lege of Glasgow; and in 1760, he was transferred to the Chair of Natural Philosophy at the time he was residing at Toulouse in France. Professor Anderson, who clearly saw the intimate connection between Science and the Arts, and the great benefits which they mutually confer on each other, delighted in visiting the workshops of the artizans and mechanics, and giving them such information as was likely to benefit them in their respective arts, receiving in return a knowledge of these which he could not otherwise have obtained. The want of an experimental course of Natural Philosophy, to which the working classes, and indeed all those whose pursuits did not enable them to conform to the prescribed routine of academical study, was early perceived by him; and he accordingly added, to his customary course of lectures in Physics, which was strictly mathematical, one of a more popular nature, illustrated by experiments, according to the plan afterwards developed in his Institutes of Physics. This class continued to meet every session, upon the Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the rest of the Professor's life. Numbers availed themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them, for the first time, of obtaining a knowledge of science; and thus, within the walls of the College of Glasgow, there was a large class of operative mechanics and artizans, receiving instructions in science, which hitherto had been to them quite inaccessible as the pages of a sealed book. This class, which he called his Antitoga Class, received every encouragement from the Professor which it was in his power to afford. He began to collect for its use, an apparatus of his own, and specimens of Natural History, of which he afterwards formed a large collection. As an instance of his good sense, and his anxiety for the prosperity of this class, it may be stated, that a mechanic having complained to his assistant, that he had little time, after leaving his work, to change his dress before coming to the class, and having suggested the propriety of their being allowed to attend without such change, upon its being made known to him, it was at once acceded to. It was to be expected, that a man, endowed with such liberal and enlightened views, would, in all questions which might arise, take the popular side, and would not remain on the best of terms with his Brother Professors. For a time, all went well; and he was allowed to take the management of almost every thing connected with the Faculty of the College: but at length a dispute arose between the Professors and the Students about the election of their Rector, when, as was to be anticipated, Professor Anderson entered into the views of the Students. Soon after this, another dispute arose about the method of keeping the College accounts. He raised an action against his Brethren, which however he lost; but he had the satisfaction, before he died, of seeing the same Professors bring an action against the son and heir of their late Factor, for his mal-administration, and for the recovery of £10,000 which had been lost to the funds of the College. Morthland, the Factor's son, produced, in the law-suit, a superb silver bowl given to his father by the Professors, with an inscription in testimony of his faithful services as their Factor. This had been done at the time their minds were elated with the victory, as they then thought, they had obtained over the Professor; but a more circumspect scrutiny showed them, that they had been wrong, and he right. The Professors, however, were as unfortunate in this action as Professor Anderson was in his; and, notwithstanding the equity of their case, they did not succeed in obtaining restitution of the £10,000. |