Summary Characterization of Kames the Man

Abstract

If now we may draw together into a more unified picture than was possible in our piecemeal presentation thus far, our impressions of Kames the man and his varied interests and activities, and round them out with the views taken of him by a number of his contemporaries who knew him best, a remarkable picture, no less impressive, perhaps, than the portrait of him by the painter Martin reproduced as a frontispiece to this volume, emerges. A summary interpretation and evaluation of his historical role will be attempted in a final chapter in Part II of this study.

A biographer ought not to record every idle word that drops from a worthy man in his unguarded moments; and still less should specks and petty shortcomings be magnified or highly coloured... The moral painter whose portraits do not contain a happy mixture of lights and shades, discovers little acquaintance with nature or art. (Ramsay)