46 EARLY LIFE. 



University, his degree. But the question of extra- 

 mural teaching, in after-times so much discussed, had 

 arisen upon the introduction of Greek in the school 

 by Adam as early as 1782 ; and the professors endea- 

 voured, but without success, to prevent this. The 

 Principal, who must have strongly disapproved of 

 their opposition, yet yielded to it, probably on the 

 ground of the professor of Greek depending entirely 

 on the number of his pupils, from having no salary ; 

 and on the assumption that, with the frugal habits of 

 the Scotch, few or none would send their sons to 

 attend the Greek professor, if they had learnt a little 

 Greek the year before at the High School. 



The trouble which the Doctor had with some of 

 the masters under him, arose from the improvements 

 in teaching which he endeavoured to introduce, at 

 first with great resistance and only partial success in 

 the end, with their perfect assent. During the for- 

 mer period his chief opponent was Nicol, whose vio- 

 lence led to a personal quarrel, which had nearly 

 ended in a duel. The man did not want talent or 

 learning, but was of most intemperate habits and dis- 

 solute life. He was the intimate friend and pot-com- 

 panion of Burns, some of whose best known and most 

 popular bacchanalian songs bear traces of this inti- 

 macy. Of these the one most in favour with the 

 Scotch begins with 



" Willie brewed a peck of maut (malt), 

 And Eab and Allan came to pree." 



The Willie is Nicol ; the poet is Kab ; and Allan was 



