GRAHAME, JAMES, best known as the author of the -Sabbath, was the son of Mr Thomas Grahame, a highly respected writer, or attorney, in Glasgow. He was born on the 22d day of April 1765. The peculiar mildness, and the religious cast of his character, and of his pursuits in the latter part of his life, may be traced back to his training in infancy and youth, by a father and mother who were distinguished for their warm and enlightened attach ment to Christianity, and for their chastened cheerfulness of temper and mariners. Grahame's minute and delicate discernment of the beauties of nature, and his delight in observing all those nicer shades, which are unnoticed save by the contemplative eye and the feeling heart, probably had their source in his holiday enjoyments on the pictur esque banks of the Cart. He and his elder brother were accustomed to pass, at his lather's summer residence, in this sweet retirement, those hours which are distinguish ed from all the other hours of life, by admitting not only of cessation from study, but of carelessness of the past and future, mingled with the gay and ever-varying illu sions of juvenile fancy. His education was begun at the grammar school of his native city, where he was distin guished more for playfulnes, than for brilliancy of talents; and where ne evinced a disposition to frolicsome spright liness, which gave little promise of the thoughtful and re tired character of his manhood. From the school, he pass ed to the university of Glasgow, which he attended for five consecutive sessions, during the two last of which he stu died the theory of law and government under the celebra ted Professor Millar, from whom he imbibed that enthu siastic love of freedom, and that warm attachment to the constitution of his country, especially the popular part, which formed a distinguishing feature in his character through life. This attachment to the cause of freedom, induced him at first to take a warm interest in the success of the French revolution, and led him at a later period of his life, with honourable consistency, to express his de testation of that spirit of aggrandisement, which marked the conduct of too many of its abettors; and especially of the military despot, who availed himself of the misfor tunes of the country that cherished him as her adopted son, to destroy her liberties, and desolate the fairest por tion of Europe.
When the anxious period arrived, at which it was ne cessary for him to fix on a profession, Grahame would have preferred the simple and unostentatious duties and the humble emoluments of the Scottish) church ; but he suffered his own choice to be overrured by the persuasions of his friends, who fancied that they could foresee or se cure more certain success for him in the law. After re ceiving some professional instruction from his father at Glasgow, he was indentured, in his twentieth year, as an apprentice to his cousin Mr Lawrence Hill, writer to the signet in Edinburgh, in 1784. It was about the time of his passing writer to the signet in 1791, that he had the misfortune to lose his father; a misfortune which sunk the more deeply into his feeling heart, from the circum stance of his absence on that occasion. The consolations of religion were at this time peculiarly salutary to his wounded spirit, and his desire for the clerical office re turned ; but he again yielded to the arguments of his friends, who urged the obstacles that his age now present ed against his entering the Scottish church, in conse quence of the length of previous study required, a cir cumstance which also appeared to them a barrier to his preferment in the church of England. He acted for sonic years as a writer to the signet, and passed advocate in 1795. Though his professional knowledge was extensive, and his law papers were ably written, there were various circumstances, which combined to prevent him from at taining a conspicuous station at the bar. Want of relish for the minute and tedious details of the practice of the law, and a bad state of health, were the principal obstacles ; and probably these were the chief causes of his seeking relief in poetical compo%ition.