xxviii LIFE OF 



to go himself, and deliver his essay in person, if he intended to 

 compete ; but the poet declared his total inability to perform the 

 journey for want of funds ; and, besides, said, " It is long since I 

 read Ramsay, and, as to Fergusson, I never saw a copy of his poems 

 in my life ; I am at a loss, therefore, which side of the argument to 

 espouse." He was answered, that " Ramsay would most probably 

 be the favourite. His Gentle Shepherd had made a deep impression 

 on the public, and would always continue popular; he, besides, 

 enjoyed superior advantages over Fergusson, — Thomson, the author 

 of the Seasons, having seen and criticised the Pastoral previous to 

 its publication. The poems of Fergusson possess great merit ; but 

 the difficulties the young poet had to contend with, and his un- 

 timely and melancholy death, left it difficult to speculate upon what 

 he would have attained had he lived to the years of his predecessor." 

 " For these reasons," replied Wilson, " will I espouse his cause ; 

 I shall go to Edinburgh myself ; " but, stopping suddenly, he ex- 

 claimed, " Where am I to get the siller, or see a copy of his 

 poems 1 " Mr Brodie kindly furnished him with his own copy of 

 Fergusson, and advised him to finish his web at Lochwinnoch, 

 which, if he could get done in time, would yield him the means to 

 undertake the journey. With a light and joyous heart he set out ; 

 and, in one week, returned from Lochwinnoch, visiting his father 

 at Auchinbathie by the way ; having in that short period, woven 

 forty ells of silk gauze (of itself a good week's work), read and 

 studied Fergusson, and had composed, written, and learned to recite 

 his poetical address of the " Laurel Disputed." 



Our youthful poet walked to Edinburgh, and was one of the 

 seven candidates on this, to him, eventful evening. To use his own 

 expression, " We were ranged on a front seat in the Pantheon, like 

 so many pamphlets on a shelf." Drawing lots to regulate the 

 precedence of the orators, Wilson found his turn about the middle ; 

 and when the first had concluded his address, he thought that he 

 could do better than it. The audience, who were also the judges, 

 consisted of nearly five hundred persons. Six of the competitors 

 took the side of Ramsay, Wilson stood singly and alone for Fergusson. 



The medal was adjudged to a Mr Cumming ; Wilson was declared 

 second in merit, and Picken third ; the essays of the others were 

 not taken into consideration. Wilson was both elevated and pro- 



