te; the house, in
which he had embarked his fortune, shared in the general commercial
disasters of 1815, and was involved in complete bankruptcy. Reduced to a
condition of dependance, Balfour accepted the situation of manager of a
manufacturing establishment at Balgonie, in Fife. In 1818, he resigned
this appointment; and proceeding to Edinburgh, was employed as a clerk
in the establishment of Mr Blackwood, the eminent publisher. The close
confinement of the counting-house, and the revolution of his fortunes,
which pressed heavily upon his mind, were too powerful for his
constitution. Symptoms of paralysis began to appear, shortly after his
removal to the capital; and in October 1819, he was so entirely
prostrated, as to require the use of a wheeled chair. His future career
was that of a man of letters. During the interval which elapsed between
his commercial reverses and the period of his physical debility, he
prepared a novel, which he had early projected, depicting the trials and
sufferings of an unbeneficed preacher. This work appeared in 1819, under
the title of "Campbell, or the Scottish Probationer," in three volumes;
and though published anonymously, soon led to the discovery and
reputation of the author. Towards the close of the same year, he edited
the poetical works of his late friend, Richard Gall, to which he
supplied an elegant biographical preface. His next separate publication
was "The Farmer's Three Daughters," a novel in three volumes. In 1820,
he published "Contemplation," with other poems, in one volume octavo;
which, favourably received by the press, also added considerably to his
fame. A third novel from his pen, entitled, "The Smuggler's Cave; or,
The Foundling of Glenthorn," appeared in 1823 from the unpropitious
Minerva press; it consequently failed to excite much attention. To the
_Scots Magazine_ he had long been a contributor; and, on the
establishment of _Constable's Edinburgh Magazine_ in its stead, his
assistance was secured by Mr Thomas Pringle, the original editor. His
articles, contributed to this periodical during the nine years of its
existence, contain matter sufficient to fill three octavo volumes: they
are on every variety of theme, but especially the manners of Scottish
rural life, which he has depicted with singular power. Of his numerous
contributions in verse, a series entitled, "Characters omitted in
Crabbe's Parish Register," was published separately in 1825; and this
producti