210 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



with the warmest affection of you, and praise you, in particular, for 

 your fond and* unremitted attention to your wife ; and, moreover, 

 remark how quiet and domestic the tenor of your life has been 

 since you left their family, and what particular delight you took in 

 that very fine family of children with which God has blessed you. 

 If you were, indeed, capable of neglecting or undervaluing such a 

 wife and such children, no censure could be too severe for such 

 conduct. But in making an attack of that nature, your enemies 

 have mistaken their point, as your domestic character may be called 

 your strong ground, where you are certainly invulnerable as far as 

 ever I could understand or hear. People's tastes and opinions may 

 differ in regard to talents and acquirements, but as to domestic 

 duties and kind affections, there can be but one opinion among 

 those whose opinion is of any value." 



A still higher authority came forward in vindication of his charac- 

 ter. The following letter was addressed to the Lord Provost by 

 Sir Walter Scott :— 



"Edinburgh, 8th July, 1820. 



" My Loed Provost : — Some unfavorable reports having been 

 circulated with great industry respecting the character of John 

 Wilson, Esq., at present candidate for the Chair of Moral Philoso- 

 phy, now vacant in this University, I use the freedom to address 

 your Lordship in a subject interesting to me, alike from personal 

 regard to Mr. Wilson, and from the high importance which, in 

 common with every friend to this city, I must necessarily attach to 

 the present object of his ambition. 



" Mr. Wilson has already produced to your Lordship such testi- 

 monials of his successful studies, and of his good morals, as have 

 seldom been offered on a like occasion. They comprehend a his- 

 tory of his life, public and private, from his early youth down to 

 this day, and subscribed by men whose honor and good faith cannot 

 be called into question ; and who, besides, are too much unconnected 

 with each other to make it possible they would or could unite their 

 false testimonies, for the purpose of palming an unworthy candidate 

 upon the electors to this important office. For my own part, whose 

 evidence in behalf of Mr. Wilson is to be found among certificates 

 granted by many persons more capable of estimating his worth and 

 talents, I can only say that I should have conceived myself guilty 



