Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 9.djvu/328

592 a beautiful ballad, descriptive of their sufferings, founded upon an incident in the life of Andrew Grey, of Chryston, in Ayrshire.

The estimate of Vedder's literary and intellectual character has been justly and briefly expressed by the Rev. George Gilfillan in the following words "As a poet and prose writer his powers were of no ordinary kind. He added to strong unrestrained sense much fancy and humour. If not a ' maker* in the full extent of that name, he had unquestionably a true natural vein. Dr. Chalmers used actually to electrify his class-room by reading those lines of Vedder's, entitled 'All Nature worships there;' and many parts of his 'Covenanter's Communion’ and his 'Orcadian Sketches' display similar power and truth of genius. Although in a great degree self-taught, he managed not only to acquire an excellent English style, but an extensive knowledge of foreign tongues, and his translations from the German are understood to be exceedingly faithful and spirited."

The death of Mr. Vedder occurred at his residence in Newington, near Edinburgh, on the 11th of February, 1854, when he had reached his sixty-fourth year. His funeral was attended by most of the literary men of Edinburgh, who thus rendered public honour to his talents and worth; and a selection from his writings, edited by that distinguished young poet, Alexander Smith, is expected to be published, the profits of which are to be devoted to the erection of a monument over the grave of Vedder, in the Southern Cemetery at the Grange.

WALLACE, LL.D., .—This talented mathematician was born at Dysart, Fifeshire, on the 23d of September, 1768, and was the son of a manufacturer of leather in that town. After having been taught to read at a private school, kept by an old woman, he was sent to a public seminary, where he learned to write; but the still more important branch of education in his case—that of arithmetic—he learned at home from the instructions of his father. His father having been unsuccessful in business, removed to Edinburgh, where William was bound apprentice to a bookbinder; still, however, dwelling under the paternal roof, and availing himself of his father's course of instruction. Besides this he was wont, when opportunity offered, to read such books as were placed under his charge for binding. His mind having been thus awoke to action, his favourite bias quickly took the lead: he purchased a few mathematical books, and pored over them till they could teach him nothing further. In this way, we are told, before he had reached his twentieth year he was a considerable proficient in elementary geometry and trigonometry, algebra with fluxions, conic sections, and astronomy. During this successful pursuit of scientific knowledge, he was likewise so fortunate as to form an acquaintance with a man who assisted Dr. Robison in his class-room experiments, and who offered to introduce him to the professor. This offer Wallace, who had now finished his apprenticeship, gladly accepted. The doctor was not long in perceiving the earnest scientific zeal of the young man, and the proficiency he had made in mathematics, and therefore gave him permission to attend the course of lectures on natural philosophy gratuitously. To avail himself of such a welcome oppor-