78 LESLIE. 



He also became known to Professors Robison and Stewart, of 

 Edinburgh, and by their advice was sent, in his thirteenth year, to 

 the University of St. Andrew's, to study mathematics under Pro- 

 fessor Vilant. Here, at the end of the first session, his abilities 

 procured him the second prize, and likewise attracted the notice of 

 the Earl of Kinnoull, then Chancellor of the University, who under- 

 took to defray the expenses of his education, provided that he would 

 enter the Church. Leslie prosecuted his studies at this university 

 during six sessions, and became about this time acquainted with 

 Playfair and Dr. Small. 



In 1783-4 he quitted St. Andrews and went to Edinburgh, where, 

 though he formally entered the Divinity Hall, he contrived to de- 

 vote his first session to the sciences, particularly chemistry ; in 

 fact, Leslie seems early to have relinquished all thoughts of the 

 Church a resolution hastened by the death of his patron, the Earl 

 of Kinnoull, shortly after his removal to Edinburgh. While engaged 

 at the university, he also acted as tutor to Mr. Douglas, afterwards 

 Lord Reston, the nephew of Dr. Adam Smith, and he thus became 

 known to that philosopher, who treated him kindly, and occasion- 

 ally favoured him with directions as to his pursuits. Leslie's first 

 essay, ' On the Resolution of Indeterminate Problems,' was composed 

 about this time, and read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh by 

 Mr. Playfair, in 1788, and published in their ' Transactions' for 

 .1790. 



In 1788, he became tutor to two young Americans of the name 

 of Randolph, and accompanied them to Virginia, where he remained 

 for about a twelvemonth, during which time he visited New York, 

 Philadelphia, &c. In January 1790, carrying, among other letters 

 of recommendation, one from Adam Smith, Leslie repaired to London, 

 with the intention of delivering a course of lectures on natural phi- 

 losophy; but finding, to use his own words, that "rational lectures 

 would not succeed," he employed himself for some time in writing 

 for the ' Monthly Review,' and in other literary occupations. 



In April 1790, he became tutor to the younger Wedgewoods, of 

 Etruria, in Staffordshire, who had been his former fellow-students, 

 and with whom he remained until the close of 1792. Leslie was 

 likewise employed during this period in experimental investigations, 

 and in completing a translation of Buffon's 'Natural History of 

 Birds,' published in 1793, in nine volumes, for which he received a 

 considerable sum, the foundation of that pecuniary competency 

 which his industrious and prudent habits enabled him ultimately to 

 acquire. 



During the years 1794-5 he resided at Largo, occupied upon a 

 long series of hygrometrical experiments, during the course of 

 which he invented his differential thermometer, the parent, as it 

 may be called, of his subsequent inventions the hygroscopc, pho- 

 tometer, pyroscope, rothrioscope, and atmometer. Although Leslie 



