372 Memoir of Archibald Campbell Swinton. 



I have already mentioned the late Archbishop Tait, who 

 studied at Glasgow and Oxford. He never attended the 

 University of Edinburgh, although he became a member of 

 the Classical Society. It had a summer session, and during 

 that period Tait attended the meetings, and took an active 

 part in its proceedings. 



In 1831 Swinton became a member of the Speculative Society. 

 His name appears in the volume entitled The History of the 

 Speculative Society, on page 321 ; and it appears that the essays, 

 which he contributed during the session, were on "Municipal 

 Law and Moral Science," on the " State of European Politics at 

 the Peace of Paris," on the "Causes which led to Buonaparte 

 being declared Emperor of the French," and on the "Rise of 

 the Middle Orders in England." In the course of his attendance 

 at the Speculative, he had occasion, of which he availed himself, 

 to become well informed as to current, as well as past, historical 

 and political questions. His companions there were, among 

 others, the late Edward Horsman, M.P. for Stroud ; David 

 Mure, afterwards Lord Mure ; James Craufurd, afterwards Lord 

 Ardmillan ; John Thomson Gordon, who became Sheriff of 

 Edinburgh, a man of brilliant ability ; and George Makgill of 

 Kemback, whom I have already mentioned. The latter 

 died early, but was one of the most accomplished of the 

 circle. 



At the Speculative, Swinton distinguished himself in a 

 remarkable degree, and became a very finished speaker. His 

 style of speaking was eminently calculated to be effective in a 

 popular assembly, such as the House of Commons. His flow 

 of well-chosen language was something phenomenal. The 

 difi&culties which beset most public speakers, and which many 

 of them never overcome, of hesitancy, and want of readiness of 

 expression and of choice of words, he never experienced. The 

 only criticism which could be made upon his style was, that it 

 was sometimes only too fluent — too unbroken ; but my own 

 opinion is, that one session in the House of Commons would 

 have placed him in the front rank, both of debaters and of 

 orators in that august and fastidious assembly. Any redundancy 

 and copiousness of expression would have been checked and 

 chastened by the controversial and critical nature of the 

 assembly itself, and his large and extensive knowledge of 

 atfairs and fund of cultivated intelligence would, I am satisfied, 



