xviii Proceedings of Boycd Society of Edinburgh . 
master. In a book lately published, the author, JE. J. G. Mackay, 
Sheriff of Fife and Kinross, speaking of Irving, says that “ his 
eloquence, earnestness, and high ideal aims had been known in 
Kirkcaldy, where it was remembered that he took his pupils to the 
sands to watch the stars.” It may be mentioned, in passing, that 
in 1816 Thomas Carlyle came to Kirkcaldy, so that we find two 
men who were to become famous, and a boy who, in his own way, 
was to rise to eminence, living in close proximity. The boy, 
young as he was, no doubt felt the influence of his teacher, and 
possibly of Carlyle also ; for two such spirits in a small place like 
Kirkcaldy could not fail to stir up old and young who came in 
contact with them, especially those who had any leanings toward 
science and literature. The boy Sang must have been deeply im- 
pressed with Irving’s method of teaching, for in after years he used, 
when occasion served, to give at the meetings of the Koyal Scottish 
Society of Arts vivid descriptions of his school life at Kirkcaldy. 
He told how Irving made the boys throw down their books and 
go off with him to field or sea shore to work out problems in land- 
surveying, astronomy, and navigation. To young and ardent 
minds no method of teaching could be more fascinating. The 
pupils were fortunate in having such a teacher. Of the progress 
the boy made during the first two years of his school life we may 
judge by referring to a prize he then obtained. We find the 
following inscribed on a copy of Vince’s Hydraulics : — 
“This book is presented to Edward Sang by the Patrons of the Kirkcaldy 
Subscription School for his progress in the Higher Class of Mathematics. 
(Signed) “Edward Irving.” 
Sang was not much of a letter-writer, so that there is little in 
the way of correspondence to weave into such a notice as this. 
There is one letter, however, the first he wrote, which is peculiarly 
interesting, as it gives a good idea of what he, a lad of eleven years 
of age, and his brother, a little older, were thinking about. The 
letter is addressed, “Mr David Sang, Brucefield, Dunfermline,” 
and is as follows : — 
“ Kirkcaldy, 7th December 1816. 
“ Dear Brother, — I have sent with the cart the Algebra, Mechanics, and 
Astronomy. I cannot send the Geometry, Conic Sections, or French 
Dictionary. I do not know whether you wish me to send any Latin books 
