well-written treatise, and was at the time a conclusive criticism on the forged charters. The work was so acceptable to his country that the Scottish parliament granted him a reward, and ordered thanks to him to be delivered by the lord chancellor in presence of her majesty's high commissioner and the estates. This was done, and at the same time parliament ordered Atwood's book to be burnt at Edinburgh by the hands of the common hangman.
The assurances of support which Anderson received on this occasion tempted him to relinquish his profession, and to embark on his great undertaking—the collection of facsimiles of Scottish charters and other muniments. It appears that before the union he had received a grant of 300l. In the last Scottish parliament held at Edinburgh his claims were brought forward by a committee who reported, on 12 Feb. 1707, that they 'do presume to give it as their humble opinion that the said Mr. James Anderson has made as great advance in the said matter as the time and difficulty in the performance could permit, and that his learned industry in a matter so useful, undertaken on the reccommendation of parliament, deserves further encouragement to enable him to support the charge, and carry on the design uniformly, and with that beauty of execution which will be expected in a work begun by so great authority.' It was found that besides the 300l. voted to him he had spent 590l. in his project. The parliament recommended to the queen the repayment of this sum, and the advance of a thousand guineas to Anderson; and 'in consideration of his good services to his country, and of the loss he suffers by the interruption of his employment in prosecuting the said work, do further recommend him to her majesty as a person meriting her gracious favour in conferring any office of trust upon him.' Mr. John Hill Burton has observed that it was a favourite practice of the Scottish parliament to vote sums of money to public benefactors, leaving them to collect the money as they best could. In Anderson's case, however, there was not even a vote, because the Scottish parliament had met only to cease for ever, and he merely obtained a recommendation to the parliament of Great Britain, by which assembly his peculiar claims were not very likely to be recognised.
Soon after the union Anderson removed to London, where for many years he led a most unhappy life, his time being divided between the labours of completing his project and a series of unsuccessful attempts to get his claims attended to by government. George Lockhart of Camwath, in his 'Commentarys,' gives the following curious illustration of Anderson's disappointments:—
'This gentleman, by his application to the subject of antiquities, having neglected his other affairs, and having, in search after antient records, come to London, allmost all the Scots nobility and gentry of note recommended him as a person that highlie deserved to have some beneficiall post bestowed upon him; nay, the queen herself (to whom he had been introduced, and who took great pleasure in viewing the fine seals and charters of the antient records he had collected) told my Lord Oxford she desird something might be done for him; to all which his lordships usuall answer was that ther was no need of pressing him to take care of that gentleman, for he was thee man he designd, out of regard to his great knowledge, to distinguish in a particular manner. Mr. Anderson being thus putt off from time to time for fourteen or fifteen months, his lordship at length told him that no doubt he had heard that in his fine library he had a collection of the pictures of the learned, both antient and modern, and as he knew none who better deserved a place there than Mr. Anderson, he desired the favour of his picture. As Mr. Anderson took this for a high mark of the treasurer's esteem, and a sure presage of his future favour, away he went and got his picture drawn by one of the best hands in London, which being presented was graciouslie received (and perhaps got its place in the library): but nothing more appeard of his lordships favour to this gentleman, who having hung on and depended for a long time, at length gave himself no furder trouble in trusting to or expecting any favour from him; from whence, when any one was asked what place such or such a person was to get, the common reply was, "A place in the treasurer's library." '
Matrimonial troubles augmented the difficulties of Anderson's position; for it appears that he left behind him in Scotland a second wife, who was illiterate and ill-tempered, and who had charge of the children of a previous marriage, of whom she gives a very bad report in her letters to their father.
In 1715 he received the appointment of postmaster-general for Scotland, but he only retained it for a year and a half, though he continued to draw the salary of that office—200l. a year—in the form of a pension. In a memorandum dated 1723 he states that of his outlay before the union 140l. was still uncompensated; and crediting the government with 1,500l. (200l. a year for seven
