GALT, JOHN, was born at Irvine in Ayrshire, on the 2nd of May 1779. His father, a sea-captain in the West India trade, removed to Greenock, when John was about eleven years of age; and in that busy town he received an education for commercial pursuits. He spent some time as it clerk in the Greenock custom-house; whence he was transferred, in the same character, to the counting-house of a mercantile firm in the place. When he was between twenty and twenty-five years of age be left Scotland for London, where he intended to establish himself as a merchant. His literary propensities however which had previously led him into frequent compositions, were further nourished by a few months of inaction in the metro polis. The result was, the production of a poem in octo-syllabic verse called ' The Battle of Large,' portions of which were printed in the 'Scots' Magazine,' 1803 and 1801 ; and on the originality of which (as having preceded Sir Walter Scott's metrical romances) he prided himself not a little in after-life. Other studies, chiefly in history and political economy, were prosecuted occasionally after he had embarked in commerce. This he had done iu partnership with another young Scotehman ; but the partners disagreed, their affairs became entangled, and in about three years the firm was bankrupt. After a short attempt to re-establish himself in business along with a brother, Mr. Galt entered himself at Lincoln's Inn; but determining (partly for the sake of his health) to spend abroad some part of the time before his being called to the bar, he left England in 1809.
His travels lasted for nearly three years. He afterwards described them in two works: Voyages and Travels in the years 1809, 1810, and 1811, containing Statistical, Commercial, and Miscellaneous Ob servations on Gibraltar, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, and Turkey,' 1812, 4to ; and 'Letters from the Levant, containing Views of the State of Society, Manners, Opinions, and Commerce, in Greece and several of the Principal Islands of the Archipelago,' 1813, 8vo. Soon after his
return he married Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Tilloch, the editor of the 'Philosophical Magazine,' and also proprietor of tho 'Star' news paper, on which Mr. Galt was for some time employed. By this lady be left two sons. He now wrote the following works The Life and Administration of Cardinal NVolsey,' 1812, 4to,1818, Svo; 'Reflec tions on Political and Commercial Subjects,' 1812, Svo; a volume of ' Tragedies' (Maddalen, Agamemnon, Lady Macbeth, Antonia, and Cly temnestra), 1812, 4to ; ' The Life and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq.,' 1816, 8vo, 1818, 8vo. Ho edited also, during its short career, 'The New British Theatre,' which was at first intended to contain a series of dramas rejected by the managers; and iu which, besides other con tributions of the editor, was printed a vigorous tragedy called ' The Witness.' These productions however were composed iu the intervals left by undertakings of other kinds, chiefly commercial. In the course of his travels he Lad devised a scheme for importing British goods into the Continent by way of Turkey, notwithstanding Napoleon's decrees of exclusion ; and he spent some time in vain endeavours to obtain support for this plan. On another occasion he acted as a par liamentary agent for a Scottish canal bill. He had given up the study of the law, but he was desirous to obtain a footing in some department of active business, entertaining a strong reluctance to snaking literature the main employment of his life.
Down to this time, iudeed, his literary success had by no means been great. His works had not generally obtained credit even for the shrewdness and comprehensiveness of thinking, and the acute obser vation of life, which they -really evinced : while his tendency to paradox in opinion, his oddity and clumsiness of language, and the coarseness with which his vigour was alloyed, had furnished topics of ridicule to some who thought his works worth criticising.