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MILLAR, JOHN, professor of
law in the university of Glasgow, and author of the Historical View of the
English Government, was born on the 22nd of June, 1735, in the parish of
Shotts, of which his father, the Rev. Mr James Millar, was minister.
Two years after his birth, his father was translated to Hamilton, and he was
himself placed under the charge of his uncle, Mr John Millar of Milhaugh, in
the neighbouring parish of Blantyre, where he spent almost all his early
years. Having been taught to read by his uncle, he was placed in 1742, at
the school of Hamilton, in order to be instructed in Latin and Greek. In
1746, being designed for the church, he went to Glasgow college, where he
distinguished himself as an attentive and intelligent student. He had the
advantage of the society of Dr Cullen, (then professor of chemistry at
Glasgow,) to whose wife he was related, and of the acquaintance of other
persons distinguished by their intelligence. He was particularly fortunate
in obtaining the friendship of Dr Adam Smith, whose lectures and
conversation first directed his attention to the particular line of research
in which he afterwards became so eminent. As his mind expanded, he found
that the clerical profession was not agreeable to his tastes or faculties,
and he accordingly adopted the resolution of studying for the Scottish bar.
About the time when his college studies were finished, he became preceptor
to the eldest son of lord Kames, in whose society he spent two years, during
which he formed an intimacy with David Hume and other eminent persons. "It
seldom happens," says the Edinburgh Review, "that we can trace the genealogy
of a literary progeny so correctly as the two circumstances which have now
been mentioned, enable us to do that of Mr Millar’s future studies. It is
perfectly evident to all who are acquainted with their writings, that his
speculations are all formed upon the model of those of lord Kames and Dr
Smith; and that his merit consists almost entirely in the accuracy with
which he surveyed, and the sagacity with which he pursued, the path which
they had the merit of discovering. It was one great object of those original
authors to trace back the history of society to its most simple and
universal elements; to resolve almost all that has been ascribed to positive
institution, to the spontaneous and irresistible development of certain
obvious principles,—and to show with how little contrivance or political
wisdom the most complicated and apparently artificial schemes of policy
might have been erected. This is very nearly the precise definition of that
Mr Millar aimed at accomplishing in his lectures and his publications; and
when we find that he attended the lectures of Dr Smith, and lived in the
family of lord Kames, we cannot hesitate to ascribe the bent of his genius,
and the peculiar tenor of his speculations, to the impressions he must have
received from those early occurrences."
Mr Millar was called to the
bar in 1760, and was soon looked upon as one of the individuals likely to
rise to eminence in his profession; but having married at this early stage
of his career, and finding it improbable that his labours at the bar would
for some years be adequate to his support, he was tempted by an opportune
vacancy in the chair of civil law in Glasgow college, to apply for that
comparatively obscure situation. Having been successful in his object,
(1761,) he applied himself with all the ardour of an uncommonly active and
sanguine temperament, to the improvement of the class. Heretofore the
professorship of civil law at Glasgow had been in a great measure useless to
the community. The students were seldom more than four in number, and
sometimes even less. The late professor, however, had broken through the
established usage of lecturing in Latin, and Mr Millar not only persevered
in the same popular course, but adopted other means calculated to attract a
larger audience. Instead of writing his lectures—a practice which generally
induces the professor to adhere to one train of ideas, and resist the
introduction of all progressive improvements, he delivered them extempore,
and thus not only took a prompt advantage of every new view that arose in
the progress of his science, but enabled himself to introduce familiar and
lively illustrations, which were calculated to excite and keep alive the
attention of his students to an uncommon degree. Discarding the old
academical pomp, he reduced himself to a level with his hearers; he talked
to them, and carefully observed that they understood all that he said, and
acceded to all his propositions. "His manner," says the Edinburgh Review,
"was familiar and animated, approaching more nearly to gaiety than
enthusiasm; and the facts which he had to state, or the elementary positions
he had to lay down, were given in the simple, clear, and unembarrassed
diction in which a well-bred man would tell a story or deliver an opinion in
society. All objections that occurred, were stated in a forcible, clear, and
lively manner; and the answers, which were often thrown into a kind of
dramatic form, were delivered with all the simplicity, vivacity, and easy
phraseology of good conversation. His illustrations were always familiar,
and often amusing; and while nothing could be more forcible or conclusive
than the reasonings which he employed, the tone and style in which they were
delivered gave them an easy and attractive air, and imparted, to a profound
and learned discussion, the charms of an animated and interesting
conversation. No individual, indeed, ever did more to break down the old and
unfortunate distinction between the wisdom of the academician and the wisdom
of the man of the world: and as most of the topics which fell under his
discussion were of a kind that did not lose their interest beyond the
walls of a college, so the views which he took of them, and the language in
which they were conveyed, were completely adapted to the actual condition of
society; and prepared those to whom they had been made familiar, to maintain
and express them with precision, without running the least risk of an
imputation of pedantry or ignorance.
