APPENDIX. (5) 



and from the nature of its proceedines, which are chiefly car- Account of Lori 

 ried on by written arguments, a fpeech, however remarkable, 

 is rarely followed by thofe important confequences to a barri- 

 fter's future bufinefs,of wliich there are daily iiiftances in Wejimin- 

 Jler Hall. But in this cafe Mr Aeercromby's appearance made 

 fuch an impreflion in his favour as very foon to place him 

 among the moft riling young men of the profeffion. He took 

 advantage of this circumftance by a ftep, of which the expe- 

 diency w^as doubted by many of his friends at the time, but 

 was afterwards allowed by them all. Soon after his being call- 

 ed to the bar, he had been appointed Sheriff-depute of Stirling- 

 Jhire, which he now (in 1780) refigned for the lefs lucrative 

 and more precarious fituation of Depute-Advocate, on the idea 

 of the latter ofl&ce being more beneficial in its confequences, as 

 not precluding him from bufinefs arifing within the county of 

 Stirling, where he had many connexions both from relation- 

 fliip and acquaintance, but rather tending to advance his em- 

 ployment, from the opportunities it afforded him of appearing 

 in. public and criminal cafes. This appointment of Depiite- 

 ^Advocate he held under Mr Henry Dundas, then Lord Advo- 

 cate for Scotland, in conjvmdlion with Mr Blair, fince his Ma- 

 jefty's Solicitor, and Mr Craig, now a Judge in die Courts of 

 Seflion and Jufticiary. Thofe two gentlemen and Mr Aber- 

 CROMBY were as much connecfled in private friendfhip as in pu- 

 blic bufinefs ; a friendftiip to which one who has known 'them 

 long and intimately, may be pardoned for afcribing a confi- 

 derable advantage towards the attainment of that profeffional 

 eminence, as well as of that general eflimation and refpediability 

 which they have all enjoyed. 



Mr Abercromby now rofe with great rapidity in his profef- 

 fion, and was among the beft employed barrifters of his Handing- 

 •in Scotland. To this fuccefs he was not more entitled by his ta- 

 •knts than by his afliduity ; and it was a pecuhar merit in him„ 



who; 



