Account of 
Dr Dryfdale. 
38 HISTORY of the SOCLETY. 
Provoft, or chief Magiftrate, of the fame town. He received 
the elements of claffical learning at the parifh fchool, under 
Davip Mitter, a man who had alfo the honour of inftructing 
the celebrated ADAM SmiTH, and JamEs Oswa tp of Dunikeir, 
perfons who have reflected fo much luftre on their country, the 
one as a philofopher and man of letters, and the other as an 
eminent ftatefman. Under the fame matter, were alfo educated 
Dr Joun Oswatrp, Bifhop of Raphoe in Ireland, and 
Dr Georce Kay, one of the minifters of Edinburgh, men 
likewife of confiderable talents and accomplifhments. So that 
Mi ver had reafon to boaft, that few individual mafters of the 
moft opulent and celebrated {chools, had fent from their tuition 
a greater number of eminent men, than had been fent by him 
from the obfcure fchool of Kirkaldy. 
Wuite at fchool, Joun Dryspate greatly diftinguifhed 
himfelf as a claffical {cholar ; and there he contracted that ftrict 
friendfhip with the moft eminent of his {choolfellows, particu- 
larly Mr Oswaxtp and Mr Smitu, which continued unim- 
paired through life. When he was thought to be fufficiently 
prepared for the Univerfity, to which young men go at a much 
earlier period in this country than in England, he was fent to 
College at Edinburgh in the year 1732. He there profecuted 
his ftudies with great fuccefs, and foon attracted the notice of 
the Profeffors, by the rapid progrefs he made in the acquifition 
of knowledge. After paffing through the ordinary courfes of 
languages and philofophy, he engaged in the ftudy of divinity, 
the ultimate object of his repairing to the Univerfity ; and 
having profecuted this the ufual time, he was admitted to trials, 
according to the forms of the Church of Scotland, before the 
Prefbytery of Kirkaldy ; and by them licenfed to preach the 
Gofpel, in the year 1740. 
He was foon after employed as affiftant to the Reverend 
Mr James BANNATYNE, minifter of the College Church, Edin- 
burgh ; and while he publicly officiated there, he was much 
2 admired 
