Jeffrey

Jeffrey, Francis (1773-1850), the Whig critic and reviewer, was a native of Edinburgh. He was educated at the High School there, and at Glasgow University. He was also for a short time at Queen's College, Oxford, but left it in disgust. On his return to Scotland he became a member of the celebrated Speculative Society, studied law, and was called to the Bar in 1794. His Whig principles prevented his obtaining much practice in Scotland,. and in 1798 he tried to obtain a literary opening in London. He then returned to Edinburgh, and in 1801 married. He had previously published essays, and he saw much literary society, being intimate with Sydney Smith, Brougham, and Horner. With their co-operation he in 1802 established the Edinburyh Review, of which he soon became sole editor. It was very successful. Scott contributed to it in its first years, but left it as it grew more decidedly Whig. Jeffrey had a share in the Cevallos article (No. 26), but, as a rule, wrote few political articles. He distrusted the Radical wing of the Whig party. In 1806 he had to meet Thomas Moore at Chalk Farm on account of an article in the Edinburgh reflecting on Moore's Epistles and Odes, but the combatants were arrested and bound over to keep the peace before anything had taken place. They were fast friends ever after. His personal popularity now gave Jeffrey a good practice, and he was an effective advocate. In 1812 he went to America, where he married as his second wife a relative of John Wilkes. He took a rather active part in politics during the following years, but in spite of this was elected in 1829 Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. The same year he retired from his editorialchair. In 1830 he was appointed Lord

Advocate and soon after entered Parliament. He carried through the Scottish Reform Bill, but he soon became tired of politics, and in 1834 became a judge (Lord) of the Court of Sessions. He criticised Wordsworth, Scott, Byron, Shelley, and Coleridge with great severity, but was never abusive. Four, volumes of his Contributions to the "Edinburgh Review" appeared between 1844 and 1853.