LOUD WOODHOUSELEE. 627 



his profession^ rather by the labour of solitary study than by 

 the celebrity of actual practice. While he was forming this 

 resolution, the advice of his patron and friend Lord Kames, 

 not only encouraged him to execute it, but suggested t him 

 also a subject in which it might usefully he executed. As (his 

 incident gave origin to the first work which Mr Tytler pu- 

 blished, and as it is descriptive of the benevolent attention of 

 that distinguished man to his younger friends, I am happy ta 

 be able to relate it, in Mr Tytler's own words, from a little 

 manuscript account of the principal events of his life, which 

 he has left for the instruction of his family. 



" The first time (says he) I became intimately acquaint- 



" ed with Lord Kames, was, I think, in autumn 1767, when 

 " he asked my father and me to accompany him on the South- 

 " ern Circuit. We passed a few days with him at his estate of 

 " Kames, and thence travelled to Jedburgh and Dumfries. 

 " From that time I had the satisfaction of perceiving that I 

 " had some share in his good opinion, of which he gave me 

 " many proofs. While prosecuting my studies in the law, I 

 " was wont frequently to resort to him for his advice, and in 

 " the vacations I made many excursions to Blair-Drummond, 

 " where I staid for ten days or a fortnight at a time, and par- 

 " took in all his occupations either of study or of amusement. 

 " Having read to him a little literary Dialogue which I had 

 " composed, with which he was pleased, he gave me his ad- 

 " vice, to fill up my intervals of leisure by composing a set of 

 " Literary Essays : In consequence of which, I wrote a few de- 

 " tached sketches, which I shewed him from time to time. It 

 " was upon one of these visits to Blair-Drummond, about three 

 " years after I had put on the Gown, that, in talking of some 

 " of his Law Works, he asked me if ever I had attempted to 

 " write any thing in the way of my profession. I told him 



" that 



