3'12 Sir John Macpherson — Lieui.-Gen. fVm. Pbphnm. [April I^ 



fen- Bup^rior writing', -which 5f has main- 

 tuinod to Iho present time. 



Mr. Scott, however, vacillated iu his 

 principles, and aimed at plcasiiif!^ all par- 

 tics ; his reputation, therefore, in the po- 

 litical world suuk, and never rose again, 

 and even to the period of his death, he 

 possessed the conlideuce of no political 

 party. He was neither ^Vhig-, nor Tory, 

 nor Radical, but occasionally something of 

 all three. 



Having sold the Champion, and married 

 the daughter of Mr. Colnaghi, an emi- 

 nent printseller in Cockspur-strect, he tra- 

 velled into France aud Italy, and the re- 

 sults have been connuunicated to the world 

 in volumes, which, while they display the 

 fine taste and powers of composition of the 

 author, oficnd by the flippancy and incon- 

 sistency of their political observations. 

 The triumph of the despots, the subjuga- 

 tion of France, the re-establishment of the 

 Bourbons, and the reign of iron through- 

 out Europe, wore the constant themes of 

 his exultation. 



At Paris he lost a beautful child at the 

 most interesting age, and the effusions of 

 his muse on that occasion, did honour to 

 his heart aud his paternal atfections. 



Returning to England he commenced 

 about fifteen months ago, the London 

 IMagazine, and if we may be allowed to 

 give judgment, it was the most worthy of 

 all the attempts to establish a new maga- 

 zine which has been made in our time. It 

 combined good taste with information ; and 

 the Belles Leltres with useful knowledge. 

 Its principles too were less illiberal than 



to any one who calls them cowards ; but it 

 is to the last degree criminal in a citizen to 

 appeal to deadly weapons to prove that he 

 possesses any social virtue ; for the act it- 

 self may generally be taken as a demon- 

 strative proof of the contrary , and being' 

 irrelevant to the point, allbrds primi facie 

 evidence that revenge is the sole object of 

 the parties. 



Mr. Scott has left an amiable and afflicted 

 widow aud children, and was interred 

 in the presence of mourning multitudes at 

 St. Martin's in the Fields. 



SIR JOHN MACI'HERSON. 



This respectable gentleman was a native 

 of Scotland, and was sent out at an early 

 age as a writer in the service of the East 

 India Company. In this situation and that 

 of junior and senior merchant, he served 

 many years, and in his ' turn succeeded 

 to a seat in the council, where he sat 

 long under the presidency of Mr. Hast- 

 ings. On the resignation of that gentle- 

 man, he succeeded to the chair, but did 

 not continue therein longer than until the 

 aiTival of a successor. During this short 

 period he, however, did the company essen- 

 tial service. He reformed majiy abuses, 

 established a pacific system, and refused 

 very considerable emoluments which he 

 might have taken. His conduct had 

 throughout his whole residence, been so 

 highly approved of, that in 1786, his ma- 

 jesty was pleased to confer on him the 

 dignity of baronet. On the arrival of a 

 successor Sir John embarked for England, 

 with a good, but not a spendid fortune. On 

 his arrival in England ho took up his resi- 



those of other novel projects in this line of deuce at a mansion in Bronipton, where he 



publication ; and if the English public, are 

 likely to support more than two niiscelta- 

 uies, it appeared that Mr. Scott had a chance 

 of ultimately succeeding. 



But some erroneous notions relative to 

 the efficacy of pistol-bullets in deciding 

 questions of moral character, led him to 

 appeal to them in a silly quarrel with some 

 persons utterly beneath the notice of a man 

 of the world. He was in consequence, 

 murdered in the prime of life, and the coro- 

 ner's jury having decided on the crime, the 

 parties will be called upon to answer to the 

 justly otieuded laws at the next Old Bailey 

 sessions. It appears to us, however, that 

 nothing but a special law will correct the 

 erroneous reasoning w hich misleads young 

 men and fools on this subject. They for- 

 get that duelling decides no question but 

 in regard to personal cjurag-e, a quality of 

 ■which the greatest scoundrel in the com- 

 niuuity may posscsi-; a larger share than the 

 most virtuous pec on, and the practice is 

 relevant to no other question. Thus among 

 would-be military heroes, courage is the 

 only required quality, and therefore it may 

 be necessary in these persons to prove that 

 tlwy poKsosx it by exposing their persona 



gave one or more good fetes under the 

 guidance and patronage of the late Duchess 

 of Gordon, who introduced him into the 

 higher circles, into which perhaps, it 

 would have been more to the advantage of 

 his fortune if he had not entered. After a 

 residence here of many years, he remov- 

 ed to a more retired station, aud attained 

 a good old age esteemed by his friends 

 and respected by all who knew his cha- 

 racter. 



HEUT.-GEN. WILLIAM POPHAM. 



This respectable officer expired at his 

 house in York-street, Portmau-square, on 

 Tuesday, the ^Olh, at the advanced age of 

 SI. This gentleman bega^ his military ca- 

 reer in 1757, as ensign in the 24th regt. 

 then commanded by General Cornwallis, 

 and was on service with Sir William Draper, 

 at the capture of Manilla. Soon after, he 

 quitted the King's service, and entered into 

 that of the East India Company, where he 

 had several opportunities of distinguishing 

 himself, aud received great encomiums from 

 the various generals and governors under ^ 

 whom he served. He was particularly dis- | 

 tinguished by the fortunate capture of the ] 

 hill fortress of Gualore, which had hitherto, i 



from I 



