ollowed them and the nation ever since."

Like most of the noble families in Scotland, the house of Balmerino
became impoverished during the civil wars; and when the father of Arthur
Elphinstone succeeded to his title, he found his estates wofully
diminished. He was, however, one of those men who were capable, by
ability and prudence, of redeeming the fortunes of his family.
Circumstances were, indeed, adverse to the prosperity of any whose
loyalty to the Stuarts was suspected. Lord Balmerino was prudent, but he
was sincere. He was "a man of excellent parts, improved by reading,
being, perhaps, one of the very best lawyers in the kingdom, and very
expert in the Scottish constitution; he reasoned much and pertinently in
Parliament, and testifying, on all occasions, an unshaken loyalty to his
Prince, and zealous affection to his country, he gained the esteem and
love of all good men."

Such was the father, of whom this noble character was drawn, to whom
Arthur, Lord Balmerino, owed his being. Such was the man whom it would
have been the wiser policy of the British Ministry to have conciliated,
on the accession of George the First, but whose son they drove into an
act of imprudence by their distrust and injustice.

The first wife of John, fourth Lord Balmerino, was the daughter of Hugh,
Earl of Eglintoun, and, consequently, she was connected with some of the
most strenuous supporters of the Stuart cause in the kingdom of
Scotland. By her he had two sons, Hugh, who was killed in 1708, at the
siege of Lisle, and James, who was educated to the profession of the
law. Upon the death of this lady, Lord Balmerino married Anne, daughter
of Ross, the last Archbishop of St. Andrews, and by her had two sons:
Arthur, who became eventually Lord Balmerino, and Alexander, who died in
1733, unmarried; and a daughter, Anne, who died also unmarried. The
subject of this memoir may, therefore, be deemed the last of the House
of Balmerino.[349]

Arthur Elphinstone was born in the year 1688. He had, until late in
life, no expectation of succeeding to the title of his father after the
death of Hugh, there being still an elder brother, James. The
characteristics of all this branch of the Elphinstone family appear
almost invariably to have been those of honour and justice, and James
resembled his father in the integrity of his principles. The following
character is drawn of him by a contemporary writer: "He was rather a
solid pleader than a re