I. William, A Scottish Author

A Scottish Author William, born in Edinburgh, Oct. 12, 1711, died Sept. 12, 1792. He was a writer to the signet, but his reputation rests chiefly upon his " Historical and Critical Enquiry into the Evidence produced by the Lords of Murray and Morton against Mary Queen of Scots" (Edinburgh, 1760; enlarged ed., 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1790); and he edited the " Poetical Remains of James I." (Edinburgh, 1783).

II. Alexander Fraser

Alexander Fraser, a Scottish jurist, son of the preceding, born in Edinburgh, Oct. 15, 1747, died there, Jan. 5, 1813. He was called to the bar in 1770, and became professor of universal history in the university of Edinburgh in 1786, judge advocate of Scotland in 1790, and judge of the court of session, with the title of Lord Woodhouselee, in 1802. He published a "Supplement to Lord Karnes's Dictionary of Decisions to 1778" (Edinburgh, 1778; 2d ed., to 1796, 1797); " Plans and Outlines of a Course of Lectures on Universal History, Ancient and Modern" (1782); "Essay on the Principles of Translation" (1791); "England Profiting by Example " (1799); " Essay on the Military Law and the Practice of Courts Martial" (1800); "Elements of General History" (1801); "Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Henry Home of Karnes" (2 vols. 4to, 1807); and "Historical and Critical Essay on the Life and Writings of Petrarch " (1810). His lectures were posthumously published under the title " Universal History, from the Creation of the World to the Beginning of the Eighteenth Century " (6 vols. 18mo, London, 1834-'5).

III. Patrick Fraser

Patrick Fraser, a Scottish author, son of the preceding, born in Edinburgh, Aug. 30,1791, died in Malvern, England, Dec. 24,1849. He was admitted to the faculty of advocates in 1813, and after practising law for several years devoted himself to literature. In 1844 he received a government pension of £200 a year for literary services. He published "Life of James Crichton of Cluny, commonly called the Admirable Crichton" (Edinburgh, 1819); "Life and Writings of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton " (1823); "Life of John Wicklyff" (1826); "History of Scotland, 1149-1603" (9 vols., 1828-'43); " Lives of Scottish Worthies " (3 vols., 1831'3); " Historical View of the Progress of Discovery on the more Northern Coasts of America" (1832); "Life of Sir Walter Raleigh" (1833); "Life of King Henry VIII." (1837); and " England under the Reigns of Edward VI. and Mary, with the Contemporary History of Europe " (2 vols., 1839).