512 SIMSON. 



walked. Anecdotes are related of him when inter- 

 rupted by some one on his accustomed walk, and after 

 hearing what was said, continuing at the number he 

 had just before marked, and surprising his acquaint- 

 ance by speaking the next number aloud. He was 

 exceedingly absent ; and the younger part of the uni- 

 versity pupils were wont to play upon this peculiarity. 

 It is related that one of the college porters being 

 dressed up for the purpose, came to ask charity, and in 

 answer to the Professor's questions, gave an account 

 of himself closely resembling his own history. When 

 he found so great a resemblance, adds the story, he 

 cried out, " What's your name ?" and on the answer 

 being given, " Robert Simson," he exclaimed with great 

 animation, " Why, it must be myself!" when he awoke 

 from his trance. Notwithstanding his absent habits, 

 he was an exceedingly good man of business ; he filled 

 the office of Clerk of the Faculty in the University for 

 thirty years, and managed its financial and other 

 concerns with great regularity and success. Like all 

 minds of a higher order, his not only had no contempt 

 for details, but a love of them; and while clerk he 

 made a transcript with his own hand of the University 

 records, for which he received a vote of thanks from 

 the Senatus Academicus. 



In 1758, being turned of threescore and ten, he 

 found it necessary to employ an assistant ; when one of 

 his favourite pupils, Dr. Williamson, was appointed his 

 helper and successor. The University passed a resolu- 

 tion stating his merits fully, recording in detail his 

 services to the college and to science at large, and pro- 

 nouncing a warm but just panegyric upon him. He 



