JEFFREY, FRANCIS, Lord, a celebrated Scottish critic and lawyer, was born in Edin burgh, Oct. 23, 1773; studied classics, logic, and belles-lettres at Glasgow and Oxford, and law at the university of his native city. In 1794 he was called to the bar. Two years before this he had become a member of the Speculative society (in connection with the university). Jeffrey soon became prominent among the members by the keen ness and liveliness of his intellect, and the elegance of his literary taste, but his progress at the bar was slow, partly on account of the antipathy which then existed to literary lawyers, and partly on account of his political opinions. Meanwhile be and several other young men then residing in Edinburgh, ambitious of finding a wider outlet for their talent than the discussions in the Speculative society or the practice of the bar afforded, conceived the idea of starting a critical journal. The first proposer of the scheme was the rev. Sydney Smith. The result was the establishment of the Edinburgh Review (q.v.), of which Jeffrey became editor, an office he retained till 1829. His own contributions were generally the most brilliant and attractive that appeared in its columns. On ethics, politics, and many of the questions affecting the social well-being
of man, he has written with much clearness, penetration, and force; but the thing on which lie is said to have placed the highest value was his Treatise on Beauty (see "EsTiaorics), a charming melange of criticism, description, and sentiment, but of doubt. ful philosophic worth. After some years Jeffrey's practice at the bar began to increase; in jury trials he shone to great advantage, and particularly- in the trials for sedition between 1817 and 1822. In 1830 he became lord-advocate for Scotland; and after the passing of the reform bill he was returned to parliament for the city of Edinburgh, which he continued to represent till 1834, when he gladly exchanged the turmoil of party polities for the duties of a judge of the court of session. During the latter years of his life, Jeffrey resided at Craigcrook castle, in the vicinity of Edinburgh, where he died, Jan. 26, 1850. A selection of his essays, in 4 vols., appeared in 1844. A biography of Jeffrey by his friend, Henry lord Cockburn (q.v.), a brother-judge of the court of session, was published in 2 vols. (Edin. 1852).