Duncan, an eminent Scottish lawyer, and Lord President of the Court of Session, was born at Cullo- den, Inverness-shire, in the year 1685. His natural disposition inclined him to the army; but, as he early discovered a superior genius, he was induced by the advice of friends to apply himself to learning. Having completed his studies at the university of Edinburgh, he removed thence to Utrecht, and afterwards to Paris, where he directed his attention particularly to the civil law, in which he made great progress. He returned to Scotland in 1710, and was the same year called to the bar, where his abilities soon attracted notice, and procured him extensive practice. In 1717 he was appointed solicitor-general of Scotland; in 1722 he was returned member of parliament for the county of Inverness; in 1725 he was made King's Advocate; and in 1742 he attained the highest judicial dignity in Scotland, that of Lord President of the Court of Session. During the rebellion in 1745 and 1746, he was mainly instrumental in preventing a general rising of the Highlanders in favour of the pretender to the crown, and he even mortgaged his estate in support of the government. But the glory he acquired in checking the spread of the insurrection, by preventing some of the most powerful chiefs from joining the standard of Prince Charles Edward, and in afterwards contributing to re-establish peace and order, was the only reward of his services. Although he had impaired, nay almost ruined, his private fortune in the cause of the public, government declined to make him the smallest recompense. The minister of the day, with the meanness for which it is difficult to account, desired to have a state of his disbursements; an incivility which so much shocked the proud spirit of the patriotic president that he withdrew without deigning to make any reply. He had saved the country, yet they wished to huckster with him about pence. His services had been too great to be requited by any ordinary recompense, and hence they repaid him with ingratitude. It seems, also, that he had displeased the government of the day by the freedom and boldness with which he censured the barbarous system pursued, after the battle of Culloden, in a spirit of vindictive ferocity to which there has been no parallel in modern times, excepting, perhaps, in the wars of La Vendée. The ungrateful treatment which he experienced at the hands of the government he had saved is understood to have preyed on the spirits of President Forbes, and to have produced the fever of which he died in 1747, in the sixty-second year of his age. Throughout the whole course of his life he entertained a lively sense of religion, without the least taint of superstition; and his charity was indiscriminately extended to every sect and denomination of religionists. He was well versed in the Hebrew language; and wrote in a flowing style concerning theology and philosophy, particularly respecting the sources of incredulity. His writings, which had no reference to his profession, were, 1. Thoughts on Religion; 2. A Letter to a Bishop; and, 3. Reflections on Incredulity, 1750, in 2 vols. 12mo.

