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 or from a deeper knowledge of human nature, he supplied both the defects of Glasgow, for he gave salaries to those who were to teach theology, canon and civil law, medicine, language, and philosophy, and pensions to a certain number of poor students, and likewise appointed a visitorial power, reserving to himself as chancellor, and to his successors in that office, a dictatorial power.’ The soundness of the principles on which Elphinstone founded his university [for further details concerning which see ] was shown in the position it speedily assumed as first in popularity and fame among the Scotch universities. Other public works in Aberdeen due to Elphinstone were the rebuilding of the choir of the cathedral and the erection of a bridge over the Dee, for the completion of which he left a large sum of money. He was also mainly responsible for the introduction of printing into Scotland, obtaining in 1507 a grant of exclusive privileges in favour of Walter Chapman and Andrew Millar of Edinburgh. He personally superintended the production at their press of the ‘Breviarium Aberdonense,’ some of the lives of saints in which are believed to be of his authorship. Elphinstone was strongly opposed to the hostile policy towards England which culminated in the battle of Flodden, and that event is said to have hastened his end. ‘He was never after it seen to smile,’ says Boece. He journeyed to Edinburgh to attend the parliament which was summoned in 1514, but he was seized with illness at Dunfermline and died shortly after his arrival in the capital on 25 Oct. 1514. He had been already nominated by the queen for the bishopric of St. Andrews. His body was embalmed and conveyed to Aberdeen, where it was buried in the college beneath the first step of the high altar. That Elphinstone left any literary remains is by no means certain. He collected materials relating to the history of Scotland and particularly of the western isles, but he was not the author of the continuation of the ‘Scotichronicon’ in the Bodleian Library, which has been attributed to him by biographers from Tanner downwards, but which has been conclusively proved to be the work of Maurice de Buchanan. Another work attributed to him was the ‘Lives of Scottish Saints,’ and in the library of Aberdeen University are a number of volumes on canon law which bear his name, but there is nothing to show that he was their author rather than possessor. Elphinstone was at once the foremost churchman and statesman of his time in Scotland; his pre-eminence in wisdom, learning, benevolence, and generosity has never been questioned, nor his name mentioned except in terms of high praise.

 ELPHINSTONE, WILLIAM GEORGE KEITH (1782–1842), major-general, was the elder son of the Hon, William Fullarton Elphinstone, a director of the East India Company, and formerly captain of one of the company's ships, who was himself third son of John, tenth lord Elphinstone, and elder brother of Admiral Lord Keith. He entered the army as an ensign in the 41st regiment on 24 March 1804, was promoted lieutenant on 4 Aug. 1804, and captain into the 93rd regiment on 18 June 1806. He exchanged into the 1st, or Grenadier guards, on 6 Aug. 1807, and into the 15th light dragoons on 18 Jan. 1810, and was promoted major into the 8th West India regiment on 2 May 1811. On 30 Sept. 1813 he purchased the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 33rd regiment, with which he served under Sir Thomas Graham in Holland, and which he commanded with such credit at Waterloo that he was made a C.B., a knight of the order of William of Holland, and of the order of St. Anne of Russia. He continued to command this regiment during the occupation of French territory from 1815 to 1818, and in England until 25 April 1822, when he went upon half-pay. On 27 May 1825 Elphinstone was promoted colonel, and appointed aide-de-camp to the king, and on 10 Jan. 1837 he was promoted major-general. In 1839 he was appointed to the command of the Benares division of the Bengal army, and proceeded to India to take up his command. From this peaceful position he was unfortunately selected at the close of 1841 to take command of the British army at Cabul, in succession to Sir Willoughby Cotton. The first part of the first Afghan war of 1839 and 1840 was over; Dost Muhammad was 