264

HISTOHY OP ENGiAim.

CnAP.

XIII.

1689 .

Holland. There he employed himself in correcting the great■ work on jurisprudence which has preserved his memory freshdown to our own time. In his banishment he tried to gain thefavour of his fellow exiles, who naturally regarded him withsuspicion. He protested, and perhaps with truth, that hishands were pure from the blood of the persecuted Covenanters.He made a High profession of religion, prayed much, and ob-served xveekly days of fasting and humiliation. He even con-sented, after much hesitation, to assist with his advice and hiscredit the unfortunate enterprise of Argyle. When that enter-prise had failed, a prosecution was instituted at Edinburghagainst Dalrymple; and his estates would doubtless have beenconfiscated had they not been saved by an artifice which subse-quently became common among the politicians of Scotland.His eldest son and heir apparent, John, took the side of thegovernment, supported the dispensing power, declared againstthe Test, and accepted the place of Lord Advocate, when SirGeorge Mackenzie, after holding out through ten years of fouldrudgery, at length showed signs of flagging. The services ofthe younger Dalrymple were rewarded by a remission of the for-feiture which the offences of the elder had incurred. Thoseservices indeed were not to be despised. For Sir John, thoughinferior to his father in depth and extent of legal learning, wasno common man. His knowledge was great and various: hisparts were quick; and his eloquence was singularly ready andgraceful. To sanctity he made no pretensions. Indeed Epis-copalians and Presbyterians agreed in regarding him as littlebetter than an atheist. During some months Sir John at Edin-burgh affected to condemn the disloyalty of his unhappy parentSir James; and Sir James at Leyden told his Puritan friendshow deeply he lamented the wicked compliances of his unhappychild Sir John.

The Revolution came, and brought a large increase of wealth