distinctive name of Iver's descendants, who, during the lapse of many generations, became identified with the place as lairds and heritors of Kirnan; a race who could show their descent as far back as Gilèspic-le-Camile, first Norman lord of Lochawe. The poet's grandfather, Archibald Campbell, was the last of the name who resided on the family estate. When past his prime, he contracted marriage with Margaret Stuart, daughter of Stuart of Ascog, in the island of Bute, then the widow of John M'Arthur of Milton.

From this union sprung three sons, Robert, Archibald, and Alexander. On the decease of the father, who died in the Canongate of Edinburgh, Robert Campbell, the eldest son, appears to have taken possession of the family estate at Kirnan; but, after a time, through the exercise of lavish Highland hospitality, a love of military display, and the expenses incidental to a large establishment, liabilities were incurred. The estate was sold, and became annexed to the estate of Milton, the proprietor of which was John M'Arthur, his half-brother, son of Mrs. Campbell by her first marriage. Robert died in London, after a chequered career, as a political writer, under the Walpole administration. Archibald, the next brother, was a D.D. of Edinburgh, and after officiating as a Presbyterian minister in Jamaica for some years, finally settled abroad in the State of Virginia, in America, where he and his family became people of high repute and importance; and in after time his grandson, Frederick Campbell, through failure of intermediate heirs, succeeded, under an entail executed in 1763, to the estates of Whitebarony, in Peebleshire, Ascog in Bute, and Kilfinnan and Kirnan in Argyleshire. The

youngest brother, Alexander Campbell (father of the poet), was born in 1710, and was educated with a view to commerce. In the early part of his life he resided at Falmouth, in Virginia, where, after making a fair start, he entered into copartnership with Daniel Campbell, and in his company returned to Scotland, and commenced business in the Virginian trade, at Glasgow, under the firm of "Alexander and Daniel Campbell." For nearly forty years success crowned the exertions of the firm; it rapidly advanced in commercial importance, and bid fair to distance the first houses in the trade.

The differences which had long subsisted between Great Britain, the mother country, and her American colonies, and which in the year 1775 ripened into open war, and at last resulted in the declaration of independence on the part of the States, had, for some time before the actual outbreak, operated strongly against the mercantile interest; but the baneful effect of the unnatural contest was most severely felt in the northern ports particularly in Glasgow. There, firms of vast resources and credit, one by one gave way, under the united pressure of stagnation in trade, and what is so well understood on change, by the term tightness of the money market. Campbell & Co. suffered severely; and at length as the cloud still hung dark over their future prospects, the partners resolved on a dissolution, and general windup.

The resolution, having been deliberately determined upon, was carried out with a firmness worthy of imitation and a better fate; and at length, every claim and liability having been first liquidated, the firm ceased to exist.

Mr. A. Campbell retired into privacy with a shattered income, yet competent to enable him to maintain his family in comfort and respectability, and obtain for them a liberal education; and to this important object all the remaining energies of a matured and cultivated intellect were directed. It was fortunate that the care of a numerous family restrained him from brooding over his losses, that a something sufficiently powerful as to engage his mind still existed; he had always been used to an active life, and the dangerous tendencies of want of occupation and overwhelming misfortunes can be far better imagined than described. Mr. Campbell at this period was sixtyfive years of age, strong, hale, and hearty, and, aided by the consolation of religion, even resigned to his fate; his family circle consisted of a wife and ten children, the eldest of whom had not then completed her nineteenth year; labouring then with the sad memory of the past, and the doubtful prospect of his own and his children's future welfare, for ten years he spared no pains to perform his duty as a father, and complete to the full that social contract, which should ever be felt an imperative and mutual duty upon parent and offspring.

Thus the autumn of life glided onwards, but soon came winter, stern and rugged, for a fresh misfortune befell him,—an adverse judgment in a chancery suit now his cup of misery was filled to overflowing, and in drinking it to the dregs the old man's heart was crushed; by little and little the fearful reality became too apparent that the costs and legal expenses entailed by the failure of the cause would leave but a wretched pittance for the support of his family; gradually he

B

became unequal to mental exertion,—an iron constitution carried him on for some years, yet he could scarcely be said to live, and at length he breathed his last at Edinburgh, in the month of March, 1801, falling to the earth as a shock of corn fully ripe, having reached the patriarchal age of ninety-one years, and dying respected and beloved by all who knew him.

ren.

Thomas Campbell, as before mentioned, was born at Glasgow the 27th of July, 1777, being the eighth son, and the youngest of eleven childHis appearance in life was made two years after his father's retirement from business, and blighted as were family prospects through undeserved misfortunes, yet both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell found comfort and solace in their youngest boy. One by one the elder ones went forth to seek their fortunes in the world; and as the number round the domestic hearth lessened, the last comer seemed almost as of right to be entitled to a warmer corner, and if possible to a more jealous affection. His form has been described as fragile and his constitution delicate, with a pale expressive countenance, and a gentleness of manner which gained insensibly on the beholder. Very early his parents expressed the belief that genius sparkled in his eye, and consequently they lost no opportunity of improving by care and cultivation their discovery. Mrs. Margaret Campbell, his mother, had a strong taste for music, and from her he imbibed a fondness for the ballad poetry of Scotland, which never abandoned him; that lady, even in the wane of life, loved to sing the favourite melodies of her youth, and thus, her last born, from his cradle became skilled in sweet sounds and the power of flowing numbers.

Until his eighth year he was grounded in his “ rudiments” at home, when (as mentioned in his own reminiscences) he was confided to the care of David Alison, who appears to have been a ripe scholar and a skilful tutor; under his eye Campbell showed "he was no vulgar boy;" the learned scholiast's experience and insight into character enabled him to see the course to be adopted; he fathomed the child's sensitive disposition; "he saw he was alive to praise, and readily daunted even by a look of sternness," the fruits of cultivation soon followed: he succeeded in obtaining the post of honour at the head of his little class,— all parties were pleased,-the master commended his pupil, the prizes, taken home, commended him to his parents; and the feeling of having done his duty and deserved commendation, to some extent, even then, brought its own reward.

Each day increased his ardour and strengthened his exertions, but this precocity produced physical debility; his constitution, naturally delicate, suffered under study and sedentary habits, a serious illness followed, from which he recovered so tardily that change of scene and total vacuity from every thing like mental toil was deemed imperatively necessary. Accordingly a spot (supposed to be the place already alluded to under the name of Pollock Shaws) was selected, where he was left to roam in green fields, taste the pure country air, and pick flowers. In a very few weeks the change worked wonders, and on his return home he seemed altogether another creature; his countenance was radiant with health and beauty, and to the latest period of his life, he was wont to refer with pleasure to the happiness he then enjoyed.