Life of the Rev. Abraham Robertson, D.D. 397 



in the Parish School, a very successful classical teacher, and 

 John Roughead, who kept a private school and was famous 

 for mathematics. Perhaps he attended both these schools, 

 but the latter branch seemed to suit the bent of his genius, 

 and from it he acquired no small reputation among his 

 acquaintances, for the expertness with which he answered 

 the most difficult questions. Being a lad of delicate health, 

 lie sought to invigorate his constitution, and at the same 

 time to earn a livelihood, by following the humble calling 

 of a Pedlar in going round the country selling small wares. 

 His father, having become a widower, married a second 

 time ; and it is said his stepmother used him harshly, and 

 he was obliged to leave his father's house. While travelling 

 in the county of Northumberland, he was seized with a 

 lingering fever, and was obliged to dispose of the greater 

 part of the contents of his pack to defray the expense of 

 his living and his cure ; however, after having recovered, he 

 by some means pushed up to London. Having no friends 

 in the metropolis, and being nearly penniless, in this sad 

 condition he found out a Mr. John Gray, a bookseller, a 

 native of Dunse, who knew his father, and who, being a 

 man of a very benevolent disposition, was induced to take 

 his unfortunate countryman under his protection, With him 

 he stayed for some time, till Mr. Gray procured him a situa- 

 tion with a gentleman who carried on an extensive business, 

 to act in the humble capacity of an errand lad. In this 

 situation he remained a good while. His employer had two 

 sons at school, and their teacher having called upon their 

 father, he made enquiries of him respecting the progress the 

 boys were making at school, for he considered them rather 

 dull and idle at their tasks. The teacher told him that of 

 late, especially in mathematics, their progress was very 

 marked ; — indeed he was happy to inform him that he was 

 quite astonished at the correct and properly wrought out 

 answers they brought to very intricate questions, which he 

 frequently gave them to solve. Their father told him he 

 did not see any change of late in the habits of the boys, as 

 they seemed quite as idle and careless as formerly about 

 their tasks, and therefore he doubted the accuracy of this 

 favourable report. However the master maintained that it 

 was quite a fact, and proposed that the boys should be called 

 in, and he would set them a question similar to those they 

 usually got, and which could be done before them, and thus 



