600 MK small's biographical sketch of prof. ADAM FERGUSON. 



remainder of a long life, discharging his ministerial duties with exemplary piety 

 and firmness. Although the parishioners were at the period of his induction 

 almost universally hostile to Presbyterian principles, he speedily secured general 

 respect, which he retained till his death in 1754. 



Ferguson received his earlier education partly at home under the tuition of 

 his father, who had soon discovered his son's superior abilities, partly at the 

 parish school of Logierait. He was afterwards sent to Perth, where he attended 

 the classes of Mr James Martin, rector of the grammar school, a distinguished 

 teacher, who had numbered amongst his pupils the great Lord Mansfield. 

 There he was committed to the charge of his relation, William Ferguson, a 

 merchant, and at one time chief magistrate of that city. At the Grammar 

 School of Perth Ferguson excelled in classical literature, and especially in the 

 composition of essays ; and we learn that his themes were not only praised at 

 the time, but were long preserved, and shown with pride by Mr Martin, who 

 declared that none of his pupils had ever surpassed the writer. 



In 1738, when he had just entered on his sixteenth year, Ferguson was 

 enrolled at the University of St Andrews, where he studied Latin under Pro- 

 fessor Young, and Greek under Professor Pringle. The classes were then ably 

 superintended by Principal Tullidelph, to whom Ferguson had the advantage 

 of being recommended by his father's friend and namesake, the minister of 

 Moulin. 



At the commencement of the session, Ferguson gained by competition one of 

 the foundation bursaries, which are tenable during the curriculum in the Faculty 

 of Arts, and which entitled him to maintenance at the College table. This he 

 owed to his previous excellent training in Latin. His attention was now given 

 to the study of Greek, of which, hitherto, he seems to have had little knowledge ; 

 and that so successfully, that at the end of his first session he read Homer with 

 considerable ease. During the summer recess he resolved to read one hundred 

 lines of the Iliad daily, and in this way perused the whole poem. He obtained 

 his degree of M.A. on the 4th May 1742, when he had nearly completed his nine- 

 teenth year; and thus finished his curriculum in arts with the reputation of 

 being one of the best classical scholars, and perhaps the ablest mathematician 

 and metaphysician of his time at the University. 



Having been intended by his father for the church, Ferguson entered the 

 Divinity Hall at St Andrews in 1742, under Principal Murtson and Professors 

 Shaw and Campbell ; but shortly afterwards he removed to Edinburgh, and con- 

 tinued his course under Professors Gowdie and Gumming. There he joined a 

 number of young men who afterwards attained to eminence — amongst whom 

 were John Home, author of ' Douglas;' William Robertson, afterwards Prin- 

 cipal of the University ; Hugh Blair ; Mr Wedderburn, afterwards Lord Lough- 

 borough ; and Dr Carlyle — in forming a debating society. This club after- 



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