ble ambition, not unfrequently found ainong that class of people in Scotland, they sent their son James to the grammar school of Ayr. There Mr Candlish soon distinguished himself, by a modest deportment, and unremitting assiduity in his studies. Mr Tennant, the rector, a man of singular benevolence and worth, employed him, after he had made some proficiency, in forwarding the labours of the younger part of his scholars; and in this situation, aided by the skill of one of the most successful teachers in Scotland, Mr Candlish became so thoroughly grounded in the elementary branches of classical learning, that he displayed a manifest superiority over the greater part of his contemporaries, both in the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The grammar school of Ayr, to which Mr Candlish owed so much, has long been a valuable seminary. It now forms a branch of a larger academy, containing not fewer than four hundred students! it still retains its former respectability, and is taught by the same able master. When we assert that Mr Candlish made a distinguished appearance in this seminary; the assertion is neither lightly hazarded, nor meant to convey a small share of praise. A mong his cotemporaries in this school were some of the most respectable classical scholars in the kingdom, Dr Smith, Dr Patterson, Mr Cathcart, Mr Fergusson, and many other gentlemen still surviving, were nearly of the same standing, and under the same master; and the least that can be said of them, is, that there are few persons better qualified, either by learning or talents, to adorn the useful professions which they have chosen. Mr Candlish entered the college of Glasgow about the age of 19, and seems then to have had a view of qualifying himself for the profession of the Church. The course of tsu. dy for this purpose is at once tedi ous and expensive; a circumstance which induced him to apply himself to private tuition as the means of his support. By this expedient, young men of narrow fortune are often enabled to acquire a compleat and regular education; while, in the mean time, their labours are highly beneficial in perfecting their own know, ledge, and instructing gentlemen of greater wealth, who, in future life, sometimes patronise their quondam tutors. This, however, never happened to Mr Candlish: he received no ad, vancement from the aid of any patron, but in every step of his progress thro' life, was the sole artificer of his own fortune. Conscious of merit, he cherished a certain pride of independence, which could brook no solicitations for the interest of men of superior rank. He obliged many, but would consent to lie under obligations to very few. This temper, so unpropitious to his views in the church, was accompanied with a certain bias both in his religious and political opinions, which gradually weakened his prospects of advancement in that line; and at last put an end to all desire in himself of embracing the clerical profession. Having thus laid aside his views towards the church, Mr Candlish, about the year 1788, left Glasgow and entered this University. His plan seems now to have been directed to improvement in some branches of medical knowledge, which he had hitherto but imperfectly studied; and to place himself more nearly to the road of medical practice in whatever field might open for his reception. Here he supported himself in the way he had done in Glasgow, by private tuition. The medical students, who are here so numerous, were the first to appretiate Mr Candlish's clasica classical learning and they found in him a faithful and able assistant in forwarding their preparation for a degree. Tho' there were several competitors with him in this line, he uniformly met with the greatest encouragement; and soon after his arrival, he was admitted a member of the Royal Physical Society, where he took a respectable share in the debates. To this intense and unremitting labour did Mr Candlish confine himself for a period of upwards of thirty years: the concluding scene of his life happened on the 28th of April last, when he was seized with an apoplectic fit, while engaged in the business of the Society. The severe drudgery of his lot, had been gradually encroaching on his health; it had already much impaired that cheerfulness and vivacity, which in his earlier years had render- ́ ed his society so acceptable to his companions. The labours of Mr Candlish, though uniformly approved of among his fellow students, were little known beyond that sphere, and were but scantily rewarded. None of the many essays which he read in the society, nor of the numerous volumes of theses which he has left behind him, were ever submitted to the view of the public. It is to be regretted, that of the multiplied labours of so distinguished a man, almost no fruit can be reaped by a wife and four children, whom, it is to be feared, he left in narrow circumstances. Those stern notions of independence, which we have already noticed as characterizing him, prevented both his friends and himself, almost upon every occasion, from making solicitations for his prefer ment. We recollect only a simple instance in which his acquaintances were permitted to mention his claims to the patrons of the University; on that occasion it was done at a season too late, and in a manner too feeble to be attended with any ad. May 1806. vantage. From the incidents of Mr Candlish's life, few and unimportant as they may seem, we may learn the useful but disagreeable truth, that we live in an age where merit alone will seldom lead to fortune: It would seem that men of the greatest worth and learning cannot safely neglect any honest art of securing the patronage of the great and powerful, since our manners are daily giving truth and currency to the adage of the selfish and luxurious Romans, "Virtus laudatur et alget." Mr Candlish's sudden death is the more to be regretted, as it is understood that he had undertaken an edition of Celsus, the celebrated Latin physician; a work much wanted in the medical world, and for which his habits of study peculiarly qualified him. A Short Account of the Behaviour of the REBEL ARMY at HAMILTON in 1745, in a letter to a Friend: E have at last got a visit from your formerly troublesome neighbours, which we neither expected, desired, nor wanted. However, their stay was but short, but at the same time very troublesome. Upon Tuesday the 24th December, there came in here, 1900 horse and foot, tho' they gave themselves out for 2500. They were commanded, if I may call it so, by the Lords George Murray, Nairn, Elcho, Ogilvy, and Glenbucket and others. Upon the Wednesday morning, part of them went off for Glasgow, their Prince, the Duke of Perth, their French ambassadors, Lochiel and others, with part of the clans, came in both these nights; the