tempt. But there, his proficiency in Latin was not approved; he was declared incom petent, and in consequence remanded to his studies under his schoolmaster Mr Fiddes, of whom nothing has been handed down to us but his name. It is not probable that he was a man of the brightest intellectual powers; for if those qualities, which afterwards made Mr Adam so conspicuous, had begun to appear, it seems probable that they would have been seconded by such cultivation on the master's part, as to have brought off the pupil with suc cess at his first acadèmical contention. But his misfortune, and the influence which it evidently appears to have had on his future exertions, serve to inculcate industry upon the young student, and to shew, that, though present success be small, much may be effected by fixed determination. At this point, it is likely that Mr Adam first entered the combat in which he so signally prevailed; and here, perhaps, was elicited that vital spark

which lighted him to future fame. Adverse events make a favourable impression on some minds, by superinducing that firmness and perseverance which often rear the fair fabric of fame and fortune. Had young Mr Adam been composed of those materials which are apt to be deranged by every discouraging circumstance, he might, at the period to which we refer, have relinquished his expectations of success in the learned professions, and continued for the rest of his days in oblivion.

After a season spent in renewing his former exercises, he was encouraged to go to Edinburgh, about the beginning of the year 1758, by the representations and advice of the Rev. Mr Watson, then minister of Canongate parish, and a relation of Mrs Adam. His studies were continued with unremitting vigour, and his finances were so straitened, that, in his anxiety to go forward to the grand object of his career, he even abridged his portion of the necessaries of life. He entered the lo

gic class in the university of Edinburgh on the 4th November 1758, and about the same time began to assist young Mr Maconochie,* in that capacity which is commonly styled a private teacher. For his services, he received only one guinea in three months; yet, as he had no other method of raising a sixpence, he contrived to subsist upon this sum, and in a manner which will now appear incredible. He lodged in a small room at Restalrig, in the north-eastern suburbs; and for this accommodation he paid fourpence per week. All his meals, except dinner, uniformly consisted of oatmeal made into porridge, together with small-beer, of which he only allowed himself half-a-bottle at a time. When he wished to dine, he purchased a penny-loaf at the nearest baker's shop; and, if the day was fair, he would despatch his meal in a walk to the Meadows, or Hope Park, which is adjoin

*Now a Lord of Session, by the title of Lord Meadowbank.

ing to the southern part of the city; but, if the weather was foul, he had recourse to some long and lonely stair, which he would climb, eating his dinner at every step. By this means all expense for cookery was avoided, and he wasted neither coals nor candles; for, when he was chill, he used to run till his blood began to glow, and his evening studies were always prosecuted under the roof of some one or other of his companions. These anecdotes of Mr Adam's college life were communicated to the authour by Mr Luke Fraser, late one of the masters of the High School, who was at the logic class with Mr Adam, and Mr Blair of Avontown, now President of the Court of Session. The youths of Scotland have hitherto been remarkable for parsimony and perseverance; but no man was ever more completely under the influence of a virtuous emulation than Mr Adam. The particulars of his conduct which are here related, have not been exaggerated in any man

C

ner; for he frequently told the same story to his pupils. At a convivial meeting between Mr Adam and Mr Fraser, the latter, who was very sceptical as to Mr Adam's parsimony, took the trouble of bringing together upon paper the various items of his friend's expenditure, and actually found that in six months it did not amount to two guineas.

In 1760, an association of young men, chiefly composed of persons attending the university, was formed, under the title of The

Newtonian Society. Of this association Mr Adam appears for some time to have been the secretary. This fact was discovered, and obligingly communicated to the writer of this memoir, by Mr Kerr of Aytoun. That gentleman's information was derived from a document among the papers which were put into his hands for a biographical account of the late Mr William Smellie; and, from the same authority, it appears that a book, in which the proceedings of the Newtonian So