LOCKHART, JOHN GIBSON, was born in 1794 at the manse of Cambusoethan, in Lanarkshire, Scotland; his father, who was of an old Lanarkshire family, being then minister of the parish of Cambia rwthan, in connection with the Established, or Presbyterian, Church of Scotland. Ills mother was related to the celebrated family of the Erskine.. When Lockhart was two years of age his father removed from Cainbusnethan to become one of the city clergymen of Glasgow ; and here Lockhart was educated. His talents were shown during his course at the Glasgow University ; at the end of which, while still only in his sixteenth year, he obtained, by the unanimous voice of the professors, the Snell exhibition to Balliol College, Oxford—a college at which, either on the same exhibition or otherwise, many eminent Scotchmcn have been trained. In 1813 he took honours as a first class man in classics; and in 1817 he graduated B. C. L at the univers sity—a degree exchanged for the higher one of D. C. L. in 1834. After residing some time in Germany, and acquiring the language and seeing much of the literary society there, he settled in Edinburgh ae a mem ber of the Scottish bar in 1816. He never had much practice as a lawyer however, but from the first devoted himself to literature, as a member of the little band of young Scotch Tories, who, with Wilson as their chief, were then beginning to dispute the literary eupremacy of the Scotch as represented by Jeffrey and the ' Edinburgh Review.' When Blackwood started his magazine in 1817, Wilson and Lockhart were Its chief supporters; and considerable portions of the famous • Chaldee Manuscript' and of the earlier Noctes Ambrostane papers were written by Lockhart, though Wilson afterwards made the magazine his own. It was in consequence of Lockhart's literary con nection with 'Blackwood' nod Scottish Toryism that ho became acquainted with Scott, who looked with a kindly Interest on the efforts of these young men of the same politica as himself. The first meeting of Scott and Lockhart took place In 1818, and from that time they were intimate friends. When Scott, from the pressure of other
work, ceased to write the historical parts of the ' Edinburgh Annual Register; he recommended Lockhart to the Ballantyncs as his sub.
stitute. In 1819 Lockhart published anonymously his 'Peter's Letters to his Kinsfolk,' which gives such graphic accounts of Scottish men and manners at that time. In 1820 he married Scott's eldest daughter Sophia, and took up his abode at the cottage of Chiefswood, close to Abbotsford. Here perhaps he spent his happiest days; and few passages in Scott's 'Life' are pleasanter than those describing his waik iog over early in the morning to breakfast with the young couple at Chiefswood, or helping their servants oti a summer afternoon, when they bad a modest dinner-party, by drawing up the wine from the well into which it had been lowered to cool. This was also a pro lific period in Lockhart's literary career. He wrote his translations of ' Spanish Ballads' for 'Blackwood,' afterwards published collectively ; in 1821 he published anonymously his 'Valeria:3, a Roman Story,' in 3 vols.; this was followed in 1822 by Adam Blair, a Story of Scottish Life,' iu 1 vol.; by 'Reginald Dalton, a Story of English University Life,' in 3 vole., 1823 ; and Matthew Wald,' in 1 vol., 1824, each showing great power In a peculiar vein ; and in 1825 he wrote his 'Life of Burns,' and also a less-remembered Life of Napoleon,' for Constable's Miscellany.' In 1826 Lockhart removed to London to succeed Gifford in the editorship of the Quarterly Review.' He continued to edits the ' Review' till 1853—with what success all the world knows. In his hands the 'Review' maintained and increased its reputation ; and not a few of the most powerful articles that appeared iu it during the seven-and-twenty years of his editorship, came from his own pen. He was particularly happy in biographical sketches, combined with criticism. One paper of this kind—that on ' Theodore Hook '—has been reprinted by itself.