Biographical Memoir of Sir John Leslie. 5 



then youths of his own age ; and the acquaintance, in after years, 

 ripened into a warm and lasting friendship, alike honourable to 

 both parties, and which formed one the chief and most valued 

 solaces of his life. 



In 1783 or 1784, he quitted St Andrews, and proceeded to 

 Edinburgh, with the intention of entering himself as a student 

 of Divinity in the Metropolitan University. He was r.ccom- 

 panied, we believe, by another young Mathematician, d etined, 

 like himself, to obtain a distinguished niche in the Temple of 

 Fame — James Ivory ; and they lived together for some time. 

 He never had any liking for the Church as a profession ; and 

 though he was formally entered at the Divinity Hall, he con- 

 trived to devote his first session to the sciences,, particularly to 

 Chemistry. In fact, he seems early to have relinquished all 

 thoughts of the Church ; — a resolution perhaps hastened by the 

 death of his patron, the Earl of Kinnoull, which took place 

 soon after his removal to Edinburgh. He continued to study 

 here till the close of the session of 1787 ; and, as is customary 

 "\vith students of greater ability and industry than means, de- 

 voted part of his time to private tuition. One of the young 

 men whose studies he assisted was nearly related to, and be- 

 came the heir of Dr Adam Smith ; — a circumstance which he was 

 accustomed to recollect with pleasure, as having made him 

 known to that illustrious Philosopher, who treated liim kindly 

 and occasionally favoured him with directions as to his own 

 pursuits. His first essay as an author must have been com- 

 posed about the time of his leaving this university. It was a 

 Paper On the Resolution of indeterminate Problems, which was 

 read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh by Mr Play fair, in 

 1788, and afterwards published in its Transactions.* 



In this year, he was prevailed upon by two young students 

 of the name of Randolph, and of the distinguished American 

 family of that name, to accompany them, in capacity of tutor, 

 to Virginia ; and he accordingly left Scotland alongst with 

 them. They arrived at the place of their destination in the be- 

 ginning of November ; and his time afterwards seems to have 

 j^assed both agreeably and usefully. He was all his life fond 

 of visiting other countries, and perhaps a little disposed to un- 



• See vol. ii. p. 193. 



