theory and the practice of the arts they profess to teach; few had enjoyed the same opportunities of seeing the mathematical rules of artillery and navigation carried into effect on so great a scale. To his own countrymen resident at Petersburgh, Mr Robison was an object of no less affection than admiration.

In 1773, the death of Dr Russell produced a vacancy in the Natural Philosophy Chair of the University of Edinburgh. Principal Robertson, who was ever so attentive to the welfare of the university over which he presided, though not personally acquainted with Mr Robison, yet knowing his character, had no doubt of recommending him to the patrons of the university, who, on their part, with no less disinterestedness, listened to his recommendation, and Mr Robison was accordingly elected. It is said, that when the news of this appointment reached him, he at first hesitated about the acceptance of it, principally from the fear of appearing insensible to the kindness and favour which he had experienced from the Russian government. The moment, too, when it was known that this invitation had been given him, further offers of emolument and preferment were made him by that government, of such a kind as it was supposed he could not possibly resist. At length he determined, and no doubt wisely, however splendid the prospects held out to him might be, to

accept of a situation that would fix him permanently in his native country. He therefore declined the offers of the Empress of Russia, and in June 1774 sailed from Cronstadt for Leith, followed, as one of those friends he left behind in Russia has expressed it, by the regrets, and accompanied by the warmest good wishes, not only of all who had shared in his friendship, but of all to whom he was known. The empress was so far from being offended with his determination, however much she wished to prevent it, that she settled a pension on him, accompanied with a request, that he would receive under his care two or three of the young cadets who were to be selected in succession.

Mr Robison was admitted at Edinburgh the 16th September 1774, and gave his first course of lectures in the winter following. The person to whom he succeeded had been very eminent and very useful in his profession. He possessed a great deal of ingenuity, and much knowledge, in all the branches of Physical Science. Without perhaps being very deeply versed in the higher parts of the mathematics, he had much more knowledge of them than is requisite for explaining the elements of Natural Philosophy. His views in the latter were sound, often original, and always explained with great clearness and simplicity. The mathematical and experimental parts were so happily combined,

that his lectures communicated not only an excellent view of the principles of the science, but much practical knowledge concerning the means by which those principles are embodied in matter, and made palpable to sense.

Mr Robison, who now succeeded to this chair, had also talents and acquirements of a very high order. The scenes of active life in which he had been early engaged, and in which he had seen the great operations of the nautical and the military art, had been followed, or accompanied, with much study, so that a thorough knowledge of the principles, as well as the practice, of those arts, had been acquired. His knowledge of the mathematics was accurate and extensive, and included, what was at that time rare in this country, a considerable familiarity with the discoveries and inventions of the foreign mathematicians.

In the general outline of his course, he did not, however, deviate materially from that which had been sketched by his predecessors, except, I think, in one point of arrangement, by which he passed from Dynamics immediately to Physical Astronomy. The sciences of Mechanics, Hydrodynamics, Astronomy, and Optics, together with Electricity and Magnetism, were the subjects which his lectures embraced. These were given with great fluency aud precision of language, and with the introduction of a good deal of mathematical demon

stration. His manner was grave and dignified. His views always ingenious, and comprehensive, were full of information, and never more interesting and instructive than when they touched on the history of science. His lectures, however, were often complained of, as difficult and hard to be followed, and this did not, in my opinion, arise from the depth of the mathematical demonstrations, as was sometimes said, but rather from the rapidity of his discourse, which was in general beyond the rate at which accurate reasoning can be easily followed. The singular facility of his own apprehension, made him judge too favourably of the same power in others. To understand his lectures completely, was, on account of the rapidity, and the uniform flow of his discourse, not a very easy task, even for men tolerably familiar with the subject. On this account, his lectures were less popular than might have been expected from such a combination of rare talents as the author of them possessed. This was assisted by the small number of experiments he introduced, and a view that he took of Natural Philosophy which left but a very subordinate place for them to occupy. An experiment, he would very truly observe, does not establish a gene ral proposition, and never can do more than prove a particular fact. Hence, he inferred, or seemed to infer, that they are of no great use in establishing the principles of science. This seems an er

roneous view. An experiment does but prove a particular fact; but by doing so in a great number of cases, it affords the means of discovering the general principle which is common to all these facts. Even a single experiment may be sufficient to prove a very general fact. When a guinea and a feather, let fall from the top of an exhausted receiver, descend to the bottom of it in the same time, it is very true that this only proves the fact of the equal acceleration of falling bodies in the case of the two substances just named; but who doubts that the conclusion extends to all different degrees of weight, and that the uniform acceleration of falling bodies of every kind, may safely be inferred?

A society for the cultivation of literature and science had existed in Edinburgh ever since the year 1739, when, by the advice, and under the direction of Mr Maclaurin, an association, formed some years before for the improvement of Medicine and Surgery, enlarged its plan, and assumed the name of the Philosophical Society. This society, which had at different times reckoned among its members some of the first men of whom this country can boast, had published three volumes of Memoirs, under the title of Physical and Literary Essays; the last in 1756, from which time the society had languished, and its meetings had become less frequent. At the time I am now speaking of, it was beginning to revive, and its tendency