HOME. 



Home, nod only about eight days, and died on the 27th of 

 Henry- December 1 782, in the 8"th year of his age. 

 ""Y""**' In his person, Lord Kames was very tall, and of a 

 thin and slender form. His countenance was animated, 

 and strongly marked with the features of intelligence 

 and benignity. At every period of his life he had 

 a high relish for the pleasures of society; and it 

 was usual for small and select parties to meet at his 

 house in the evenings, during the winter and sum- 

 mer sessions, without invitation. In these parties, the 

 discussion of literary topics was agreeably blended 

 with innocent sallies of mirth and pleasantry; and 

 the graver conversation of a Smith, a Blair, and a 

 Fergusson, was relieved or enlivened by the native 

 wit and polished manners of a Cullen, or the sprightly 

 fancy and whimsical eccentricity of a Boswell. The 

 artless and ingenuous disposition of Lord Kames 

 led him, at all times, to express his feelings and opi- 

 nions without reserve or disguise ; and this propensity, 

 combined with a certain humorous playfulness of man- 

 ner, might frequently convey to strangers the unfa- 

 vourable idea of a bluntness and levity, derogatory 

 from that dignity and attention to decorum, which one 

 so naturally associates with talents and eminence. But 

 this impression was soon effaced by that vigour of in- 

 tellect, that frankness, integrity, and candour, which 

 his conversation never failed to display. He engaged 

 with interest in the discussion of almost every topic 

 that occurred, whether of ordinary life, literature, or 

 science ; and although naturally communicative, he 

 was always as ready to listen to the opinions of others 

 as to deliver his own sentiments. To the introduc- 

 tion of political subjects, however, in common conver- 

 sation, he had a strong dislike ; and when the conver- 

 sation happened to take that turn, Ire either took no 

 part in it, or endeavoured to divert it by some timely 

 pleasantry, or guide it with address into a .different 

 channel. 



To tlie distinguishing features of Lord Kames' cha- 

 racter as a lawyer, a judge, an author, and a man, we 

 have had frequent occasion to allude in the course of 

 the preceding narrative. He certainly contributed 

 more than any other individual, to explain, illustrate, 

 and define the origin, progress, and character of the 

 laws and institutions of his country ; his unwearied at- 

 tention to agriculture ami internal improvement, and 

 his zealous encouragement of every useful project, bear 

 sufficient testimony to his public spirit ; and, however 

 widely he might occasionally err in his speculations on 

 subjects of strict science, Ins ninny and valuable publi- 

 cations on literary and philosophical subjects, will 

 prove a lasting monument of I is genius and industry. 

 See Lord WoodhouseJee's Memoirs of Ihe Life and 

 Writings of Lord Kames. The writer of this article has 

 also been favoured with a perusal of th^MSS. of John 

 Ramsay, Esq. of Ochtertyre, in which there are* many 

 interesting particulars illustrative of the characters of 

 Lord Kames and other individuals, whose talents con- 

 tributed to elevate the lilt vary reputation of their na- 

 tive country during the eighteenth century, (a) 



HOME, JOHN, a clergyman of the church of Scot- 

 land, but best known" to the public as author of one of 

 the most classical tragedies in the English language, 

 w;r a descendant of one of the ancestors of the Earl of 

 Hone. It was <,nce reported, that he had some pre- 

 tensions to tlie title of the Earl of Dunbar, but upon 



what grounds we have never been able to learn. His 

 father was clerk, or, as it might be termed in England, 

 recorder of the town of Leith.* Our poet was born at 

 Leith in September 1722. He received the elementary 

 part of his education at the parish-school of his native 

 place ; after which he went to the university of Edin- 

 burgh, and there went through the customary course 

 of the languages and philosophy with the reputation of 

 a respectable and diligent student. At the university 

 he was the intimate companion of several of those emi- 

 nent men, who, like himself, afterwards contributed so 

 highly to raise the literary reputation of Scotland about 

 the middle of the eighteenth century. Among these 

 were Drs Robertson and Blair, and Professor Adam 

 Ferguson. The circle of his intimate friendship after- 

 wards included David Hume, and Lord Kames. Be- 

 ing educated for the church, he had passed through 

 the divinity-hall, and was about to enter upon the du- 

 ties of the clerical profession, when he was suddenly 

 called to forsake his studies by the rebellion that broke 

 out in Scotland in the year 1745. On the approach of 

 the rebels, the citizens of Edinburgh assembled, and 

 formed themselves into an association for the support 

 of their sovereign, and the defence of the city ; and in 

 this association Mr Home was appointed to be lieute- 

 nant of a company of volunteers. In the first crisis of 

 alarm, it became a question among those who had ta- 

 ken up arms, whether they should wait for the approach 

 of the rebels within their walls, or march out to meet 

 them, and act with the king's army. Mr Home, with 

 the more active spirits, was in favour of the latter plan ; 

 and while the bulk of the volunteers remained in the 

 Scottish capital, he was one of a much smaller number 

 who solicited and obtained permission to follow the 

 army of Hawley into the field. At the unfortunate 

 battle of Falkirk, he was taken prisoner by a party of 

 Prince Charles's troops, and was for some time confined 

 a prisoner in the castle of Downe. From thence, how- 

 ever, he soon afterwards contrived to effect his escape 

 and public tranquillity having been restored by the 

 victory pf Culloden, he resumed his studies, and was 

 licensed to preach. In the same year, 1746, he was 

 presented to the living of Atholstaneford, in the county 

 of East Lothian. It gives a poetical interest to the 

 name of this parish, that it had successively for clergy- 

 men two poets of respectable names, Mr Home hav- 

 ing succeeded in that living to Blair, the author of The 

 Grave. In this retired situation, however, we cannot 

 suppose the dramatic muse of Mr Home to have found 

 herself so congenially situated as the more sombrous 

 genius of his predecessor. Accustomed to the sweets 

 of literary society, and elegant m his pursuits, he pro- 

 bably felt the life and duties of a country parish priest 

 far from being delightful. To a mind teeming with 

 dramatic conceptions, the offices of visiting, catechising, 

 and spiritual rebuking, must have been somewhat irk- 

 some. He appears, however, to have sometimes taken 

 the recreation of a visit to England ; and on one of 

 those occasions, he met with Collins the poet, whose 

 mind immediately felt a pleasing congeniality with that 

 of Home. In his Ode on the Superstition/^ of the High- 

 lands, we have almost the only record that Collins has 

 left of his personal friendship, when he says, 



Go not regardless while these numbers boast 

 My short-Iiv'd bliss ; forget my social name, 



Home, 

 John. 



It should lie observed, however, that the English recorder's office is of higher dignity than that of the Scottish clerk, who doe* 

 not sit, like the former, on capital cases. 



