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Kings of Spain had usurped the eftates of his ancestors, who, he said, had formerly reigned in Arragon; and she, haughty and vain-glorious, conceived the hope of feeing him reinstated by the power and interest of her father.

The last sickness of this princess was dreadful. She had got cold after a delivery, and languished about a month, when the died with some signs of repentance. She was regretted by nobody, not even by her father. She entrusted a certain person with a box of jewels of great value for Riom, who was absent, but the matter being discovered, they were seized by the regent as her heir.

The other children of the regent were still at that time (1715) under

age.

Charlotte - Elizabeth of Bavaria, dowager of Monfieur, only brother of the late king and mother of the regent, ftill kept her court at the Palais royal, at the age of seventy, and kept it with dignity. She had preferved all the decencies and all the etiquette of the old Court; she liked its pomp, its pleasures, and its shows; the had likewise preserved whatever was blunt and lavage in the manners of her youth, and of her native country, for The was entirely German in her principles and discourse. She was frank, and fincere, without disguise, without prudery, and always the declared

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enemy of Madame de Maintenon, whom she never called any thing but the old fow, the forceress, the bigot, the widow Scarron. The king's favourite bore all this with feeming patience, because she was sensible she had alienated the king's heart from Madame.

This princess wore a perriwig like a man; she kept a pack of hounds, went a hunting, handled the sword and the gun, and all forts of arms. She was passionately fond of the regent her fon, because she saw in him a great many qualities which he had only of her, and her attachment shewed itself even in favour of all the illegitimate children of that prince, whom the took care of. When she was at home alone, she spent her time in writing letters to all the courts of Germany, and said she had in her life addressed to them anecdotes of the Court of France, that would have made more than ten volumes in folio. She lived on the coarfest fare, and her health was fo vigorous, that at the age of fixty she had not once been sick. After the death of the King, she went, out of decency, to visit Madame de Maintenon; but she reproached her bitterly with having ravished from her the confidence of the king, and of having endeavoured to prevail with him, on the death of. Monfieur, to send her to a convent.

Anecdotes of Law, and of the beginnings of his System †.

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AW was the fon of a in Edinburgh, who left him a small patrimony, which he dissipated in a short time, and then lived by gaming and cheating. The parliament of Scotland, being at that period engaged in discovering the means of supplying the kingdom with money, and of facilitating the circulation of specie, he proposed his pernicious system to that † From the fame.

Law,

Law, afterwards prevailed on a perfon, who had formerly been fecretary to Turenne, to write to Pelletier, then comptroller general, with a proposal for enriching Louis XIV. and preventing his subjects for ever from revolting against their lawful fovereigns. This new system was rejected in France.

Law now took it into his head to travel, that he might present his plans himself. He was tall, well made, and graceful; and was a man of abilities. He was accompanied in his travels by a woman whom he had carried off from her husband in England, and by whom he had a fon and a daughter. He had killed a man in this latter kingdom, and having been condemned to death for the murder, he was conftantly in danger of being taken and hanged. The regent at last obtained his pardon, when the Abbé Dubois went to London to negociate the league against Spain. In his flight from justice he had visi ted Italy, and had been banished from Venice and Genoa, because he contrived to drain the youth of these cities of their money, by his fuperiority in calculation, that is, by being a cheat and a sharper. He wandered over all Italy, living on the event of the most singular bets and wagers, which seemed to be advantageous to those who were curious after novelty; but which were always of the most certain success with regard to him. He arrived at Turin, and proposed his system to the Duke of Savoy, who faw at once that, by deceiving his subjects, he would in a short time have the whole money of the kingdom in his possession: but that fagacious prince afking him how his subjects were to pay their taxes when all their money should be gone, Law was disconcerted, not expecting such a question. The Duke, two days afterwards, relating to the deputies from Geneva how he had dismissed this adventurer, they were fo pleased

with his question, that they fent an account of it to their republic, who caused to be registered in the records of their city, a fentiment fo worthy of the best of kings, whose wealth certainly confifts in that of their subjects.

Having been condemned to death in England, banished from Italy, and repulfed at Turin, Law proceeded to Paris, where he was already known as a mad projector. In the life time of Louis XIV. he had presented his schemes to Desmarest and to Chamillard, who had rejected such innovations. He now proposed them to the Duc d'Orleans, who defired Noailles to examine them, to be as favourable in his report as possible, and to remark fuch of them as were practicable. Noailles called in the afsistance of several merchants and bankers who were averfe to the system. Law then proposed the establishment of å bank, composed of a company, with a stock of fix millions. Such an inftitution promised to be very advantageous to commerce. An arret of the 2d March 1716 established this bank, by authority, in favour of Law and his affociates; two hundred thousand shares were instituted of one thousand livres each; Law deposited in it to the value of two or three thousand crowns which he had accumulated in Italy, by gaming or cheating. This establishment very much difpleased the bankers, because at the beginning business was transacted here at a very small premium, which the old financiers had charged very highly. Many people had at first little confidence in this bank, but when it was found that the payments were made with quickness and punctuality, they began to prefer its notes to ready money.

