X MEMOIR. 



placed as an apprentice with Dr. Alex- 

 ander Garden, the chief practitioner of 

 physic in Charlestown, and well known to 

 naturalists by his communications to the 

 Royal Society. My manners from my in- 

 fancy had always been rude and rough, 

 but after I went to Edinburgh, and fell 

 into the company of Mr. Hume and Mr. 

 Miller, and other } 7 oung men of superior 

 rank to myself, they became considerably 

 softened; but I had always from my ear- 

 liest boyhood a strong desire to act agree- 

 ably to truth. Dr. Garden had been ac- 

 customed to apprentices of a very different 

 character, and in consequence, frequently 

 suspected me of falsehood ; and upon one 

 of these occasions, he attempted to strike 

 me with his hand, but I eluded the blow. 

 From this time, however, I became in my 

 conduct towards him reserved and indig- 

 nant, and finding little or no entertain- 

 ment in the society of the young men of 



