George Home Drummond, Efq; of Blair Drummond. The year 1751 gave birth to the first fruits of his lordship's metaphyfical Лudies, under the title of Effays on the principles of Morality and Natural Religion, in two parts. Though a fmall volume, it was replete with ingenuity and acute reafoning, excited general attention, and gave rife to much controverfy. It contained, in more explicit terms than perhaps any other work of a religious theift then known in Scotland, the doctrine which has of late made fo much noife under the appellation of philofophical neceffity. The fame thing had indeed been taught by Hobbes, by Collins, and by the celebrated David Hume; but as thofe authors either were profeffed infidels, cr were fuppofed to be fuch, it excited, as coming from them, no wonder, and provoked for a time very little indignation. But when a writer, who exhibited no fymptoms of extravagant fcepticifm, who infinuated nothing against the truth of revelation in general, and who inculcated with earnestnefs the great du ics of morality and natural religion, advanced at the fame time fo uncommon a doctrine as that of neceffity; a number of pens were im mediately drawn against him, and for a while the work and its author were extremely obnoxious to a great part of the Scottish nation. On the other hand, there were fome, and thofe not totally illiterate, who, confounding neceffity with predeftination, complimented Mr Home on his matterly defence of the established faith; and though between these two schemes there is no fort of refemblance, except that the future happinefs or mifery of all men is, according to both, certainly foreknown and appointed by God, yet we remember that a profef for in a diffenting academy fo far miftook the one for the other, that he recommended to his pupils the Effays on Morality and natural Religion, as containing a complete vindication of the doctrine of Calvin. For this mif take he was difmiffed from his office, and excluded from the communion of the fect to which he belonged. Lord Kames, like many other great and good men, continued a Neceffarian to the day of his death; but in a sub, fequent edition of the eflays, he exhibited a remarkable proof of his candour and liberality of fentiment, by altering the expreffions, which, contrary to his intention, had given fuch general offence. The In 1761, he published an Introduction to the Art of Thinking, 1200. This fmall but valuable book was originally intended for the inftruction of his own family. plan of it is both curious, amufing, and highly calculated to catch the attention and to improve the minds of youth. It confifts of maxims colle&d from Rochefoucault and many other authors. To illuftrate thefe maxims, and to rivet their fpirit and meaning in the minds of young perfons, his lordship' as added to most of them beautiful flories, fables, and hiftorical a. cdotes. In the department of Belles Lettres, his Elements of Criticifm' appeared in 1762, in 3 vols. 8vo. This valua ble work is the first, and a n:oft fuc cefsful attempt, to show, that the art of crivicifm is founded on the principles of buman nature. Such a plar, it might be, tn ught, fhould have produced a dry and phlegmatic performance. Lord Kames, on the contrary, from the fightlinefs of his manner of treating every fubject he handled, has rendered the Elements of Craticifm not only highly inftri&tive, but one of the moft entertaining books in our language. Before this work was published, Rollin's Belles Lettres, a dull performance, from which a student could derive little advantage, was univerfully recommended as a ítandar ་ obfervations concerning the nature of man; the produce of much and profitable reading. In the courfe of his ftudies and reafonings, he had amaffed a vaft collection of materials. Thefe, when confiderably advanced in years, he digefted under proper heads, and fubmitted them to the confideration of the públic. He intended that this ftandard; but, after the Elements of Criticifm were prefented to the pubic, Rollin inftantly vanished, and gave place to greater genius and greater utility. With regard to real inftruction and genuine tafte in compofition of every kind, a ftudent, a gentleman, or scholar, can in no language find fuch a fertile field of information. Lord Kames accord-book fhould be equally intelligible to ingly had the happiness of feeing the good effects of his labours, and of enjoying for twenty years a reputation which he fo justly merited. 1 A ftill farther proof of the genius and various pursuits of this active mind was given in the year 1772, when his lordfhp published a work in 8vo, under the title of The Gentleman Farmer, being an attempt to improve Agriculture by fubjecting it to the test of rational principles.' Our limits do not permit us to give deails: but, with regard to this book, we mult inform the public, that all the intelligent farmers in Scotland uniformly declare, that, after perufing Young, Dickfon, and a hundred other writers on agriculture, Lord Kames's Gentleman Farmer contains the best practical and rational information on the various articles of hufbandry which can any where be ob. As a practical farmer, Lord Kames has given many obvious proofs of his kill. After he fucceeded, in right of his lady, to the ample eftate of Blair-Drummond in the county of Perth, he formed a plan for turning a large mcfs, confifting of at leaft 1500 acres, into arable land. His lordfhip had the pleafure, before he died, to fee the plan fuccefsfully, though only partially, executed. The fame plan is now carrying on in a much more rapid manner by his fon George Home Drummond, Efq. In 1773, Lord Kames favoured the world with Sketches of the Hiftory of Man, 2 vols. 4to. This work confifls of a great variety of facts and women as to men; and, to accomplish this end, when he had occafion to quote ancient or foreign books, he uniformly tranflated the paffages. The Sketches contain much,ufeful information; and, like all his lordship's