179^' LITERARY INTELLIGENCER. 3 



his friends ; fo that to thofe pupils and friends who had 

 accefs alike to perceive his lingular exertions in his 

 literary capacity, to converfe with him in his own 

 houfe, and to know his moele of living, it has often 

 afforded matter of wonder, how he contrived to obtain 

 that knowledge they found he poiTelTed. For more 

 than thirty years that the writer of this article has 

 been honoured with his acquaintance, he has had ac- 

 cefs to know, that Doclor Cullen was in general em- 

 ployed from five to fix hours every day in viliting his 

 patients, and in prefcribing for thofe at a diftance who 

 confulted him in writing ; and that during the feflion 

 of the college, which in Edinburgh lafts from five to 

 fix months, he delivered two public leftures of an 

 hour each, fometimes four leftures a day, during Jive 

 days of the week ; and towards the end of the fefSon, 

 that his lludents might lofe no part of his courfe, he 

 ufually, for a month or fix weeks together, delivered 

 leftures^f-r days every week ; yet during all that time, 

 if you chanced to fall in with him in public or in 

 private, you never perceived him either embarrafied, 

 or feemingly in a hurry ; but at all times he was eafy, 

 and cheerful, and fociably inclined : and in a private 

 party at whifi:, for fixpence a game, he could be as 

 keenly engaged for an hour before fupper, as if he 

 had had no other employment to mind, and would be 

 as much interefted in it, as if he had had a thoufand 

 pounds depending on the game. 



Nor was it only after he was far advanced in life 

 that his opportunities for ftudy were few, and the 

 means of acquiring knowledge interrupted by the pref- 

 fing avocations of bufinefs. Though defcended from 

 refpeclable parents in Lanarklhire *, their circum- 

 fliances were fuch as did not enable them to lay out 

 much money on the education of their fon "William ; 

 v.'ho, after liaving ferved a Ihort apprenticefhip to a fur- 

 geon apothecary in Glafgow, went feveral voyages to 



* His father was fume time B-iHif, that is, djUf mcgijlratc of Hamilton. 



