7815.) Smithson Tennant, Esq. 3 
be" present at a public lecture given by Mr. Walker, formerly well 
known as a populer teacher of experimental philosophy. '’ Although 
then very young, he put several pertinent questions to the lecturer 
respecting some of the experiments, and displayed so much intel- 
ligent curiosity as to attract the attention of the audience, and give 
great additional interest to the lecture. Mr. Walker, sensible of 
the effect which the boy’s presence had produced, requested that he 
would continue to attend his lectures during the remainder of the 
course. : 
From Tadeaster Mr. Tennant was removed to Beverley, then 
rather a considerable school, under the care of Dr. George Croft, 
who afterwards obtained ecclesiastical preferment at Birmingham, 
and became known asa controversial writer.» Mr. Tennant went 
somewhat late to Beverley, and did not readily enter into the 
studies or discipline of the place. But, although he was singular 
in his habits, and led rather a sequestered life for a school-boy, he 
was very far from being idle. There was fortunately a good library 
belonging to the school, containing a great collection of miscella+ 
neous books, to which he devoted as much time as was in his power. 
His studies, even at that early period, were principally directed to 
works of natural philosophy; and Sir Isaac Newton’s Treatise on 
Optics was one of the books which he read with the greatest 
eagerness, : 
About the time of quitting school he was very desirous of com- 
pleting his education under Dr. Priestley, whose reputation, in 
consequence of his brilliant pneumatic discoveries, was then at its 
height. His mother seems to have been disposed to gratify him in 
this particular; but the design was found to be impracticable, in 
consequence of Dr. Priestley’s other engagements. i 
With such tastes and habits, it cannot be supposed that Mr. Ten- 
nant, at the time of his leaving school, was a very regular or accu- 
rate classical scholar. Yet for every really useful purpose he pos 
sessed the full advantages of a classical education.. He had a 
competent knowledge of Greek, and was well versed in the Latin 
janguage. Whiat was still more important, he had acquired a strong 
feeling, and rational admiration, of the great writers in those lan- 
guages, whom he justly regarded as the standards of true taste, and 
models of literary composition; and he continued during the 
whole of his life to be a diligent reader of the principal Latin 
Classics, | 
» In the choice of a profession, his attention was naturally directed 
to the study of medicine, as being most nearly allied to his philo- 
sophical pursuits.’ He went accordingly, about the year 1781, with 
that view to Edinbergh, where he had the best opportunities of 
gratifying his favourite tastes; and he had the good fortune to meet 
with an instructor in the celebrated Dr. Black, well calculated to 
stimulate and direct his curiosity. 
~ Of his companions, studies, or occupations at Edinburgh, no- 
thing particular is known. . His stay, indeed, at that University, 
A 2 
