friend.

Whether I shall ever get about again is only known to Him, the Great Unknown, whose creature I am. Alas, Clarke, I begin to fear the worst. As to my individual self, I am tranquilI would despise myself were I not; but Burns's poor widow, and half-a-dozen of his dear little ones helpless orphans ! There I am weak as a woman's tear. Enough of this! 'tis half my disease. I duly received your last, enclosing the note. It came extremely in time, and I am much obliged to your punctuality. Again I must request you to do me the same kindness. Be so very good as by return of post to enclose me another note. I trust you can do it without much inconvenience, and it will seriously oblige me. If I must go I leave a few friends behind me, whom I shall regret while consciousness remains. I know I shall live in their remembrance. Adieu, dear Clarke. That I shall ever see you again is, I am afraid, highly improbable." The fear was realised. One month later Burns passed away.

It was during his residence in Dumfries that Burns formed his friendship with Clarke. Other two teachers who were at the same time included in his circle of friends were Thomas White and James Gray. Of White there is little to be said. He was an Englishman, having been born at Hexham, in Northumberland, and when Burns became acquainted with him he was teaching in Dumfries Academy. The Poet had a great regard for White, who was one of the twenty choice friends among whom he distributed copies of the new and enlarged edition of the poems published in 1793. Writing to Creech, asking for the volumes to be sent to him, Burns said that he meant "to present them among a few great folk whom I respect, and a few little folk whom I love." The copy presented to White bore this inscription :-" To Mr Thomas White, teacher, Dumfries Academy. Mr White will accept of this book as a mark of the most sincere friendship from a man who has ever had too much respect for his friends and too much contempt for his enemies to flatter either the one or the other. The Author." White died in 1825, at the age of 67. He was buried in St. Michael's Churchyard, and on his tombstone he is described as "a profound and original mathematician, who

taught in the Dumfries Academy for forty years, and instructed hundreds to revere his memory."

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James Gray claims a fuller notice. As he was one of the last, so he was also one of the best friends of Burns-perhaps the best, because, as Professor Wilson said, he was the first who, independently of every other argument, proved the impossibility of the charges that had too long been suffered to circulate, without refutation, against Burns's character and conduct during his later years by pointing to these." Wilson was referring to the songs— "almost daily effusions of his clear and unclouded genius." Professor Wilson did not write this without knowledge of the defender of the Poet. He was intimately acquainted with Gray,

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whom he described as a man of poetical taste and feeling, and a scholar, on all accounts well entitled to speak of the character of Burns; and, though there were no bounds to his enthusiasm when poets and poetry were the themes of his discourse, he was a worshipper of truth, and rightly believed that it was best seen in the light of love and admiration."

Gray was the master of Dumfries Academy, and taught at least one of the children of Burns. He was afterwards master of the High School, Edinburgh, and latterly became a chaplain in the Hon. East India Company's service, surviving till 1830. His admirable defence of the Poet was contained in a letter to Gilbert Burns, and was printed in Peterkin's edition of the poems published in 1815. The letter, which is a review of the character and conduct of Burns, as observed by Gray, who had a keen eye and great power in the expression of his thought, is too long to quote. But a few passages at least must be reproduced. "He seemed to me," said Gray, "to frequent convivial parties from the same feelings with which he wrote poetry, because nature had eminently qualified him to shine there, and he never on any occasion indulged in solitary drinking. He was always the living spirit of the company, and, by the communications of his genius, seemed to animate every one present with a portion of his own fire. He indulged in the sally of wit and humour, of striking originality, and sometimes of bitter sarcasm, but always free from

the least taste of grossness. I was from the commencement of my acquaintance with him struck with his aversion to all kinds of indelicacy, and have seen him dazzle and delight a party for hours together by the brilliancy and rapidity of his flashes, without even an allusion that could give offence to vestal purity. The

men with whom he associated were not of the lowest order. He numbered among his intimate friends many of the most respectable inhabitants of Dumfries and the vicinity. Several of those were attached to him by ties that the hand of calumny, busy as it was, could never snap asunder. They admired the Poet for his genius, and loved the man for the candour, generosity, and kindness of his nature. His early friends clung to him through good report and bad report with a zeal and fidelity that prove their disbelief of the malicious stories circulated to his disadvantage. Among them were some of the most distinguished characters in this country, and not a few females, eminent for delicacy, taste, and genius. They were proud of his friendship, and cherished him to the last moment of his existence. He was endeared to them even by his misfortunes, and still they retain for his memory that affectionate veneration which virtue alone inspires."

