FRANCIS JEFFREY HIS MARRIAGE. 



01 



This pleased his majesty so well, 

 that he broke into a laughter, and 

 said, "By my soul, so thou shalt for 

 me. Thou art a bitter, but thou 

 art a witty knave." (Howel's Let- 

 ters, 1621.) 



FRANCIS JEFFREY ULTI3IUS 

 ROMANORUM. 



He prepared himself for what he 

 did by judicious early industry. He 

 then chose the most difficult spheres 

 in which talent can be exerted, and 

 excelled in them all ; rising from 

 obscurity and dependence to afflu- 

 ence and renown. His splendour 

 as an advocate was exceeded by his 

 eminence as a judge. He was the 

 founder of a new system of criti- 

 cism, and this a higher one than 

 had ever existed. As an editor, 

 and as a writer, he did as much to 

 improve his country and the world 

 as can almost ever be done, by dis- 

 cussion, by a single man. He was 

 the last of four pre-eminent Scotch- 

 men, who, living in their own 

 country, raised its character and 

 extended its reputation during the 

 period of his career. The other 

 three were Dugald Stewart, Walter 

 Scott, and Thomas Chalmers ; each 

 of whom, in literature, philosophy, 

 or policy, caused great changes; and 

 each left upon his age the impres- 

 sion of the mind that produced 

 them. JeiFrey, though surpassed 

 in genius certainly by Scott, and 

 perhaps by Chalmers, was inferior 

 to none of them in public usefulness, 

 or in the beauty of the means by 

 which he achieved it, or in its pro- 

 bable duration. The elevation of 

 the public mind was his peculiar 

 .glory. In one respect alone he was 

 unfortunate. The assaults which 

 Jie led against error were etforts in 

 which the value of his personal ser- 

 vices can never be duly seen. His 

 position required him to dissipate, 

 in detached and nameless exertions, 

 as much philosophy and beautiful 

 composition as would have sus- 



tained avowed and important ori- 

 ginal works. He has raised a great 

 monument, but it is one on which 

 his own name is too faintly en- 

 graved. (Life by Lord Cockburn.) 



JEFFREY'S MARRIAGE. 

 The marriage took place on Nov- 

 ember 1, 1801. It had all the re- 

 commendations of poverty. His 

 father, who was in humble circum- 

 stances, assisted them a very little ; 

 but Miss Wilson had no fortune, 

 and Jeffrey had told his brother, 

 only six months before, that " my 

 profession has never yet brought me 

 100 a-year, yet have I determined 

 to venture upon this new state. It 

 shows a reliance on Providence 

 scarcely to be equalled in this de- 

 generate age, and indicates such 

 resolutions of economy as would ter- 

 rify any less magnanimous adven- 

 turer." His brother having asked 

 him to describe his wife, he did so, 

 as I think, who came to know her 

 well, with great accuracy. "You 

 ask me to describe my Catherine 

 to you ; but I have no talent for 

 description, and put but little faith 

 in full-drawn characters ; besides, 

 the original is now so much a part 

 of myself, that it would not be de- 

 cent to enlarge very much, either 

 upon her excellencies or her imper- 

 fections. It is proper, however, to 

 tell you, in sober earnest, that she 

 is not a showy or remarkable girl, 

 either in person or character. She 

 has good sense, good manners, good 

 temper, and good hands, and above 

 all, I am perfectly sure, that she 

 has a good heart, and that it is mine 

 without reluctance or division. " 

 She soon secured the respect and 

 esteem of all his friends, and made 

 her house, and . its society, very 

 agreeable. Their first home was 

 in Buccleuch Pl#ice, one of the new 

 parts of the old town, not in either 

 the eighth or the ninth stories, nei- 

 ther of which ever existed, but in 

 the third story, of what is now 



