226 MY BROTHER'S DEATH. [1800. 



known Peter, I should undoubtedly have lamented 

 his death, and commiserated the feelings of those 

 more near to him, but I should soon have thought little 

 of the subject ; but having known him, and, knowing 

 him, loved and admired him, my sorrow for his un- 

 timely end will be very lasting, and often will he 

 have a tear to his remembrance. 



"With such sentiments towards him, therefore, 

 I am sure you will believe that the advice I am about 

 to give is the result of consideration and regard to 

 the memory of your brother. 



" That advice is, to let the matter drop, and not to 

 bestow one thought more upon a public prosecution." 



I acted upon this advice; and after a time I re- 

 sumed my legal studies, as it became necessary that 

 I should prepare myself for the examination in Scotch 

 Law, and also for the public examination preparatory 

 to my call to the bar, which took place early in the 

 month of June IS 00."* I went the summer circuit, 

 attending the assizes held in the counties of Berwick, 

 Roxburgh, and Selkirk ; my chief, T may say only, 

 business being to defend prisoners who were too poor 

 to pay for professional assistance. I had an invincible 

 repugnance to the profession I had chosen, and con- 

 stantly wrote to Charles Stuart, then settled in Lon- 

 don, expressing my desire to escape from it, and that 

 if any opening could have been found for me in 

 diplomacy how gladly I should have accepted it. It 



* See Appendix XV. 



