Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 3.djvu/260

283 — his polished manners, and the benevolence of his disposition, peculiarly fitted him for taking a prominent part in literature and in private society.

In the year 1757, Mr Ferguson resigned the chaplaincy of the 42d regiment, after which lie was employed for upwards of two years as private tutor in the family of the earl of Bute; and in the year 1759, he was chosen professor of natural philosophy, in the university of Edinburgh; which chair he retained until the year 1761, when he obtained the professorship of moral philosophy a chair much better suited to his genius, and to the course of study which he had pursued.

In 1766, he published his Essays on Civil Society. The object of this work is,—according to the favourite mode of the literary men with whom Ferguson associated,—to trace men through the several steps in his progress from barbarism to civilization. This, which was his first publication, contributed not a little to raise Mr Ferguson in public estimation, and the university of Edinburgh hastened to confer on him the honorary degree of LL. D. In the same year, he revisited the scenes of his youth, and delighted the old parishioners of his father by recollecting them individually, while they were no less proud that their parish had produced a man who was held in such estimation in the world. During this year, also, he was married to Miss Burnet, from Aberdeenshire, the amiable niece of the distinguished professor Black, of Edinburgh. In order to render his lectures more useful to his pupils, Dr Ferguson, about this time, published "his institutes or synopsis of his lectures."

Dr Ferguson continued to enjoy the literary society of Edinburgh, interrupted only by the recreation of cultivating a small farm in the neighbourhood of the city, until the year 1773; when he was induced by the liberal offers of lord Chesterfield, nephew to the celebrated earl, to accompany him in his travels. After a tour through most of the countries of Europe, Dr Ferguson returned in 1775, to the duties of his chair, which, during his absence, had been ably performed by the well known Dugald Stewart. This relief from his academical duties, proved not only highly advantageous to Dr Ferguson in a pecuniary point of view, but contributed considerably to his improvement. His lectures on his return were not only numerously attended by the usual routine of students, but by men of the first rank and talents in the country. We have the testimony of one, who, although young at the time, seems to have been well able to appreciate his talents, as to Dr Ferguson's manner as a lecturer.—"The doctor's mode of communicating knowledge, was firm, manly, and impressive, but mild and elegant; he was mild, but justly severe in his rebukes to the inattentive and negligent. One day that he was engaged in that part of his course that treated of the practical application of the moral qualities which he had before described, and was speaking of the folly of idleness and inattention to the business in hand, some thoughtless young men were whispering and trifling in the gallery. 'Gentlemen,' said he, 'please to attend, this subject peculiarly concerns you.' "In the year 1776, Dr Ferguson answered Dr Price's production on civil and religious liberty. The ground on which he differed with Dr Price, was on the applicability of his doctrine to society and to imperfect man.

We have an early notice of Dr Ferguson's being engaged in the composition of his History of the Roman Republic in the following valuable letter, addressed by him to Edward Gibbon, dated Edinburgh, 18th April, 1776:—"Dear sir, I should make some apology for not writing you sooner, an answer to your obliging letter ; but if you should honour me frequently with such requests, you will find that, with very good intentions, I am a very dilatory and irregular correspondent. I am sorry to tell you, that our respectable friend, Mr Hume, is still declining in his health; he is greatly emaciated, and loses strength. He talks