Wellington Despatches; for the battle of Albuera see Napier's Peninsular War, book xii. chaps. 6 and 7, and the discussion which arose on these H. M. S.

chapters in the United Service Magazine and published pamphlets.]

Lord Abercromby's known contributions to literature consist of ten papers in the 'Mirror' and nine in the 'Lounger.' [Notice of Lord Abercromby by Henry Mackenzie in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vel. iv. part 1, app. I.] J. B. P. ABERCROMBY, DAVID (d. 1701–2?), was a Scottish physician of the seventeenth ABERCROMBY,ALEXANDER(1784- century. Half a century after his death, his

(1853), colonel, was youngest son of Sir Ralph Abercromby [q. v.], and was born in 1784. He entered the army at an early age, and served as a volunteer with the 92nd regiment in the expedition to the Helder in 1799. He soon obtained his commission, and saw service with his regiment in Egypt. He was appointed aide-de-camp to his father's old lieutenant and friend, Sir John Moore, during his command in Sicily in 1806, but was not with him in Spain. Like his brother, Sir John, he was rapidly promoted, and in 1808, when only twenty-four, became lieutenant-colonel of the 28th regiment. He accompanied his regiment when it was sent to Portugal to reinforce Lord Wellington after the battle of Talavera. He commanded it at the battle of Busaco, and in the lines of Torres Vedras, and as senior colonel had the good fortune to command his brigade at the battle of Albuera. His services there were very conspicuous, and his brigade has been immortalised by Napier. He was soon superseded, but commanded his regiment at the surprise of Arroyo de Molinos and the storming of the forts at Almaraz. In 1812 he was removed to the staff of the army, and was present as assistant-quartermaster-general at the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Orthes. He served in the same espacity in 1815, and was present at QuatreBras, Waterloo, and the storming of Peronne. For his active services he was promoted to a colonelcy in the 2nd or Coldstream guards, and made a companion of the Bath, a knight of the order of Maria Theresa of Austria, of the Tower and Sword of Portugal, and of St. George of Russia. He was returned to parliament in the whig interest in 1817 for the county of Clackmannan in place of his brother Sir John, but retired next year. He was in command of the 2nd guards, but retired on half-pay when there seemed to be no chance of another war, and died at his Bantry seat in Scotland in 1853. He had no small share of the military ability of his family, and was an admirable regimental and staff officer; but the long peace which followed the battle of Waterloo gave him no opportunity to show whether he had his father's ability to command an army.

For his services see the Royal Military Calendar, vol. iv., and occasional allusions in the

Nova Medicinæ Praxis' (1685) was reprinted at Paris (1740); and during his lifetime his Tuta ac efficax Luis Venereæ, sæpe absque Mercurio ac semper absque Salivatione mercuriali, curandæ Methodus' (1684, 8vo), was translated into French (Paris, 1690), as by 'celebre médicin d'Angleterre;' and into Dutch (Amsterdam, 1691) by no less than J. B. Lusart. It was also translated into German (Dresden, 1702, 8vo). His books also gave him a place of honour in Haller's 'Bibliotheca Medicinæ Pract.' (4 vols. 4to, iii. 619, 1779). His other professional works are: De Variatione et Varietate Pulsus Observationes' (London and Paris, 1685); and 'Ars explorandi Medicas Facultates Plantarum ex solo Sapore' (London, 1685-8, 12mo). His 'Opuscula' were collected in 1687.

But it is as a metaphysician rather than as a physician that he lives, and ought to live. His Discourse of Wit' (1686)-wrongly assigned by some writers to Patrick Abercromby-has somehow fallen out of sight, but none the less is it a more than ordinarily noticeable book. It antedates the (so-called) Scottish School of Philosophy' a century nearly; for in it Dr. Thomas Reid's philosophy of common sense-since glorified by Sir William Hamilton-is distinctly taught. Of kin with it is the following: Academia Scientiarum, or the Academy of Sciences; being a Short and Easie Introduction to the Knowledge of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, with the names of those famous authors that have written on any particular Science. In English and Latine' (1687, 12mo). This is arranged alphabetically from Algebra to Rectiline Trigonometry, and is far ahead of its age. Equally weighty and characteristic is another treatise, 'A Moral Discourse of the Power of Interest; by David Abercromby, M.D. and Fellow of the Colledge of Physicians in Amsterdam' (London, 1690, 12mo). This is dedicated worthily to Boyle. Almighty interest'perhaps the prototype of the American' almighty dollar'-is here asserted to be 'the undoubted cause of all the Transactions of the Politick World.' The Discourse' is packed with capital stories and racy and sometimes severely sarcastic sayings.

