Erskine, who was afterwards raised to the Bench as Lord Kinnedder--a distinction which he did not survive for many months--was a good classic, a man of fine, or, as some of his companions thought, of almost superfine taste.

The style apparently for which he had credit must have been a somewhat mimini-pimini style, if we may judge by Scott's attempt in _The Bridal of Triermain_, to write in a manner which he intended to be attributed to his friend.

Erskine was left a widower in middle life, and Scott used to accuse him of philandering with pretty women,--- a mode of love-making which Scott certainly contrived to render into verse, in painting Arthur's love-making to Lucy in that poem.

It seems that some absolutely false accusation brought against Lord Kinnedder, of an intrigue with a lady with whom he had been thus philandering, broke poor Erskine's heart, during his first year as a Judge.

"The Counsellor (as Scott always called him) was," says Mr.Lockhart, "a little man of feeble make, who seemed unhappy when his pony got beyond a footpace, and had never, I should suppose, addicted himself to any out of door's sports whatever.