APPENDIX lo the CHRONFCLE. 593 



proficiency, in 1758, to fit him for 

 attending the University of Edin- 

 burgh. To this he was encouraged 

 by Mr. Watson, then minister of 

 Canongate, and a relation of his 

 mother. In 1761, he was elected 

 on a comparative trial, master of 

 Watson's hospital. On the illness 

 of Mr. Matheson, rector of the 

 High School, he was applied to for 

 assistance ; and, after teaching for 

 some time, was, in June 176S, ap- 

 pointed rector, and ever since has 

 personally discharged the duties of 

 the office. He was twice married 

 very respectably, but had the mis- 

 fortune to survive all the children of 

 bis first marriage, the eldest of 

 whom, Mr. James Adam, late of 

 the Elphinstone East Indiaman, died 

 so recently as the l^th December, 

 at Havitree, near Exeter, where he 

 had gone for the recovery of his 

 health. He is survived by a widow, 

 a son, and two daughters. Dr. 

 Adam was no common character. — 

 Strongly impressed with the import- 

 ance of his public duties, the ambi- 

 tion of fulfilling them in the most 

 superior manner became his ruling 

 passion. The whole powers of his 

 mind were dedicated » ith unremit- 

 ting exertion to this favourite pur- 

 suit, and the labours of a most la- 

 borious life devoted to its attain- 

 ment. After the most animated ac- 

 tivity, during the hours of teaching, 

 to render his pupils good scholars, 

 and inspire them with the knowledge 

 and admiration of Greek and Ro- 

 man excellence, the remainder of 

 his time was rigidly devoted to the 

 preparation of works of great la- 

 bour, which appeared to him want- 

 ing for facilitating the attainments 

 of the youth, and exciting a relish 

 for the study of letters. And though 

 very susceptible of pleasure from 

 Vol. LI. 



the society of friends, and though 

 the fatigue of great exertions requir- 

 ed from him, as fiom other men, 

 some interval of repose, the former 

 was ever considered by him as an 

 indulgence, which ii became him to 

 sacrifice ; and the latter as a want, 

 which was to be abridged as much 

 as nature would permit : in short, 

 he had imbibed the principles and 

 fervor of the ancients, wliom he 

 studied, and a stoic as to all per- 

 sonal indulgence, he was an enthu- 

 siast as to tlie importance of his un- 

 dertakings, and a zeaiotfor theirac- 

 complishmeiit. In this way, by the 

 concentration and perseverance of 

 his eftbris, he was able to produce 

 works of first-rate utility and merit; 

 and which, though neither distin- 

 guished by much originality of 

 thought, nor refined by the nicer 

 touches of discriminating taste, af- 

 ford a lesson and an example to 

 mankind, of what may be achieved' 

 by resolution and well-directed in- 

 dustry. His Latin grammar, though 

 for a time, encountered by preju- 

 dice, is, beyond all question, the 

 work best adapted to those for 

 whom it was destined. His antiqui- 

 ties, compreheiided within moder- 

 ate dimensions, state, in good ar- 

 rangement, and with excellent judg- 

 ment, nearly every thing of value ia 

 the voluminous, tedious, and ex- 

 pensive commentaries on the Latin 

 classics, and aiford every requisite 

 aid for studying the text with intel- 

 ligence and satisfaction. His Bio- 

 graphy, Summary of History, and 

 Geography, are superiorly calcu- 

 lated to furnish that general know- 

 ledge of great characters, and great 

 events, and of the scene of action on 

 which man is placed, which is so 

 apt to apply the torch of Prome- 

 theus to well-born minds; and the 

 2 Q progress 



