BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 15
adcounts are closed. Take up your papers, man, and go home with an easy
mind ; your titles are excellent.”
- . Amongst his lordship’s singularities, which were not a few, was an unaccountable
predilection for a certain word, more remarkable for its vigour than its
elegance, which he used freely even on the bench, where it certainly must have
sounded very oddly. This peculiarity is pointed out in the amusing poem
entitled the CL Court of Session Garland,” by James Boswell-
“Alemoor the judgment as illegal blames-
“Tis equity, you b-h,’ replies my Lord Kames.”
About a week before his death, which was the result of extreme old age,
feeling his end approaching, he went to the C o d of Session, addressed all
the judges separately, told them he was speedily to depart, and bade them a
aolemn and affectionate farewell. On reaching the door, however, he turned
round, and, bestowing a last look on his sorrowing brethren, made his exit,
exclaiming, “Fare ye a’ weel, ye b-ches!”
Not more than four days before his demise, a friend called on his lordship,
and found him, although in a state of great languor and debility, dictating to
an amanuensis. He expressed his surprise at seeing him so actively employed.
“ Ye b-h,” replied Kames, “ would you have me stay with my tongue in my
cheek till death comes to fetch me!” A day or two after this, he told the
celebrated Dr. Cullen that he earnestly wished to be away, because he was
exceedingly curious to learn the nature and manners of another world. He
added-‘‘ Doctor, as I never could be idle in this world, I shall willingly perform
any task that may be imposed on me in the next.”
During the latter part of his life, he entertained a dread that he would outlive
his faculties, and was well pleased to find, from the rapid decay of his
body, that he would escape this calamity by a speedy dissolution. He died,
after a short illness, on the 27th of December 1782, in the eighty-seventh year
of his age.
His lordship lived in the self-contained house at the head of New Street,
fronting the Canongate, east side, a house which was then considered one of the
first in the city.
, The works of Lord Kames are-“Remarkable Decisions of the Court of
Session, from 1706 to 1728,” folio; “Essays upon several Subjects in Law,”
1732; “Decisions of the Court of Session, from its first institution till the year
1740,” 1741-two volumes were afterwards added by Lord Woodhouselee, and
a Supplement by M‘Grugar j “ Essays on several Subjects concerning Brit,ish
Antiquities,” 1747 ; “Essays on the Principles of Morality and Natural Religion,
in two pads,” 1751, 8vo; “The Statute Law of Scotland, abridged with
Historical Notes,” 1757, 8vo; “Historical Law Tracts,” 1759, 8vo; “The
Principles of Equity,” 1760, folio; “Introduction to hte Art of Thinking,”
1761, 12mo ; ‘‘ Elements of Criticism,” 1762, 8v0, 3 vols. ; Remarkable
Decisions of the Court of Session, from 1730 to 1752,” 1766, folio; “Gentle-
‘man Farmer,” 1772, 8vo; “Sketches of the History of Man,” 1773, 2 vols.