He continued to teach the school of Fordoun till the year 1757, when, on a vacancy happening of the place of usher in the grammar-school of Aberdeen, his friend, Mr Forbes, minister of Fordoun, advised him to become a candidate for it. He accordingly offered himself, but did not succeed. He acquitted himself, however, so well in his examination on that occasion, that, on a second vacancy of the same place happening about a year afterwards, the magistrates, who are the electors, requested him to accept of the office without any further trial; and he was accordingly elected to it, 20th June, 1758, soon after which period he left Fordoun, and removed to Aberdeen.

SECTION II.

FROM DR BEATTIE'S ESTABLISHMENT AT ABERDEEN IN THE YEAR 1758, TO THE PUBLICATION OF HIS ESSAY ON TRUTH IN THE YEAR 1770.

THIS event of Beattie's election to be one of the ushers of the grammar-school at Aberdeen, humble as the appointment was for a man of his talents and acquired knowledge, yet forms a memorable epoch in his life. It removed him in fact from the obscurity in which he had hitherto languished, at a distance from books, with few friends, and with but little of the blessings of congenial society, to a large and populous town, the seat of an university, where he had access to public libraries for study, and the opportunity of

cultivating the friendship of persons of taste and learning. Principal Blackwell, his early friend, and the first to discover his genius and talents, was now dead. But the two universities of Marischal college, New Aberdeen, and King's college, Old Aberdeen, could boast of no inconsiderable number of men of genius and learning, with whom he had soon the happiness of becoming more immediately connected. And there were likewise several gentlemen at that time at Aberdeen, though not of the class of literary men by profession, yet of liberal education, and a competent degree of general knowledge, well suited to the taste of such a person as Beattie, who delighted to associate in convivial meetings with friends whose disposition and habits were conge nial with his own.

He did not remain long, however, in the humble situation of usher of the grammar-school. In the year 1760, a chair in the Marischal college and university of Aberdeen, became vacant by the death of Dr Duncan, professor of natural philosophy. On Beattie's relating this event, merely as an occurrence of the day, to a gentleman with whom he lived in much intimacy, his friend suggested to him the idea of his endeavouring to

VOL. I.

procure the vacant appointment, for himself. Beattie heard the proposal with amazement, conceiving such a situation to be an object altogether beyond his grasp. And, indeed, few things seemed less likely to take place, than that he, who but two years ago had filled the obscure office of a country parochial schoolmaster, almost friendless and unknown, should succeed in obtaining a professor's chair in the gift of the crown. His friend, however, willing to try what could

*

* The gentleman, to whose active zeal and friendly interposition, on this occasion, Beattie owed so much, was Robert Arbuthnot, Esq. secretary to the Board of Trustees for fisheries and manufactures at Edinburgh, but who, at that time, resided chiefly, and carried on business as a merchant, at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. Beattie and he had become acquainted on the removal of the former to Aberdeen; and a friendship was soon formed between them, which terminated only with their lives, Mr Arbuthnot, who was nearly related to the celebrated Dr Arbuthnot, the friend of Pope and Swift, to a considerable share of classical learning, added an intimate acquaintance with the best authors in the English language, particularly in poetry and belles lettres, of whom he well knew how to appreciate the respective merits, and with the most favourite passages of whose works his memory was stored beyond that of almost any man I ever knew. He had likewise read the most esteemed writers in the French and Italian languages. By these means his conversation was uncommonly entertaining and instructive. He possessed, likewise, an inexhaustible flow of spirits, which had helped to support him through a variety of distressful circumstances, to which it had been his lot to be exposed. And to all

be done, prevailed on the late Earl of Erroll, (father of the present lord,) with whom he lived in

this he added a vein of delicate and peculiar humour, and "flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table in a roar.'

An intimate friendship between Mr Arbuthnot and the author of these memoirs had commenced at an earlier period than that at which either of us knew Dr Beattie, whom we both equally loved as a friend, and admired as a writer of very superior genius. We had the happiness, too, of possessing in Major Mercer, of whom I shall have occasion to say more hereafter, another early friend, who was equally attached to Dr Beattie by long habits of the strictest intimacy. Of the Doctor's regard for all the three, he has given the strongest proof; first, by inscribing to us the collection which he printed of his son's miscellanies, and at last by appointing us the executors of his will, and the trustees of bis property; bequeathing to each, at the same time, some memorial of his kind remembrance, with very flattering expressions of esteem. From those gentlemen, therefore, so intimately acquainted with Dr Beattie, and in whose taste and judgment on literary subjects I had the fullest confidence, I trusted that I should have received the most essential aid, in preparing, by our united efforts, this tribute of affection to the memory of our much loved friend. But,

"On our firmest resolutions

"The silent and inaudible tread of Death

"Steals like a thief.”

Major Mercer and Mr Arbuthnot survived Dr Beattie only a very short space of time; and the health of both had become so much impaired, as to render it impossible for either to give me any assistance: a misfortune which I feel, as I proceed, almost in every page. Mr Arbuthnot died 5th November, 1803, and Major Mercer 18th November, 1804.

Vide Dr Beattie's will, Appendix [C.]