OF THE LATE PROFESSOR ROBISON. 509 



Originality of it, was afterwards of great use in ascertaining the 

 justness of his claim. 



There could not be a better school for philosophical inven- 

 tion than Mr Robison enjoyed at this time, and accordingly, 

 he used always to say, that it was not till his second re- 

 sidence at Glasgow that he applied to study with his whole 

 mind. 



Dr Black was elected Professor of Chemistry in the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh in the summer of 1 766 ; and, on leaving 

 Glasgow, recommended Mr Hobison as his successor. He 

 was accordingly made choice of, and began his first course of 

 chemical lectures in October 1766. He was appointed for one 

 year only, but his success assured his continuance without any 

 other limit than such as depended on himself. 



He had also the charge of the education of the late Mr Mac- 

 dowal of Garthland, and of Mr Charles Knowles, a son 

 of the Admiral. But of the particulars, during four years, 

 about this, time, I have been able to obtain little information. 



The friendship of Admiral Knowles had been all along 

 exerted toward Mr Robison, with an extraordinary degree of 

 zeal and assiduity, and was now the means of procuring for 

 him a very unlooked-for preferment, which removed him from 

 his academical duties at Glasgow. The Empress of Russia, 

 convinced of the importance of placing her marine on the 

 best footing, made an application to the Government of this 

 country, for permission to engage in her service some of the 

 most able and experienced of our naval officers, to whom 

 she might entrust both the contrivance and the execution 

 of the intended reformation. The request was agreed to, 

 and the person recommended was Admiral Sir Charles 

 Knowles, who had long applied, with great diligence, to the 



Vol. VII. P. II. 3 T study 