other performances, are lively and entertaining. We now come to Lord Kames's laft work, to which he modeftly gives the title of Loofe Hints upon Education, chiefly concerning the Culture of the Heart." It was published in 1781, in 8vo, when the venerable and aftonifhing author was in the 85th year of his age. Though his lordship chofe to call them Loofe Hints, the intelligent reader will perceive in this compofition an uncommon activity of mind at an age fo far advanced be. yond the ufual period of human life, and an earnest defire to form the minds of youth to honour, to virtue, to induftry, and to a veneration of the Deity, Belide the books we have enumerated, Lord Kames published many temporary and fugitive pieces in dif ferent periodical works. In the ELfays Phyfical and Literary, published by a fociety of gentlemen in Edinburgh, we find compofitions of his lordship On the Laws of Motion, On the Advantages of Shallow Ploughing, and on Evaporation; all of which exhibit evident marks of genius and originality of thinking. How a man employed through life in public bufinefs, and in bufinets of the first importance, could find leifure for fo many different purfuits, and practising thefe leffons that Lord. Kames rofe to literary eminence, in oppofition to all the obftacles which the tumult of public business could place in his way. To give a proper delineation of the public and private character of Lord Kames, would far exceed our limits. The writer of this article, however, who had the honour of an intimate acquaintance with this great and good man for more than twenty years, must be indulged in adding a few facts which fell under his own observation. Lord Kames was remarkable for public fpirit, to which he conjoined activity and great exertion. He for a long tract of time had the principal management of all the focieties and boards for promoting, the trade, fisheries, and manufactures, in Scotland. Excel in them*, it is not easy for a meaner mind to form even a conception. Much, no doubt, is to be attributed to the fuperiority of his genius, but much muft likewife have been the refult of a proper diftribution of his time. He rofe early; when in the vigour of life, at four o'clock; in old age, at fix; and studied all morning. When the court was fitting, the duties of his office employed him from eight or nine to twelve or one; after which, if the weather permitted, he walked for two hours with fome li terary friends, and then went home to dinner. While he was on the bench, and we believe when he was at the bar, he neither gave nor accepted invitations to dinner during the term or feffion; and if any friend came uninvited to dine with him, his lordfhip difplayed his ufual cheerful-As conducive to those ends, he was a nefs and hospitality, but always retired with his clerk as foon as he had drunk a very few glaffes of wine, leaving his company to be entertained by his lady. The afternoon was fpent, as the morning had been, in study. In the evening he went to the theatre or the concert, from which he returned to the fociety of fome men of learning, with whom he fat late, and difplayed fuch talents for converfation as are not often found. It is obferved by a late celebrated author, that to read, write, and converfe, in due proportions, is the bufinefs of a man of letters; and that he who hopes to look back hereafter with fatisfaction upon paft years, must learn to know the value of fingle minutes, and eadeavour to let no particle of time fall afelefs to the ground.' It was by ftrenuous advocate for making and repairing turnpike roads through every part of the country. He had likewife a chief lead in the diftributionand application of the funds arifing. from the eftates in Scotland which had unfortunately been annexed to the crown. He was no lefs zealous in fupporting, both with his writings and perfonal influence, literary affociations. He was in fome measure the parent of what was called the phyfical and literary fociety. This fociety was afterward incorporated into the Royal fociety of Edinburgh which received a charter from the crown, and which is daily producing marks of genius, as well as works of real utility. As a private and domeftic gentleman, Lord Kames was admired by both Upon reflecting on the ftudioufnefs of Lord Kames's difpofition, and his numerou literary productions the reader will naturally recal to his mind a striking fimilarity between his lordship and the laborious Pliny the elder. In a letter from Pliny the younger to Macer, the following paffage occurs, which is equally applicable to both Nonne videtur tibi, recordanti quantum legerit, quattum fcripferit, nec in officiis alis, nec in amie A atia principum fuiffe? which is thus trandated by Melmouth: When you rifle on the books he has read, and the volumes he has written, are you not inclined to fufpect, that he never was engaged in the altars of the public, or the fervice of his prince.?' both fexes. The vivacity of his wit and of his animal fpirits, even when advanced in years; rend red his company not only agreeable, but greatly folicited by the literati, and courted by ladies of the highest rank and accomplishments. He told very few ftories; and rarely, if ever, repeated the fame ftory to the fame perfon. From the neceffity of retailing anecdotes, the miferable refuge of thofe who, without genius, attempt to fhine in converfation, the abundance of his own mind fet him free; for his wit or his learning always fuggefted what the occafion required. He could with equal cafe and readiness combat the opinions of a metaphyfician, unravel the intricacies of law, talk with a far mer on improvements in agriculture, or estimate with a lady the merits of the drefs in fafhion. Instead of being jealous of rivals, the characteristic of little minds, Lord Kames foftered and encouraged every symptom of merit that he could difcover in the fcholar, or in the loweft mechanic. Before he fucceeded to the estate of Blair Drummond, his fortune was