GARDEN

GARDEN, FRANCIS, better known as one of the Lords of Session in Scotland, under the title of Lord Gardenstone, was born at Edinburgh on the 24th of June, in the year 1721. His father was Alexander Garden of Troup, an opulent landholder in Aberdeenshire; and his mother Jane, daughter of Sir Francis Grant of Cullen. After passing through the usual course of liberal education at the school and the university, he betook himself to the study of law; and in the year 1744 was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates.

In his practice as advocate he soon began to be distinguished by a native rectitude of understanding; by that vivacity of apprehension and imagination which is commonly denominated genius; by manly candour in argument, often more persuasive than subtlety and sophistical artifice; and by powers which, with diligence, might easily have conducted him to the highest eminence in the profession. But the same strength, openness, and ardour of mind, which distinguished him so advantageously at the bar, tended to give him a fondness for the gay enjoyments of convivial intercourse, which was unfavourable to his progress in juridical erudition. Shining in the social and convivial circle, he became less ambitious than he might otherwise have been, of the character of an eloquent advocate, or of a profound and learned lawyer. The vivacity of his genius was averse from austere and plodding study, whilst it was captivated by the fascinations of polite learning and of the fine arts. He, however, became, in 1764, his majesty's solicitor-general for Scotland; and he was afterwards elevated to the bench, as a judge both in the Courts of Session and Justiciary.

In the year 1762 he purchased the estate of Johnston, in the county of Kincardine; and a few years afterwards

Gardening. he began to attempt a plan of the most liberal improvement of the value of this estate, by an extension of the village of Laurencekirk, adjoining. In the year 1779, he procured it to be erected into a burgh of barony, with a magistracy, an annual fair, and a weekly market. He provided in it a good inn for the reception of travellers, and furnished this inn with a library for their amusement. In the year 1785, upon the death of his elder brother, Lord Gardenstone succeeded to the possession of the family estates, which were considerable. His succession to an ample income, at a period when the vigour of his constitution was rapidly yielding to the infirmities of old age, enabled him to seek relief from his official duties, by a temporary residence on the Continent. In the month of September 1786, he set out from London for Dover, and passed over into France. After visiting Paris, he proceeded to Provence, and spent the winter months in the genial climate of Hières. In the spring of 1787 he returned northwards, visiting Geneva, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the Dutch provinces, and passing through Germany into Italy. After an absence of about three years, he returned to his native country. His last years were spent in the discharge of the duties of his office as a judge; in social intercourse with his friends; in cherishing those fine arts, of which he was an eminent judge; and in promoting the comfort, and encouraging the industry of his dependents. St Bernard's Well, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, had long been distinguished for the medicinal virtues of its waters. But various circumstances had concurred to throw it into ne-

glect. The qualities of this mineral water falling under Lord Gardenstone's notice, he was induced to purchase the property of the well; to direct it to be cleared from surrounding obstacles, which contaminated the virtues of the water, or made it inaccessible; to erect a beautiful and commodious edifice over it; and to appoint proper persons to distribute the water for a very trivial compensation to the public. As an amusement during the last two or three years of his life, when his increasing infirmities precluded him from more active exercise, and from mingling so frequently in the society of his friends as was agreeable to his social and convivial temper, he bethought himself of revising some of the jeux d'esprit, and light fugitive pieces, in which he had indulged the gaiety of his fancy in his earlier days; and a small volume of poems was published, in which the best pieces are, upon good authority, ascribed to Lord Gardenstone. He revised also the memoranda which he had made upon his travels, and permitted them to be sent to press. Two volumes were published, one after another, whilst his lordship was yet alive; the third appeared after his death. They met with a very favourable reception in the world, and were honoured with the high approbation of the most respectable writers of periodical criticism. His lordship's health had been long declining, and he died a bachelor, on the 22d of July 1793, lamented by his friends, and by all to whom his merits and virtues were known.