CHAPTER III

Mr. Stewart on the Continent-Second Marriage-Domestic pupils-Weekly Parties-Mr. Stewart in private life-Publication of first volume of the Elements -General characteristics of his Writings-Scope of his Observational MethodState of Philosophy in England towards the beginning of the century-Influence of Mr. Stewart's writings-His style-Estimate of Mr. Stewart as a writer by Sir James Mackintosh-State of political feeling in Scotland in 1794-Letter of Lord Craig to Mr. Stewart-Letter of Mr. Stewart to Lord Craig-The Leslie Controversy-Mr. Stewart appointed to the Writership of the Edinburgh Gazette-Accompanies Lord Lauderdale to Paris-Withdraws from active professorial duty-Dr. Thomas Brown appointed colleague and successor—His career as a lecturer, and characteristics as a speculator-Charge against Mr. Stewart in regard to his final estimate of Brown-Mr. Stewart at KinneilDates of his Works-Resigns the Professorship of Moral Philosophy-John Wilson and Sir William Hamilton candidates for the Chair-Wilson appointed Mr. Stewart's successorr-Letter of Mr. Stewart to Mr. James Gibson regarding the election-Mr. Stewart struck with paralysis-Account of his subsequent health-His death-Monument to his memory.

MR. STEWART spent the summers of 1788,1 and 1789, on the Continent. During the latter he resided chiefly in Paris.

1 During the winter of 1787-1788, Mr. Stewart, in addition to the duties of his own Chair, supplied the place of the Professor of Natural Philosophy. In a letter to Mr. Alison (1788), Mr. Stewart says, "The Natural Philosophy goes on beyond my expectation. I have already finished the Mechanics and Hydrostatics, two parts of the course to which I looked forward with some apprehension, and I have performed every experiment (even the Hydrostatic ones) with my own hands, and without break

To

ing a single jar. I am sure I could not have done it in the presence of two or three friends, but in my public exhibitions I have found myself just as cool and collected as if I had been alone. morrow I proceed to Pneumatics, and am just now employed in premeditating two Lectures-the one on the AirPump, and the other on the Immortality of the Soul."

Mr. Stewart's colleagues in the University frequently, in the event of illness or absence, availed themselves of

He took a deep and hopeful interest in the movements of the liberal party in France, that preceded the outbreak of the Revolution. The small portion of his correspondence, beyond that of a merely formal character, that has escaped destruction, consists mainly of letters written for the most part from Paris to his friend Mr. Alison, during the years now mentioned. These, though few in number, throw light on his political views and habits of observation, and are interesting, as notes by an eye-witness of the early events of an epoch, whose momentous issues were as yet undeveloped, and, in great part, unforeseen.1

During his visits to the Continent, but especially to France, Mr. Stewart formed a large circle of acquaintances among men distinguished in philosophy, literature, and politics. Among his more intimate friends abroad may be mentioned M. Suard, the secretary of the Academy, and translator of Robertson's America and Charles V.; the Abbé Morellet, distinguished alike in literature and political science, for whose character Mr. Stewart had a very high regard; M. Prévost of Geneva, and the Baron de Gerando, with both of whom he corresponded; MM. Gallois, Chevalier, Guyot, De Narbonne, and Madame Gautier. Mr. Stewart also met in Paris, among others, the Duke of Rochefoucault, the grandson of the author of the Maxims, Baron Cuvier, and the Abbé Raynal, the well-known author of the Histoire Philosophique des Deux Indes.

In 1790, Mr. Stewart married Helen D'Arcy Cranstoun, third daughter of the Hon. George Cranstoun, youngest son of William, fifth Lord Cranstoun.2 Mrs. Stewart was a lady of

his assistance in the conduct of their classes. "In addition to his own academical duties, he repeatedly supplied the place of Dr. John Robison, Professor of Natural Philosophy. He taught for several months during one winter the Greek classes for the late Mr. Dalzel, [more correctly, read the lectures of the Professor in his absence]; he more than one season taught the Mathematical classes for the late Mr. Playfair; he delivered some lectures on Logic, during an

illness of Dr. Finlayson; and, if I mistake not, he one winter lectured for some time on Belles Lettres for the successor of Dr. Blair."-Col. Stewart's Memoir, P. 11.

1 For a selection from these letters, see Appendix A. Mr. Stewart kept a diary while in Paris. This has unfortunately perished with the other papers. See Works, vol. viii., Pol. Econ. vol. i. p. xi.

2 There were two children of this

high accomplishments and fascinating manners-uniting to vivacity and humour, depth and tenderness of feeling. She sympathised warmly with the tastes and pursuits of her husband; and so great was the regard of the latter for her judgment and taste, that he was in the habit of submitting to her criticism whatever he wrote.1

During a considerable part of his career as Professor, but more especially after his second marriage, Mr. Stewart received into his house young men, chiefly of rank and fortune, whom the state of the Continent precluded from studying abroad, and who were attracted to Edinburgh by the reputation of the University as a philosophical and scientific school. Many youths, from all parts of the kingdom, were thus brought into personal contact with Mr. Stewart, who, from their birth and position, were destined to fill the highest public stations. Though exercising only a general superintendence over the studies of those who resided under his roof, Mr. Stewart's influence in the formation both of their characters and opinions, was necessarily great. The familiarity of personal intercourse served to reveal the harmony that subsisted between the life of the man and the doctrines of the teacher, and, without lessening the admiration which he excited in the latter capacity, brought him within the circle of devoted affection.2

marriage-a son, George, a youth of great promise, whose death, in 1809, occasioned the deepest affliction to his parents, and, with Mr. Stewart's failing health, led to his retirement from active professional duty in the following year -and a daughter, Maria D'Arcy, who survived her father and mother, and died in 1846. Miss Stewart was endeared to a very extensive circle of friends, by the charms of a mind of great vigour and rich culture, manners the most fascinating, and a heart full of warmth, tenderness, and affection.

