324 Biographical Accou7it of Dr. Wilson, [Nov. 



curious contrivances made use of in that business. Some short 

 while afterwards, when reflecting upon what had been shown him 

 in the letter-foundery, he was led to imagine that a certain great 

 improvement of the art might possibly be effected, and of a Kind 

 too that, if successfully acomplished, promised to reward the 

 inventor with considerable emolument. His ideas upon that 

 subject he presently imparted to a friend a little older than him- 

 self, who nad also come from St. Andrew's, and who was 

 possessed of a considerable share of ingenuity, constancy, and 

 enterprise. The consequence of this was, a resolution on the 

 part of both these young adventurers to relinquish, as soon as it 

 could be done with propriety, all other pursuits, and unite their 

 exertions in prosecuting the business of letter-founding upon an 

 improved plan. 



It was not long ere they were enabled to carry into effect this 

 resolution, and they first established a small type-foundery at 

 St. Andrew's, and one on a larger scale, two years afterwards, at 

 Camlachie, a village near Glasgow. 



In this situation Mr. Wilson had contracted habits of inti- 

 macy and friendship with several persons of the most respectable 

 character, particularly with the Professors belonging to the 

 University of Glasgow, and with Messrs. Robert and Andrew 

 Foulis, University-printers. The growing reputation of the 

 University-Press, conducted by these gentlemen, gave additional 

 scope to Mr. Wilson to exert his abilities in constructing their 

 types, and being now left entirely to follow his own judgment 

 and taste, his talents as an artist became every year more con- 

 spicuous. When the design was formed by the gentlemen of 

 the University, together with Messrs. Foulis, to print splendid 

 editions of the Greek classics, he, with great alacrity, undertook 

 to execute new types, upon a model highly improved. This he 

 accomplished, at an expence of time and labour which could not 

 be recompensed by any profits arising from the sale of the types 

 themselves. Such disinterested zeal for the honour of the Uni- 

 versity-Press was, however, upon this occasion, so well under- 

 stood, as to induce the University, in the preface to the folio 

 Homer, to mention Mr. Wilson in terms as honourable to him 

 as they were just. 



Though he thus continued to prosecute letter-founding as his 

 chief business, yet, from his great temperance, domestic habits, 

 and activity, he was enabled now and then to command inter- 

 vals of leisure, which he never failed to fill up by some useful or 

 ingenious employment. One of these, in which he took great 

 delight, was the constructing of reflecting telescopes, an art 

 which he cultivated with unwearied attention, and in the end 

 with much success. 



Among the more advanced students, who, in the years 1748 

 and 1749, attended the lectures on Divinity in the University, 



