366] 
ing of Somerset House, he was 
appointed to conduét that great 
national work. He was also comp- 
troller general to the works of the 
king, architect to the queen and 
the princess dowager, treasurer to 
the Royal Academy, member of the 
‘Royal Academy of Artsat Florence, 
and of the Royal Academy of Ar- 
chite¢ture at Paris. 
After a long illness he died, at 
‘a very advanced age, the 8th of 
March 17096; leaving a son, mar- 
ried to Miss Rodney, and three 
daughters, the wives of Mr. Cot- 
ton, Mr. Innes, and Mr. Harward, 
with a considerable fortune, ac- 
quired honourably, and enjoyed 
with hospitality bordering on mag- 
wificence ; and what is still better, 
-quitting life with the regret and 
concern of all those with whom he 
had been conneéted ; esteemed, 
loved, and lamented, by all with 
whom he had any intercourse 
either as an astist or as a man. 
On the 18th of March his re- 
mains were interred in the Poets’ 
‘Corner, Westminster Abbey, be- 
ing attended by his son, his sons- 
in-law, his executors, the dean 
of Lincoln, minister of the parish, 
Mr. Penneck of the Museum, and a 
few other friends, the president, 
‘officers, and council of the Royal 
Academy, and the clerks of the 
Board of Works. In the Abbey 
they were joined by the master- 
workmen belonging to the Board of 
Works, who attended unsolicited, 
to testify their regret for the loss, 
_and their esteem for the memory of 
aman, by whom their claims had 
-ever been examined with attention, 
and decided with justice, and by 
whom themselves were always 
treated with mildness, courtesy, 
and affability. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
An Account of the late Fames Mac. 
pherson, Esg.. From the same. 
THIS gentleman was descended 
from one of the most ancient fami- 
lies in the north of Scotland, being 
cousin-german to the chief of the 
clan of the Maecphersons, who de. 
duce their origin trom the ancient 
Catti of Germany. He was born 
at Ruthven in the county of Inver- 
ness, in the latter end of the year 
1738, and received the first rudi- 
ments of his education at home, 
from whence he was sent to the 
grammar school of Inverness, where 
his genius became so conspicuous, 
_ that his relations, contrary to their 
Original intention, determined to. 
hreed him toa iearned profession. 
With this view, he was sent suc. 
cessively to the universities of 
Aberdeen and Edinburgh, in the 
last of which he finished his 
studies. ; 
While at the university, he ex, 
ercised his poetical talents, which, 
however, were not (if a few pas. 
sages of Ossian are excepted) cf the 
first order, Inthe year 1758, he 
printed at Edinburgh a poem in 
six cantos, ‘entitled, ** The High- 
Jander,’? in 12mo. ‘his perfor. 
mance is a tissue of fustian and ab. 
surdity, feeble, and in some parts 
ridiculoas, and shews little or no 
talent in that art of versification, 
Tn a short time the author was sen- 
sible himself of ats faults, and, it is 
said, endeavoured to suppress it. 
We shall, therefore, not revive 
this abortive effort by any ex. 
tract. 
It was intended that he should 
enter into the service of the church, 
but whether. he ever took orders 
we are uncertain. Mr, Gray 
speaks of him as a young clergy- 
man, 
