496 BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT 



livered with such effect in the Theory of Moral Sentiments, 

 and in the Wealth of Nations. Dr Moore was a great master 

 of the Greek language, and added to extensive learning a 

 knowledge of the ancient geometry, much beyond the acquire- 

 ment of an ordinary scholar. 



Under such instructors, a young man of far inferior talents 

 to those which Mr Robison possessed, could not fail to make 

 great advancement. He used, nevertheless, to speak lightly 

 of his early proficiency, and to accuse himself of want of appli- 

 cation, but from what I have learnt, his abilities and attainments 

 were highly respected by his cotemporaries, and he was re- 

 marked at a very early period for the ingenuity of his reason- 

 ings, as well as the boldness of his opinions. According to his 

 own account, his taste for the accurate sciences was not much 

 excited by the pure Mathematics, and he only began to at- 

 tend to them, after he discovered their use in Natural Philo- 

 sophy. 



In the year following that in which he took his degree, 

 Dr Dick, who was joint Professor of Natural Philosophy 

 with his father, died, and Mr Robison offered himself to the 

 old gentleman as a temporary assistant. He was recommend- 

 ed, as I have been told, by Mr Smith, but was nevertheless 

 judged too young by Mr Dick, as he was not yet nineteen. 

 The object to which his father, a man of exemplary piety, 

 wished to direct his future prospects, was the Church, to 

 which, however, he was at this time greatly averse, from 

 motives which do not appear ; but certainly not from any 

 dislike to the objects or duties of the Clerical Profession. It 

 was very natural for him to wish for some active scene, where 

 his turn for Physical, and particularly Mechanical Science, 

 might be exercised, and the influence of those indefinite and 

 untried objects, which act so powerfully on the imagination 



of 



