46 HISrORT of the SO'CIETK 



A«ouRt of judgment, which gave, even to his unpremeditated harangues, 

 Dundas. a methodical arrangement ; in confultation, he poffefTed a quick- 



nefs of apprehenfion beyond all example ; and his memory, 

 which was mod Angularly tenacious, enabled him to treafure 

 up, and to produce inftantaneoufly, every cafe or precedent 

 which was applicable to the matter before him. 



Thus liberally endowed by nature with every requifite to 

 eminence in his profefllon, he had the honour of being ap- 

 pointed Solicitor-general for Scotland in September 1742, at the 

 early age of twenty-nine. This important office he held only 

 for four years. He had obtained it through the favour of the 

 Carteret adminiftration, which was then in power ', but, on the 

 change of Miniftry, which took place in 1746, when the Pel- 

 ham party regained its influence in the Cabinet, he, together with 

 the other friends of the former Miniftry, refigned their offices. 



But the high confideration in which he then flood with his 

 brethren at the bar, was not diminifhed by the lofs of an office 

 dependent on minifterial favour. In the fame year, 1746, he 

 was elected Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, and continued to 

 prefide over that refpeclable body till his elevation to the Bench 

 in 1760. 



In the beginning of the year 1754, Mr Dundas was elected 

 Member of Parliament for the county of Edinburgh ; and, in 

 the following fummer, he was appointed his Majefty's Advo- 

 cate for Scotland. 



In Parliament, the fhare which Mr Dundas took in public 

 bufinefs, and his appearances on many interefting fubjects of 

 difcuflion, which occurred in that important period during 

 which he fat in the Houfe of Commons, were fuch as fully to 

 juftify the character he had already attained for talents and 

 ability. Such was the complexion of the times, and fo high 

 the tide of party, that it was perhaps impomble for human 

 wifdom to have pointed out a line of political conduct which 



could 



