two Caledonians of a very different aspect; the one, a country squire, with rather a larger stock of erudition, than usually falls to the share of that species of beings on your side the Tweed; the other, a smatterer in Greek and Latin, and some other ancient languages. The former was a Mr. Ramsey, and the latter a Dr. Doig. The remembrance of your attention and civilities to my fellow-traveller and myself upon that occasion has brought this trouble upon you, which is, I beg leave to assure you, a tribute of the most sincere gratitude. Why this tribute was not paid sooner is another question. The reason was, the want of a commodious channel of conveyance, and, perhaps, because I could not think of troubling you with a letter, by the ordinary course, without having something to communicate of more importance than a mere compliment. I spent an evening about a fortnight ago with your correspondent, Dr. Reid, of Glasgow, who still speaks in very high terms of your Bampton system of logic, and heartily wishes to see it generally adopted. He is a very old man, much bowed down and very deaf, but still enjoys a great share of health and vigour; and, as far as I can pretend to judge, the same strength of mind he did forty years ago. You may probably have forgot, that when I had the honour of being with you at Oxford, you prescribed me, by way of task, to read Aristotle's Politics. This task I have performed most faithfully, and have, I think, reaped both pleasure and profit from the operation. That treatise is little known here. I fear the Egyptian priest's stricture upon the Greeks, recorded by Plato, will be too long applicable to my countrymen. About two years ago (8vo. 1793), there was published a trifle of mine, under the title of "Two Letters on the Savage State, addressed to the late Lord Kaims." They were patronised by the late Dr. Horne, Lord d Bishop of Norwich, who died, however, before it was published. Lord Kaims and the other demi-christians here maintain, that once upon a time all mankind were in a state of savagism. I endeavour to controvert this article. If you will give me leave, I shall transmit you a copy of it the very first opportunity. I have likewise written a dissertation on the origin of the tribe of the Greeks called Hellenes, which was read before the members of the Royal Society, Edinburgh, and is published in the third volume of their Transactions. A copy of it shall accompany "Beatus Fannius, ultro Delatis capsis et imagine." Mr. Ramsey is in tolerable good health and spirits. I believe he wrote to you by the same conveyance. He has not yet lost all hopes of seeing the Head of Lincoln College at his sweet villa, and regaling him with his various and delicious fruits, the produce of the neatest and most diversified garden in this country. In this case, I too should flatter myself with the hopes of an en passant. Your goodness will excuse this enormously long scrawl, which shall end where it should have begun, that is, with congratulating you on your preferment, and sincerely wishing you long life, good health, and high spirits to enjoy it, and begging you will rest assured, that I am, Rev. Sir, with the greatest respect, Your most obedient humble servant, DAVID DOIG. *This alludes to a poem published (4to. 1796) by the Doctor, entitled, "Extract from a Poem on the Prospect of Stirling Castle." -Editor. VI.—DR. GEDDES' LETTER TO DR. TATHAM. [The following short letter from Dr. Geddes, is too characteristic of the writer to be omitted.-Editor.] REV SIR, London, Jan. 21, 1794. I HAVE just now received your very polite letter of the 18th of last December, with the acceptable present of your" Lectures." I was not before a stranger to them, although my scanty purse had not been able to purchase them. I have read that part which you point out with much pleasure. We differ on some points: but I trust we shall always differ, as liberal and honest men ought to differ. To delineate the "Chart of Truth" is an arduous task, which few have accomplished so well as yourself; but still, I fear, Pilate's query will occur, Ti si abi. Relative truth is, I hope, not uncommon, but absolute truth is, perhaps, unattainable in this vale of tears. Be that as it will, your labours are extremely laudable, and must class you among the first scholars of the present age. Your name in the list of my subscribers is a great acquisition, especially at a time when bigotry, and something worse than bigotry, is trying to injure me. If Cooke have no copy let me know, that one may be sent hence. I have ordered my two last publications to be presented to you, and am, with very great regard, Rev. Sir, Your obliged humble servant, THE CHART AND SCALE OF TRUTH, BY WHICH TO FIND THE CAUSE OF ERROR. GENERAL INTRODUCTION. WI SECT. I. Of Truth in general. ISDOM is a term which has a more limited and a more extended signification. Some of the ancient philosophers used it to express only a superior skill or proficiency in the arts'; others raised it to the comprehension of the speculative sciences, whilst they excluded from its meaning all practical virtue, which, in their mistaken · Τὴν δὲ σοφίαν ἐν ταῖς τέχναις, τοῖς ἀκριβεσάτοις τὰς τέχνας ἀποδίδομεν, οἷον Φειδίαν, λιθαργὸν σοφὸν, καὶ Πολύκλειτον, ανδριαντοποιόν· ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν ἐθὲν ἄλλο σημαίνοντες τὴν σοφίαν, ἢ ὅτι ἀρετὴ τέχνης ἐτίν.-Aristot. Ethic. Nicom. lib. vi. cap. 7. B |