52 
[Aug, 1, 
Iiemoirs of Lord Melville, 
less earn toward' a livelihood, when 
they become chargeable. Lord Rnsslyn, 
when Lord ‘ Loughborough, intimated 
something of this kind tiie last time he 
tient the Norfolk circuit. 
May I be allowed to hope that an 
aninml so wonderfully preserved, as is 
mentioned in vol. 31, p. 455 6, may be 
alloAved 
•-“ to pay the debt of nature, live the date 
Of time and mortal custom,” 
instead of being slaughtered. 
Violin. 
Perhaps it is hopeless to attempt to 
discover by whom, or in what century, or 
in what country, this instrument was in¬ 
vented. 
When, to increase the sound, the lyre 
acquired a body, {a 'centre), it seems to 
have become the cithara of the ancients. 
The bow appears to have been an im¬ 
provement (though a very great one) on 
the ancient plectrum. The bow, accord¬ 
ing to Dr, Busby, has attained its present 
length about a century, 
I believe the violin in its present form 
and state, to have existed from pretty 
early in 1500. Probably it was periected 
in Italy, about the age of Leo X. 
"V^iol, or xicl (tije old instrument), seems 
to convey an allosion to its being the re¬ 
vival of a very ancient one. In France, 
probably, the swelled viol, with five or 
six strings, took its origin; and reduced 
to four, perhaps in Italy, became tha 
violin. 
Impressing Seamen. 
Mr. Granville .Sharp was one of the 
early opposers of this unconstitutional 
and impolitic practice. Address to the 
People of England, Land. 1778.—The 
late Thomas Green, esq. of Ipswich, also 
published a tract against it, whicli may 
be the third in your correspondent’s list. 
He is probably aware that Lord Nelson 
drew up a plan to supersede impressing, 
which may be found m Mac Arthur’s Life 
of that illustrious character. 
Papaver Ovrientale. 
I am, sorry that 1 missed of seeing the 
splendid electnc pheenomenon from this 
large and noble flower. 1 have no doubt 
of the fact. Capel Loeft. 
Troston Hall, near Eury^ Suffolk. 
July 2, 1811. 
ERKATA. — In our last Volume. 
P. 530, for permanent, read prominent. 
for pamters', read printers' stick. 
P. 532, for circle, read curve. 
P. 584, for Evelyn, read Emlyn. 
MEMOIRS AND REMAINS OF EMINENT PERSONS 
S! EMoiRs of the Right Honorable 
H EN PlY DUNDAS, Viscount 
MELVILLE, &c. &c. 
family of Dundas of Arniston, 
in Mid Lothian, or Edinburgh Shire, 
is a younger branch of the blouse of 
Dundas, and has for several generations 
filled the highest departments of the law 
in Scotland. Robert, the grandfather of 
Henry, the subject of this memoir, was 
a respectable judge of the Court of Ses¬ 
sion, the supreraejudicature in that part 
cf the United ICingdom. His son Ro¬ 
bert, was one of the most eminent law¬ 
yers of his time, and, after a brilliant 
display ot oratorical abilities, and legal 
knowledge at the bar, was promoted to 
tiie chair of the Lord President, or Chief 
Justice, which he filled in the most dig¬ 
nified manner, distributing justice, with 
judgment, equity, and impratiality. Elis 
eldest son P,obe’‘t, was no less distin¬ 
guished both as an advocate and a judge. 
Combining a prolouud knowledge of law 
with a comraanding eloquence, he was 
avowedly at the head of the Scotch bar. 
During the time he sat in the House of 
Commons, he also made a considerable 
figure as a parliamentary speaker; and, 
had his disposition led him to relinguish le¬ 
gal for political pursuits, his talents must 
have rendered him no less conspicuous 
as a statesman, than his younger brother 
Henry afterwards became. But after 
having filled the high office of Lord Ad- 
vocate, he was, in 1753, elevated to that 
of Lord President, which he enjoyed 
near thirty years. For this exalted si¬ 
tuation he proved himself eminently 
qualified. Unremittingly attentive to the 
duties of his office; quick in developing 
the case that came before him, judicious 
in his arrangements, and decisive in his 
judgments, he conducted and dispatched 
the business of the court, so as to be of 
infinite advantage to tlie suitors, and 
prevent that accumulation of undeter¬ 
mined causes, which, after his death, and 
untU 