Such was the commencement of Law's bank. Noailles and Rouiller purged the plans of that adventurer from whatever was rash or unjust in them, and left nothing but what tended to facilitate commerce.

Account

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Account of the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Miller of Glenlee, Bart. Lord President of the Court of Seffion, and F. R. S. Edinburgh. By David Hume, Esq. [From Tranf. of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.]

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Thas often occurred to me, as a

hard circumstance in the lot of those who follow the active employments of life, that however great their eminence, however useful their labours, nay, however rare and excellent their talents, the remembrance of them dies among their countrymen at large, almost as foon as they themselves are gone; and even with those of their own professions scarcely survives for more than a fingle generation. The records of the Royal Society are therefore in this respect valuable, that they afford the means of rescuing from oblivion, those of our Members who, by their profeffional eminence and services, have merited the gratitude and remembrance of their country, though their line of life did not permit them to attain distinction of another kind, by any literary work or discovery in science.

I thought it would be universally felt and allowed, that the late Sir Thomas Miller, (at one time a Vice Prefident of this Society), most justly fell under the above defcription of a fingularly useful man, and fit to be commemorated. And in this perfuafion, I have prepared a short account of him, now to be submitted to your confideration.

Sir Thomas Miller of Glenlee, late Lord President of the Court of Seffion, was the second son of William Miller writer to the Signet, who was himself the second son of Matthew Miller of Glenlee, and succeeded to that eftate, along with the lands of Barskimming, on the death of his elder brother.

Sir Thomas was born on the 3d of November 1717. He received the first rudiments of his education at Glasgow, and afterwards went thro' VOL. XII. No. 67.

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the usual course of academical studies in the University of that place; where he acquired a relish of the purfuits of literature and science, that never forfook him, and especially a fondness for the Greek and Roman claffics, which, even in the basiest periods of his life, he occasionally found opportunities to indulge. Horace was almost his conftant companion; and even in his last years, after his promotion to the most laborious office in the law, Homer, during a vacation, was often on his table.

Another branch of knowledge for which he there imbibed an early predilection, was that of Ethics, or Moral Philosophy. This he had the advantage of studying under the celebrated Dr Hutchefon, of whom he was a favourite pupil. The warmth of eloquence with which this Philosopher poured forth his lectures, attached to him extremely all those of his hearers who had any liking to the subject he treated, or wre fufceptible of being moved; and Mr Miller, in particular, contracted not o...ly a high admiration of his talents, but fuch love to him as a man, that long after his death, and when he himself had grown old, he could not mention his name but in terms of gratitude and veneration, equal to those in which the disciples of Socrates spoke of their master. Like Socrates too, Dr Hutchefon taught his disciples to value Ethics beyond all other sciences; and with Mr Miller this preference was so strong, that he used habitually in conversation, when diftinguishing it from the rest, to give it the appellation of Philofopby.

Having thus, by the improvement of his taste, and the acquifition of a philofophic fpirit, made the best preparation for eminence in any liberal employment,

employment, he decided for the Bar, the profeffio to which those accomplishments lend the most distinguished luitre of any, and where they most materially contribute to the advancenet of the perfon possessed of them. For fome time he had hefitated between this profession and his father's; and it is faid to have been in a great measure owing to the state of his health, that he gave up thoughts of the latter.

When he had resolved on going to the Bar, he fixed his refidence at Edinburgh, and devoted himself to the study of the law, with that zeal and earneftness with which, during his whole life, he was remarkable for following every object that had at once determined his choice *. Yet with all his diligence in this necefsary occupation, as the turn of his mind led him to no base or trifling pursuits, he was able to find time, and neglected not to employ it, for cultivating the humaner and more liberal it die Even at this time, he continued to read the classics extensively, particularly the better Greek authors, having for his assistant the late Mr Ceorge Muirhead, afterwards Profeffor of Humanity at Glasgow, whose reputation as a classical scholar is weil known.

