JET. 23.] CHARLES HOPE. 237 



partisan, might be consulted. Fully sensible, as he 

 ever after proved, of this generous conduct, the advice 

 of the party made him decline, and it was not till 

 then that Mr Hope was raised to the bench. His 

 conduct made, as well it might, a deep impression on 

 Harry Erskine : towards Hope and his family he 

 ever after retained the warmest feelings, notwith- 

 standing the hostility, personal as well as political, in 

 which they had passed their lives. 



Nor was this trait in the fine character of the 

 man confined to his riper years. I remember Dr 

 Adam telling me an instance of self-sacrifice and 

 noble feelings ; that when he was a pupil, and had 

 risen, in the first year of his attendance, to be first 

 (i.e. dux) of his class, a blind boy of the second year 

 being next to him, Hope yielded his place, but would 

 suffer no one else to pass him, and had himself the 

 first place the year after. The Doctor used to dwell 

 on this trait as marking a feeling and generous nature, 

 and it obliterated in his mind all recollection of the 

 wide difference in political principles which at the 

 time separated them, and the acrimony which then 

 prevailed. One can plainly see that the same boy 

 was the man who afterwards acted the like part to 

 Harry Erskine. The latter 's disqualification for the 

 highest place was certainly not natural, but still was 

 decisive ; it was the belonging to a party that had not 

 the choice, which Hope's party and himself alone 

 could exercise.* 



* See Appendix XVI. 



