88 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



exercise-book still exists, evidently led to the subject by 

 the technical names of the plants with which his medico- 

 botanical studies made him familiar. He used the 

 grammar of the great Ruddiman, the small edition of 

 1803, issued from the Edinburgh University Press. He 

 purchased a copy of "Ainsworth's Latin Dictionary," 

 edited in 1825 by a Dr. Ross; and a "Catechism of 

 Classical Biography," of 1824. His Latin was of real 

 practical utility to him in his after botanical researches. 

 He began also the Greek rudiments, in spite of its peculiar 

 alphabet to bar the way of a home student. This great 

 language he continued to study, chiefly in order to get at 

 the original tongue of the New Testament, as we shall 

 afterwards see. He was not the man to rest contented 

 with using big technical terms, however fluently, without 

 knowing what they meant. He knew their meaning and 

 etymology to an uncommon extent. John's motto through- 

 out life in all he did, from weaving to Biblical criticism 

 and higher Botany, was, like that of all strong men, 

 " Thorough." His Latin and Greek he took some pleasure 

 and pride in using in various ways, like all private students 

 of a foreign tongue, as poet Burns did his French, 



A knowledge of the world in which he dwelt was 

 necessary to his happiness, and he studied geography. 

 He must become acquainted also with the strange and 

 fascinating story of the doings of the human beings that 

 have lived and died on its surface. He therefore devoured 

 history and biography, both British and general, ancient 

 and modern, and on both subjects he gradually gathered 

 a large number of books and much varied information. 



In a scientific direction, John had two chief studies at 



