Engraving by William Home Lizars, 1819. Courtesy The Walter Scott Digital Archive, Edinburgh University Library.
Henry Mackenzie, 1745-1831, was a novelist, playwright, poet and essayist, and is now identified with his most popular novel, The Man of Feeling (1771). In his time, however, Mackenzie became a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment through his own work and through his promotion of the careers of younger writers such as Burns and Scott.
Mackenzie was born August 6th, 1745. His father was a successful Edinburgh doctor, and his mother was from an important Highland family. After attending Edinburgh High School, Mackenzie studied law at Edinburgh University, and in 1765, he was appointed Clerk of the Exchequer of Scotland. He then went to London for three years to study exchequer law....
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Citation: Owen, Jim. "Henry Mackenzie". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 December 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2858, accessed 08 December 2025.]
