George Douglas, Eighth Duke of Argyll, KG, KT (1823–1900)

Abstract

THE last Duke of Argyll was unquestionably one of the most conspicuous and interesting men of his time. Inheritor of an ancient peerage, chief of a great Highland clan, head of an illustrious house that had played a prominent part in the history of. his country, possessor of wide estates and surrounded by a numerous and thriving tenantry, he had every advantage which worldly position and hereditary distinction could confer. That he owed much to these gifts of fortune he himself was well aware, and fitly acknowledged. Yet even without them his strong character and vigorous intellect would have assuredly made him a prominent figure in any walk of life that he might have chosen. It will be for ever recorded to his honour that he turned his social advantages to the highest uses. The most accomplished orator of his day in the House of Lords, he held successively various posts as Cabinet Minister, took an active share in the political life of the country, both inside and outside of Parliament, and gained the respect and esteem of all parties in the State. Possessing literary tastes, he became the personal friend of many of the best writers of his time, and having, as he says of himself, “an inborn tendency to write,” he showed by the vigour and elegance of his style that he had solid claims to literary eminence. From early youth he was an attentive observer of nature, so that he was led to follow with the keenest interest the developrnents of modern science, and having ample self-confidence he did not hesitate to take part in the scientific discussions of his day. Whether on public platforms, in periodical literature, or in separate volumes, his tongue and his pen were always busy, either in trenchantly denouncing assertions which he believed to be erroneous or in standing up stoutly for opinions and interests which he felt sure were just and true. But he was ever the high-bred gentleman, who, though a keen controversialist, did not lose sight of the dignity of his order.

George Douglas, Eighth Duke of Argyll, K.G., K.T. (1823–1900).

Autobiography and Memoirs. Edited by the Dowager Duchess of Argyll. Vol. i., pp. xi + 602; Vol. ii., pp. vii + 635. (London: John Murray, 1906.) Price 36s. net.