472 Memoir of Mr. Alexander Jeffrey, by George Hilson. 



of ready expression, he was often employed in conducting 

 the correspondence of his less scholarly neighbours, especi- 

 ally in love affairs, and it has been said that some rather 

 ludicrous pranks he had played off in these matters, made a 

 great deal of parish noise. His mental activity, however, 

 unfitted him for the monotonous duties of manual labour in 

 a country district, and he felt a great desire to get into a 

 town. Various plans were proposed, but not carried out, 

 and for some time, though regularly working, he was some- 

 what unsettled as to what to turn his hand to. 



About the year 1825, he entered the office of the late Mr 

 James Curie, solicitor, Melrose, where he remained upwards 

 of a year, after which he removed to Edinburgh, where he 

 obtained employment in the office of Mr George Scott, S.S.C., 

 with whom he served for some years. At that time, Jeffrey, 

 Moncreiff, Cockburn, John Hope, the McNeils, Jamieson, and 

 Fullerton were at the zenith of their fame as advocates ; and 

 as Mr Scott's assistant, in the Parliament House branch of 

 his business, he had many opportunities of hearing them 

 speak. He seems to have been fired with enthusiasm for 

 the law ever after. The impression he then received of the 

 glory of being an advocate, appears never to have been 

 effaced from his recollection, for down to his latest days it 

 was his delight to recite to his acquaintances, the splendid 

 appearances it had been his privilege to witness these dis- 

 tinguished men make. 



In November, 1829, he applied to be admitted a practi- 

 tioner before the Sheriff Court of Roxburghshire, but he was 

 then unsuccessful, as he was in several subsequent applica- 

 tions. The agitation in connection with Reform in Parlia- 

 mentary representation had commenced about that time, 

 and he threw himself into it with great ardour on the popu- 

 lar side. He made many speeches in Jedburgh and the 

 neighbouring towns and villages, and wrote much in news- 

 papers in support of the bill. The views he expressed being 

 somewhat extreme, and his proceedings marked occasionally 

 with indiscretion, he never obtained the support or the 

 countenance of the leaders of the Reformers, as the Liberal 

 party was then called. This strongly provoked his ire, and 

 when he could do anything to thwart or annoy them, he 

 never missed an opportunity. His conduct on these occa- 

 sions was marked — to say it gently — with great indiscre- 

 tion and imprudence. He was a ready writer, and as he 



