a numerous family — 

 one of whom, Robert, was late Lord President of the Court of Session, and 

 died in 1811 ; a man whose clearness of intellect and imcompromising integrity 

 were held in the highest estimation.* 



John Home, already mentioned as successor to Blair, in this parish, occupied 

 his pulpit for ten years. But the fame of his drama having rendered him 

 obnoxious as a minister, and excited strong party feehngs against him, he chose 

 the only alternative left, and resigned the living to avoid the too probable 

 chance of ejection. Thus, what the tragedy of " Douglas" contributed to 

 his fame, it detracted from his fortune ; and while it brought him the friendship 

 or eicquaintance of some of the first spirits of the age, it ahenated the affections 

 of many who loved him as a minister, but shrank from him as a " writer for the 

 stage ;" for, by an act of the General Assembly, it was ordained, " that every 

 presbytery should take special care that none of its members should, on any 

 occasion whatever, be present at theatrical exhibitions." Those times, and 

 the necessity for such severe enactments, have passed away — more liberal 

 sentiments prevail ; and we smile at the austerity of our forefathers, who could 

 think of deposiug a clergyman, only because he had written a good tragedy ! But 

 we should smile with better reason, could we ascertain that the indulgence and 

 patronage subsequently extended to dramatic exhibitions, had made the authors 



Prone on the lonely grave of the dear man 

 She drops ; whilst busy meddling memory 

 In barbarous succession musters up 

 The past endearments of their softer hours, 

 Tenacious of its theme ! Still, still she thinks 

 She sees him ; and, indulging the fond thought, 

 Clings yet more closely to the senseless turf, 

 Nor heeds the passenger that looks that way." 



• In adverting to the author of a poem which has been pronounced by competent judges as second to 

 none since the days of Milton, it is a fact worth notice, that the manuscript, though ofiFered to the London 

 booksellers through the personal influence and recommendation of Dr. Watts, was declined by all, and 

 returned to the author, to become the subject of posthumous fame! This occurred in 1741 — five years 

 previous to his death. 



Thus of the craft, how oft the tale is told — 

 They grasp the tinsel, and reject the gold I 



