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troubling you with this note, in order to revive the ideas of your youth, and to congratulate you on the many and manly efforts you continue to make, for the real interest and honour of your country. While others are sailing down the stream, in quest of baubles, and are in danger every moment of sinking by the way, into merited contempt and oblivion, your perseverance and independent spirit, will transmit your name with honour to posterity, with present admiration, and true satisfaction to yourself. Obliti patriæ, memores tantum sui, seems a fit motto for the present luxurious and degenerate age. If they are to be roused to any degree of public spirit, which indeed I despair of, the attempt is laudable, even though it should not succeed, magnis tamen excidit ausis. I have read all your printed works, which both instructed and pleased me. Your last attempt will be attended with great advantage, as every wise administration will attend to several hints of police, which arise out of the Reports of the different parishes."

Nothing could have been more disinterested than the conduct of the Scotch clergy, in drawing up the account of their respective parishes; a task which often proved exceedingly laborious. It was undertaken from the purest public motives, and without the smallest prospect of personal advantage.

About this time, a plan had been formed, to establish a Society for the Benefit of the Sons of the Clergy belonging to the established church in Scotland, and it accidentally occurred to me, that some public assistance might be procured for so useful an institution, as an acknowledgment to the clergy for their statistical exertions.

Sir Henry Moncreiff, and Dr Hardie, who took an active part in the concerns of the society, expressed great doubts respecting the practicability of obtaining such a grant; but the Society having at last been prevailed upon to resolve on sending a petition to the Crown, the application was transmitted to Mr Secretary Dundas, who, in a communication to me upon the subject, said, "That he felt peculiar pleasure in submitting to his Majesty's consideration, the petition for a grant to the Society for the Benefit of the Sons of the Cler

gy, more especially as they had so handsomely stepped forward, to aid so important a public object, as the Statistical Account; and he hoped that such a mark of royal favour, as his Majesty had determined to bestow, would have the effect of rendering them more and more zealous in their statistical researches *." The sum granted was L.2000; and it enabled the Society to commence their allowances to the Sons of the Clergy, much earlier than otherwise they could have done.

I closed my statistical labours, with drawing up "An Analysis of the Statistical Account of Scotland," with a view of giving to the public, a condensed view of the valuable information contained in this great repository of human knowledge. My object was, to lay a foundation for a work I contemplated, "The Code of Political Economy," on the sure basis of statistical researches. With this view, the whole 21 volumes were carefully examined;-the most material observations, to the amount of above 5000 extracts, were taken out, arranged under different heads, and amalgamated into one uniform mass, and thus, any repetitions of the same facts, or a recurrence of the same ideas, were avoided.

• The exertions made by Sir Henry Moncreiff, and his friend Dr Hardie, in establishing this useful society, did them the greatest credit. Sir Henry, indeed, was not only an active and public-spirited character himself, but took a pleasure in eulogising the public services of others. It was principally from this motive that he was induced to draw up an account of the Life of Dr John Erskine, who was one of the most respectable ministers that the church of Scotland ever possessed. He summed up the character of this divine in the following words:

"Dr Erskine had, from nature, a considerable portion of that keenness of temper, which, when it is not under the perpetual control of habit and principle, is apt to embitter the competitions, and to diminish the comforts of human society. In him, it was so much under his self command, that it only served, in public life, to add to the fertility of his resources, and to the activity of his mind. Eager to do his duty in its full extent, he lost sight of nothing which, he imagined, would be subservient to it; and was not to be diverted from his purpose, either by opposition, or by difficulties, as long as he considered the object he aimed at, to be either worthy of his exertions, or attainable by his activity.” This last sentence, is the best description I have met with, of a truly great and publicspirited character.

PART IX.

MEDICAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND

REMINISCENCES.

MEDICAL CORRESPONDENCE AND

REMINISCENCES.

THE Code of Health and Longevity was undertaken in opposition to the opinions of some most respectable friends. But I was convinced, that by investigating that subject, I would not only benefit myself, but might be able to furnish a number of useful hints to others. My own health has been so much improved, by the information I have acquired in the course of these inquiries, that though not of a long-lived family, and though I have spent a very laborious life, yet, at the age of seventy-six, I feel no material diminution in personal strength, or mental faculties; and have not only ventured on the present work, but have also several other extensive undertakings of a literary nature in contemplation. I am convinced, indeed, that had it not been for the plan of living, which my medical researches have enabled me to form, I should not, at this moment, have been alive, or at least capable of any material exertion.

But though I met with discouragement from some of my friends, others strongly urged me to engage in these medical inquiries. One of my correspondents, in particular, wrote to me, "That the less expected such a work may be from you, or any other individual not professedly in the medical line, the

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