Acco'.i'.it nr 

 'l)r Roc'jucl?. 



(66) HISTORr of the SOCIETK 



guiflied. It would appear that Dr Doddridge had been much 

 pleafed with the ardour and enthufiafm, in the purfuit of know- 

 ledge, difcovered by his pupil ; for, Mr Roebuck, i« an after 

 period of his life, ufed frequently to mention the fubjeds of 

 converfations and inquiries of various kinds, in which the Doc- 

 tor had engaged him. It was during his refidence at this Aca- 

 demy, that he contraded an intimate acquaintance with his 

 fellow - ftudents, Mr Jeremiah Dyson, afterwards much 

 known in the political world, and Mr Mark Akenside, after- 

 wards Dr Akenside, which terminated only with their lives. 



From the Academy at Northampton, he was fent to the Uni- 

 verfity of Edinburgh, where he applied to the ftudy of medi- 

 cine, and particularly to that of chemiflry, which, about that 

 time, began to attracft fome attention in Scotland. While he 

 refided there he diflinguifhed himfelf much, among his fellow- 

 ftudents, in their literary focieties and converfations, by great 

 logical and metaphyfical acutenefs, and by great ingenuity and 

 refourcein argumentation. The late fagacious Dr Porterfield, 

 to whom he had been introduced, obferved and encouraged his 

 riling genius, and was greatly inllrumental in promoting his 

 improvement. There, too, he formed an intimate acquaintance 

 with Mr Hume, Mr Robertson, afterwards Dr Robertson, 

 Mr Pringle, afterwards Lord Alemoor, and fev^ral other 

 perfons of literary eminence ; a circumflance which produced, 

 in his mind, a partiality ever afterwards in favour of Scotland, 

 and contributed not a little to his making choice of it for tlie 

 chief field of his future exertions and induftry. 



After Mr Roebuck had gone through a regular courfe of 

 medical education at Edinburgh, being now determined to fol- 

 low the pradice of phyfic, he next fpent fome time at the Uni- 

 verfity of Leyden, then in high reputation as the firft fchool of 

 medicine in Europe : There, after the ufual refidence and courfe 

 of trials, he obtained a degree in medicine ; and his diploma, 



dated 



