R O B I S N. 



cal nnd profound ; and they arc often enriched with 

 original views, and ingenious inventions, which it re- 

 quired only the tranquillity of health to perfef 

 iiuiture. It was his destiny, however, to enjoy but ut 

 distant intervals that calm of mind which can alone 

 sustain the ardour of discovery. At such periods his 

 ambition constantly reverted to those original pursuits 

 which he was desirous of bringing to a close ; but they 

 were no sooner begun than they were interrupted by 

 renewed attacks of that disease which ultimately de- 

 prived him of his lift-." 



To these observations it may be added, that as Dr. 

 Robison had no scientific articles of any value to refer 

 to in the previous part of the work, he was obliged to 

 introduce preliminary discussions as portions of the 

 treatise which he was writing, and from this cau>e the 

 articles are destitute of that symmetry and method 

 which would otherwise have characterised them. 



In the midst of these occupations, Dr. Robison was 

 led to compose a work of a very different nature, which 

 he published in 1797, under the title of Proofs rf a 

 Conspiracy against alt the Religions and Governments of 

 Europe. On his way to St. Petersburg in 1770, he nnd 

 Admiral Knowles were entertained by the Prince lii- 

 hop of Liege, who, with his chapter and all his servants 

 constituted a lodge of freemasons. Mr. Robison was 

 here initiated into the mysteries of the fraternity, and 

 was thus led, during his residence abroad, to examine 

 the nature and character of such institutions. This 

 work, which consists principally of the history of the 

 society of Illuminati, and the German Union, was 

 founded on documents, the truth of which Dr. Robison 

 had no reason to call in question ; but which were un- 

 doubtedly not deserving of implicit confidence. The 

 work was read with avidity in every part of Europe. 

 It underwent four editions in two years, and extended 

 his reputation among a class of readers who had never 

 heard of the fame of his talents, and who were incapa- 

 ble of appreciating them, even if they had been known. 

 Upon the death of Dr. Black in 1799, Dr. Robi- 

 son was applied to by his friends to superintend the 

 publication of the lectures of that eminent che- 

 mist. Dr. Robison cheerfully undertook a task which, 

 at his time of life, and from other causes, was by no 

 means an easy one. Dr. Black had discovered so 

 much, and written so little, that this publication 

 became necessary to establish Dr. Black's claim 

 to the great discovery of latent heat. This work, 

 which was published in 1803, in 2 vols. 4to. though 

 well executed, was too late in making its appearance. 

 Chemistry had undergone a complete revolution, and 

 even the lectures of Dr. Black were received with 

 comparatively little interest. The last work which 

 Dr. Robison lived to publish, was the first volume 

 of his Elements rf Mechanical Philosophy ; being the 

 Substance of a Course of Lectures on that Science. 

 This volume, including Dynamics and Astronomy, 

 was published in 1804; and he had proceeded a consi- 

 derable way in preparing the manuscript of the second 

 volume, when, after delivering a lecture on the 28th 

 of January, he was sei/ed with a slight cold, and died 

 uu the .SOih January, 1805, in the 66ih year of his age. 

 Dr. Robison was in stature considerably above the 

 middle size. His person as well as features were un- 

 commonly hamUome, and his physiognomy noble and 

 dignified, yet subdued by a tenderness of expression 



characterising the natural benevolence of hu nature; 

 but deepened with a tinge of sorrow which hit fine fea- 

 tures had gradually derived from his bodily infirmi- 

 ties.* 



The effect of these external qualities wat sustained 

 by the elegance of his manners, a* well as by tm 

 powers of conversation, and the extent of hib general 

 knowledge. Having mixed much with the world, and 

 conversed much before he began to write, his written 

 style par.akes a little of the ease, and fluency, and 

 diffuseness of conversation ; while among his scientific 

 countrymen, who generally write long before they 

 have mixed much with society, it is more customary 

 to find their conversation marked with the stiffness and 

 formality of written language. 



After Dr. Robison's death, Professor Playfair under- 

 took to draw up an account of the life and writings of his 

 friend, and to edite a collection of his various articles in 

 the Encyclopedia. The first of these tasks Mr. Play- 

 fair executed with his usual ability, but his occupa- 

 tions would not permit him to execute the second. It 

 therefore devolved upon Dr. Brewster, one of Dr. Ro- 

 bi son's pupils, to publish these papers in 1822, under the 

 title of A System of Mechanical Philosophy, in 4 vol. 8vo. 

 with a volume of plates. This work includes the 

 first volume already mentioned as having been pub- 

 lished in 1804, and some manuscripts which were in- 

 tended for a second volume of the same work, to- 

 gether with all the leading articles which had appeared 

 in the Encyclopedia Britannica, and in the Supplement 

 to the third edition of it. As Dr. Brewster was obli- 

 ged, from the wishes of the publisher, to limit the work 

 to four volumes, he was compelled to leave out several 

 of the inferior articles, and to exercise a considerable 

 editorial jurisdiction over the rest. This work, as Mr. 

 Play fair has justly remarked, will place his scientific 

 character higher than it has ever been with any but 

 those who were personally acquainted with him. In 

 addition to several notes written by himself, the edi- 

 tor was fortunate in being able to prevail upon the 

 late eminent Mr. James Watt to undertake the revi- 

 sion of the article Steam- Engine ; and though he in- 

 tended only to correct imperfections, and supply some 

 of the most prominent defects, yet he was gradually 

 led to extend his views, and to compose most valuable 

 additions on the history, the principles, and the con- 

 struction of the steam-engine. 



Practical and useful as all the writings of Dr. Robi- 

 son 'are, we are disposed to think that they are still too 

 profound for general readers, and that their popularity, 

 however great, would still have been heightened by 

 the omission of several of the mathematical disquiM- 

 tions. Dr. Thomas Young, however, has expressed an 

 opinion which may be considered as the reverse of this 

 when he says that Professor Robison, as well as many 

 others of his countrymen, would certainly have been 

 the better of a little more pure mathematics. We are 

 not disposed to controvert what in its literal significa- 

 tion is so very true ; but we may be permitted to 

 oppose it with another observation equally true, that 

 many of their friends in England would also be the 

 better of a little more of the same rare commodity. 

 With the exception of Mr. Ivory and Professor Wal- 

 lace, we willingly admit the inferiority of our coun- 

 trymen in mathematical attainments ; but if the ob- 

 servation is meant to convey the idea that Dr. Robi- 



There are two flue portraits of Dr. llobison from the hand of Sir Henry Raeburn, and from one of them a meizotinto drawing 

 hMbftea executed. 



