306 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



On these and other subjects, he was decidedly ahead of 

 the time, and many thought him radical then, though fewer 

 would do so now ; for he sympathised with most of the 

 recent ideas now held in connection with them, which 

 will, no doubt, be the basis of future legislation. 



As Dr. Williams observes, his views of the various 

 political events of the time, strongly biassed though they 

 were, in his opinion, were evidently "the result of much 

 thought and deeply rooted conviction." " It was astonish- 

 ing," another friend remarks, " how he kept pace, about 

 election times, with everyday occurrences, considering his 

 slow way of reading and other drawbacks ; but when he 

 once got an inkling of his own side, he could cudgel many 

 of his opponents that were far better book-learned than he." 



On subjects in which he was well versed, though he 

 never was an orator, he could still discourse with surprising 

 fluency and power. "No one that had not heard him," 

 says Dr. Williams, " would believe that John was such a 

 grand orator. Yet just let him get a fair start on some of 

 his favourite themes, and he would lecture long enough." 

 Although he enjoyed the controversies of others, controversy 

 was not very much in his line, on account of his ardent 

 temperament, which made him lose patience when keenly 

 opposed. 



John's houses of call were comparatively few, and were 

 chiefly confined to those in which there existed some 

 congeniality of taste, reading or study. His intercourse 

 with any one required to yield some intellectual or other 

 higher gain, or it could not be continued. But there were 

 some of his neighbours between whom and himself this 

 community of sentiment existed, and whom he frequently 



