APPENDIX. 39 



admired as an original, powerful, and rational preacher. His Account of 

 diftinguifhed abilities, great integrity, goodnefs of heart, and 

 agreeablenefs of manners, now procured him the friendfhip 

 and confidence of feveral other perfons, who afterwards became 

 celebrated in the republic of letters ; and, about this time, a 

 particular incident occurred, which was an earned of that ge- 

 nerality of mind, for which he was afterwards fo remarkable. 

 Mr Oswald, who was now making a figure in public life, had 

 remained his firm friend, and had promifed to beftow on him 

 the firft living in the Church he fhould be able to procure. 

 The parifh of Kennoway, in Fife, became vacant, and at the 

 difpofal of Mr Oswald ; but MrDRYSDALE having heard, that 

 his friend was embarrafled by a certain political connection, 

 which made it extremely eligible to beftow that living upon 

 another candidate, he took an early opportunity of waiting on 

 Mr Oswald, and having voluntarily renounced his claim, he 

 begged of his friend by all means to yield to the political ap- 

 plication in favour of his rival ; for which Mr Oswald ever 

 after confidered himfelf as under the greatefl obligation to him* 

 Indeed, at every period of his life, the conferring of a favour on 

 a friend, was toMrDRYSDALE a much more powerful motive of 

 action, than the view of obtaining any perfonal emolument ; 

 and in examining the foundations of morality, a fubject in 

 which, as well as his friend Mr Smith, he took great delight, 

 and to which he had paid particular attention, the feelings ot 

 his own mind were fufEcient to induce him to reject with dif- 

 dain the fyftem of thofe philofophers who deduce all human ac- 

 tions from a felfifh fource. 



In the year 1748, he obtained a Crown-prefentation to the 

 church of Kirklifton in Weft Lothian, by the intereft of the 

 late John Earl of Hopetoun, to whom he had been recommend- 

 ed by William Adam, Efq; of Maryburgh, Architect, whofe.; 

 third daughter he afterwards married. 



