(84) lIISTORr of the SOCIETT. 



Accoui-.t ..r (-cd a fpirit of enterprife and induflry, before that time little 



known in Scotland, which foon pervaded many other depart- 

 ments of labour, and gave birth to many other ufcful projects. 

 He brought from England, then much farther advanced in arts 

 and induftrv, many ingenious and indurtrious workmen, at 

 great expence, who, by their inftruclions and example, commu- 

 nicated and diffufed Ikill and knowledge to others. At all times 

 Dr Roebuck held out liberal encouragement to riiing genms, 

 and induflrious merit ; and fpared no expence in making trials 

 of improvements and difcoveries, which were conne6led with 

 the different projects and works which he was carrying on. 



Such was the adlive and ufeful life of Dr Roebuck, a man 

 of no common caft, who xinited, in a very high degree, a great 

 number of folic! and brilliant talents, which, even feparately, 

 fall to the lot of but few individuals. Diftinguilhed by an ar- 

 dent and inventive mind, delighting in purfuit and inveftigation, 

 alwavs afpiring at fomething beyond the prefent ftate of fcience 

 aiid art, and eagerly preffing forward to fomething better or 

 more perfecSl, he thus united energies the moft powerful, with 

 the moft unwearied and perfevering induftry. To that pecu- 

 liarity of imagination, fo fitted for fcientific purfuit, which rea- 

 dily combines and unites, which fteadily preferves its combina- 

 tions before the eye of the m.ind, and qxiickly difcovers relations, 

 refults and confequences, was added, in his character, great 

 promptitude and firmnefs in decifion. Strongly and early im- 

 prefTed with the great importance of applying chemical and 

 phyfical knowledge to the \xfeful arts, to the melioration of 

 civil life, he never loft fight of that favourite view, and dif- 

 covered great boldnefs and refource in the means and expe- 

 dients which he adopted to promote it. He was certainly ma- 

 fler of the beft philolbphy of chemiftry known in the earlier 

 parts of his life, and though, in every ftage of that fcience, he 

 marked and underflood the progrefs of the difcoveries, yet his 



numerous 



