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



a most interesting book, and one that may be relied on by 

 persons out of the district. 



Though unsuccessful in a pecuniary point of view, and 

 the occasion of much annoyance and trouble, yet he had a 

 great deal of pleasure intermingled with it. It gave him a 

 status that could not be disputed. The local and provincial 

 press, as the various volumes appeared, treated the work with 

 great respect. As the writers were chiefly natives of the 

 district, and thus had a local knowledge which enabled 

 them to mark any trips he had made, it is remarkable that 

 few or no faults are noticed by them. He also received 

 letters from many distinguished men, for the way he had 

 dealt with the subject, and he was greatly gratified by being 

 unanimously admitted a member of the Society of Antiqua- 

 ries of Scotland, on 30th November, 1859, in respect of his 

 authorship of the work. But what gave him most delight, 

 was the notice of it by the Edinburgh Review, in a 

 special article in the number for October, 1860, (vol. 112, p. 

 489), when the three first volumes only had appeared. The 

 writer deals fairly with the work, and gives it great praise. 

 This quickened the sale of it among that class of readers 

 who could appreciate it. 



Mr. Jeffrey was all his life fond of appearing in print. He 

 put forth many productions on passing events in which he 

 was interested, but they did not attract much permanent 

 notice. This arose from their being quickly got up, and gen- 

 erally displaying more feeling than argument, they were soon 

 forgotten. The most of these he never liked to hear mention- 

 ed, and on this account they are here not further referred to. 

 About the year 1835, he published a " Guide to the Antiqui- 

 ties of the Border," which has been long out of print ; and 

 which he meditated re-issuing, but never did. In 1843 he 

 printed an address on the " Rise and Progress of Science," 

 which he delivered to the Jedburgh Mechanics' Institute ; 

 and in 1852, another on " Local Antiquities." Both of these 

 in some parts display deep research and eloquent writing. 

 After the publication of the report of Mr. Bright's committee 

 on the Game Laws in 1847, he delivered alecture at Galashiels 

 on this subject, subsequently printed, which contains a resume 

 of all the grievances now so popularly expatiated on. Few 

 men were better qualified for depicting the operation of these 

 laws than he was, from having had in the course of his 

 business to defend so many of their transgressors. 



