MACKENZIE, HENRY ( 745-183 I), Scottish novelist and miscellaneous writer, the "Man of Feeling," born at Edinburgh, was educated at the high school and the university of his native town, and was then articled to George Inglis of Redhall, who was attorney for the crown in the management of exchequer business. In 1765 he was sent to London to prosecute his legal studies, and on his return to Edinburgh became partner with Inglis, whom he afterwards succeeded as attorney for the crown. His first and most famous work, The Man of Feeling, was pub lished anonymously in 1771, and met with instant success. The "Man of Feeling" is a weak creature, dominated by a futile benevolence, who goes up to London and falls into the hands of people who exploit his innocence. One Eccles of Bath claimed the authorship of this book, bringing in support of his pretensions a ms. with many ingenious erasures. Mackenzie's name was then officially announced, but Eccles appears to have induced some people to believe in him. The first of his dramatic pieces, The Prince of Tunis, was produced in Edinburgh in 1773 with a certain measure of success. The others were failures. At Edin burgh Mackenzie belonged to a literary club, at the meetings of which papers in the manner of the Spectator were read. Mac kenzie conducted two critical journals: The Mirror 0779-80 and The Lounger (1785-87). His critical work was good. He was the first critic to recognize the genius of Burns; he hailed the early works of Scott ; and he was a faithful friend to many men of letters. His nickname, the "man of feeling," by no means represents the man of critical acumen and practical common sense. Waverley was dedicated to him. No one now reads The
Man of Feeling, but his commonplace book Anecdotes and Ego tisms of Henry Mackenzie (edit. H. W. Thompson, 1928) is an interesting record.
Mackenzie was an ardent Tory, and wrote many tracts oppos ing the doctrines of the French Revolution. Most of these remained anonymous, but he acknowledged his Review of the Principal Proceedings of the Parliament of 1784, a defence of the policy of William Pitt, written at the desire of Henry Dundas. He was rewarded (1804) by the office of comptroller of the taxes for Scotland. In 1776 Mackenzie married Penuel, daughter of Sir Ludovick Grant of Grant. He was, in his later years, a notable figure in the social life of Edinburgh. He died on Jan. 14, 1831.
In 1807 The Works of Henry Mackenzie were published sur reptitiously, and he then himself superintended the publication of his Works (8 vols. 1808).
See the Prefatory Memoir, by Sir Walter Scott, to an edition of his novels in Ballantyne's Novelist's Library (vol. v., 1823).