only applied himself to the great measures and questions that have been mentioned, but he exerted himself to benefit the county which he represented in the House of Commons. He strenuously advocated the promotion of public works in the Highlands of Scotland. When he first stood for Inverness-shire, the roads in that large county were in a primitive condition. Urged by him, the Government agreed to defray the cost of several great works, the most important of which was the Caledonian Canal, which had been planned before his time, but was now completed. He was present at the opening of it. He also procured the construction of roads and bridges, which were of great benefit to the county.

Grant, feeling the infirmities of old age approaching, almost entirely withdrew from public life after 1818. The evening of his days was cheered and comforted by seeing the success of his elder sons, and by the companionship of his numerous friends. The end came suddenly. On Sunday and Monday, October 26 and 27, 1823, he had been staying with his family near Dartford. Returning alone to London, he had been busy on Thursday at the India House. On the following day he died.

The best account of his death is in a letter written to his youngest son, William, by Miss Parry, a daughter of his dear friend, Edward Parry, who had belonged to the same Service, and had been one of his colleagues on the Direction. The following is a part of her letter. write," she said, "with real distress of mind to inform you that your excellent father was seized on the night of October 31 with a shivering fit and pain in the

DEATH AND CHARACTER.

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chest, after having been apparently in perfect health, and having read prayers to his family with his usual voice at seven o'clock. Finding that the coldness and pain did not go off on getting into bed, he sent for the doctor, who was happily at home, and at his bedside a few minutes after the summons. He immediately gave him some ether, and wrapped him in warm flannels, and advised his endeavouring to sleep. This continued about half-an-hour. When the doctor asked him if he felt relieved, he said he did, and appeared to fall into a doze; but the thickening of the breath alarmed the doctor, who came to his bedside, and found that his spirit had taken its flight to those realms to which it had been so long aspiring." Death, however swiftly it may come, never finds a truly Christian man unprepared. Wilberforce's exclamation on hearing of it, was, "How easy a dismission, and how desirable to one so assuredly prepared as he. Oh, he was indeed a true Christian."

Grant's character can be clearly discerned in every action of his life. His affections were strong, and he was singularly fortunate in his friends; but he had a firm will and a straightforward, tenacious purpose. Deprived in early life of a suitable education such as boys of his age and station usually enjoy, he set to work to remedy this defect, so far as it could be remedied, and, in a great measure, made up for it by industry and steady perseverance. The vigorous language in which his essay on the relations of Britain to her Asiatic subjects is written, is a proof that, with better training in youth, he might have attained to greater excellence in composition. He was a firm and steadfast friend, and yet was quite prepared, when necessity arose, to show to

those with whom he was intimate where they were deficient, in a spirit of humility and meekness.

His life was strengthened and sweetened by his conversion. From that time he never swerved from his desire to serve the living God, who had dealt so graciously with him. After it he showed himself ready for every good work. But India was the great object of his affection and of his solicitous regard. Few have done more for it after returning to their own native land. India never had a truer friend. During thirty years at the India House and sixteen years in Parliament, India held a warm place in his heart and the foremost position in his work. He sincerely desired the benefit of its inhabitants in every respect; but he especially longed to see them embrace the sacred truths of that faith which had been so great a comfort to himself, and he spared no pains, no labour, and no exertion to hasten forward the time when, of their own free will and accord, they would acknowledge the divine Author of the Christian religion as their Saviour, their Sovereign, and their Lord.