State of Health-Melancholy Prognostics-Irish Melodies-Music by Thomson-Letter to Scott-Defeated in his Scheme-Pension grant- ed-New Poems- Horner-Letter to Mr. Alison-Dr. Baillie- Dr. Brown-Extracts from Letters-To his Sister-State of Health Letter to Miss Mayow-Literary Subjects-Keddie-Old Friendship— Pleasing Incidents-Dines at Holland House - Fox and Virgil - Dressed in borrowed Plumes-Social Habits-Hopes from Govern- ment A deserted Swan-" British Poets"-Letters to Walter Scott -First Idea of " Gertrude"-Tranquil Hours-Correspondence with Miss Mayow-The Chatty Man-Albert of Wyoming―The Original -Slays the Python-Caricatures the Victory-Visit to the Isle of Letter from the Nursery-His Children-Men-Books-Arbuthnot- Maurus-Campbell's Dream - Difficult Writing-Watch-nights- Correspondence-His new Heroine - Opinion of a Friend-The Comet-Letter of an invalid Friend-Correspondence-Extracts- His Household-Colds and Comforts-Correspondence - Vexations of Life-Dines at Holland House-Sydney Smith-Home Incidents "Gertrude"-Sydenham Nightingales-Extracts from Letters-Luxury of Sleep-Adventures-Nobles and Prelates of Spain-National Char- acter-Partialities - Expectations of another new Poem-Progress of "Gertrude"-Greek Ode-Letter to Lord Cockburn-" British Poets"-Moore-Lawrence-" Spectre Drummer"-Selections from the" British Poets"-Sir John Moore-Character-Death-Disasters in Spain-Corunna—Antiquarian and Classical Research... 491-512 CHAPTER XXV. "O'Connor's Child"-Teaching the Graces-Visit to Siddons-Anec - LIFE AND LETTERS OF THOMAS CAMPBELL. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY NOTICE OF THE CAMPBELLS OF KIRNAN. THE paternal ancestors of Thomas Campbell appear to have been long settled in that part of the Argyll frontier, which lies between Lochawe and Lochfyne, bordered by the ducal territory of Inverary. The Poet himself had little or no taste for genealogy; but his uncle, Robert Campbell of Kirnan, who wrote the "Life of John, Duke of Argyll and Greenwich," was deeply read in the ancient history of his clan, and traced the origin of his own branch of the family to Iver of Kirnan. The descent may be stated in a few words. Archibald, lord and knight of Lochawe, was grandson of Sir Neil, chief of the clan, and a celebrated contemporary of king Robert Bruce. This Archibald died A.D. 1360, leaving issue three sons,-Colin, who succeeded to the family honors; Tavis, ancestor of Dunardrie; and Iver, * On the genealogical history, to which the first Chapter is devoted, it may seem that I have dwelt too long; but, in explanation, it may be stated that, since Mr. Campbell's death, circumstances have occurred to render it very desirable that, in his biography, the subject should be treated with some degree of minuteness. Many errors and mis-statements, respecting the Poet and his family, have already gone abroad; and to rectify these effectually, the only course left was to investigate the family papers. This was duly accomplished; and the facts resulting from the investigation, form the ground-work of the introductory Chapter. The accuracy of the details has been confirmed by the testimony of surviving branches of the Poet's family; and the particulars now brought out for the first time, will sufficiently contradict the mis-statements to which I have referred. VOL. I.-2 from whom sprang the Campbells of Kirnan-the distinctive name of Iver's descendants, who, during the lapse of many generations, became identified with the place, as lairds and heritors of Kirnan. The vale of Glassary, in which the old family estate was situated, runs transversely through the parish of that name. Like all the surrounding country, it is of a pastoral character; watered by a rapid brook called the Ad, bounded on either side by picturesque and partly wooded acclivities, and ornamented. by Lochan Leamhan, a small lake near its centre. The whole parish, which is of great extent, presents the appearance of a vast congeries of hills, steep and rugged in many places, though not lofty; abounding in excellent pasture, but possessing little that can be applied successfully to the higher purposes of agriculture. The uplands are diversified by numerous small lakes; the height of the valley above the level of the sea, varies from two hundred to six hundred feet; the soil is fertile, in many places well cultivated, but much exposed after heavy rains to inundations from the river.* In the parish of Glassary, which forms part of the southern frontier of the West Highlands, Campbell of Achnabreck and Campbell of Ederline, two powerful families of the olden time, had long their fixed residence; but, like that of the poet's ancestors, the house that once knew them so familiarly, knows them no more. The number of landed proprietors in the parish is now reduced to four, the chief of whom is Sir John Powlett Orde, of Kilmory, Bart. Among the oldest heritors of the parish, as already stated, were the Campbells of Kirnan, who appear by the records of the presbytery of Inverary, to have been from one generation after another, supporters of the Reformation and Elders in the Church. Their valued rental in those primitive times, was thirty-seven pounds one shilling sterling, or nearly one-nineteenth of the whole parish. From this honorable stock-the Campbells of Kirnan, who could trace their origin to Gilespic-le-Camile, first Norman lord of Lochawe-the poet is lineally descended. To the fortuitous circumstances of birth or family connexion he rarely alluded, and never attached any importance; but he has feelingly adverted to the old feudal tradition, and to his own personal fortunes in the following lines, "On receiving a Seal with the Campbell Crest": * Rev. Colin Smith, Stat. Acc. of "Glassary," 1844. 1685.] FAMILY HISTORY-CAMPBELLS OF KIRNAN. "So speed my song, marked with the crest Who won the Lady of the West, The Daughter of Macaillan Mor. If it but typed the Feudal-tree From whence, a scattered leaf, I'm blown 27 In reference to this subject, and the remote connexion between the Poet and the great "Macallumore," I find the following lines addressed to him by a lady, distinguished by her high birth and cultivated mind-the Lady Charlotte Campbell, daughter of John, Duke of Argyll : "Bard of my country-clansman of my race! Of honest pride, in friendship's sacred flame, Within my bosom glows while writing CAMPBELL's name!" In the vale of Glassary, and about a mile and a half from the old manse of Kilmichael, stand the house and garden of Kirnan, long ruinous and deserted, but on which the genius of the Poet has conferred a classic immortality. It was after a melancholy survey of this ancestral mansion, and in a room of the manse, or parsonage-house, where he spent the following night, that the Poet gave utterance to his feelings in these well-known "Lines on visiting a Scene in Argyllshire": "At the silence of Twilight's contemplative hour On the wind-shaken weeds that embosom the bower "Yet wandering, I found on my ruinous walk, One rose of the wilderness left on its stalk, To mark where a garden had been. Like a brotherless hermit, the last of its race, |