1 791' I-IFE OF SIR JAMES STEWART; ^ 3 



tendfomeof the le£i:ures of the mod eminent profeflbrs at 

 Utrecht and Leyden, on public law and politics. From 

 thence he paff.-d into Germany, refided about a year in 

 France, travelled through fome part of Spain, where 

 he had a fever, that obliged him for his perfedl reco- 

 very from its efFefts, to go by the advice of his friends 

 to the fea coall of the lovely province of Valencia; 

 from thence returning he crolTed the Alps, and by Tu- 

 rin, made the tourof Italv, where, chiefly at Rome and 

 Florence, he refided till the beginning of the year 1 740 ; 

 when having fpent five years on his travels, he return- 

 ed to Scotland, and married the Lady Frances AVemyfs, 

 eldeft daughter of the Earl of Wemyfs, about tv/o years 

 after his return. 



A few months after his inarriage the reprefentation 

 of th© county of Mid-Lothian became vacant, by the 

 member being made a lord of trade and plantation. 

 The candidates were the late members and Sir John 

 Baird of Newbyth. On the day of election Mr Dun- 

 das of Arniiton, one of the fenators of the college of 

 juftice, was chofen prefes of the meeting. He, from 

 fome prejudice againft Sir James, omitted to caufe 

 his name to be called on the roll of freeholders. For 

 t^is illegal ufe of the prefiding power Sir James infti- 

 tuted a fuit againft Arnifton ; and refuming the gown 

 as an advocate, pled his own caufe with great energy 

 and eloquence, with the applaufe of the bench, the bar, 

 and the public. With this appearance Lord Ai-niftoa 

 was fo much moved, that he came down from the 

 bench and pled in his own defence at the bar. 



This bufinefs excited very general attention in Scot- 

 land •, and had Sir James continued at the bar, he mufl 

 have rifen to the head of his profefiion inScotland,infpitc 

 of the controuling jealoufy and power of Mr. Dundas> 

 But on his travels Sir James had contrafted friendfliips 

 with Lord Marifchall, and other eminent men, attached 

 to the pretenfions of the royal family of Stuart, and 

 had received flattering attentions from the Pretender 

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