40 EARLY SOCIETIES. 



command of the Society ; for the Mercury of the 28th of 

 July has an advertisement summoning for the 30th of the 

 month, in the Advocates' Librar)-, ' a general meeting of 

 the subscribers to the fund of the Society for promoting 

 the reading and speaking of the English language in Scot- 

 land, and, as matters of great moment to the Society were 

 to be laid before the meeting, the attendance of the sub- 

 scribers is very much requested.' To the advertisement 

 is appended a list of the premiums offered for competition 

 by the Edinburgh Society. This advertisement illustrates 

 the joint-management of the Select and the Edinburgh 

 Societies, the same intimation summoning a meeting of 

 those interested in the study of the English language, and 

 announcing premiums for various improvements in manu- 

 facture and in agriculture. The advertisement, we may add, 

 has a notice appended to the list of premiums stating that, 

 'for the convenience of the judges, the managers have 

 ordered these premiums to be determined on the first 

 Wednesday of August 1764, at Richard Vary's.' Vary's, 

 we know, was near Hope Park, which connects these meet- 

 ings once more with the centre of operations of the Society 

 of Improvers noticed in the last chapter. 



The competition took place at Richard Vary's on the 

 day fixed ; and from the notice in the Merany we learn 

 that it was very satisfactory. We have to note that 

 premiums for horses were offered in three classes. There 

 was a prize for the best stallion, mare, or gelding, three 

 years old, bred in Scotland. The first prize was won by 

 Matthew Henderson, for his young stallion ; and the 

 second was awarded to James Buchanan, for his mare. A 

 prize for the best mare for breeding was won by Andrew 

 Tvlacfarlane, stabler. Grass Market, Edinburgh. A prize 

 for the best mare for breeding draught horses was won by 

 Mr Pringle, Crichton. The Mercury adds that ' the horses 

 and mares which competed for the above were more in 

 number, and in general much finer than those shown upon 

 former occasions.' 



The successful exhibition at Richard Vary's, at Hope 

 Park, was an expiring effort on the part of the Societies. 



