766 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



Kchool, it was resolved that Beattie 

 should be sent to the university. 



In the year 1749, the two bro- 

 thers left Laurencekirk, and direct- 

 ed their course to Aberdeen. Uea,t- 

 tle's, or nithtT his brother's circum- 

 stances, not being very affluent, it 

 was determined that he should be a 

 candidate for what, in the academi- 

 cal language of Scotland, is called a 

 burse, or Ijursary. 'Ihc repntiuoB 

 of Marischal college induced Beat- 

 tie to appear as a candidate there. 

 The form upon such occasions is, 

 that a piece of English is dictated to 

 the candidates by a professor, m hich 

 they arc required to translate into 

 I^tin. 'i'hey are inclosed in the 

 college-hall, with one of the town- 

 clerks, and the professor who pre- 

 scribes the trial, and are at liberty 

 to retire whenever they have writ- 

 ten their version. The name of the 

 writer is subscribed at such ^ con- 

 venient distance, that it can be 

 easily cut off. It is then numbered, 

 and the same number is written upon 

 the slip of paper on which the name 

 is. Tiie judges are, therefore, pre. 

 vented from being ])artial, even 

 though they were so disposed. After 

 the different merits of the competi- 

 tors have been ascertained, and the 

 most valuable burse adjudged to the 

 writer of the best translation, they 

 prrangc such as remain, according to 

 their comparative excellence. When 

 this \Y<irt of the business is finished, 

 the names of the successful candi- 

 dates are easily obtained, by com- 

 paring the number on the version 

 'with the number on the slip of pa- 

 per containing tiie writer's name. 



On tlie day of the competition, 

 Piivid Beattie waited with great 

 iinxiely for the issue of the trial, 

 lie was surprised at the short time 

 James had taken to, finish las version, 



and even expressed to him his fears 

 that he had been in too great a hur- 

 ry, and had not bestowed suiTicient 

 pains upon it. Next day, however, 

 when the roll was called, James 

 Bcattie's name was first on the list, 

 and he was consequently entitled to 

 the best burse. 



Beattie was exceedingly fortunate 

 in having an opportunity presented 

 to him, of profiting by the instruc- 

 tions of principal Thomas Black- 

 well, professor of Greek, author of 

 the Life of Homer, and of The 

 Court of Augustus. 



It was Blackwell who revived the 

 study of Creek literatorc in the 

 north of Scotland ; and he h.id the 

 merit of rearing some of the best 

 (ireek scholars, whose namos the 

 hibtory of the literature of Scotland 

 for the last century can record. Dr. 

 Beattie, near the end of his essay on 

 Classical Learning, has borne testi- 

 mony to the merit of his old master ; 

 he styles him " a very learned au- 

 '^ thor." 



As no evidence exists, by which 

 it can be proved how early in the 

 session Blackwell discerned Beat- 

 tie's genius, it is in vain to enter 

 into a particular inquiry, what the 

 real state of the case might have 

 been. It is an undoubted fact, that 

 Blackwell did discover the abilities 

 of his pupil, and that he patronized 

 them. 



Blackwell's enthusiasm for Ho- 

 mer was great. Perspicuity and 

 simplicity of expression, with all 

 the fervor of genius, are the distin- 

 guishing characteristics of Homeric 

 poetry. How far young Beattie 

 entered into the nature and spirit 

 of the works of the first of the 

 poets, it would be presumption to 

 aifirm. His poetical turn, however^ 

 cren at that period, and his uacon\- 



BflOR 



