EARLY SOCIETIES. 



II.— THE EDINBURGH SOCIETY FOR ENCOURAGING ARTS, 

 SCIENCES, MANUFACTURES, AND AGRICULTURE. 



In the interval between the dissohition of the Society of 

 Improvers in 1745 and the foundation of the Highland 

 Society of Scotland in 1784, there was established another 

 Society, which aimed, among other objects, at the advance- 

 ment of agriculture. This was the ' Edinburgh Society for 

 encouraging Arts, Sciences, Manufactures, and Agriculture.' 

 The ' Edinburgh Society ' was founded by, and grew out 

 of, another Association, called the ' Select Society.' The 

 Society just named w^as founded on the 23d May 1754, and 

 was projected by Allan Ramsay, the painter, son of the 

 poet. It was intended partly for philosophical inquiry and 

 partly for the improvement of the members in public speak- 

 ing. At the date of its institution, the Select Society 

 numbered only fifteen members, ' who had been nominated 

 and called together by Mr Ramsay, and two or three of his 

 friends.' Among those associated with the foundation of 

 the Select Society w^ere Dr Robertson the historian, David 

 Hume, Adam Smith, author of ' The Wealth of Nations '; 

 Dr Carlyle, known as Jupiter Carlyle ; Alex. Wedderburn, 

 afterwards Lord Chancellor of England ; John Home, 

 author of the tragedy of 'Douglas'; Sir Gilbert Elliot, etc. 

 The Select Society grew rapidly in strength, and within a 

 year of its foundation ' the number of members exceeded a 

 hundred, including all the individuals in Edinburgh and the 

 neighbourhood who were distinguished by genius or by lite- 

 rary attainments.' The members were elected by ballot ; 

 and the meetings of the Society were held weekly on Friday 

 during the sittings of the Court of Session, both in summer 

 and w'inter. While Wedderburn, Robertson, Elliot, Lord 

 Kames, and others were distinguished as speakers in the 



