FERRIER, MISS, was born at Edinburgh, about 1782, the daughter of a writer to the signet, and who was one of Sir \V. Scott's colleague.
as clerk of the court of session. This association almost necessarily produced an intimacy with the Scott family, and she had early access to the company of the best literary society of her native city. She was the author of Marriage,' published in ISIS ; ' The Inheritance,' in 1824; and 'Destiny, or the Chief's Daughter,' which appeared in 1831. They were all published anonymously, and thence Sir Walter Scott spoke of his "sister shadow," at the end of his 'Legend of Montrose,' as one peculiarly fitted to excel in the dopictiug of Scottish character, as proved by "the very lively work entitled ' Marriage.'" In the latter part of his life, when Miss Ferrier was one of his moat trusted friends, her name occurs in his diary. Her novels aro not entirely national ; the characters are vigorously drawn, and thoroughly individualised; the plots tolerably well imagined and ingeniously developed ; and the dialogues are spirited and lifelike, sometimes humorous, and occasionally witty. The use of the Scottish dialect, as it is occasionally introduced with good effect, is the dialect actually spoken, and not the imitation which was occasionally heard upon the stage. All her novels were successful, and have become
standards ; but she seems to have written because she had accumu latsd observations and materials, and not from the love of either fame or profit. Sir Walter Scott, indeed, says of her, that in couversation "she was the least exigeante of any author, female at least, whom I have ever seen." He adds: "she was simple, full of humour, and exceed ingly ready at repartee; and all this without the least affectation of tho blue-stocking." This appears to be a good representation of her whole oharacter: acute and observant, she was too kind to wish to give pain, and too placid and contented to seek for applause. Though her satire is sometimes sufficiently coarse cud caustic upon tho grosser errors of human conduct, the sketches aro relieved by scenes of humour, which, if sometimes exaggerated, like those of Mims Burney, are certainly laughable.
Miss Ferrier passed a peaceful and quiet life in her native town, associated with all the more distinguished of her contemporaries, and respected for her kindness and urbanity by every one who knew her, She died, aged seventy-two, in November 1854.