Gray laid great stress on the tenderness of Burns as a father, and the care which he took of the education of his children, pointing to these as sufficient evidence to refute a host of slanders uttered against him. We will all, I think, agree with this evidence. A man who is right at his own fireside is not likely to be far wrong in the wider circle of public life. Let us be thankful for James Gray.

It is often said that a man is known by his friends. That is true, and our estimate of Burns will not suffer by what we know of his association with the dominies.

ANDREW M'CALLUM.

SCOTTISH HISTORY CHAIR.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE QUESTION.

A

O the ordinary Scotsman it may seem, on a first thought, that no pleading is necessary to ensure success for a project so patriotic as the founding of a Chair of Scottish History and Literature in any of the national Universities. The scheme is so reasonable that criticism of it seems out of place, and may even be regarded as factious or captious. Yet it has come, and in a spirit and with a strength which cannot be ignored. Now, there is always advantage in comprehending the position of adverse critics, and especially because in this matter opponents have something of weight to say for themselves. They know that prior to the Scottish Universities Act of 1889, and to the Ordinances of the Commissioners following upon it, there was very little teaching of history in the universities. Greek and Roman history were taught in the Greek and Latin classes, and Church history was taught to students of divinity, but British history might or might not be touched upon in classes of English literature; yet, save for one Chair in Edinburgh University, no provision was made for teaching general history or national history, and thus young men who were to be the teachers of their countrymen were left to acquire such knowledge as best they could.

The Chair in the University of Edinburgh was originally one of Universal Civil History and of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Attendance was optional, and in the days when Sir William Hamilton was colleague and successor to William Fraser Tytler the salary of one hundred pounds was payable from a local duty on beer. After 1862 the Chair was one of Constitutional Law

and Constitutional History. St. Andrews enjoyed the unique distinction of having a Chair of Civil and Natural History, one occupant of which delivered practically no lectures for a quarter of a century.

After the Act of 1889 all the universities had special teachers of history. By the new ordinances Glasgow and Edinburgh had Chairs of History. Aberdeen and St. Andrews had to be content with lectureships. Aberdeen has now a Fletcher Chair, but St. Andrews is still waiting for some patriot to take away the reproach from her University organisation.

By the Commissioners history was placed in the modern group of subjects for the M.A. degree. It may be studied as an alternative to English or other modern language. British history is the second subject in the English Honours School, and there is also a History Honours School. Special study of Scottish history has thus no place except as subordinate to English history and general European history. Edinburgh has been able to lead the way in patriotic study through the beneficence of Sir William Fraser, who founded a Chair of Ancient Scottish History and Palæography. There has thus been great positive gain. Historical study has received fairly adequate recognition in the curricula of Arts graduates, and interest in the subject has grown steadily. Knowing these things, many who are interested in university development naturally deprecate what looks like a dissipation of energy and the mere addition of one member to the Faculty of Arts, who will provide one more option for the M.A. degree. Now the perplexing variety of paths to Arts graduation has already made a Scottish M.A. degree something very difficult to estimate apart from exact statement of the subjects which the individual graduate has studied. Besides, the import ance of a knowledge of general history in a well thought-out scheme of culture is so great that any alteration of the balance of teaching power, which may substitute a restricted for a wider discipline, stands apparently condemned as illiberal and narrowing. The history of Scotland is but a fragment of the world's story. Time is short. Why spend precious months in detailed considera