Biographically, a little book of his, hitherto

power of election remained until 1832 in the hands of the self-elected council of thirtythree. On the accession of Canning to power in 1827, Abercromby was appointed judgeadvocate-general. In 1830 he became chief baron of the exchequer of Scotland, and when in 1832 the office was abolished, he received a pension of 2,000l. a year. A parliamentary career being again open to him, he was chosen along with Francis Jeffrey to represent Edinburgh in the first reformed parliament. As on various questions of privilege he had manifested a special knowledge of the forms of the house, his claims for the speakership were considered by his party in 1833, but Edward John Littleton, afterwards Baron Hatherton [q. v.], was ultimately chosen to oppose Manners Sutton, who was elected. In 1834 Abercromby entered the cabinet of Lord Grey as master of the mint, but the ministry became disunited on the Irish question. At the opening of the new parliament in 1835 the condition of the political atmosphere was in some respects so uncertain, that the choice of a speaker awakened exceptional interest as s touchstone of party strength; and amid much excitement Abercromby was chosen over Manners Sutton by 316 votes to 306. As speaker Abercromby acted with great impartiality, while he possessed sufficient decision to quell any serious tendency to disorder. His term of office was marked by the introduction of several important reforms in the management of private bills, tending to simplify the arrangements and minimise the opportunities for jobbery. In spite of failing health he retained office till May 1839. On retiring he was created Baron Dunfermline of Dunfermline in the county of Fife. He died at Colinton House, Midlothian, 17 April 1858.

Lord Dunfermline, after his retirement, continued to interest himself in public affairs connected with Edinburgh, and was one of the originators of the United Industrial School for the support and training of destitute children, with a provision for voluntary religious instruction in accordance with the beliefs of the parents. He wrote a life of his father, Sir Ralph Abercromby, which was published posthumously in 1861.

[Gent. Mag. 3rd series, iv. 547-551; Anrual Register, c. 403-5; Anderson, History of Edinburgh (1856); Journal of Lord Cockburn (1874); Memoirs of Lord Brougham, iii. 230231; Greville Memoirs, ii. 333, iii. 95, 201, 204, 213; Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th edit. i. 37.] T. F. H.

ABERCROMBY, JOHN (d. 1561 P), a Scotch monk of the order of St. Benedict,

was a staunch opponent of the doctrines of the Reformation, and on that account was condemned to death and executed about the year 1561. He was the author of Veritatis Defensio' and 'Hæreseos Confusio.' It does not appear that either of these works was printed. [Dempster, Hist. Eccl. Gentis Scotorum, i. 28; Tanner, Bibl. Britannico-Hibernica.] T. C. ABERCROMBY, SIR JOHN (17721817), general, was the second son of the famous Sir Ralph Abercromby, and the elder of the two sons who followed their father's profession. He entered the army in 1786 at the age of fourteen, as ensign in the 75th regiment, of which his uncle Robert was colonel. He became lieutenant in the same regiment in 1787, and captain in 1792, and first saw service as aide-de-camp to his father in the campaigns in Flanders in 1793 and 1794. His father's military reputation and dependence on his services caused him to rise rapidly. In May 1794 he became major in the 94th, and in July, when only twenty-two, lieutenant-colonel in the 112th regiment. In 1795 he exchanged into the 53rd, and accompanied his father to the West Indies in 1796 and 1797, to Ireland in 1798, and in the expedition to the Helder in 1799 as military secretary. This was a post of more than usual importance on the staff of Sir Ralph, who was extremely short-sighted, and had in action to depend entirely for his knowledge of what was happening on his personal staff. In this capacity young Abercromby particularly distinguished himself, and on more than one occasion, notably at the attack on Morne Fortunée in St. Lucia, the father owed much of his success to his son's power of explaining the military situation. He was promoted colonel on 1 Jan. 1800, and thus removed by his rank from his father's personal staff, but was appointed a deputyadjutant-general in the army under Sir Ralph in the Mediterranean, and attached to General Hutchinson's division. In Egypt he greatly distinguished himself, and was at least twice publicly thanked by General Hutchinson in general orders.

