Gilfillan, George

Gilfillan, George a minister of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, was born in Scotland, January 30, 1813. He was educated at the Glasgow College and at the United Secession Hall His first call was to a congregation at Schoolwynd, Dundee, where he continued his pastoral labors until his death, Aug. 13, 1878. In 1842 he began to write sketches of the principal characters of the day, for newspapers, and they were afterwards printed in book form under the title of The Gallery of Literary Portraits. This was followed by two other series of the same character. In 1850 he published The Bards of the Bible, which has been severely criticised for its grandiloquent style. He edited an edition of Bryant's Poems, and among his other works are, The Book of British Poets, Ancient and Modern and The Martyrs, Heroes, and Bards of the Scotch Covenant, He also published, The Grand Discovery: — History of a Man: — Christianity and our Aera: — A Discourse on Hades: — and Five Discourses on the Abase of Talent. He finally edited a splendid library edition of the Popular Poets of Britain, with notes. (W.P.S.)