16 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
4to ; “Elucidations respecting the Common and Statute Zaw of Scotland,”
1777, 8vo ; “Select Decisions of the Court of Session, from 1752 to 1768,”
1780, folio; and “Loose Hints upon Education, chiefly concerning the
Culture of the Heart,” 1781, 8vo.
HUG0 ARNOT, Esq., the singularly attenuated gentleman who appears
between Lord Kames and Lord Monboddo, was, in as far as his person is concerned,
a sort of natural curiosity. He was of great height, but, as the Print
shows, sadly deficient in breadth ; yet an intelligent friend, who has contributed
some information to this work, and who knew him well, complains that the
limner has made him “ really too solid ! ” If this be so, it is an error which
is corrected in another likeness of him, which appears elsewhere in the present
work Mr. Arnot’s person was, in truth, altogether an extraordinary and remarkable
one, and it was in consequence the source of many jests and witticisms.
Mr. Arnot was the son of a merchant and ship proprietor at Leith, where he
was born on the 8th December 1749. His name was originally Pollock, but he
changed it in early life to Arnot, on the occasion of his falling heir, through his
mother, to the estate of Balcormo in Fife.’ He was bred to the law, and
became a member of the Faculty of Advocates in the year 1772. A severe
asthma, however, which was greatly aggravated by almost every kind of exertion,
proved a serious obstruction to his progress at the bar, where, but for this
unfortunate circumstance, there is little doubt that his talents would have raised
him to eminence.
Mr. Arnot published in 12m0, London, 1776, “An Essay on Nothing, a
Discourse delivered in a Society,” which was favourably received.
In 1779 appeared his “History of Edinburgh,” which makes, perhaps, as
near an approach to classical excellence as any topographical publication which
has ever appeared in Scotland. The merit of this work is sufficiently expressed
in the fact of its not having been thrown into the shade, either in respect of
information or composition, by any subsequent production In 1785, Mr. Axnot
published a “ Collection of Celebrated Criminal Trials, with Historical and
Critical Remarks,” which added considerably to the reputation of its author.
Prior to the publication of this curious work, Arnot quarrelled with the
booksellers ; and, in December 1784, he advertised the book to be published by
subscription, adding, ‘‘ Mr. Arnot printed, a few days ago, a prospectus of the.
work, that the public might form some idea of its nature, and he sent it to be
hung up in the principal booksellers in town; but they have thought proper
to refuse, in a body, to allow the prospectus and subscription papers to hang in
their shops. The prospectus will therefore be seen at the Royal Exchange
Coffee-House, Exchange Coffee-House, Prince’s Street Coffee-House, And
Messrs. Corri and Sutherland‘s Music-Shop, Edinburgh, and Gibb’s Coffee-
House, Leith.”
? “Died, December 6, 1773
deceased Mr. Pollock, merchant.
;, at her house in Fifeshire, Mrs. h o t o f Balcormo, relict of the