1 See Appendix C. for verses by Mrs. Stewart. Mrs. Stewart died in 1838, having survived her husband ten years.

One of her sisters was the Countess Purgstall, an intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott. Her brother, George Cranstoun, long one of the most distinguished members of the Scotch Bar, was raised to the bench as Lord Corehouse.

2 Among those who resided in Mr. Stewart's house, the following names may be mentioned:-Lord Ancram, afterwards sixth Marquis of Lothian.

Basil, Lord Daer, eldest son of the Earl of Selkirk, a young man of high accomplishments. He died in 1794, before he had realised the promise of his youth.

Lord Powerscourt, fifth Viscount.

Mr. Stewart's personal character and philosophical reputation, rendered his house the resort of the best society of Edinburgh, at a time when the city formed the winter residence of many of the principal Scottish families. He exercised a remarkable ascendency over minds of the finer kind, but especially cultivated men, in the higher grades of society. Of polished and courteous, but perfectly unobtrusive manners-in an eminent sense the gentleman and the scholar-his higher and less obvious accomplishments obtained a ready recognition in circles where without adventitious aid his influence would have been greatly less powerful. Mrs. Stewart, moreover, by her accomplishments, and a wonderful power of attaching friends, was fitted to become the centre of a brilliant circle. Their weekly reunions, which happily blended the aristocracies of rank and letters, bringing together the peer and the unfriended scholar, were for many years the source of an influence that most beneficially affected the society of the capital. Those meetings, moreover, embraced, even when political zeal was at its highest, men of varied shades of opinion, and thus contributed not a little to soothe the bitterness of party feeling in Edinburgh. Colonel Stewart, referring to this period, speaks of his father's house "as the resort of all who were most distinguished for genius, acquirements or elegance in Edinburgh, and of all the foreigners who were led to visit the capital of Scotland." "So happily," it is added, "did he succeed in assorting his guests, that his evening parties possessed a charm which many who frequented them,

Mr., afterwards Sir Alexander, Muir Mackenzie of Delvin.

Lord Ashburton, son of John Dunning, the celebrated lawyer, who was created a Peer in 1782.

Lord Brooke, afterwards third Earl of Warwick.

Hon. John William Ward, only son of the Viscount Dudley and Ward, afterwards Earl of Dudley.

The present Viscount Palmerston ; and his brother, the Hon. William Temple, afterwards Sir William Temple,

Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Naples.

The Right Hon. Laurence Sullivan, for many years Under-Secretary at War.

At a later period, Lord Henry Petty, (the present Marquis of Lansdowne,) Lord Webb Seymour, Lord John Russell, Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bart., and the Right Hon. Sir Robert H. Inglis, Bart., with several others, though not inmates of Mr. Stewart's family, were also his pupils and friends.

have since confessed they sought in vain in more splendid and insipid entertainments."1

The following very interesting and, I believe, truthful picture of Mr. Stewart in private life, is from the pen of his son :

"In general company," says Colonel Stewart, "his manner bordered on reserve; but it was the comitate condita gravitas, and belonged more to the general weight and authority of his character than to any reluctance to take his share in the cheerful intercourse of social life. He was ever ready to acknowledge with a smile the happy sallies of wit, and no man had a keener sense of the ludicrous, or laughed more heartily at genuine humour. His deportment and expression were easy and unembarrassed, dignified, elegant, and graceful. His politeness was equally free from all affectation, and from all premeditation. It was the spontaneous result of the purity of his own taste, and of a heart warm with all the benevolent affections, and was characterised by a truth and readiness of tact that accommodated his conduct, with undeviating propriety, to the circumstances of the present moment, and to the relative situation of those to whom he addressed himself. From an early period of life, he had frequented the best society both in France and in this country, and he had, in a peculiar degree, the air of good company. In the society of ladies he appeared to great advantage, and to women of cultivated understanding, his conversation was particularly acceptable and pleasing. The immense range of his erudition, the attention he had bestowed on almost every branch of philosophy, his extensive acquaintance with every department of elegant literature, ancient or modern, and the fund of anecdote and information which he had collected in the course of his intercourse with the world, with respect to almost all the eminent men of the day, either in this country or in France, enabled him to find suitable subjects for the entertainment of the great variety of his visitors of all de

1 Memoir, p. 12. Mr. Stewart occupied Stewartfield House, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, for several years. He afterwards lived in Lothian,

and then in Callendar House, formerly town residences of the Lothian and Callendar families. Both houses are situated in the lower part of the Canongate.