In the mouth of July 1742 he was called to the Bar. Where he had not long continued, before the most favourable opinion came to be entertained, among the persons best entitled to judge, of the proficiency he had made in the knowledge of the law, and of his excellent qualifications, both for counsel and debate. His elocution was copious and easy; his selection of argument judicious, and his mode of presenting it, in the highest degree perfpicuous and plain; and he accompanied it with a manner of delivery so weighty and feryent, as carried home to the hearer

the impreffion of his own belief in the doctrines he maintained. Men there might perhaps be in the profeffion, more eminent for invention of topics in a defperate cause, or who shewed more verfatility of genius in placing the fame business in different lights, or turning it into all variety of shapes; but there was none who better understood the strength of a good or a tenable cause, or took his ground in one of that defcription with more judgment and difcretion, or used its advantages to better purpose. Haying found the foundest or most favourable part of his client's plea, that he attached himself to, and on it exerted all his strength; throwing afide with just and proper confidence, all the more doubtful points and weaker confiderations in the caufe. Captious and quibbling argument indeed, and all perverfion of an adverfary's words or meaning, he held to be as foreign to the lawyer's duty, as they are derogatory to the honour of the Court where they are heard; nor could he, on any occafion, be prevailed on to attempt the aiding of his cause, in a manner so inconfiftent with his own feelings of what was right and proper,

No wonder then, that thus qualified, and regulated by fentiments fo respectable, he quickly rose to a high degree of employment in his profeffion, though he had among his cotemporaries, for rivals in the public favour, men of the greatest acuteness and splendour of parts.

Hence also he, at an early period of life, entered the career of public offices and honour in the department of the law.

In the year 1748, on the new 'arrangement of the office of Sheriff, (which has been attended with so many falutary confequences) he was pitched upon as a fit perfop for one of those appointments. The county which Government

* His usual hour of going to bed at this period was four of the morning.

Government had destined for him, was that of Inverness, in those times of recent diforder and rebellion, accounted the mosft important of any, and what required the steadieft and most able fuperintendence. But this appointment, though more advantageous, he declined; because his friend the Earl of Selkirk had recommend ed him to Government for the ftewartry of Kirkcudbright, and it had been understood between him and the Earl that he was to accept it.

The duties of this office he performed with great punctuality, and to the entire fatisfaction of the district entrusted to his charge; and he con tinued to hold it till the year 1755, when he refigned, and was named Solicitor of Excife-an office in those days generally held by a lawyer.

In the year 1759, on the promotion of Mr Pringle (afterwards Lord Alemore) to the Bench, he reaped the fruit of the public favour, in being appointed his Majesty's SolicitorGeneral for Scotland.

In the year 1760, he succeeded the late Prefident Dundas as his Majesty's Advocate for Scotland, and in the following year he was chofen to serve in Parliament for the burgh of Dumfries.

While in these stations, Mr Miller, whose modesty and difcretion were equal to his ability, did not think it fo much incumbent on him to take an active share in the debates of the Af sembly, as to regulate his voice according to his opinion of the public good. The single occafion that call ed him up as a fpeaker, was indeed of a very interesting kind, and became a signal proof of the independence of his spirit, and fincere concern in the grandeur and profperity of the British empire. This was the repeal of the American stamp act; a measure in which Mr Milter's fagacity forefaw the miferable train of consequences that have fince ensued from it, and which, though fupported by all the in

fluence of the then Ministry, he accordingly both voted againft, and gave his reasons to the House for oppofing:-A most respectable and truly patriotic piece of conduct, and of which he reaped a just, but unlookedfor reward, in the friendship and ef teem of the Marquis of Rockingham; who, however loath to have an opponent in the principal servant of the Crown for Scotland, yet, fatisfied that he had taken this line from the pureft and most disinterested motives, continued him in his public station, and ever after honoured him with his particular attention.

In the year 1766, on the death of Lord Minto, he was appointed Lord Justice Clerk, which office both bestows the Presidency of the highest Criminal Tribunal, and a feat as an ordinary Judge in the fupreme Civil Court.

In these high stations, he fully justified the choice that had been made of him, and foon, by his fcrupulous attendance on the Court, and afsiduous labour in the dispatch of business, gained a high place in the esteem and confidence of the public, as a man deeply impressed with the importance of his duties, and actuated by a warm and steady zeal confcientioufly to discharge them. And this tafk he accomplished, in the civil department, in such a manner, as both added credit to the Court of which he was a member, and was of the most essential service to the interests of law and justice. For besides the learning and experience, acquired by long study and extensive prasice, he was poffeffed of many other more material qualifications, which added much to the power of those attainments, and peculiarly fitted him for the important charge of deciding on the rights of his fellow-citizens.

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He was happy in a great natural temperance of disposition and foundnefs of judgment. Whence, though he was well able to purfue an intri

cate

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