ALEXANDER WILSON. 
XXIX 
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 Gumming; Wilson was 
declared second in merit, and Picken third; the essays of the 
others were not taken into consideration. Wilson was both 
elevated and provoked at this award ; for he considered that he 
had the true majority. Cumming was only first by seventeen 
votes ; and his friends shrewdly suspected these were obtained by 
presenting forty tickets to the ladies , which, although only sixpence 
each, was a mode of canvassing beyond the humbler means of our 
author, who, even had he possessed them, would have spurned the 
idea of such corruption.* 
We have now reached the only period in the history of our 
author’s career, which is tarnished by the performance of actions 
discreditable to him, and totally at variance with his real disposi- 
tion, and the whole tenor of his former and after life. Entirely 
discouraged with the ill success of all his undertakings, and his habits 
of application being little improved during the unsettled life he had 
for some time led, he found still greater difficulty in applying to any 
sedate occupation. Though he perceived the necessity of this 
course, and had expressed his wishes to various friends for some 
regular employment, more suited to his taste than that which he 
had hitherto professed, his unsteadiness would not permit him to 
* The poem delivered by Picken, and the Laurel disputed , were published 
together in a shilling pamphlet. 
