APPENDIX, (5) 



and from the nature of its proceedings, which are chiefly car- Account of Lor.i 



\ Abercroml))-. 



ried on by written arguments, a fpeech, however remarkable, 

 is rarely followed by thofe important confequences to a barri- 

 fter's future bufinefs, of which there are daily iiiftances in Wejimin- 

 Jler Hall, But in this cafe Mr Abercromby's appearance made 

 fuch an impreilion in his favour as very foon to place him 

 among the rnoft riling young men of the profeilion. He took 

 advantage of this circumftance by a ftep, of which the expe- 

 diency was doubted by many of his friends at the time, but 

 was afterwards allowed by them all. Soon after his being call- 

 ed to the bar, he had been appointed Sheriff-depute of Stirling- 

 Jhire^ which he now (in 1780) refigned for the lefs lucrative 

 and more precarious iituation of Depute-Advocate^ on the idea 

 of the latter ofiice being more beneficial in its confequences, as 

 not precluding him from bufinefs arifing within the county of 

 Stirling^ where he had many connedlions both from relation- 

 liiip and acquaintance, but rather tending to advance his em- 

 ployment, from the opportunities it afforded him of appearing 

 in. public and criminal cafes. This appointment of Depute- 

 Advocate he held under Mr Henry Dun das, then Lord Advo- 

 cate for Scotland, in conjun(5lion with Mr Blair, lince his Ma- 

 jefty's Solicitor, and Mr Craig, now a Judge in the Courts of 

 Seffion and Jufticiary. Thofe two gentlemen and Mr Aber- 

 CROMBY were as much conne(fled in private friendfhip as in pu- 

 blic bufinefs ; a friendfhip to which one who has known 'them 

 long and intimately, may be pardoned for afcribing a confi- 

 derable advantage towards the attainment of that profeiTional 

 eminence, as well as of that general eftimation and refpedlability 

 which they have all enjoyed. 



Mr Abercromby now rofe with great rapidity in his profef- 

 fion, and was among the bell employed barrifters of his Itanding^ 

 •in Scotland. To this fuccefs he was not more entitled by his ta- 

 lents than by his alfiduity ; and it was a peculiar merit in him^ 



who; 



