In Old Aberdeen ftands the King's College, of which the first Prefident was Heftor Boece, or Boethius, who may be justly reverenced one of the revivers of elegant learning. When he ftudied at Paris, he was acquainted with Erafmus, who afterwards gave him a public teftimony of his efteem, by infcribing to him a catalogue of his works. The ~ style of Boethius, though, perhaps not always rigorously pure, is formed with great diligence upon ancient models, and wholly uninfected with monaftic barbarity. His hiftory is written with elegance and vigour, but his fabuloufnefs and creduli ty are justly blamed. His fabuloufnefs, if he was the author of the fictions, is a fault for which no apology can be made; but his credulity may be excused in an age, when all men were credulous. Learning was then rifing on the world; but ages fo long accustomed to darknefs, were too much dazzled with its light to fee any thing diftinctly. The first race of scholars in the fifteenth century, and some time after, were, for the most part, learning to speak, rather than to think, and were therefore more ftudious of elegance than of truth. The contemporaries of Boethius thought it fufficient té know what the ancients had delivered. The examination of tenets and of facts was referved for another generation.

Boethius, as prefident of the univerfity, enjoyed a revenue of forty Scottish marks, about two pounds four fhillings and fixpence of fterling money. In the B.3

pre

present age of trade and taxes, it is difficult even for the imagination fo to raife the value of money, or fo to diminish the demands of life, as to fuppofe four and forty fhillings a year, an honourable ftipend; yet it was probably equal, not only to the needs, but to the rank of Boethius. The wealth of England was undoubtedly to that of Scotland, more than five to one, and it is known, that Henry the Eighth, among whose faults avarice was never reckoned, granted to Roger Afcham, as a reward of his learning, a penfion of ten pounds a

year.

The other, called the Marifchal College, is in the new town. The hall is large and well lighted.. One of its ornaments is the picture of Arthur Johnston, who was principal of the college, and who holds among the Latin poets of Scotland the next place to the elegant Buchanan.

In the library I was fhewn fome curiofities; a Hebrew manufcript of exquifite penmanship, and a Latin tranflation of Ariftotle's Politics by Leonardus Aretinus, written in the Roman character with nicety and beauty, which, as the art of printing has made them no longer neceffary, are not now to be found. This was one of the latest per formances of the tranfcribers, for Aretinus died but about twenty years before typography was invented. This verfion has been printed, and may be found in libraries, but is little read; for the fame books have been fince tranflated both by Victo

rius and Lambinus, who lived in an age more cultivated, but perhaps owed in part to Aretinus that they were able to excel him. Much is due to those who first broke the way to knowledge, and left only to their fucceffors the task of smoothing it.

In both these colleges the methods of instruction are nearly the fame; the lectures differing only by the accidental difference of diligence, or ability in the profeffors. The ftudents wear fcarlet gowns, and the profeffors black, which is, I believe, the academical drefs in all the Scottish universities, except that of Edinburgh, where the scholars are not distinguished by any particular habit. In the King's College there is kept a public table, but the fcholars of the Marifchal College are boarded in town. The expence of living is here, according to the information that I could obtain, fomewhat more than at St Andrews.

The courfe of education is extended to four years, at the end of which those who take a degree, who are not many, become masters of arts, and whoeverisa mafter, may, if he pleafes, immediately commence doctor. The title of doctor, however, was for a confiderable time bestowed only on phyficians, The advocates are examined and approved by their own body; the minifters were not ambitious of titles, or were afraid of being cenfured for ambition; and the doctorate in every faculty was commonly given or fold into other countries. The minifters are now reconciled to distinction, and as it muft al

ways

ways happen that fome will excel others, havethought graduation a proper teftimony of uncom mon abilities or acquifitions..

The indifcriminate collation of degrees has justly taken away that refpect which they originally claimed as ftamps, by which the literary value of men fo diftinguished was authoritatively denoted. That academical honours, or any others, fhould be conferred with exact proportion to merit, is more than human judgment or human integrity. have given reafon to expect. Perhaps degrees in univerfities cannot be better adjusted by any gene. ral rule than by the length of time paffed in the public profeffion of learning. An English or Irish doctorate cannot be obtained by a very young man, and it is reasonable to suppose, what is likewife by experience commonly found true, that he who is by age qualified to be a doctor, has in fo much time gained learning fufficient not to difgrace the title, or wit fufficient not to defire it..

The Scotch univerfities hold but one term orfeffion in the year. That of St Andrews continues eight months, that of Aberdeen only five, from the first of November to the first of April.

In Aberdeen there is an English chapel, in which the congregation was numerous and fplendid. The form of public worship used by the church of England is in Scotland legally practifed in licensed chapels ferved by clergymen of English or Irish ordination, and by tacit connivance quietly permitted

in feparate congregations fupplied with ministers by the fucceffors of the Bishops who were deprived at the Revolution.

We came to Aberdeen on Saturday Auguft 21. On Monday we were invited into the town-hall, where I had the freedom of the city given me by the Lord Provost. The honour conferred had all the decorations that politeness could add, and what I am afraid I should not have had to fay of any city fouth of the Tweed, I found no petty officer bowing for a fee.

The parchment containing the record of admiffion is, with the feal appending, fastened to a ribband and worn for one day by the new citizen in his hat.

By a Lady who faw us at the chapel, the Earl of Errol was informed of our arrival, and we had the honour of an invitation to his feat, called Slanes Castle, as I am told, improperly, from the caftle of that name,which once stood at a place not far diftant.

The road beyond Aberdeen grew more ftony, and continued equally naked of all vegetable decoration. We travelled over a tract of ground near the fea, which, not long ago, fuffered a very uncom, mon, and unexpected calamity. The fand of the fhore was raifed by a tempeft in fuch quantities, and carried to fuch a diftance, that an estate was overwhelmed and loft. Such and fo hopelefs was the barrenness fuperinduced, that the owner, when he was required to pay the ufual tax, defired rather to refign the ground.

SLANES