Account of 

 Lord Prefident 

 Dundas. 



56 HIS TORT of the S0CIE7T. 



His Ton, it is true, afforded a ftrong proof, that the force of 

 natural talents alone may conduct to eminence and celebrity. 

 He was rich in native genius, and therefore felt not the want of 

 acquired endowments. But in this he left an example to be ad- 

 mired, not imitated. Few inherit from nature equal powers 

 with his ; and even of himfelf it rauft be allowed, that if he 

 was a Great Man without the aids of general literature, or of 

 cultivated tafte, he muft have been ftill a greater, had he avail- 

 ed himfelf of thofe lights which they furnifh, and that im- 

 provement which they beftow. 



This moft ufeful and valuable life was terminated on the 

 13th of December 1787. His laft illnefs, which, though of 

 fhort continuance, was violent in its nature, he bore with the 

 greatefr. magnanimity. He died in the 75th year of his age, 

 in the perfect enjoyment of all his faculties ; at a time, when 

 his- long fervices might have juftly entitled him to eafe and 

 repofe, but which the ftrong fenfe of his duty would not per- 

 mit him to feek while his power of ufefulnefs continued ; at that 

 period, in fhort, when a wife man would wifti to finifh his 

 courfe ; too foon indeed for the public good, but not too late 

 for his own reputation. 



He left by his firft wife, Henrietta Baillie, the daughter 

 of Sir James Carmichael-Baillie of Lamington, four 



daughters. 



" lite and ufeful learning, for the knowledge of which fome in the Faculty were not di- 



" ftinguifhed, perhaps equally with thofe who made the feveral parts of thofe fciences 



" their principal and particular profeflion. And he hoped he would be excufed for re- 



" commending to them, and to all young gentlemen that might afterwards enter among 



" them, to be at pains to maintain and preferve that characler and reputation they had 



" long held, and ftill poflefled, not only for the knowledge of the Civil or Roman and 



" Municipal Laws, and the conftitution of their country, but of the other valuable 



" branches of learning, that are requifite to accomplifh and adorn the characler of gen- 



" tlemen, and were indeed neceflary to render them completely qualified for the exert 



" of their profeflion." Records of the Fac. of Adv. Nov. 3. 1748. 



