52 HISTORY of the SOCIETY. 
So pena feem to hint a claim on their gratitude. It is not therefore fur- 
prifing that he was fo much beloved by his younger friends. 
But Dr DryspDALe continued alfo to enjoy the affection of 
the friends of his youth. Mr Oswaxp, Dr Smiru and Dr Ro- 
BERTSON, have been already mentioned. ‘Though his inter- 
courfe with Dr Smiru‘ had been, in confequence of the di- 
ftance of their fituation, lefs frequent for many years than they 
could have wifhed, yet they ufed to meet occafionally in their 
native town, to which they were always fondly attached; and 
there, in company with Mr Oswatp, and fome other compa- 
nions lefs known to fame, they fpent many of the moft pleafant 
hours of their life. When afterwards Dr Smiru came to re- 
fide in Edinburgh, they then affociated together with lefs inter- 
ruption ; nor was there any one among all the numerous friends 
and acquaintance of that excellent man whom he loved with 
greater affection, or {poke of with greater tendernefs, than Joun 
DryspALe. ‘Two other intimate friends of Dr DrysDALE’s 
earlier years, and on whom he had fet a great value, died long 
before him. Thefe were Mr WiLL14M CLEGHORN and Dr WiL- 
LIAM WILKIE; the former of whom was the immediate fuc- 
ceflor of the late Sir JouHN Prince in the Profeflorfhip of 
Moral Philofophy in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, a young 
man of great genius, and from whom much was expected 3 but 
he was cut off in the flower of youth: the latter known to the 
public as the author of the Epigoniad, and Fables in Verfe, 
was diftinguifhed alfo among a numerous circle of literary 
friends for extenfive and profound erudition, for a copious and 
inexhauttible flow of original, amufing and inftructing conver- 
fation, and likewife for fome whimfical and diverting peculiari- 
ties of character. With the family of the ADAMs, whofe ge- 
nius and tafte in the elegant arts of architecture and defigning, 
have vied with the talents of the poet, the hiftorian, and the. 
philofopher, in refle€ting luftre on their native land, Dr Drys- . 
pALE long lived in a conftant reciprocation of good offices,. 
2 both 
