litical matters into his school, for ADAM, ROBERT, architect, was born at Kirkaldy in 1728. He was the second son of Mr William Adam of Maryburgh, who, like his father, was also an architect, and who de signed Hopetoun House, the Edin who was related to Ruddiman, and who inserted several squibs in the papers of the day against Adam and his work, to the author's great annoyance. In 1780 the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the College of Edinburgh, chiefly at the suggestion of Principal Robertson; and before his death, he had the satisfaction of seeing his grammar adopted in his own seminary. His next work was the "Roman Antiquities," or, an account of the manners and customs of the Romans, published in 1791, which was translated into various foreign languages, and which is now used as a class-book in many of the English schools. For this work he got L.600. In 1794 appeared his "Summary of Geography and History," in one thick volume of 900 pages, having increased to this size from a small treatise on the same sub-burgh Royal Infirmary, and other ject, printed for the use of his pupils in buildings. After studying at the Uni1784. The least popular of his works versity of Edinburgh, Robert in 1754 is the "Classical Biography," pub-proceeded to the Continent, and relished in 1800; and the last of his laborious and useful compilations was an abridged Latin Dictionary, entitled "Lexicon Lingue Latine Compendiarum," 8vo, which was published in 1805, and intended for the use of schools. Dr Adam's books are valuable auxiliaries to the student, from the mass of useful and classical information which they contain. He had commenced a larger dictionary than the one published, but did not live to complete it. Having been seized in school with an apoplectic attack, he languished for five days, and, as death was approaching, fancying himself, during the wanderings of his mind, with his pupils in school, he said, "But it grows dark, boys,ings in England and Scotland, erected you may go!" and almost immediately expired, on the 18th of December 1809, at the age of 68. Possessed of an ardent and independent mind, and liberal in the extreme in his politics, he took a great interest in the progress of the French Revolution, believing it to be the cause of liberty, and even went so far as to introduce po sided three years in Italy. In July 1757 he sailed from Venice to Spalatro in Dalmatia, to inspect the remains of the Palace of the Emperor Dioclesian. In 1762, on his return to England, he was appointed architect to the King, an office which he resigned two years afterwards, on being elected M.P. for the county of Kinross. In 1764 he published, in one volume folio, a splendid work, containing seventy-one engravings and descriptions of the ruins of the Palace of Dioclesian, and of some other buildings. In 1773 he and his brother James, also an eminent architect, brought out "The Works of R. and J. Adam," in numbers, consisting of plans and elevations of build from their designs, among which are, the Register House and College of Edinburgh, and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He died 3d March 1792, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. The year before his death he designed no less than eight public buildings, and twenty-five private ones. He also excelled in landscape drawing. His he died on the 2d July 1826, after a very few days' illness. At the brother James, the designer of Portland Place, one of the noblest streets in London, died on the 17th October ADAM, SCOTUS, one of the Doctors 1794. From them the Adelphi Build- of the Sorbonne, flourished in the ings in the Strand derive their name, twelfth century. He was educated in being the work of the two brothers. the monastery of Lindisferne, or Holy ADAM, ROBERT, the Rev., B.A., Island, in the county of Durham. He author of "The Religious World Dis- afterwards taught school divinity in played," was born in the parish of Ud- the Sorbonne at Paris. In his latter ny, Aberdeenshire, of poor but re- years he became one of "the monks spectable parents, about the year 1770. of Melrose." He afterwards retired He was educated and took his degree to the Abbey of Durham, where he of M. A. at Aberdeen. He was after-wrote the Lives of St Columbanus, and wards sent, by some persons interest- of some other monks of the sixth cened in his welfare, to St Edmund Hall, tury, and also of David I., King of Oxford, where he took the degree of Scotland. He died in 1195. Bachelor of Arts. Subsequently he ADAM, WILLIAM, Right Hon. was ordained Deacon and Priest by Dr Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Beilby Porteus, Bishop of London. Court, the son of John Adam of Blair About the year 1801 he was appoint- Adam, was born 21st July 1751, 0.8. ed assistant to Dr Abernethy Drum- He was educated at Edinburgh, Glasmond