SIR WILLIAM Hamilton's philosophy. 209 



tbe Scotch Universities, originated a fresh educational power which 

 had begun to attract even foreignersf to the then remote University 

 of Glasgow ; and a more intimate acquaintance with the period will 

 only confirm the impression, that for Scotland a brilliant career in 

 letters was being opened up,* such as her Southern sister had then 

 already commenced, and such as she herself entered upon at once, 

 whenever the cause was removed, which soon after this began to 

 operate, and which rendered such a career impossible for her until she 

 had done a century of other work more essential to her own existence, 

 and also, it is believed, to the progress of civilization in the British 

 islands. 



It is no part of my task in this place to interpret the development 

 of the Scottish mind in the seventeenth century ; but even Mr. Buckle 

 explains the limitation of its range during that period, as arising, not 

 from an inherent impotence, but partly from the compulsory im- 

 prisonment of external circumstances, partly from the voluntary con- 

 centration of its powers on an unwearying revolt against political and 

 ecclesiastical despotism. That such is the true explanation of the 

 narrow space within which the Scottish mind moved during the cen- 

 tury in question, becomes apparent from the results which immedi- 

 ately followed the Kevolutioa of 1688. With the peaceful communi- 

 cation, which by this means was opened, between the north and the 

 south of Britain, began that influence of the two nations oa each- 

 other, which, after a few years, rendered their legislative union pos- 

 sible and' which is now welding them into one. The literature of 

 England thus found its way into Scotland, and the literary language of 

 London soon become that of Edinburgh also. The Scotch, able once 

 more to breathe freely, began to look abroad on what other nations 

 had been doing, while they were absorbed in their long struggle for 

 existence and for what was dearer to them than existence itself. 

 Even in theology a freer range of thought was ventured upon : so 

 conservative a churchman as Wodrow did not shrink from acquaint- 

 ing himself with the writings of Tindal and Collins, while he 

 indicates the change which had come over the spirit of the Scottish 



\ Ibid., p 50. This work, to which I have referred several times, contains some 

 valuable information regarding the condition of the Scottish Universities during 

 the latter part of the 16th century. The author was a nephew of Andrew Mel- 

 ville, and was the first regent in Scotland who lectured on Aristotle's works,, 

 not from Latin translations, but from the original (p. 54.) 



• See D. Stewart's Dissertation, p. 62, note. 



