Of his genius, as a delineator of human character, his novels form an imperishable monument, though certainly not undeformed by considerable impurity of taste. So long as his "Ode to Leven Water," and his Ode to Independence, exist, he can never fail to be admired as a poet.
Three years after Smollett's death, a round column, of the Tuscan order, with an urn on its entablature, was erected to his memory, near the house in which he was born, by his cousin, Mr Smollett, of Bonhill, who is said to have never manifested any kindness towards him while he was alive. For this memorial, an inscription was furnished by the united labours of professor George Stuart of Edinburgh, Mr Ramsay of Ochtertyre, and Or Samuel Johnson. Lord Kantes also wrote an English epitaph, which was lost to the learned world, till it appeared in the work, entitled "Traditions of Edinburgh." A plainer monument was erected over Smollett s grave at Leghorn, by his friend and countryman, Dr Armstrong, who added a very elegant inscription.
The widow of Smollett—the Narcissa of "Roderick Random"—was left, a poor widow in a foreign land. The small remains of her husband's fortune had been settled upon her, under the trust of Mr Graham of Gartmore, and Mr Routine, his tried and faithful friends. The sum, however, was so little, that this elegant woman was soon involved in great distress. It must have added not a little to the poignancy of Mrs Smollett's feelings, that, had her husband lived a few years longer, he would have succeeded his cousin of Bonhill, as heir of entail, in the possession of an estate of a thousand a-year, besides, perhaps, the private wealth of that individual, worth as much more; all of which descended to his sister, Mrs Telfer. It is alleged by Dr Anderson, that neither Mr Smollett nor Mrs Telfer ever thought of extending any relief to the widow of their distinguished relative, the man whose genius has consecrated their family name to all posterity. It is known, however, that Mr Smollett, almost immediately after his cousin's death, gave a considerable sum to the widow, under pretence of purchasing her husband's books, few of which ever reached the purchaser. We certainly cannot but regret, that Mrs Telfer afterwards permitted an act of public charity to be resorted to for the relief of her kinswoman. On the 3rd of March, 1784, probably through the exertions of Mr Graham of Gartmore, a benefit was procured for her in the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh; on which occasion, the play of Venice Preserved was acted, with a prologue written by Mr Graham. The money, amounting, with private donations, to £366, was remitted to Italy; and this was all that Scotland ever sacrificed for the sake of one of the most illustrious of her sons.
SOMERVILLE, (Dr) Thomas, an eminent historian, was born at Hawick, in Roxburghshire, in the spring of 1741.[1] By the early death of his father, who was minister of the parish of Hawick, lie was left an orphan, along with two sisters, his mother having predeceased her husband. His father left the care of his early education to the reverend Mr Cranstoun of Ancrum, and another member of the presbytery of Jedburgh, whose kindness and attention are evidenced by the affection afterwards exhibited towards them by their pupil. Having obtained the education derivable from a provincial grammar school, he became a student in the university of Edinburgh. He is said not to have exhibited in his acquirements the precocity of talent generally recorded of men who have become eminent in any branch of literature; and indeed the branch in which he distinguished himself, when qualified by the manner in which he
- ↑ Memoir in the Annual Obituary for 1831. As this memoir is written by a personal friend of Dr Somerville, and is both better written, and more liberal in its views, than such productions generally happen to be, we shall take the liberty of making some quotations from it.
