THE ORIGIN OF THE DISTINCTION OF RANKS: OR, AN INQUIRY INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH GIVE RISE TO INFLUENCE AND AUTHORITY, IN THE DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. BY JOHN MILLAR, ESQ. PROFESSOR OF LAW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. THE FOURTH EDITION, COrrected. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS BY JOHN CRAIG, ESQ. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, SOUTH-BRIDGE STREET; AND LONGMAN, HURST, REES, & ORME, PATERNOSTER-ROW, LONDON. ΤΟ JOHN YOUNG, ESQUIRE, PROFESSOR OF GREEK IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. MY DEAR SIR, IN presenting you with a Memoir on the Life of our late excellent Friend, Mr Millar, I submit it to the person who, from long and familiar intercourse with him, will most readily perceive any misconceptions of his real character, or inaccuracies in the representation of his opinions, I am fully aware of the difficulty of delineating a character such as Mr Millar's, and I am not insensible of the danger of failing in a species of composition in which some late writings have accustomed the Public to the union, in an uncom mon degree, of Philosophy and Taste; but I could not be deterred by any selfish regard to my own reputation, from making that attempt, for which, in the opinion of our mutual friends, my intimacy with Mr Millar, begun by our near connection, and continued by his kind indulgence, had afforded me peculiar advantages. I am, with the greatest regard, MY DEAR SIR, Your most obedient Servant, JOHN CRAIG. GLASGOW, February, 1806. |