Towards the end of the year 1765, Lord Karnes pub lished a small pamphlet on the progress of the flax hus bandry in Scotland, of which the principal object was, to show the expediency of encouraging the culture of flax of the native gi owth of the country. At the same time his lordship, availing himsell of a most extensive acquaintance with the principal landholders in Scotland, endeavoured, with a laudable zeal, to stimulate their exertions in diffus ing a spirit of industry among their cottagers and depen dents, by the introduction of such species of domestic manufactures, suited to both sexes, as, without any consi derable expence on the part of the proprietors, would ame liorate the condition, and multiply the comforts, of the lower orders, and thus lay the solid foundation of an in crease of their own revenues. Among ,hose patriotic plans of national improvement, in which Lord Karnes, as a mem ber of the board of trusters for the encouragement of arts, r')ok a most active concern, was the great and useful pro ject of a navigable canal between the rivers Forth and Clyde, which was begun in 1768, and from which, since its completion, the internal commerce of the country has de rived the most essential benefit.
In the year 1766, Lord Karnes published his Re markable Decisions of the Court of Session, from 1730 to 1752. The reports contained in this volume consist ol 130 cases, comprehending the most important causes which had occurred in the course of his own practice while at the bar.
For many years Lord Karnes had been employed, dur ing his leisure hours, in collecting materials for a History of Man. The design of this great work, however, as at first conceived, was found to be too vast ; and he afterwards wisely determined to confine his plan within narrower li mits. The work was at length published in the year 1774, under the title of Sketches of the History of Man, in two volumes 4to. Although published m the form of separate essays or dissertations, it is digested with a considerable degree of systematic regularity, and is valuable, not only from the great variety of important objects which it em braces, but on account of the genius and ability displayed in their discussion.
In the year 1776, he published his Gentleman Farmer p a work of great utility at the period of its publication, and which affords a singular specimen of the undinduished vigour of his mind at the advanced age of eighty. Even at this late period of his life, his constitution appeared to have suffered nothing from the attacks of old age. There was yet no sensible decay of his mental powers ; and, what is still more extraordinary, he possessed the same flow of animal spirits, the same gaiety and vivacity, and the same ardour in the pursuit of knowledge, for which he had been distinguished in his early years.
lu 1777, he published his Elucidations respecting the Common and Statute Law of Scotland. in on • vojomc 8 vo : and in 1780, his Select Decisions of the Court of Session, in one volume folio. The later publication contains 264 re ports of the mast important cases decided by the court, between the years 1752 and 1768, and forms a supplement to the cases formerly published under the title of Re markable Decisions. The last work of Lord Karnes was his Loose Hints on Education, published at Edinburgh in the year 1781, when the author was in the 85th year of his age.
Although apparently by no means of a robust frame of body, Lord Karnes had hitherto enjoyed an uncommon share of good health ; but in the beginning of the year 1782, when he had nearly completed his 8Gth year, he was seized with a disorder of the bowels, which, being attended with no pain, gave him, for a considerable time, very little apprehension. Finding, however, after some months, that the disease had not yielded to medicine or regimen, he be gan to regard it as likely to terminate fatally. During the
summer term of the year above mentioned, he regularly attended to his official ditty in the courts of session and justiciary, and at the end of the term, he went as usual, with his family, to Blair-D.•immond. He also attended the autumn circuit ; hut, on his return, his strength decreased daily, although the serenity and cheerfulness of his temper remained unabated. He left Blair-Drummond in the be ginning of November, and continued, for some little time, to attend the meetings of the court of session ; but he soon became sensible that his strength was not equal to the ef fort. On the last day of his wtendance, he took a separate and affectionate farewell of each of his brethren. He sur vived that period only about eight days, and died on the 27th of December 1782, in the 87th year of his age.
In his person, Lord Karnes was very tall, and of a this and slender form. His countenance was animated,• and strongly marked with the features of intelligence and be nignity. At every period of his life he had a high relish fur the pleasures of society ; and it was usual for small and select parties to meet at his house in the evenings, during the winter and summer sessions, without invitation. In these parties, the discussion of literary topics was agree ably blended with innocent sallies of mirth and pleasantry ; and the graver conversation of a Smith, a Blair, and a Furgusson, was relieved or enlightened by the native wit and polished manners of a Cullen, or the sprightly fancy and whimsical eccentricity of a Boswell. The artless and ingenuous disposition of Lord Karnes led him, at all times, to express his feelings and opinions without reserve or disguise ; and this propensity, combined with a certain humorous playfulness of manner, might frequently convey to strangers the unfavourable idea of a bluntness and levi ty, derogatory from that dignity and attention to decorum, which one so naturally associates with talents and eminence. But this impression was soon effaced by that vigour of in teilect, that frankness, integrity, and candour, which his conversation never failed to display. Ile engaged with in terest in the discussion of almost every topic that occur red,'whether of ordinary life, literature, or science ; and, although naturally communicative, he was always as ready to listen to the opinions of others as to deliver his own sen timents. To the introduction of political subjects, how ever, in common conversation, he had a strong dislike; and when the conversation happened to take that turn, he either took no part in it, or endeavoured to divert it by some timely pleasantry, or guide it with address into a different channel.
To the distinguishing features of Lord.Kames' character, as a lay wet-, a judge, an author, and a • man, we have had frequent occasion to allude in the course of the preceding He certainly contributed, more than any other individual, to explain, illustrate, and define the origin, pro gress, and character of the laws and institutions of his country ; his unwearied attention to agriculture and inter nal improvement, and his zealous encouragement of every useiu project, bear sufficient testimony to his public spirit; and, however widely he might occasionally err in his specu lations on subjects of strict science, his many and valuable publications, on literary and philosophical subjects, will prove a lasting monument of lui genius and industry. See Lord \Voodhouselec's Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Lord Karnes. The writer of this article has also bLen favoured with the perusal of the MSS. of John Ramsay-, Esq. of Ochtertyre, in which there are many interesting particulars, illustrative of the characters of Lord Karnes and other individuals, whose talents contributed to elevate the literary reputation of their native country during the eighteenth century (z)