282 Biographical Account of DR WILSON, 



and of some of his patients, with a small annual salary. About 

 twelve months after he had been fixed in this new situation, Mr 

 DAVID GREGORY, Professor of Mathematics at St Andrew's, co- 

 ming to London, introduced him to Dr CHARLES STEWART, phy- 

 sician to ARCHIBALD Duke of Argyle, then Lord Isla. Dr STEW- 

 ART received him with great kindness, and, not long after, made 

 him known to Lord Isla, who, very soon, was pleased to bestow 

 upon him marks of his attention and favour. In his interviews 

 with this nobleman, Mr WILSON had his curiosity much gratified 

 by some valuable astronomical and physical apparatus which his 

 Lordship had got constructed for himself, and had placed in his 

 library. On the other hand, Mr WILSON was happy in being 

 able to contribute in some degree to the amusement of his pa- 

 tron, by constructing thermometers of different kinds for him 

 and his friends, with more perfection and elegance than had been 

 hitherto done at London. 



Near eighteen months elapsed in this way, during which 

 time he conciliated the good- will and esteem of his master, by a 

 faithful and regular discharge of whatever business was commit- 

 ted to his care ; and, in return, he found himself now and then 

 indulged in opportunities of keeping up his connections with 

 persons of a philosophical cast, when his attendance upon the 

 shop or patients could be conveniently dispensed with. Mr 

 WILSON has been often heard to speak of the satisfaction he en- 

 joyed even at this period, and of his perfect contentment with 

 every thing which had then fallen ta his- lot. But a serenity of 

 temper, and a felicity of disposition, were qualities which emi- 

 nently distinguished him throughout his whole life. 



While he thus passed his time in what he considered as a 

 comfortable settlement at his first entering upon the world, a cir- 

 cumstance of a very accidental nature occurred, which gave a 

 new direction to his genius, and which, in the end, led him to an 

 entire change of his profession. This was a transient visit which 