"It will be admitted to have
required no ordinary share of intrepidity and confidence in the substantial
merits of his instructions, to have enabled a professor thus to lay aside
the shield of academical stateliness, and not only expose his thoughts in
the undress of extemporaneous expression, but to exhibit them, without any
of the advantages of imposing or authoritative pretences, on the fair level
of equal discussion, and with no other recommendations but those of superior
expediency or reason." He carried his system, however, even to a more
hazardous extreme: at the conclusion of every lecture, he invited his
students to gather around him, and in easy conversation to discuss the
principles he had been expounding. It has been justly remarked, that no
teacher who did not possess an unusually minute and extensive knowledge of
his subject could have ventured upon such a practice; which, however, in his
case, was attended with the best effects upon his pupils. Such, altogether,
was the success which attended his prelections, that the class was speedily
increased to about forty, and the professor in the Edinburgh college, after
seeing his students proportionally diminished, was obliged to abandon the
practice of lecturing in Latin, in which he had persevered till Mr Millar’s
reputation as an effective lecturer was completely established.
During the whole time of his
connexion with Glasgow college, Mr Millar was a zealous and active member of
the Literary Society, a club chiefly formed of the professors, and whose
practice it was to meet weekly, and, after hearing an essay read by some
member in rotation, to discuss the views which it advanced. The tenor of Mr
Millar’s life was little marked by events. He spent his time between the
college and a small farm called Whitemoss (near Kilbride,) which he took
great pleasure in improving. Excepting, indeed, two visits to the metropolis
in 1774 and 1792, and the publication of his two books, there is hardly any
incident to which we find our notice particularly called.
Amongst his lectures on
jurisprudence, those which referred to the subject of government were
remarked to possess an unusual interest. In these he delivered a theoretical
history of the progress of society, through the various stages of savage,
pastoral, agricultural, and commercial life; with a view of the institutions
and changes which would naturally be suggested in their political and
domestic habits by their successive transformation; illustrating his remarks
by an historical review of all the ancient governments, and more
particularly by that of Great Britain. The interest which he found they
excited, induced him, in 1771, to publish a short treatise on the subject,
which was favourably received. Even to cursory readers, it was calculated to
afford amusement, by the various views of human nature which it exhibited,
and by the singularity of many of the traits of manners, as well as of
national characters and institutions, which it traced to their sources. Some
years afterwards, Mr Millar was induced, by the prevalence of what he
conceived to be erroneous ideas respecting the origin of the English
government, to expand his views on that subject, with a view to publication.
After a careful preparation, he published, in 1787, his Historical View of
the English Government, from the Settlement of the Saxons in Britain, to the
Accession of the House of Stewart. By subsequent labour Mr Millar intended
to bring down the history to his own time, but he only completed it to the
Revolution, and a new and posthumous edition in 1803, in four volumes 8vo,
comprised that period. As a writer, Mr Millar retained little of that
vivacity and fertility of illustration, which gave such a charm to his
extemporaneous lectures. The style of his compositions is nevertheless
forcible and distinct. His Historical View, containing much inquiry into the
remote periods of our government, and many which it requires some effort of
attention fully to understand, could not be of a very popular nature; but it
has been justly appreciated by those who were fitted by their habits
and previous studies to take an interest in such researches; and,
considering the nature of the subjects of which it treats, its having gone
through three editions is no slight proof of public approbation.
"The distinguishing feature
of Mr Millar’s intellect," says the Edinburgh Review, "was, the great
clearness and accuracy of his apprehension, and the singular sagacity with
which he seized upon the true statement of a question, and disentangled the
point in dispute from the mass of sophisticated argument in which it was
frequently involved. His great delight was to simplify an intricate
question, and to reduce a perplexed and elaborate system of argument to a
few plain problems of common sense. * * To form a sound judgment upon all
points of substantial importance, appeared to him to require little more
than the free and independent use of that vulgar sense on which no man is
entitled to value himself; and he was apt to look with sufficient contempt
upon the elaborate and ingenious errors into which philosophers are so apt
to reason themselves. To bring down the dignity of such false science, and
to expose the emptiness of ostentatious and pedantic reasoners, was
therefore one of his favourite employments. He had, indeed, no prejudices of
veneration in his nature; his respect was reserved for those who had either
made discoveries of practical ability, or combined into a system the
scattered truths of speculation." For the remainder of a very elaborate
estimate of the genius of professor Millar, we must refer those who take an
unusual interest in the subject, to the Review itself. We may only mention,
what every one will have anticipated from the preceding extract, that Mr
Millar was of whig politics, bordering on republicanism, and that his
sentiments had considerable influence with his pupils, some of whom, as lord
Jeffrey, lord chief commissioner Adam, of the Jury court, and the earl of
Lauderdale, were distinguished on that side of the great political question
which so long divided public opinion in this country.
In his private character, Mr
Millar was extremely amiable. His conversation was cheerful, unaffected, and
uncommonly agreeable. His countenance was very animated and expressive; his
stature about the middle size; his person strong, active, and athletic,
rather than elegant. Though devoted chiefly to metaphysical inquiries, he
was extensively acquainted with the natural sciences, with history, with the
belles lettres, and, indeed, almost all branches of human learning. He
retained good health till the end of the year 1790, when he was seized with
a very dangerous inflammatory complaint, from which he recovered to a
certain extent; but a year and a half after, having exposed himself to cold,
he was seized with pleurisy, by which he was carried off, May 30, 1801.
Professor Millar left four sons and six daughters. A full memoir of his life
was written by his nephew, Mr John Craig, and prefixed to a fourth edition
of his Origin of the Distinction of Ranks, published in 1808. |
