MOM E. 



93 



H*m, one* to improve the understanding, and to cultivate 

 ju.t notions of morality. ThU little work be published 

 """' ] ,1, in a wnnll volume under tlie title of Introduc- 



tion to t Tkii'H*!:. It is divided into two 



parti : the former containing a series of moral and pru- 

 dential maxims nd the latter a rr^ular illuitration of 

 thaw maxims by (tone* taken either from real history, 

 or fictitious narrative*. 



It appears from the letter* of some of Lord Kames's 

 correspondent*, that he had for several jean meditated 

 an extensive wwk on the principle* of criticism. This 

 design be afterward* carried into execution by the pub- 

 lication of his Element* of Criticism, which first appear- 

 ed in the year 1762, in three volumes 8vo. In this ela- 

 borate work, it was the object of the author to subject 

 the impressions made on the mind by the productions 

 of the fine arts to the standard of reason, by shewing, 

 that what is generally called taste is by no means arbi- 

 trary, bat depends on certain principle* or laws of the 

 human constitution ; and that a rood taste consists in 

 the consonance of our feeling* with those laws. 



From the period of the publication of the last men. 

 toned work, Lord Kames appears to hare derated him- 

 self far a few years exclusively to his professional occu- 

 pations. On the 15th of April 1763, be was appointed 

 one of the Lords of Justiciary, that is. one of the Judges 

 of the supreme criminal tribunal in Scotland. The du- 

 ties of that situation he continuul to discharge, to the 

 od of hi* life, with equal diligence and ability. In 

 68, he 



1766, he received a very large addition* to bis 

 income by the nirressinn to the estate of Blair. Drum- 

 mood, which devolved on hi* wife by the death of her 

 brother. The season* of vacation were now spent at 

 Blair-Drumnvirul, where be began to execute a variety 

 of agricultural improvements on an extended scale, 

 '. while they art a great example for the imitation 



rf ttu ...i.kl .1 II ' i . - J _ .1 



BSBavsBawasg Basa . . r.. r i | - . i :\\ ..< 

 most solid and permanent benefit to the proprietor and 

 his heir*. Among these plan* of improvement wa* one 

 of a nature so extraordinary, as t > be generally regard- 

 ed at first a* chimerical, but which ultimately succeed- 

 ed far bejond the most sanguine view* of it* contriver. 



by hi* lordship on the moss of Kincardine; of 

 wr than have occasion to take some notice in the arti- 

 cle MOSS in tlm work. With these substantial im- 

 he combined many plane of embellish- 



* lues tk ii a * *- > _ 



DJ Umt grM MHUwM Of 



* 



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l,.Ke,|,. f n,!lpx:vp:.:.,. ,,'.'.. p-,,.-r fti nW 



handry fa Scotland, of which the principal object ws* 



to shew. Uw expediency of encourving the culture of 



ax of the native grow* of the country. At the same 



'ordshtp, availing himvlf of a moat extensive 



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land, rmleaiusaad. with s laudable seal, to stimulate 

 their exertions in diffusing a spirit of industry among 



--nttager. and dependents, by the 

 each specie* of domestic manufacture*, suited to both 

 eews, as, without any considerable entente on the part 

 of the proprietor*, would ameliorate the condition, and 

 multiply the comforts, of the lower order., an-! 

 Uy th,- ,,!,! - 1! ..| 1 i,., n of . Increase of til - own re- 

 Araat.g those patriotic plan* of mitK'md im- 

 ent. in which Lord Kames, a* a member of the 



Clyde, which was begun in 1768, and from which, 

 Miice its completion, the internal commerce of the 

 country has derived the most essential benefit. 



In the year 1766, Lord Kames published his Remark- 

 able Decitiont rftke Court oj'Seuion,fron 1730 to \ l.'>2. 

 The reports contained in this volume consist of 130 

 cases, comprehending the most important causes which 

 had occurred in the course of his own practice while at 

 the bar. 



For many year* Lord Kames had been employed, 

 during hU leisure hours, in collecting materials for a 

 History of Man. The design of this great work, how- 

 ever, as at first conceived, was found to be too vast ; 

 and he afterwards wisely determined to confine his 

 plan within narrower limits. The work wss at length 

 published in the year 1771, under the t'tle of Sclietcket 

 of the Hittory of Man, in two volumes -tto. Although 

 published in the form of separate essays or disserta- 

 tions, it it digested with a considerable degree of sys- 

 tematic regularity, and i* valuable not only from the 

 great variety of important object* which it embraces, 

 but on account of the genius and ability displayed in 

 their discuss i 



In the year 1776, he published hi* Gentleman Far- 

 mer a work of great utility at the period of its publica- 

 tion, and which afford* a singular specimen of the un- 

 dimiiiishrd vigour of his mind at the advanced age of 

 eighty. Even at thU late period of hi* life, his c 

 tutioo appeared to have suffered nothing from the at- 

 tack* of old age. There wa* vet no . ay of 

 hi* mrr.tal powers ; and, what is still more extraordina- 

 ry, be possuatd the same flow of animal spirits, the 

 same gaiety and vivacity, and the same ardour in the 

 pursuit of knowledge, for which he bad been distin- 

 guithed in hi* early years. 



In 1777. he published his Elucidatiomi retpeclint the 

 Common and Statute Lnm of Scotland, in one volume 

 8vo: and in 1780, his Select Dfdtiont of the Court of 

 5*tno*. in one volume folio. The Utter publication 

 contains 26* report* of the most important cases 

 ded by the court, between the yean 1752 and . 

 and form* a supplement to the esses formerly publ 

 under the title of IlewurkaUe Drcuwot. The but 

 work of Lord Kames was his Loose Hint* on Educa- 

 tion, published at Edinburgh in the year 1781, when 

 the author was in the 95th year of hi* age. 



Although apparently by no mean* of a robust frame 

 of body, Lord kaaws had hitherto enjoyed an uncom- 

 mon share of good health ; but in the beginning of the 

 year 1783. when he had nearly completed his 86th 

 year, be was seised with a disorder of the bowels, 

 which, being attended with no pain, gave him, for a 

 fnainWahle time, very little apprehension. Finding, 

 however, after some months, that the dwease had not 

 yielded to medicine or regimen, he began to rtj. 

 a* likely to terminate fatally. During the 



istees for the encouragement of art. took a 

 active concern, was the great and useful project 

 of a navigable canal between the rffen Forth and 



term of the year above mentioned, be regularly attend- 

 ed to hi* official duty in the court* of union and jus- 

 ticiary, and at the end of the term, he went, a* usual, 

 with hi* family to Blair- Drummond. He alto attend- 

 ed the autumn circuit ; but, on his retui . ngth 

 decreased daily, although the serenity and t ! 

 of hi temper remained unabated. He left Blair- IV 

 Bond in the beginning of November, and continued, 

 fat some little time, to attend the meeting* of tle court 

 of session ; but he soon became sensible that his 

 strength was not equal to the effort. On the la.-t day 

 - attendance, he took a separate and affectionate 

 farewell of each of hi* brethren. He sun ived that pe- 



