Professor Leslie. 91 



full of information on a variety of subjects, agree- 

 able in conversation and good natured, but with a 

 singular vanity as to personal appearance. Though 

 one of the coarsest looking men I ever knew, he 

 talked so much of polish and refinement that it 

 tempted Mr. William Clerk, of Eldin, to make a 

 very clever clay model of his ungainly figure. The 

 professor's hair was grey, and he dyed it with some- 

 thing that made it purple ; and, as at that time the 

 art was not brought to its present perfection, the 

 operation was tedious and only employed at inter- 

 vals, so that the professor's hair was often white at 

 the roots and dark purple at the extremities. He 

 was always falling in love, and, to Somerville's inex- 

 pressible amusement, he made me his decoy duck, 

 inviting me to see some experiments, which he per- 

 formed dexterously ; at the same time telling me to 

 bring as many young ladies as I chose, especially 



Miss , for he was sure she had a turn for 



science. He was unfortunate in his aspirations, and 

 remained a bachelor to the end of his life. 



* * # # * 



It was the custom in Edinburgh, especially among 

 the clergy, to dine between the morning and even- 

 ing service on Sundays, and to sup at nine or ten 

 o'clock. In no family were these suppers more agree- 

 able or cheerful than in that of Sir Henry Moncreiff 



