178 Autobiographical Notes. 



committee, consisting of Mr Sibbald, Mr Clanahan, and Mr Reid, 

 were appointed to examine Mi Murray, and leaving given a favour- 

 able report of his appearance desire the clerk to write his circular 

 letters." 



"Newton-Stewart, April 28th, 1818. — The Presbytery being 

 met and constituted : Inter alia, They appoint the following 

 Discourses to Mr Murray: Lecture James 1st. chap. 1st ve., 

 Pop. Sermon 2nd Corinth: 5th chap. 1st ve." 



Wigton (sic), 9th June, 1818. — The Presbytery being met and 

 constituted : Inter alia, Mr Murray delivered the Discourses 

 formerly prescribed to him, and were sustained as part of his 

 Trials. The Presbytery appoint him for a Homily Heb. 12th 

 chap. 1st and 2nd vs. Exercise and additions James 1st chap. 

 27th ve. Exegesis Num. Christ us e mortitis resurrexeritl 



" Wigton (sic), June 16th, 1818. — The Presbytery being met 

 and constituted : Inter alia, Dr Simson and Mr Murray having 

 delivered all the pieces of Trial prescribed to them and being 

 examined as to their knowledge of Divinity and the Greek and 

 Latin languages, and having signed the Formula and Confession 

 of Faith and being suitably exhorted were Licensed to Preach the 

 Gospel." 



Mr Murray being now regularlv qualified, he continued to 

 preach in the district for some time afterwards, but failing to get 

 a presentation to a church, or to be more in the way of promotion, 

 or having no desire for a church, as has been variously stated, he 

 removed to Edinburgh, where he took a house and engaged in 

 private teaching. He also received as boarders gentlemen's sons 

 who came to attend school or the University, and he occasionally 

 preached for ministers who required to be absent from their 

 pulpit. 



In the autobiographical notes printed in Part I. Murray gives 

 a brief but extremely interesting account of his friendship with 

 Thomas Carlyle, who even at this early date was an eager aspirant 

 for literary honour, and whose personality and gifts foreshadowed 

 the fame the future held in store for him. In 1814 young Carlyle 

 had been appointed mathematical master at Annan Academy, and 

 Murray accompanied him part of the way as he quitted the 

 metropolis to take up his new duties. We can picture what the 

 occasion would be like. The two youths trudging bravely along 

 the roadway that led to the south, discussing meanwhile the pre- 



