ROBERTSON. 257 



satisfaction of receiving a copy of the only sermon which 

 he ever published, as well as of two or three hymns, 

 translations, and paraphrases from the Hebrew of the 

 Old Testament. The sermon is able, judicious, cor- 

 rectly composed, both for accuracy of diction and se- 

 verity of taste, and contains passages of great beauty and 

 effect. It resembles what in England would be called 

 an Ordination Sermon or Charge, being delivered at 

 the opening of the Metropolitan Synod in May, 1737, 

 and is a full description of the duties of ministers, the 

 title of it being that " they should please God rather 

 than men." The poetry is elegant and classical. 

 Both productions plainly show that good taste, as well 

 as strong but sober reason, came to the great historian 

 by descent as well as by study. But that his father 

 held opinions more strict on some subjects than the 

 relaxed rigour of the Presbyterian rule prescribed half 

 a century later, may be seen from his requiring his 

 son's promise never to enter a play-house. This was 

 stated by him in reference to his father, when debating 

 the question of John Home's having written the play 

 of ' Douglas.' It is needless to add that, however 

 much he differed with his father on this subject, he 

 strictly adhered through life to the promise thus given, 

 insomuch that when Garrick and Henderson at dif- 

 ferent times visited him, they entertained and interested 

 him by exhibiting to him in private specimens of the 

 art in which both so eminently excelled. The tra- 

 ditional character of the venerable person whom I 

 have mentioned, in his family, was anything rather 

 than sour or stern, how severe and unbending soever 

 may have been his moral feelings. For the sweetness 



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