Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 1.djvu/90

 beginning of the eighteenth century, and in this church in the year 1720. He was the author of 'The Defence of the Church-government, Faith, Worship, and Spirit of the Presbyterians,' and of several other ecclesiastical and political tracts. As a pious minister and an eloquent preacher, a defender of civil and religious liberty, and a man of wit and learning, he was much esteemed; he lived in the reign of Charles II., James II., William III., Anne, and George I. Such times, and such a man, forget not, reader, while thy country, liberty, and religion are dear to thee."  , F.R.S. professor of natural philosophy in the university of Glasgow, and founder of the eminently useful institution, bearing his name, in that city, was born in the parish of Roseneath in Dumbartonshire, in the year 1726. He was the eldest son of the reverend James Anderson, minister of Roseneath, who was, in his turn, the eldest son of the reverend John Anderson, preceptor to John Duke of Argyle, afterwards minister of the gospel at Dumbarton, and whose memoir is given in the preceding article. The subject of this memoir, having the misfortune to lose his father in early life, was educated by his aunt Mrs Turner, widow of one of the ministers of the High church of Stirling. While residing at this town, where he received .the rudiments of learning, he appeared as an officer in the burgher corps raised in February, 1746, to defend it against the forces of the young Chevalier. His conduct on this occasion was worthy of his distinguished ancestor, from whose example he appears to have derived that attachment to the principles of civil and religious liberty, which marked his character through life. The carabine and other arms which he carried on the walls of Stirling are preserved in the museum connected with his institution at Glasgow. He received the more advanced part of his education at the college of Glasgow, where, in 1756, he was appointed to be professor of oriental languages, being then in the thirtieth year of his age.

It was not in this sphere that Mr Anderson was destined to shine with greatest lustre. His mind had a decided bent towards the exact sciences, and to the illustration of the ails with which they are connected. His translation, therefore, to the chair of natural philosophy, which took place in 1760, was an event highly agreeable to him, and also most fortunate for the world. While he took an early opportunity after this event, to fulfil an important private duty, by repaying his aunt for the expenses of his education, he entered upon the business of his class with an enthusiastic ardour of application, which we may safely pronounce to have been without example in any Scottish university. Not contented with the ordinary duty of delivering a course of lectures—though he performed that duty in a manner alone sufficient to obtain distinction he was indefatigable in studying and exemplifying the application of science to mechanical practice; visiting, for this purpose, the workshops of artizans in the town, and receiving, in return for the scientific doctrine which he had to communicate, a full equivalent of experimental knowledge. The most estimable characteristic of professor Anderson, was a liberal and diffusive benevolence in regard to the instruction of his race. Under the inspiration of this feeling, which was in that age more rare, and therefore more meritorious than it is at present, he instituted, in addition to his usual class, which was strictly mathematical, one for the working classes, and others whose pursuits did not enable them to conform to the prescribed routine of academical study, illustrating his precepts by experiments, so as to render it in the highest degree attractive. He continued to teach this anti-toga class, as he called it, twice every week, during the session, to the end of his life; and it would not be easy to estimate the aggregate of good which he thus rendered to his fellow-creatures. As an instance of the liberal good sense by which he was governed in his eminently useful scheme, it is related that, a mechanic having complained to his assistant, that he had scarcely time, after leaving