OF THE LATE PROFESSOR ROBISON. 537 



When I had first the pleasure to become acquainted with him, 

 the youthful turn of his countenance and manners was begin- 

 ning to give place to the grave and serious cast, which he ear- 

 ly assumed ; and certainly I have never met with any one 

 whose appearance and conversation were more impressive than 

 his were at that period. 



Indeed his powers of conversation were very extraordinary, 

 and when exerted, never failed of producing a great effect. 

 An extensive and accurate information of particular facts, and 

 a facility of combining them into general and original views, 

 were united in a degree of which I am persuaded there have 

 been few examples. Accordingly, he would go over the most 

 difficult subjects, and bring out the most profound remarks, with 

 an ease and readiness which was quite singular. The depth of 

 his observations seemed to cost him nothing ; and when he said 

 any thing particularly striking, you never could discover any ap- 

 pearance of the self-satisfaction so common on such occasions. 

 He was disposed to pass quite readily from one subject to ano- 

 ther ; the transition was a matter of course, and he had per- 

 fectly, and apparently without seeking after it, that light and 

 easy turn of conversation, even on scientific and profound sub- 

 jects, in which we of this island are charged by our neigh- 

 bours with being so extremely deficient. 



The same facility, and the same general tone, was to be seen 

 in his lectures and his writings. He composed with sin- 

 gular facility and correctness, but was sometimes, when he 

 had leisure to be so, very fastidious about his own compo- 

 sitions. 



In the intercourse of life, he was benevolent, disinterested, 

 and friendly, and of sincere and unaffected piety. In his in- 

 terpretation 



