JET. 24.] THE ' EDINBURGH REVIEW.' 263 



the tone of levity on sacred subjects almost unavoid- 

 ably assumed by any one arguing against great and 

 manifest errors, sometimes of a ludicrous description. 

 There were frequent complaints in Edinburgh, much 

 strengthened by the known, and indeed absurd, 

 opinions of Sir William Drummond, who was a fre- 

 quent contributor, though only upon classical ques- 

 tions. A worthy and pious friend having taken 

 exception to some passages not written by Drummond, 

 the latter used to call him the " Eeverend Lord." I 

 recollect Ward, a person not remarkable for the de- 

 corum of his language on religious subjects, quoting 

 on his friend Dry (the nickname of Drummond) 

 ''Nemo novit Deum, sunt etiam qui de eo impure 

 male existimant" This was about the time of Drum- 

 mond's taking the title of the Crescent, which he had 

 received at Constantinople while ambassador an as- 

 sumption which Ward announced to us by saying, 

 " Drummond having a devil, now calls himself Sir 

 William." 



Whatever objections men might take to the secular 

 or the spiritual opinions of the Eeview, or to the 

 causticity of the criticisms, from the charge of being 

 a party tool, or of ministering to personal feelings, it 

 was always free. The works published by its con- 

 ductors were either not reviewed at all (as was the 

 case with my own work on 'Colonial Policy 7 ), or 

 only, when the subject required their being inserted, 

 referred to without any comment. The decided part 

 taken on some great questions, especially on slavery 



