in Law, a conveyance in writing of such things as cannot pass or be conveyed by word only.

Francis, an eminent Scottish lawyer and judge, known in the latter capacity under the title of Lord Culen, was descended from a younger branch of the family of the Grants of Grant, and was born about the year 1660. When he commenced advocate, he made a distinguished figure at the Revolution, by opposing the opinions of the old lawyers, who warmly maintained the inability of the convention of estates to make any disposition of the crown. The abilities which he discovered in favour of the Revolution introduced him to extensive practice. When the union between the two kingdoms was in agitation, Queen Anne created him a baronet, with the view of securing his interest in favour of that measure; and she soon afterwards appointed him a judge, or one of the Lords of Session. He died on the 16th March 1726. His character is drawn at great length, in the style of an eloge, in the Biographia Britannica, from which we shall only extract the following notice of his literary labours: "He was so true a lover of learning, and was so much addicted to his studies, that notwithstanding the multiplicity of his business while at the bar, and his great attention to his charge when a judge, he nevertheless found time to write various treatises on very different and important subjects; some political, which were remarkably well timed, and highly serviceable to the government; others of a most extensive nature, such as his essays on law, religion, and education, Grantham which were dedicated to George II. when prince of Wales, by whose command his then secretary, Mr Samuel Molyneaux, wrote him a letter of thanks, in which were many gracious expressions, as well in relation to the piece as to its author. He composed, besides these, many discourses on literary subjects, for the exercise of his own thoughts, and for the better discovery of truth; which went no farther than his own closet, and, from a principle of modesty, were not communicated even to his most intimate friends." The Essays above mentioned were published at Edinburgh, in one volume octavo, in 1715.