Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/179

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Mackintosh
173
Mackintosh

of three sons and three daughters. His son Daniel Lionel entered the Coldstream guards and was killed at Inkermann.

Besides some tracts, Mackinnon published in 1828 a treatise 'On Public Opinion in Great Britain and other parts of the World,' 8vo, London (anon.), which passed through two editions. It was subsequently rewritten in two volumes, under the title of 'History of Civilisation,' 8vo, London, 1846; another edit. 1848. It is a work of merit. In 1820 he was elected fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and on 14 June 1827 fellow of the Royal Society; he was also fellow of the Geological Society.

[Scotsman, 3 May 1870, p. 2; Times, 3 May 1870; Dod's Parl. Companion; Irving's Book of Scotsmen; Cat. of Advocates' Library.]

G. G.

MACKINTOSH. [See also Macintosh.]

MACKINTOSH, Sir JAMES (1765–1832), philosopher, was born on 24 Oct. 1766, at Aldourie on the bank of Loch Ness, seven miles from Inverness. His father was Captain John Mackintosh, who served twenty-four years in the army, and inherited the small estate of Kellachie, which had belonged to his family for two centuries. His mother was Marjory, daughter of Alexander Macgillivray. Soon after the birth of James his father joined his regiment at Antigua, and afterwards at Dublin. Mrs. Mackintosh was left with small resources to live with her mother and sisters and her only child at a small house called Clime. In 1775 the boy was sent to a school at Fortrose, Ross-shire. He showed intellectual activity, disputed the Calvinistic doctrine of his teachers at fourteen, and took to reading books and to ' castle-building.' His mother joined her husband in 1779, and accompanied him to Gibraltar, where she died. Mackintosh was left in Scotland, and in October 1780 went to King's College at Aberdeen, where he attended the lectures during four winters, spending the summers with his grandmother. He had already taken part in a village quarrel, which ultimately got into the law courts, by versifying a prose satire written upon their neighbours by a lady. He brought a collection of verses to college, which gained for him the nickname of 'Poet.' He now began to be interested in speculation, stimulated by the writings of Beattie (then professor at Marischal College, Aberdeen) and Priestley, and by Warbur ton's 'Divine Legation.' He formed a lasting friendship with Robert Hall (1764-1831) [q. v.] the famous preacher. They started a debating society called the 'Hall and Mackintosh Club. His poetical talents were devoted to the praises of a young lady with whom he fell passionately in love. He courted her for three or four years, but she married another. His father, who returned in 1783, after serving through the siege of Gibraltar (1779-83), was too poor to send the son to the Scottish bar. Mackintosh therefore resolved to take up medicine, and began his studies at Edinburgh in October 1784. He was kindly received by Dr. Cullen, but soon became an ardent 'Brunonian,' i.e. follower of John Brown (1735-1788) [q. v.], being 'speculative, lazy, and factious (Life, i. 25). He was cured of a fever by a Brunonian friend, and warmly supported Brown's heresy in the 'Royal Medical Society,' which met for weekly discussions, and of which he became president. He was also a member of the 'Speculative Society,' where he was a friend of Charles Hope (1763-1851) [q. v.] (afterwards Lord Granton}, of Malcolm Laing [q. v.], and of Thomas Addis Emmet [q. v.] He read papers before the 'Royal Medical and the 'Physical' Society, showing youthful audacity and power. In 1787 he obtained his diploma, reading a thesis, 'De Motu Musculari,' which he is said to have defended with such skill as to remove the unfavourable impression made by his impertinence in keeping the Senatus Academicus waiting for some time.

In the spring of 1788 he moved to London, living with a Mr. Fraser, a maternal cousin, in Cnpstone Street. He declined an offer of settling as a physician at St. Petersburg, after having so far considered it as to apply for introductions through Dugald Stewart. Mackintosh, as the letter implies, was only known to Stewart through a common friend, and though afterwards a friend, and in some degree a disciple, had apparently not heard Stewart's lectures at Edinburgh. He attended the impeachment of Warren Hastings, and became known at debating societies. He spoke at the 'Society for Constitutional Information,' where he formed a lasting friendship with Richard Sharp. He was already getting into difficulties, due to his habitual carelessness about business. After his father's death in 1788 he sold the estate of Kellachie, but his position was not much improved. On 18 Feb. 1789 he married Catherine Stuart, sister of Daniel Stuart, afterwards editor successively of the 'Morning Post' and 'Courier,' and at this time already engaged in journalism. Mrs. Mackintosh did her best to keep her husband to the methodical work made irksome by his easy temper and love of society. He advertised, and partially wrote, a book upon insanity, suggested by the illness of George III, and made some slight moves towards settling as a doctor