Iv PR ELF tA, Goer 
the public. The rebellion broke out in this 
country; and both fcattered the members 
for fome time, and engaged their attention 
to fubjects, lefs agreeable and more intereft- 
ing, than general difquifitions into nature. 
No fooner were public affairs compofed, than 
we met with an irreparable lofs in the death 
of Mr Macraurin, one of our fecretaries. 
The great talents of that Gentleman are ge- 
nerally known and highly efleemed in the li- 
-terary world ; but the fociety have, alfo, par- 
ticular reafon to regrete in him the lofs of 
thofe qualities, which form an excellent a- 
cademician. Indefatigable himfelf, he was 
a perpetual fpur to the induftry of others ; 
and was highly pleafed with the promotion of 
knowledge, from whatever hands it came. 
At the time of his death, a number of dif- 
coveries, fufficient to have formed a volume, 
had beén communicated to him; but, being 
mingled with his other papers, have been 
diffipated by various accidents ; and the fo- 
ciety could recover but few of them. 
THE 
