2 BLACK. 



system, that it might seem the produce of a somewhat 

 later age. The interests of truth and justice therefore 

 require that we should minutely examine the facts of 

 the case ; and, happily, the evidence is so clear that it 

 only requires an attentive consideration to remove all 

 doubt from the subject. I feel it a duty imperatively 

 cast upon me to undertake a task from which, did I 

 not regard it as less difficult than sacred, I might shrink. 

 But I had the great happiness of being taught by him- 

 self, having attended one of the last courses of lectures 

 which he delivered ; and the knowledge thus gained 

 cannot be turned to a better use than in recording 

 the glory and in vindicating the fame of my illustrious 

 master. 



The story of a philosopher's life is soon told. Black 

 was born, in 1721, at Bordeaux, where his father, a 

 native of Belfast, was settled as a merchant : he was, 

 however, a Scotchman, and his wife too was of a Scot- 

 tish family, that of Gordon of Billhead, in Aberdeen- 

 shire, settled like Mr. Black at Bordeaux. The latter 

 was a person of extraordinary virtues, and a most 

 amiable disposition. The celebrated Montesquieu 

 honoured him with his especial regard ; and his son 

 preserved, as titles of honour in his family, the many 

 letters of the President to his parent. In one of them 

 he laments the intended removal of the Black family 

 as a thing he could not reconcile himself to, for his 

 greatest pleasure was seeing them often, and living 

 himself in their society. Though Mr. Black sent his 

 son, at the age of twelve, for some years to a school 

 in Ireland, he was removed to the College of Glasgow 

 in the year 1746, and ever after lived in that which 

 was, properly speaking, his native country. At that 

 college he studied under the celebrated Cullen, then 

 Professor of Anatomy and Lecturer on Chemistry ; and, 

 having removed in 1750 to Edinburgh for the benefit 

 of that famous medical school, he took his degree there 

 in 1754. In 1756 he was appointed to succeed Dr. 