fmall. Notwithstanding this circumftance, he, in conjunction with Mrs Drummond, his refpectable and accomplished poufe, did much more fervice to the indigent than moft families of greater opulence. If the prefent neceffity was preffing, they gave money. They did more: When they difcovered that male or female petitioners were capable of performing any art or labour, both parties exerted themselves in procuring that fpecies of work which the poor people could perform. In cafes of this kind, which were very frequent, the lady took charge of the women and h's lordship of the men. From what has been faid concerning the various and numerous productions of his genius, it is obvious that there could be few idle moments in his long protracted life. His mind was inceffantly enployed; either teeming with new ideas, or purfuing active and laborious occupations. At the fame time, with all this intellectual ardour, onë great feature in the character of Lord Kames, befide his literary talents and his public fpirit, was a remarkable innocency of mind. He not only never indulged in detraction, but when any fpecies of fcandal was exhibited in his company, he either remained fi. lent, or endeavoured to give a different turn to the converfation. As natural confequences of this amiable difpofition, he never meddled with politics, even when parties ran to indecent lengths in this country; and, what is ftill more remarkable, he never wrote a fentence, notwithstanding his numerous publications, without a direct and a manifeft intention to benefit his fellow creatures. In his tem per he was naturally warm, though kindly and affectionate. In the friendfhips he formed, he was ardent, zealous, and fincere. So far from being inclined to irreligion, as fome ignorant bigots, infinuated, few men poffeffed a more devout habit of thought. A conftant fenfe of Deity, and a veneration for Providence, dwelt upon his mind. From this fource arose that propenfity which appears in all his writings, of inveftigating final caufes, and tracing the wifdom of the Supreme Author of nature. But here we muft ftop. Lord Kames, to the great regret of the public, died on the 27th day of December 1782. As he had no marked difeafe but the debility neceffarily refulting from extreme eld age, a few days before his death he went to the court of feffion, addreffed all the judges feparately, told them he was speedily to depart, and took a folemn and an affectionate farewell. Extract 185 Extract from a Memoir concerning the Existence and Situation of Solomon's Iflands. Prefented to the Royal Academy of Sciences, January 9th 1781; by M. Buache. THE Voyages of modern navigators, at the fame time that they have furnished fo much knowledge of the South Sea, have given rise to doubts refpecting the existence of Solomon's. Iflands and feveral geographers have already been anxious to expunge them from their charts, and remove them to the clafs of fabulous Lands. It was for fome time rather ufual to deny the existence of every country, which was not found at the place affigned to it by the charts; while, on the other hand, all thofe lands which were found in tracts of fea where there were not any marked in the charts, were confidered as new discoveries. The more enlightened navigators of the prefent time, when their researches prove unfuccefsful, draw no other conclufion, than that the lands they are unable to find have been ill placed upon their geographical charts; and, before they give a new name to any ifland that does not appear there, confider attentively all those that appear in the fame tracts and at the fame latitudes. In the prefent cafe, to be qualified to deny the exiftence of Solomon's Islands with any reafon, it would be neceffary to have fought them in all the fituations which different authors have affigned, which has not yet been done. I have examined this point of geography with attention; and it has appeared to me, that, to any one who has not made a vow of fcepticism, the exiftence of these islands is fufficiently demonstrated by the accounts of Men dana's voyages. I have alfo thought that, with the knowledge we now have of the South Sea, we may be able to ascertain their pofition more precifely, and make them easier to be found by other navigators. The circumftantial particulars of the discovery of Solomon's Ilands, as related by Figueroa, cannot be regard ed as romance; they contain nothing marvellous, nor inconfiftent with things actually known, but a fimple narrative of fact. The relation of Men dana's fecond voyage is alone fufficient to establish the reality of this difcovery. We fee from the first, that this voyage was not undertaken, like the former, to make discoveries at random, but to return to a place already known, and establish a colony in it: the fleet was, confequently, provided with every thing neceffary for fuch an expedition; 368 perfons, chiefly married, were embarked in it; their courfe was directed to the particular object in view; and they croffed the fea between the 8th and 12th degrees of fouth latitude, in confequence of their previous knowledge of the fituation of the places. When they ar rived at the inland of Santa-Cruz, Mendana no fooner faw the inhabitants, than he declared to his crew, that these were the people he fought. After the death of Mendana, hist widow, who fucceeded him in the command of the fleet, when they quit ed Santa-Cruz, was defirous to feek the island of St Chriftopher, the most eaftern of Solomon's Islands, and fteered W. S. W. but after the fecond day, as this island did not appear, the changed her courfe and bore to the north for Manilla. It was, without doubt, upon Mendana's inftructions that the directed this fearch; and by the fhort time fhe employed, it is evi dent how near that navigator had fuppofed them. Mendana's chief Pilot, Fernand Quiros, could not bring himself to relinquish his commander's refearches, and regretted the propofal of failing for Manilla. He was convinced of the |