NOTES. 487 



two particulars regarding both Simson and Hume, from 

 those papers, which he had presented to the Maitland Club 

 of Glasgow. 



It appears that a difference arose as to the terms on 

 which the resignation in favour of Williamson had been 

 made, and the matter was left to the arbitration of Matthew 

 Stewart on Simson' s part, and Baron Mure (the colonel's 

 grandfather) on Williamson's. The correspondence through- 

 out shows that there was no great favour entertained for him 

 by the professor ; but it also shows that his anxiety respect- 

 ing the sum to be secured arose from the efforts he was 

 making to pay off what remained of his father's debts, 

 which as late as 1763 he had been unable to accomplish. 

 We find also from those letters, that the number of his 

 pupils had never been less than fifty, and often considerably 

 more. The arrangement as to assistant and successor was 

 universally practised in the Scotch Universities, but has 

 of late been very properly discontinued, as leading to great 

 abuse. 



