Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/138

274 In 1790, Mr Smellie publislied the first volume of his " Philosophy of Natural History," the origin of which lias been already noticed. The copyright was at the same time purchased by Mr Elliot, bookseller, Edinburgh, for one thousand guineas. The second and concluding volume was not published, until four years after his death. Besides this and the other larger works, which we have before adverted to, as the production of Mr Sinellie, we have seen a list of upwards of forty miscellaneous essays, upon almost all subjects from politics to poetry, from optics to divinity which he composed at different times, and under various circumstances; and from his indefatigable industry, and wonderful facility of writing, it is supposed that these are scarcely a moiety of his literary effusions.

Mr Smellie's acquaintance with Robert Burns, commenced in the year 1787, upon the occasion of the poet's coming to Edinburgh to publish his poems, which were printed by Mr Sinellie. From their similarly social dispositions, and mutual relish of each other's wit, an immediate and permanent intimacy took place betwixt them. After Burns's departure from Edinburgh, they corresponded frequently; but the greater part of the communications were afterwards destroyed by Mr Sinellie, equally, perhaps, on the bard's account and his own. Of the high opinion which the latter entertained, however, of his friend—and it is veil known how fastidious was his taste on the score of talent, honesty, and real friendship amongst his fellow creatures—we have sufficient evidence in the poetical sketch, published in the works of Burns, commencing —

Mr Sinellie expired, after a long illness, on the 24th June, 1795, in his fifty-fifth year ; and we regret to add his name to the long list of men of genius, who have terminated a career of labour, anxiety, and usefulness, amid the pressure of pecuniary difficulties. Some years after his death, a small volume was published, under the care of his son, containing memoirs of three distinguished men, with whom he had been acquainted; lord Kames, Dr John Gregory, and Mr David Hume: it formed part of a more extended design, which Mr Sinellie had sketched out, but found not time to execute. A memoir of Mr Smellie himself was published by Mr Robert Kerr, in two volumes octavo; a work, perhaps, disproportioned to the subject, but containing many curious anecdotes.

SMETON,, an eminent clergyman of the sixteenth century, was born at the little village of Gask, near Perth, about 1536. Nothing satisfactory seems to be known respecting his parentage: Wodrow conjectures it to have been mean, but upon no better ground than the fact of his having been born at an obscure place. It is certain, however, that he enjoyed the advantages of the best instructors that his country then afforded. He received his elementary education at the celebrated school of Perth, then taught by Mr A. Simson, and no less famous under some of its subsequent masters. Smeton is believed to have had, as his schoolfellows, James Lawson and Alexander Arbuthnot, both of whom afterwards acted a conspicuous part in the ecclesiastical transactions of their country. The thorough knowledge of the Latin language displayed by our author, leaves little room to doubt that he profited by the honourable emulation, which wfi doubtless excited among such scholars. At the age of seventeen, (1553,) he was incorporated a student in St Salvator's college, St Andrews; and here he had the satisfaction of joining Arbuthnot, who had entered St Mary's two years earlier. Smeton is believed to have studied philosophy