E72)[Aug.

OBITUARY.

On Thurſday, Auguſt 1, at Hamilton Palace, his Grace Douglas Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton in Scotland, Duke of Brandon in England, and Duke of Chatelerault in France. His Grace was the firſt Peer of Scotland, iſſue of the late Duke of Hamilton, by the celebrated Miſs Gunning, afterwards Duchefs of Argyle. His father dying when he was very young, and his elder Brother in the year 1758, he ſucceeded to the title, being then only two years of age: after finiſhing his educa- tion, he entered into the army, but, as his noble fortune made the emo- luments of that profeſion little worth his notice,he only roſe to the rank of Captain. The Duke made the tour of Europe, under the care of the celebrated Dr. Moore, and ſoon after his return he married,(1778) Miſ Elizabeth Burrell, fiſter of the Ducheſs of Northumberland and Lord Gwydir. The Duke, while a minor, was by his Guardians one of the claimants for the Douglas eſtate, againſt the preſent Lord Dou- glas, then alſo a minor: this conteſt, well known by the appellation of the great Douglas cauſe, afforded ample ſcope for the exertion of the abilities of ome of the firſt lawyers of England and Scotland, and gave room for the riſe of ſeveral others, who may be faid to owe their fature promotions to the opportunity afforded them for a diſplay of theisr talents in this cauſe. It is, however, well known, that the Duke of Hamilton loſt the ſait. The Duke, however, recovered in his perſon the right claimed by his anceſtors, to a ſeat in the Houſe of Peers of Great Britain, which they had been deprived of ever fince their creation by Queen Anne, in 1711: the Dukedom of Brandon being beſtowed on aPeer ot Scotland, was held by the leaſe of lands of that age to be contrary to the articles of union; and both the Dukes of Brandon and Dover were deprived of their ſeats. This excluſion, although ſan&tioned by the opinion of the firſt lawyers of this century, has been, during Mr. Pitt's adminiſtration, conceived to be erroneous, and on an application to the Houſe the Duke was admitted to his ſeât; a deciſion highly pleaſing to the Peers of Scot- land, as ît has opened to theman eaſy acceſs to the Britiſh Senate, without the trouble of a canvaſs at Holy-rood-houſe. This young nobleman coming into life under the advantage of ſuch exalted rank, and ſo good a fortune, might have rendered eſſential ſervice- to his country; but frange totell, all theſe advantáges were negleêed,to ſhinein the charaler of one of the firſt Boxers of the age. Such a vitiated taſte naturally led him into low company, in which he contrated a habit of drinking, which in the end brought him to his grave, at the early age offorty-three. An attachment his Grace formed with a celebrated adreſs, and the dif- ſolute life he otherwiſe led, induced his Dutchefßs to ſue for 2 divorce, which ſhe obtained, and as he had no children by her, his ticle and the entailed eſtate, deſcend to his great uncle Lord Archibald Hamüton. “The Dake had the honour to be a Knight of the moſt ancient order of the Thiſtle, and was appointed keeper of the ancient Scots palace of Linlithgow, and keeper of Holy-rood-houſe; he was alío Lord Lieu- tenant of the county of Lanerk, and Colonel of a regiment of Fenci- bles lately raiſed.‘To his Graces credit, it muſt be ſaid, that in an age of diflipation and extravagance, he had the reſolution to keep his fortune, not only unencumbered, but in a ſtate of improvement. He had alſo the merit of procuring from a late Dake a ſolemn promiſe to redreſs the injured honour of his fiſter, the late Counteſs of Derby,