EDITOR'S PREFACE. THE following pages consist almost exclusively of extracts from Letters and Journals, with little more care expended upon their arrangement than is necessary to make them afford of themselves a representation of the workings of a mind, which, it has been thought, might afford instruction to some, and interest to more. To his father's friends-and, if he may without impropriety call them so, his own also-Mr. Basil Montagu, Mr. George Moore, Sir James Scarlett (now Lord Abinger), Doctor Holland, Lord Jeffrey, and the Rev. Sydney Smith, the Editor takes this opportunity of returning his grateful thanks for what remains to engage the reader's attention. Upon the valuable assistance-more especially in connection with the residence in India-for which he has been obliged to his brother-in-law, Mr. William Erskine, he feels that it would be impertinent in this place to enlarge. An acknowledgment of the ready kindness, which placed much interesting correspondence at his disposal, would have here naturally followed, but for the event which has deprived his many attached friends of the late much esteemed Mr. Richard Sharp. If the slight connecting narrative could bear the weight of an observation, he would remark, in explanation of what may appear to some as a cold style of expression, that he had not determined to prefix his name to these pages, till they were so far advanced as to make a subsequent change to one more natural to the relationship, then first avowed, between the writer and his subject,-scarcely worth while. CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. Birth Parentage-Goes to School at Fortrose-Early Studies- Parts from his Mother-College at Aberdeen-Robert Hall— Takes the Degree M.A.-Arrival at Edinburgh-Notices of eminent Men-Medical Studies-" Brunonianism"-Becomes a Member of the Speculative, Medical, and Physical Societies PAGE Arrival in London-Period of Political Excitement-Contem- plates a Medical Appointment in Russia-Marriage-Pam- phlet on the Regency-Abandons the Medical for the Legal Profession-" Vindicia Gallica"-" Friends of the People"— Letter to Mr. Pitt-Called to the Bar-Correspondence with Lectures on the Law of Nature and Nations-Publication of an Introductory Discourse-Criticisms of Mr. Pitt-Lord Lough- Marriage Visits Cresselly-Letter to Mr. Moore-Professional Avocations-Letter from Mr. Montagu to the Editor-Literary Occupations-Visit to Scotland-Extract from Mr. Moore's Journal-Visit to Paris-Letter to Mr. Dugald Stewart-Trial of Peltier-Appointment as Recorder of Bombay-Farewell Voyage-Arrival at Bombay-First Impressions-State of So- ciety-Letters to Mr. Sharp,-Mr John Allen founds a Lite- rary Society-Journal-Letters to Mr. Sharp, Mr. Hall, Mr. Excursion to Poonah-Letters to Mr. Sharp-To Mr. G. Moore -To M. Degerando-News of the War in Germany-Letters Marriage and Notice of Mr. Rich-Letters to Mr. Hall-To Mr. Hoppner-To Mr. Whishaw-To Dr. Sayers-To Pro- fessor Ogilvie-To Lord Holland-To Mr. Scarlett-Journal |