At the time of the rupture of the peace of Amiens in 1803, he unfortunately happened to be travelling in France, and with other travelling Englishmen was seized and imprisoned by Napoleon at Verdun. Nevertheless in his absence he was promoted majorgeneral in 1805, and made colonel of his old regiment, the 53rd, in 1807. He was at last exchanged for General Brennier, who had been taken prisoner by Sir A. Wellesley at the battle of Vimeiro in 1808, was allowed to return to England, and was appointed

commander-in-chief at Bombay in 1809. In this capacity he led the division from Bombay, which was to co-operate in the expedition sent by Lord Minto from India to capture the Mauritius. This island, which formed the base of the French fleet and of innumerable French

possessed the military abilities of his family, but had but little chance of showing them except as military secretary to his father, and in the easy conquest of the Mauritius.

[For General John Abercromby's services in early life see the memoir of his father; for his services in Egypt see Sir R. Wilson's Campaign in Egypt; and for the capture of the Mauritius see the despatches in the Annual Register and Gentleman's Magazine, the Asiatic Annual Re gister, and Lady Minto's Lord Minto in India.]

H. M. S.

privateers, caused immense damage to the Indiamen sailing between England and India, and Lord Minto had determined to subdue it. On his way the Ceylon, on which General Abercromby and his staff had embarked, was taken by the French frigate Venus, but on 18 Sept. was fortunately recaptured by Captain Rowley in the Boadicea. On ABERCROMBY, PATRICK (165622 Nov. he left the island of Rodriguez with 1716 ?), Scottish antiquary and historical the Madras and Bombay divisions, and was writer, was the third son of Alexander Aberjoined, when in sight of the Mauritius, by the cromby of Fetterneir in Aberdeenshire, a division from Bengal. He took command of branch of the house of Birkenbog in Banffthe whole force as senior general present, and shire, and which again was a migration from on 29 Nov. disembarked at an open road- Abercromby of Abercromby in Fifeshire. He stead, and advanced with 6,300 Europeans, was born at Forfar in 1656. Like David 2,000 sailors lent to him by Admiral Bertie, Abercromby he was born into a Roman and 3,000 Sepoys, upon Port Louis, the capi- catholic family, and accordingly would not tal of the island. On 30 Nov. he fought a attend the parish school, but was probably smart action, which showed the French educated first privately and then abroad (as general that resistance was impossible, and he himself seems to indicate in the preface on 2 Dec. Decaen surrendered the island. to his magnum opus). This probably exAbercromby returned to Bombay in 1811, plains his Roman catholicism and adhesion and continued to command the forces there to James II. He graduated at St. Andrew's till 1812, when he was appointed commander- University in 1685. It has been alleged that in-chief and temporary governor of Madras. he passed to the university of Paris, and This presidency had lately been disturbed there pursued his studies. His phrase of by the well-known mutiny of the Madras having spent most of his early years abroad officers, on account of which Sir George Bar- points rather to this having preceded his low had been recalled; but the quiet manner entry at St. Andrew's. On the completion and good nature of General Abercromby had of his professional course he is found pracas good an effect as similar qualities had had tising as a physician in Edinburgh, according during his uncle Sir Robert's command at to his biographers; his title-pages assure us Calcutta. In May 1813 Mr. Hugh Elliot that he was M.D.;' he probably therefore assumed the governorship, and in December gave himself to his professional duties with of the same year General Abercromby's all fidelity and success, although some conhealth was so much impaired by the climate fusion with David Abercromby has appathat he had to go home. On his return he rently led his biographers to emphasise diswas well received; he had been promoted proportionately his career as a doctor. When lieutenant-general in 1812, and was now in his brother Francis, eldest son of the family, 1815, on the extension of the order of the was created Lord Glassford (or Glasford) on Bath, made a K.C.B. In 1815 his brother his marriage with Anna, Baroness Sempill, George resigned the seat for Clackmannan in July 1685, Patrick was appointed physician to him, and in 1816 he was made a G.C.B.; to James II. But this post he naturally but his health was too bad for him to take vacated at the revolution. any prominent part in politics, and on 14 Feb. 1817, when on the continent for his health, he died at Marseilles, where he was buried with full military honours. Some French writers have asserted that he was in command of an escort which conducted Napoleon to St. Helena; but there does not seem to be any record of the presence of any troops or any general officer on board the Northumberland, except the ordinary complement of marines. Sir John seems to have

When, in the reign of Queen Anne, the project of the union between England and Scotland took shape and substance, he rushed into the fray. Two considerable pamphlets by him attest at once his capacity and zeal: Advantage of the Act of Security compared with those of the intended Union' (Edinburgh, 1707), and 'A Vindication of the Same against Mr. De Foe' (Edinburgh, 1707). The logic was with Defoe, but the sentiment-more powerful-was with Aber