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Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Monday, 5th December 1881. 
The Eight Hon. LOED MONFCEEIFF, President, 
in the Chair. 
The President read Obituary Notices of Dr John Hill 
Burton, Eev. Dr Gumming, Dr P. D. Handyside, Professor 
Sanders, Dr Andrew Wood — deceased Fellows of the Society. 
OBITUAEY NOTICES. 
John Hill Burton. By James Gordon, Asst. Librarian. 
John Hill Burton, one of the most eminent men of letters that 
Scotland has produced, was horn on the 22nd of August 1809, at 
Aberdeen. While he was still young, his father, an officer in the 
94th regiment, died ; but his mother, who was the daughter of an 
Aberdeenshire laird, though left, on her husband's decease, with 
very slender means, successfully exerted herself to give her children 
an education befitting their social position. He had the advantage 
of being taught by Melvin, the famous scholar and schoolmaster ; 
and on leaving school, continued his studies at Marischal College. 
He ever afterwards gratefully acknowledged his obligations to his 
Alma Mater. In the course of his education at Aberdeen, he laid 
the foundations of that extensive aquaintance with English litera- 
ture for which he was afterwards so notable, and also acquired a 
familiar knowledge of the Latin language. Sir Theodore Martin 
mentions that Burton used always to carry about with him in his 
pocket a small edition of Horace. Among his associates at school 
and college were several young men afterwards destined to distin- 
guish themselves by their contributions to the history of their 
country, and whose predilections for this department of literature 
doubtless influenced his future literary career. These fellow- 
students were, Joseph Eobertson, the historical antiquary ; Dr John 
Stuart, the author of the splendid volume The Sculptured Stones 
of Scotland ; Canon Eobertson, the ecclesiastical historian ; Dr 
Grub, the author of the Ecclesiastical History of Scotland; Professor 
Cosmo Innes; and Dr John Cumming, of whom an obituary notice 
