1803.] 
At Aberdeen, in the 68th year of his age, 
"fames Beattie, LL.D. the celebrated Pro~ 
fefior of Moral Philofophy and Logic in the 
Marifchal College, or Univerfity of New 
Aberdeen. This diftinguifhed writer was a 
native of Kincardinefhire. His father ap- 
pertained to that clafs of men who are fcarcely 
on a level with our Englifh peafantry, but he 
was actuated by a liberal and generous fpirit 
peculiar to the little farmers of his native 
country, for he afpired and aétually con- 
trived to obtain an excellent education for his 
fon. The parochial fchools in North Britain 
are moft excellent feminaries for this purpofe, 
and the five univerfities fpread over the face 
of the country, contribute in an admirable 
manner to inftil a tinéture of learning, phi- 
lofophy, and {cience, in the youth deftined to 
attend their various claffes. After the requi- 
fits: preliminary ‘acquifitions in his own 
neighbourhood, young Beattie repaired to 
New Aberdeen, and went through a regular 
courfe of ftudy in that univerfity, in which 
he was deftined to be a profeffor. It is com- 
mon for fuch young men as are not diftin- 
guifhed by the gifts of fortume, to become 
burfars, an idea of which is in fome meafure 
conveyed by the expreffion of Leing put on the 
foundation in our Englifh univerfities> To 
the honour of the Scotch ones, no oppro- 
brious diftinétion ; no menial office ; no de- 
grading fervitude is annexed to the term, 
which merely implies the receipt of. a- reve- 
hue. On the contrary, it is a proof of fupe- 
rior merit; for, inftead of being a finecure 
into which a ftudent is induéted without 
formality, it becomes the premium of a vikto- 
rious conteft, and the juft reward beftowed on 
the victor after a competition, in which claf- 
fical excellence alone carries away the palm: 
“© Non fine pulvere palme.” 
Tt is not unufual for many of the ftudents to 
attend the various college clafies, during a 
certain number of months, when they fup- 
port themfelves on the dourfe of from four or 
five to nine or ten pounds per annum, and to 
fuperintend a parochial {chool during the 
remainder of the year; and there is fome 
reafon to believe that this was the cafe with 
Mr. Beattie. 
in the capacity of a fchoolmafter during a 
confiderable portion of the earlier part of his 
life, firft at Alloain Fifefhire, and afterwards 
in Kincardinefhire. At length an opportu- 
nity prefented itfelf of removing to Aberdeen, 
the third town in Scotland in point of trade, 
extent, and confequence. There he acted 
for fome time in the humble fituation of an 
ufher, to the grammar or principal Latin 
{chool; and having married the daughter of 
the mafter, he perheps afpired to nothing 
more than becoming fucceflor to his own fa- 
ther-in-law. An event however occurred 
that foon tanght him higher hopes, and af- 
forded fuperior expetations. Mr. Beattie, 
who had*long cultivated a tafte for poetry, 
about this period applied himfelf with unre- 
wnitting ardour to give.a polith to his verfes, 
Montuty Mag. No. 307. 
Dr. Beattie, 
Certain it is, that he aéted™~ tion. 
‘for a young man to look up for countenance 
“in his fituation. 
S77 
that fhould entitle them to meet the public 
eye, and he foon realifed the moft fanguine 
withes of his friends in this refpe&. His 
firft publication was a volume of ‘ Original 
Poems and Tranflations,” which appeared fo 
early a%.17603 fome of thefe after being pu- 
rified and refined from their juvenile drofs, 
have been fince preferved in a new edition of 
the author’s poetry. In 1765 appeared his 
<< Judgment of Paris,’? and in 1767 he be- 
" came known to Gray, and is faid to have con- 
fulted him relative tothe ‘¢ Minftrel,” chiefly 
written in 1768, although part of it had been 
produced during the infpiration of his earlier 
years. In 1770 the public deemed itfelf 
highly favoured by his ¢* Effay on the Nature 
and Immutability of Truth, in oppofition to 
Sophifiry and Scepticifm.”” In 1771 appeared 
pare of his famed ‘performance, viz. Book I, 
of ‘* The Minftrel; or, the Progrefs of Ge- 
nius,” in gto. and in 1774, Book II. was 
publifhed. ‘The whole has fince been reprinted 
feveral times, and ina variety of editions. 
Tt was about this time that many of the moft 
diftinguifhed of his own countrymen began to 
cultivate a friendfhip with, and pay refpect 
to the talents of Mr, Beattie. We accord= 
ingly find that feveral of them addrefled 
‘their poetical effufions to him, and his merits 
began to attra public notice, But fome~ 
thing better than barren admiration was pro 
duced, for the Earl of Errol, who lived at 
Slains Caftle, ia the vicinity of Aberdeen, 
fortunately was induced to patronize Mr. 
Beattie, while yet a young man. This no- 
bleman accordingly exerted his influence with 
fuch zeal and fuccefs, that the afliftant at 
their grammart-{chool was eleéted by the 
magiftrates of New Aberdeen, to the honour- 
able and diftinguithed office of a profeflor in 
their univerfity. An event occurred foon after, 
that obtained for our poet a fill more diftin- 
guifhed patronage and fupport. Mr. Hume | 
was at this period confidered by his country- 
men,’ as not only occupying an eminent fta- 
tion in the republic of letters, but alfo of 
being in poffefion of the chair ef criticifm, 
to which he had been incfome meafure ele- 
vated by the voluntary fuftrages of the na- 
To fuch an authority it was natural 
ahd protection, and Mr. Beattie is accordingly 
faid to have fubmitted luis produ@ions to his 
infpection, with all that deference, but at the 
fame time, with all that hope incident to une 
The verdi& of the hiftorian 
was not however fo favourable as the poet 
hiad perhaps a right to expect ; and this little 
occurrence is afferted in a contemporary pub- 
lication, to have led to the ‘* Efiay on the 
Immoptability of Truth in Oppofition to So- 
phiftry and Scepticifm: but we have good 
reafon to think that this ftatement is incor- 
rect. That work, however, whatever were 
‘the motives in which it originated; which 
we firraly belizve to have been of the pureft 
kind, poilefles confpicudus merit. The-au- 
thor certainly bad Dr. Keid in his eye, and 
3c followed 