of Hawthornden, Titular Bi-gow, and Oxford, and in 1773 was adshop of Glasgow, whom he succeed-mitted a member of the Faculty of Aded as Minister of Blackfriars' Wynd vocates, but never practised at the Episcopal Chapel, Edinburgh. He Scotish bar. In 1774 he was chosen was also Chaplain to the Earl of Kel- M.P. for Gatton; in 1780 for Stranlie. In 1909 he published the elabor-raer, &c.; in 1784 for the Elgin Burghs; ate and comprehensive work in three volumes, entitled "The Religious World Displayed, or a View of the Four Grand Systems of Religion, Judaism, Paganism, Christianity, and Mohammedism, and of the Various Denominations, Sects, and Parties in the Christian World; to which is subjoined, a View of Deism and Atheism;" which he inscribed to the memory of Bishop Drummond, formerly senior minister of his congregation. He was subsequently appointed to a church in the Danish Island of St Croix, where he was much annoyed by the Danished his seat for his professional duties. authorities, and ultimately ordered to leave the island. His conduct met with the full approbation of our own government, both civil and ecclesiastical, and he proceeded to Denmark to procure redress, which it appears he never obtained. After his return from Copenhagen to London, he accompanied the newly appointed Bishop of Barbadoes to the West Indies in 1825, and was appointed interim pastor of the Island Tobago, where In and in 1790 for Ross-shire. Being now generally esteemed a sound lawyer, his practice increased, and he was consulted by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and many of the nobility. In the course of his parliamentary career, in consequence of something that occurred in a discussion during the first American war, he fought a duel with the late Mr Fox, which happily ended without bloodshed, when the latter jocularly remarked, that had his antagonist not ADAMSON, HENRY, a poet of the seventeenth century, was the son of James Adamson, Dean of Guild in Perth in 1600, the year of the Gowrie Conspiracy. Intended for the ministry, he received an excellent classical education, and attempted Latin poetry with success. In 1638 he published a poem, entitled "Mirthful Musings for the Death of Mr Gall," being nothing more than a history in verse of his native town. He died in 1639, and a new edition of his poem was published in 1774, with illustrative notes, by Mr James Cant. loaded his pistol with government Ionian Islands, and subsequently powder, he would have been shot. Governor of Madras. A younger son Mr Adam generally opposed the poli- died abroad. tics of Mr Pitt. In 1814 he submitted to government the plan for trying civil causes by jury in Scotland. In 1815 he was made a Privy Councillor, and was appointed one of the Barons of the Scotish Exchequer, chiefly with the view of enabling him to introduce and establish the new system of trial by jury. In 1816 an Act of Parliament was obtained, instituting a separate Jury Court in Scotland, in which he was appointed Lord Chief Commissioner, with two of the Judges of the Court of Session as his colleagues. He accordingly relinquished his situation in the Exchequer, and continued to apply his energies to the duties of the Jury Court, overcoming, by his patience, zeal, and urbanity, the many obstacles opposed to the success of such an institution. In 1830, when sufficiently organized, the Jury Court was, by another act, transferred to the Court of Session, and on taking his seat on the Bench of the latter for the first time, addresses were presented to him from the Faculty of Advocates, the Society of Writers to the Signet, and the Solicitors before the Supreme Courts, thanking him for the important benefits which the introduction of trial by jury in civil cases had conferred on the country. In 1833 he retired from the Bench; and died at his house in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, on the 17th February 1839, aged 87. He married early a sister of the late Lord Elphinstone, and had a family of several sons; viz. John, long at the head of the Council in India, who died some years before him; Admiral Sir Charles, M.P. one of the Lords of the Admiralty; William George, an emi-ing heretics, thrown from the roof of nent King's Counsel, afterwards Accomptant General in the Court of Chancery, who died 16th May 1839, three months after his father; and Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick, who held a command at Waterloo, afterwards High Commissioner of the ADAMSON, PATRICK, an eminent prelate, and Latin poet, was born at Perth in 1543, and studied at St Andrews. On quitting the University he became a schoolmaster at a village in Fife. In 1566, Makgill of Rankeillor, one of the Judges of the Court of Session, sent him, as tutor, with his son to France, where he was going to study the civil law. On the 19th of