people of the town, tho' greatly thronged, were in greater peace than on the Thursday's night, when the Camerons, Macphersons, and Macdonalds of Clan Ronald's part party came up, (after having burnt some houses in Lismahague, and rifled one of the minister's houses; and had it not been for two of Loch moidart's brothers, they would have laid the whole town in ashes, and plundered the country about :) and then indeed we felt the effects of an undisciplined, ungoverned army of Highland robbers, who took no more notice of their nominal prince or commander, than a pack of ill. bred hounds. The provisions, ale, and spirits, beginning to run short in the town, they threatened the people with death, or the burning of their houses, unless such victuals and drink were got as they called for, which victuals were not of the coarse sort, herrings, onions, and a butter, and a cheese, which we looked upon as their best food, such as they would not taste. The people of England have taught them such a bad custom, that they would scarce taste good salt beef and greens, the meanest of them calling for roast or fried fresh victuals; if such were not got, they treated the people very ill. My lodgers were so luxurious that they would not taste boiled pork, a little pickled, unless we would cause dress it in a frying pan with fresh butter. Amongst this set of ruffians there were some civil people, some of whom, my aunt and her two neighbours had the good fortune to get for lodgers. I had no less than 33 of them the last night, besides horses and naked wh---S. Our subscribers, volunteers, and militia, were obliged to leave the place; amongst whom were your good brother and myself; so I had not the least trouble of them; tho' their three nights lodging, with what they stole from me, cost me about 61. sterling. They have rifted several houses in this neighbourhood, and broke and destroyed what they could not carry off, particularly, Captain Crawfurd's, Thomas Hut ton's, at Smiddy croft and Woodside. The Prince went a hunting, upon Thursday in the Duke's park; he shot two pheasants, two wood-cocks, two hares, and a young buck, all which were carried in triumph. He dined at Chatleroy, where I saw him, but could not find out this an gel-like Prince among the whole rabble till he was pointed out to me. While here, they stript the people of their shoes upon the street, and took what they thought proper for them, refusing to be hindered by any of their officers. There was not any of this rabble, but what were possessed of plenty of gold, even the smallest boys. We were freed from these troublesome neighbours upon Friday morning the 27th; who left us nothing but an innumerable multitude of vermin, and their excrements, which they left not only in our bed-chambers, but in our very beds. The civilest kind held their d-ps over the stock of the beds, like crows sh-g over the nest. Our town smells of them yet; but the people's spirits are getting up, for while they were here, they looked like dead corps. They stopt us from a merry Christmas; but God be thanked, we were blessed with a merry New-year's day. I wish you a happy New year, and peace, which we now begin to learn to value. All friends, being here assembled, join in good wishes and services to you, I am, &c. Hamilton, 6th Jannary, 1746. N. B. That the facts contained in the above letter is attested to be true by some other persons, of undoubted credit, who live in Hamilton; and, that besides burning a house in Lismahague, which contained five families, they dragged a woman up and down the fields, who had lately brought forth a child, until she fainted, and then some some of them had as much huma nity as to cast water on her face, and so let her lye till she recovered. These polite Highlanders, who keeped their sheets clean in the manner mentioned in the above. letter, carried them off amongst their spoils. Criticism on LEYDEN's Scenes of Infancy; with etymological Remarks. SIR, IN reading over Dr Leyden's Scenes of Infancy, which, in my estimation, is a delightful poem, I was particularly pleased with the following passages, viz. 1. The adieu to Aurelia, page 37, beginning with "Ah!'dear Aurelia, when this arm shall guide And, fearful, listen for the flapping sail, &c." The name Aurelia is happily chosen for the designation of a rural sweetheart, as being synonimous with Chrysalis, or Nymph. 2. The Address to the Daisy. Page 43. "Sweet daisy, flower of love! when birds are paired, 'Tis sweet to see thee with thy bosom bared ; Smiling, in virgin innocence, serene, Thy pearly crown above thy vest of green." The description is perhaps too luscious, as the epithet sweet occurs thrice in the first sentence; but the lark is loveliness itself. "The Lark, with sparkling eye, and rustling wing, 3. The Story of Bessie Bell and Mary Gray. Page 55. 4. The Farewell to Walter Scott. Page 76. "When half deceased, with half the world between, 5. The apostrophe to his native land. "Land of my fathers! though no Mangrove here, 6. The description of the hooded Erne.. "Majestic bird! by ancient shepherds stiled Page 93. Page 99. I am also well pleased with the thunderstorm, the spectre ship, the bison, the serpent, Yarrow's flower, and Eugenia. But, upon the whole, I think the first part is the most poetical. There are also a number of single lines uncommonly fine. "Studs with faint gleam the raven vest of night.” "Rides the dim rock that sweeps the darkened sky.” Page 5. 7. 10. 97. 7. 71. 99. I have two remarks to make on what I reckon misapplications of words. Speaking to the nightingale, Dr Leyden says, Sweet bird how long shall Teviot's maids deplore Does not deplore mean, to grieve for the loss of a good, and not for the want of what we never possessed? A dethroned Sovereign may deplore the loss of his crown, but a subject can hardly be said to deplore the want of a diadem. Still doom'd to prosper. P. 25. To doom is to destine; but is it ever used, by good authority, as intimating future happiness? Seldom, if ever. I cannot help thinking that Dr Leyden manifests too great a partiality for bells. (There are indeed many belles to whom a poet would hardly disavow attachment.) We meet with Blue bell," page 9."Powdery bell," page 27. Of these I admit the propriety, as the petals are campanulate. The wild hyacinth Page 58. and the heath blossom. For the I come now to the grand object of this communication, which is, to rectify what I consider a mistake of Dr Leyden's. He says, "the wabret leaf, that by the pathway grew," (p. 9.) and subjoins in a note, "Wabret or Wabron, a word of Saxon origin, is the common name for the plantane leaf in Teviotdale." Now, Sir, as the broad-leaved plantane is generally found in hard soils, such as footpaths or road sides, I conceive the names to be merely corruptions of Way. |