AN

ACCOUNT

• OF THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS

OF

JAMES BEATTIE, LL.D.

LATE PROFESSOR OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC IN
THE MARISCHAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
OF ABERDEEN.

INCLUDING MANY OF HIS ORIGINAL LETTERS.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

BY

SIR WILLIAM FORBES

OF PITSLIGO, BART.

ONE OF THE EXECUTORS OF DR BEATTIE.

SECOND EDITION.

VOL. II.

Mihi quidem quanquam est ereptus, vivit tamen, semperque vivet.
Virtutem enim amavi illius viri, quæ extincta non est. Nec mihi soli
versatur ante oculos, qui illam semper in manibus habui, sed etiam pos-
teris erit clara et insignis.—CIC. Læl. De Amic. cap. 27.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED FOR ARCH. CONSTABLE AND CO. EDINBURGH;
LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES,
AND JOHN MURRAY, LONDON.

1807.

THE

LIFE OF JAMES BEATTIE, LL.D.

SECTION III.-CONTINUED.

IN the month of October, 1773, the chair of professor of natural and experimental philosophy, in the university of Edinburgh, became vacant, by the death of Dr James Russel, by whom it had been long ably filled. As that event had been for sometime foreseen, several gentlemen had turned their thoughts towards it as candidates. But the magistrates, who are the electors, very properly resolved to be in no hurry in filling up the vacancy, in order that there might be time and opportunity to dispose of the chair in such a manner, as might best support the re