"our fellow citizen, Mr Creech, the late Lord Pro"vost, a gentleman for nearly half a century so well "known to almost every family in this city. Mr Creech "was well fitted to adorn society. With a mind highly

gifted and improved, he possessed the most pleasing "manners, and that habitual cheerfulness and playful"ness of fancy which rendered his company so fasci"nating. He was an excellent and an elegant scholar; "and although, from the extent of his business as one "of the most eminent booksellers of his day, and his

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many social engagements, he had little leisure to di"rect his mind to any deliberate literary work, yet "the frequent light pieces and essays which came from "his pen, evinced the elegance of his taste, his know"ledge of character, and his capability of a higher "attainment in composition, had he chosen to aim "at it. Several of these essays, we believe, were af"terwards collected into a small volume, entitled, "Edinburgh Fugitive Pieces.' Mr Creech was one "of the original founders of the Speculative Society of "Edinburgh.

"It has perhaps fallen to the lot of few men to have "enjoyed more than Mr Creech did, the correspon"dence and confidence of most of the great literary "characters who flourished in Scotland from about the "middle to the end of the last century. With Lord "Kames, Dr Robertson, Dr Blair, Dr George Camp"bell, Dr Adam Smith, Lord Hailes, Lord Wood"houselee, Dr Beattie, and many other illustrious au"thors, he was in the habits of constant intimacy ;-and "of many other eminent men of the same class, whom

66 we still have the happiness to retain among us, Pro❝fessor Dugald Stewart, Mr Mackenzie, Lord Mea"dowbank, Dr Gregory, &c. he possessed till his death "the warmest friendship and esteem.

"Mr Creech was the son of a most respectable clergy66 man, the minister of Newbattle. After a very com"plete classical education, he was, in early life, at differ❝ent times on the Continent, and succeeded, in the year "1771, to that part of the business of his friend and

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patron, Mr Kincaid, at that time his Majesty's printer "for Scotland, which was not connected with the patent "of King's printer. He continued in this business "for the long period of forty-four years, and was con"cerned in all the principal publications during that

❝ time.

"He was frequently in the magistracy of this city, "and was solicited, in the year 1811, to accept the of "fice of Lord Provost, which, we believe, he did with "reluctance, and against the advice of his private friends, "as, both from his habits and advanced time of life, "he felt himself then unsuited for so public a situation. "But he yielded to the wishes of his friends in the "Town-Council.

"About a year ago, Mr Creech was seized with an "illness, which gradually increased, and has at last prov"ed fatal. In losing him, the city has certainly lost onė "of its ornaments. But it was not in public so much "as in private life that he shone chiefly conspicuous. "His conversational talents, whether the subject was 66 gay, or serious, or learned; his universal good-hu"mour and pleasantry; and his unrivalled talent in

"describing to a social party the peculiarities of eccen❝tric character, will be long remembered by the nu"merous circles to whom his many pleasing qualities so "much endeared him, and who now so sincerely regret "that he is lost to them for ever."

EDINBURGH FUGITIVE PIECES.

In the month of March 1782, the ministry, who had long held the reins of government, were forced to give up the direction of state affairs to a powerful opposition. Want of success, in such a constitution as the British, will always occasion discontents, and a change of men will be held as the best means of insuring more fortunate

measures.

Lord North, who was appointed prime minister in February 1770, and had stood the storm of opposition for twelve years, was forced to retire from his station, thanking the House of Commons for the honourable support they had given him during so long a period, and in so many trying situations. He expressed his grateful sense of their partiality and forbearance on many occasions. A successor (he said) of greater abili

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