232 THE SCOTCH BAR. [1800. 



"Whig party, a thraldom from which Harry Erskine 

 (as well as his brother, in the southern sphere of that 

 party) had emancipated himself. I have never ob- 

 served so great capacity as a speaker, generally so 

 much cramped and enfeebled, as in G-illies's case.* 



William Tait was one of the most accomplished 

 lawyers of his time. John Clerk had as profound a 

 knowledge of law, especially the feudal, in all its 

 branches, and not merely in its theory, but in its 

 most minute details of practical application; and 

 would argue points of the greatest difficulty, and pro- 

 pound original views which sometimes at first startled 

 himself, but by degrees won his assent and were ob- 

 stinately persevered in. But he had not that acute- 

 ness which distinguished Tait, nor that marvellous 

 fertility of resources, nor that singular clearness of 

 concise statement, when his legal points were urged 

 one after another, which I recollect led Moncrieff to 

 describe his argument as a bundle of the best-polished 

 and sharpest-pointed spears ; nor that manner, which 

 was a model of graceful delivery. With all his mer- 

 its, Clerk was in manner and language singularly 

 defective. 



Of Matthew Eoss, the subtlety and extensive ingen- 

 uity with extraordinary learning could not be ex- 

 ceeded ; but he seldom gave oral arguments ; and the 

 display of his unrivalled acuteness and rich stores of 



* Adam Gillies, brother of the historian of Greece, raised to the 

 bench as Lord Gillies in 1811. A notice of him will be found in 

 ' Peter's Letters.' 



