604 MR SMALL S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF PROF. ADAM FERGUSON. 



philosophical inquiry, and improvement in public speaking. This Society exer- 

 cised an important influence in diffusing a taste for letters in Scotland, and it has 

 been remarked, that " the classical compositions of Hume, Robertson, Smith, and 

 Ferguson, the writings of John Home, of Professor Wilkie, of Lord Hailes, Lord 

 MoNBODDO, Sir John Dalrymple, the elder Mr Tytler, all members of the 

 Select Society of Edinburgh, have thrown a lustre on that institution, as marking 

 the commencement of a literary era, which it is doubtful if the succeeding times 

 have yet seen surpassed."* 



Ferguson, shortly after entering on his duties in the Library,! "^^s solicited to 

 undertake the education of the sons of Lord Bute. Hume, in a letter to Gilbert 

 Elliot, of Minto, states, that he had some scruples with regard to accepting this 

 appointment, as he Avas to have the charge of more than one boy, and adds, " I 

 hope Lord Bute will conform himself to his delicacy, at least if he wants to have 

 a man of sense, knowledge, taste, elegance, and morals, for a tutor to his son." 



Having arranged satisfactorily the terms of his engagement with Lord Bute, 

 Ferguson seems to have left his office of Librarian rather abruptly, for, 

 according to the Minutes of the Faculty of 3d January, 1758, "it was repre- 

 sented to the Dean and Faculty that Mr Adam Ferguson, who in January last 

 had been constituted Library-keeper and Clerk to the Faculty, had gone from this 

 place some time ago, and had left behind him a letter demitting said offices, so 

 that the Faculty had now neither a Librarian nor a Clerk ; by whatever omission 

 or neglect, it happened that the said letter of demission had neither been pre- 

 sented to the Dean nor laid before them. And the same thing being affirmed by 

 divers members, after reasoning on the matter at good length, the Dean and 

 Faculty declared the said offices to be vacant, notwithstanding that the said 

 demission had never been presented." 



Ferguson was succeeded in this office by Mr William Wallace, advocate, 

 elected at the meeting above referred to. 



Before giving up his connection with the Advocates' Library, Ferguson 

 attracted considerable attention by a pamphlet which he wrote in defence of John 

 Home, author of ' Douglas,' who had incurred the censure of the Presbytery of 

 Edinburgh by the publication of his celebrated tragedy. This pamphlet, entitled 

 The Morality of Stage Plays seriously considered,^ was published anonymously, 

 and was admitted on all hands "to be the only piece on that side that was 

 written with any tolerable degree of discretion." Home was one of Ferguson's 

 most intimate friends, and it is not surprising that Ferguson was led into taking 

 an active part in the controversy which the publication of ' Douglas' occasioned. 

 Home had at this time resigned his parochial charge, to avoid the persecution to 



* Life of LordKAMES, vol. i, p. 175. 



f Like his predecessor Hume, Ferguson enjoyed tlie moderate salary of L.40 per annum. 



+ Edinburgh, 1757, 8vo. 



