2 LIFE OF SIR JAMES STEWAKT. Sept. I4, 



The firft rudiments of his education he received at 

 the g'rammar-fchool of North-Berwick, which, at the 

 time of his father's death, he quitted at the age of 14, 

 with the reputation of being a good fcholar, but with- 

 out any extraordinary advancement in knowledge. 



It is remarkable, that many men who have been fm- 

 .gularly ufeful to fociety have not fhown early fymptoms 

 of the greatnefs of their intelleflual powers. A great un- 

 derllanding muft be the offspring of happy organiza- 

 tion in a healthy body, with co-operation of time, of 

 circumftance, and of inftitutioiT, without being forced 

 into prematurity by exceiTive cultivation. 



This holds with refpedl to the growth and perfeflion 

 of every creature ; and the truth appears remarkable 

 with refpe£l to our own fpecies, becaufe we are apt to 

 miftake the flimfy attainments of artificial education for 

 the fleady and permanent foundations of progrefTive 

 knowledge. From the fchool of North-Berwick Sir 

 James was fent to the univerfity of Edinburgh, where 

 he continued until the year 1735, '^'^'h^^' he pafTed ad- 

 vocate before the Court of Seffion, and immediately af- 

 terwards went abroad to vifit foreign countries. He 

 was then in the twenty-third year of his age, had made 

 himfelf well acquainted with the Roman law and hif- 

 tory, and the municipal law of Scotland. He had 

 likewife maturely fludied the elements of jurifprudence, 

 and was verfed in the general, as well as the particular 

 politics of Europe •, and was bent upon applying his 

 knowledge in the inveftigation of the ftate of men 

 and of manners in other nations, with a view to pro- 

 mote the benefit of his own, and to confirm himfelf in 

 the love of a free conftitution of government, by con- 

 templating the baneful effedls of unlimited monarchy 

 in Germany, Italy, and Spain, and of ridiculous at- 

 tachment to a king and nobility, to war and to perni- 

 cious fplendour in France. He travelled firft, however, 

 into Holland, with a view to fludy the conftitution of 

 the empire before he fhould vifit Gernxany, and to at- 



