20 MEMOIR OF 



which are prescribed as the necessary prepara- 

 tions for entering upon the study of theology ; 

 and, in 1760, entered into a society, established 

 for mutual improvement among the young men 

 attending the College, to which they gave the name 

 of the Newtonian Society. About the same time 

 he commenced forming a collection of indigenous 

 plants, which he arranged into a Hortus Siccus, ana 

 presented to Dr Hope, the professor of botany 

 he subsequently competed for, and gained the 

 honorary goldftnedal given by the professor for 

 the best botanical dissertation, the substance of 

 which he afterwards published in the first volume 

 of his Philosophy of Natural History. 



His progress in the study of Botany was so 

 great, that Dr Hope, meeting with an accident, 

 which prevented him for some time from lecturing 

 to his class, selected Mr Smellie as the fittest person 

 to carry on the lectures to the students during 

 his own necessary absence, and ever after 

 honoured him with his friendship. Various 

 literary schemes appear to have floated through 

 his mind at different times ; and frequent thoughts 

 of pursuing the study of divinity or medicine in 

 the midst of which he fell in love. The following 

 letter to his friend, the late Rev. Dr Charters of 

 Wilton, Roxburghshire, will explain his views at 

 tms time. 