William, bishop of Edinburgh, was born at Aberdeen in the year 1585, being the son of Thomas Forbes, a respectable citizen descended from Forbes of Corsinday, whose ancestor was the second son of the same Lord Forbes from whom Forbes of Corse derived his lineage. His mother was Janet the sister of Dr Cargill, an eminent physician. From the grammar school, where he had made uncommon progress, he was at the early age of twelve removed to Marischal College, and after the usual period of four years he took the degree of A.M. The principal, Gilbert Gray, was so much pleased with his scholarship and modesty, that he procured his appointment to the professorship of logic. It was his duty to teach the logic of Aristotle, whom he very strenuously defended against the attacks of Ramus. This office he resigned at the expiration of four years, and afterwards prosecuted his theological studies on the continent. Having landed at Danzig, he travelled through a great part of Prussia and Poland. He studied in several of the universities, particularly those of Helmstedt and Heidelberg. Diligently resorting to the public libraries, he rendered himself familiar with the writings of the fathers and schoolmen; and in the Hebrew lan- Forbes became a great proficient, or, according to the expression of his biographer, equalled the skill of any Jew. After spending four years in Germany, he went to Holland, and visited the university of Leyden, where his relation Dr Jack was then a professor of philosophy. He was anxious to extend his travels to France and Italy, but being deterred by the delicate state of his health, he sailed for England. From London he proceeded to Oxford, where his learning was held in so much estimation that he was offered the professorship of Hebrew in that university; but his countryman Dr Craig, physician to the king, advised him to consult his health by returning to his native air; and he accordingly arrived at Aberdeen, after an absence of five years, when, according to an obvious calculation, he must have attained the age of twenty-five. The corporation immediately conferred upon him the freedom of the city. When his health was in some measure restored, he was appointed minister of Alford, and was afterwards removed to Monymusk. He speedily acquired the reputation of a most eloquent preacher, and after a short interval he became one of the ministers of Aberdeen. During the king's visit to St Andrews in the year 1617, Forbes was created D.D. As the state of his health was still very infirm, he was willing to exchange his cure for an academical office. He was nominated principal of Marischal College, and discharged his duty with learning and zeal; he not only read lectures in divinity, but likewise taught the Hebrew language. After retaining the office for two years, he was induced to accept of a pastoral charge in Edinburgh, where however he soon discovered that his character and doctrines were held in much less estimation than in his native city. Aberdeen was the strong-hold of episcopacy, and its clergy were among the most learned and respectable of the episcopalians; but in Edinburgh the presbyterians were the predominant party, and Dr Forbes therefore found himself placed in a situation far from agreeable. When he already thought of resigning his living, his old friends at Aberdeen invited him to resume his spiritual labours among them, and there he continued to reside till near the close of his life. When King Charles visited Edinburgh in the year 1633, Forbes was one of those who preached before him; and the king was so much struck with his eloquence, that when he erected the new see, he spontaneously nominated him as the first bishop. His patent bears the date of January 26, 1634. He was consecrated in the month of February, and soon afterwards removed his wife and children to Edinburgh, but he was not long permitted to enjoy his new dignity; he died on the 11th of April, before he had completed the third month of his episcopate, and when he had only attained the fortieth year of his age. His remains were interred in the cathedral church of St Giles.

Bishop Forbes was a man of very extensive reading, but he did not himself publish any work. He wrote copious animadversions on the works of Cardinal Bellarmine, and after his death, these papers came into the possession of Dr Baron, who intended to prepare them for the press; but the national commotions speedily ensued, and this design was never executed, nor has their subsequent fate been ascertained. These animadversions, which his biographer describes as elaborate and nervous, filled the margin of the cardinal's works, printed at Paris in three volumes. Twenty-four years after the author's death, Thomas Forbes Sydserf, bishop of Galloway, published "Considerationes modestae et pacificae Controversiarum de Justificatione, Purgatorio, Invocatione Sanctorum et Christo Mediatori, Eucharistia, per Gulielmum Forbesium, S.T.D. et Episcopum Edinburgensem primum. Opus posthumum, desideratum." Lond. 1658, 8vo. The preface, subscribed T.G., that is, Thomas Gallovidiensis, is followed by an account of the author's life. This volume, which was reprinted at Helmstidt in the year 1704, attracted a very considerable degree of attention, and is mentioned by many of the continental writers. Any honest plan for promoting peace may seem to merit praise; but it is a very indifferent method of securing the peace of the church, by offering to meet the papists half-way. This is reforming backwards. The character of the learned author has thus been drawn by Bishop Burnet: "He was a grave and eminent divine; my father, that knew him long, and being of council for him in his law-matters, had occasion to know him well, has often told me, that he never saw him but he thought his heart was in heaven, and he was never alone with him but he felt within himself a commentary on these words of the apostles, 'Did not our hearts burn within us, while he yet talked with us, and opened to us the Scriptures?' He preached with a zeal and vehemence, that made him forget all the measures of time, two or three hours was no extraordinary thing for him; those sermons wasted his strength so fast, and his ascetical course of life was such, that he supplied it so scantily that he dyed within a year after his promotion; so that he only appeared there long enough to be known, but not long enough to do what might have been otherwise expected from so great a prelate. That little remnant of his that is in print shows how learned he was. I do not deny but his earnest desire of a general peace and union among all Christians has made him too favourable to many of the corruptions in the church of Rome: but tho' a charity that is not well ballyanced may carry one to very indiscreet things, yet the principle from whence they flowed in him was so truly good, that the errors to which it carried him ought to be either excused, or at least to be very gently censured."

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