1309.] 
nication took place with him on the subject. 
In 1733, having previously arranged niatters 
for the chrduiteitie of his farm, he removed 
to the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, princi- 
pally, we believe, with a view to the educa- 
tion of his encreasing family, and influenced, 
no doubt, by 2 desire to live where he 
could enjoy more of literary society than was 
to be had in so remote a part of the country ; 
and to this end no place could be more con- 
ducive than the northern metropolis. Pre- 
vious to his departure from Aberdeenshire, he 
was actively employed in promoting measures 
for alleviating the distresses of the poorer 
classes in that county, owing to the failure 
of the crup of grain in 17823. and by his great 
exertions in exciting the attention of the 
neighbouring gentlemen to the state of che 
county on that trying occasion; we have 
reason to think that he was the principal 
means of averting the calamities of severe fa- 
mine from that part of the kingdom. About 
the same year he printed and circulated among 
his friends, a proposal for establishing the 
Northern British Fisheries. This tract was 
never published, but the attention of Govern- 
ment being excited to the subject by it, he 
was applied to by the treasury to uidertake a 
survey of the Western: Coast of Scotland, 
for the purpose of obtaining on this impor- 
tant subject. This public-spirited enquiry 
he undertook, and accomplished in 1784, 
having a revenue cutter appointed to convey 
him round the coast; thus devoting his time 
and abilities to the public, much to the detri- 
ment of his own private affairs 5 and we are 
well assured he never received one shilling of 
remuneration from Government for this 
Meritorious service, although the ministers 
expressed themselves perfectly satisfied with 
his performance of it ;* and it was even with 
great difficulty, and after many applications, 
that he obtained the reimbursement of his 
actual necessary expences incurred in the 
service. In 1788 he was deprived of his wife, 
a woman endowed with most of the excel- 
jencies which exelt the female character, and 
render it the chief source of comfort and hap- 
piness to man: to elegance of person were 
added an excellent and well-cultivated under- 
standing, and an affectionate and honourable 
disposition. To expatiate further on the vir- 
tues of this admirable woman, would be fo- 
reign to our purpose ; those of our readers 
who knew her will allow that what we have 
said is far short of her real merits. It will 
readily be supposed that the loss of such a 
woman would inflict a severe and lasting 
wound on Dr. Anderson’s spirits; and though 
he strove to bear it with manly fortitude, he 
hever completely recovered its effects, but 
was ever afterwards occasionally subject to a 
melancholy recollection of past times having, 
* See Report of the Committee appointed 
to enquire into the:State of the British Fisher- 
iss, 1ith May, 1785.. 
Account of the late Dr. James Anderson. 
PAS 
the ‘*.eye big with the latent tear." About 
this time he was employed in his researches 
on the subject of sheep, and the improvement 
of wool, in concert with Sir John Sinclair; 
his opinions thereupon delivered to the ich 
land Society, are before the public. We’ 
next find him engaged in preparing for the 
publication of the Bee. This was a preject 
he had long contemplated, namely, a weekly 
periodical work, designed for the dissemina- 
tion of useful knowledge, which by its cheap- 
ness should be calculated for all ranks of pro- 
ple, while sufficient attention was paid to its 
various literary departments to render it re- 
spectable.in the highest circles. His name 
was now so highly established, that tne en- 
couragement given by the public to this per- 
formance was wonderful, and nothing but 
great mismanagement, in conducting the 
commercial part of the work, for ois ch, 
like most persons of similar habits, he was 
ill adapted, could have caused it to fail in 
being a very profitable concern to him. His 
own writings form a conspicuous part of this 
book; some of them will be seen under the 
name of Senex, Timothy Hairbrain, Alcibia- 
des, and the greater part of the matter with- 
out signature. It is painful to observe how 
seldom the genius to conceive and instruct is 
united with sufficient perseverance to execute. 
the doctor takes an affecting leave of his 
readers at the end of the eighteenth volume, 
finding it impossible for him to contend 
longér with the difficulties he experienced im 
conducting it; and principally those of get- 
ting in the subscription money. During the 
progress of this work, he opened a corre- 
spondence with many eminent persons who 
were distinguished as literary and public spi- 
rited characters abroad and at home: among 
these we may mention General Washington, 
with whom he carried on an interesting cor- 
respondence, and Mr. Jolines, the elegant 
biographer of Vroissart, &c. with whose inti- 
mate friendship he was honoured till the day 
of his death. in the course of this publica- 
‘tion.a circumstance happened that aftords ug 
an opportunity of admiring the steady inde- 
pendence of his spirit, and that Armness of 
conduct which conscious rectitude alene could 
inspire. At the time that the baneful ef- 
fects of French revolutionary principles had 
perverted the senses of most classes of people, 
the Scottish metropolis was not the least 
conspicuous for its viglence in the cause of 
mistaken freedom. At Ienzth Goyernment 
considered it necessary to interfere in repres- 
sing the dissemination of these destructive 
doctrines: prosecutions had already been 
commenced against several of the leading 
zealots, when our publisher received a sum- 
mons to appear before the Sherif?, who de- 
manded of him to give up the name of the 
author of the ‘* Political Progress of Great 
Britzin,” a series of essays that had appeared 
in the Bee. This he peremptorily refus 
#2d tu do, requesting that he might be con- 
sidered 
/ 
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