ciety were recorded, was in the possession of Dr Adam. Upon applying to the doctor's family, the authour has been informed, in reply to his importunities, that " many papers and letters of the doctor's are still in existence, but none of them can be of any service with respect to a memoir of his life.” The authour does not presume to contradict any statement proceeding from those who ought to be expected to have so much at heart the reputation of their deceased relative. He must, however, simply express his surprise, that athong a mass of papers relative to the concerns of a man who lived so long as Dr Adam, and who was so usefully employed, there should be nothing which could be introduced with propriety in this place.

Mr Adam was employed for a short while as an under teacher in George Watson's Hospital, and in 1761 was elected master, after a comparative trial of skill. In this situation he is said to have remained for three years;

and, besides discharging the duties of his office, he was anxiously engaged in cultivating an intimate acquaintance with the classics. Such unwearied research must have largely contributed to form the ground-work of that erudition which was afterwards so skilfully employed. As a proof how ardently he embraced every opportunity of adding to his knowledge of ancient lore while he resided in Watson's Hospital, it has been stated that he read the entire histories of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon, as well as all the works of Cicero and Livy. Nor did he peruse those models of excellence in a superficial manner. In his progress, he regularly took such notes as led to point out the most efficient method of obtaining a critical acquaintance with these writers.

He used to relate that the first auction of books at which he attended, soon after he came to Edinburgh, was that in which the library of the celebrated Ruddiman was

sold. Here he purchased several volumes; upon the possession of which, as well as of others which fell in his way many years afterwards, he used to congratulate himself, from the circumstance of their containing various annotations in the handwriting of their former possessor. He informed the writer of these memoirs, that he had in his library a manuscript copy of Ruddiman's grammar, translated into French by "Jacques Porte, Ministre du St Evangile, et Regent au College du Geneve." This manuscript had been executed, with much neatness, under the eye of the translator, and was transmitted by him to the original authour, together with a Latin letter.

In 1764 Mr Adam taught for three months the class of Mr Farquhar, one of the masters of the High School, who was at that time in a bad state of health. Mr Robert Dundas of Arniston, now Lord Chief Baron of Scotland, was then one of Mr Farquhar's pupils. Mr

Matheson, who was Rector, fell ill in the same year; and in a short time, no less than six young men attempted, as assistants, to fill his place. Mr Robertson, afterwards minister of Selkirk, was one of these; Mr Baillie, who latterly became a minister of the Relief persuasion, was another; and Dr Panton, who was at a later period a clergyman of the church of England, was the third. Mr Panton was bound to teach for six months; but, upon trial, he found himself inadequate to the management, and literally ran off, leaving a card behind him, expressing that he could not have persevered in his charge, even for the whole emoluments of the school. The truth was, that the boys in the rector's class were almost all grown up; and, having become extremely restless, they were quite unmanageable by any person to whom they had not been previously accustomed. When Mr Matheson first assumed the charge of his class, it consisted of only 17 boys; and, when the

day of examination came, the number amounted to no more than 18. Upon the 20th of November 1765, when Mr Fraser had begun to teach the same class, it increased to 64.

Having become preceptor to the son of Mr Kincaid, late Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Mr Adam resigned his situation in Heriot's Hospital. At this time, it has been asserted, his views of advancement in life were directed to the church, and that he was on the eve of being licensed as a preacher of the gospel. Among all the advantages which flow from the ecclesiastical establishment of Scotland, it is a cheering fact, that the church has literally been a nursery for genius and talent of every description. This is highly honourable to the legislature which contrived our system of church-discipline, and to those by whom it has been preserved and perfected. We do not at present recognise, among all the countries on the globe, any one, in which the benign influences of religious order have