June of that year, Mary Queen of Scots was delivered of a son, afterwards James the Sixth, on which occasion Adamson, then at Paris, wrote a Latin poem, styling the royal infant "Prince of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland," for which he was imprisoned for six months. Queen Mary herself, and several of the nobility, interceded for his liberation. On regaining his freedom he proceeded with his pupil to Bourges, where they both entered students at law. He only escaped being involved in the massacre of St Bartholomew, by concealing himself for seven months in an inn, the master of which, an old man 70 years of age, was, for harbour his own house and killed on the spot. He employed the time of his concealment in composing a Latin poetical version of the Book of Job, and in writing in the same language a piece called the Tragedy of Herod. Before leaving France he was bold enough In nox. Crushed in spirit, abandoned by everybody, and reduced by poverty and disease, the unfortunate Prelate now sent to the General Assembly a formal Recantation of his views in regard to church government. Hav. to publish a Latin translation of the to the King and the States, but withConfession of Faith. Returning to out redress. He was now reduced to Scotland in 1573, he married the great necessity, and we are told that daughter of a lawyer, and having en- his children even wanted bread. tered into holy orders, he became 1588 he was summoned before the minister of Paisley. In 1575 he General Assembly for having, conwas named one of the Commission-trary to law, married the Catholic ers of the General Assembly, to Earl of Huntly to his Countess, with settle the policy and jurisdiction of out requiring him to subscribe the the church. In 1576 he was appointed Confession of Faith. For this and one of the chaplains of the Regent other alleged crimes he was deposed, Morton, by whom he was the same and again excommunicated. In 1589 year, on the death of Archbishop he published the Lamentations of Douglas, raised to the Archbishopric Jeremiah, in Latin verse, which he of St Andrews. Shortly afterwards dedicated to the King, complaining he published a translation of the of the harsh treatment he had receivCatechism into Latin verse, which was ed. The same year he also published generally commended. His undue a Latin poetical translation of the Apozeal for Episcopacy rendered him calypse, and addressed a copy of Lavery obnoxious to the Presbyterian tin verses to his Majesty, deploring party. In 1578 he was induced to his distress. Unmoved by his apsubmit himself to the General As- peals, the King bestowed the revesembly. The year following, how-nues of his see on the Duke of Lenever, he was exposed to fresh troubles. In 1582, being cured by an old woman, of the name of Alison Pearson, of a chronic disease, for which he could get no relief from his physicians, he was accused of dealing with witches, and the wom:n herself was commit-ing applied for relief in his distress ted to prison; but escaping at the time, she was about four years after. wards burnt for witchcraft. In 1583 he preached before King James at St Andrews, when he held a disputation with Mr Andrew Melville. His Majesty had such a high opinion of him, that he sent him ambassador to the Court of Queen Elizabeth, where his object was twofold, viz. to recommend the King his master to the English nobility, and to obtain support to the cause of Episcopacy in Scotland. His eloquence and address soon excited Elizabeth's jealousy, and she forbade him to preach while he remained in her dominions. In 1584 he was recalled, and on his return to Edinburgh, he exerted himself strenuously in support of King James' views in favour of Episcopacy. the Provincial Synod held at St Andrews in 1586, he was formally excommunicated, on which he appealed At to his former opponent, Mr Andrew Melville, the latter not only assisted him liberally out of his own purse for some months, but procured a subscription in his behalf among his brethren. Adamson died on the 19th February 1591-2. His works were published in a quarto volume in London in 1619, with his life by Thomas Wilson. He wrote, besides these, many things still unpublished, among which is a History of His Own Times. AIDAN, bishop of Lindisferne, or Holy Island, was originally a monk in the monastery of Iona. By his zeal, a large portion of the northern part of Britain was converted to Christianity. In 634 he was taken to England by Oswald, King of Northumberland, and by his advice, the Episcopal See was removed from York, where it had been fixed by Gregory the Great, to Lindisferne. On Oswald being killed in battle, Aidan continued to govern the church of Mr Ainslie of Darnchester, reof Northumberland under his suc. siding at Berrywell, near Dunse, the cessors, Oswin and Oswy, who reigned Land Agent for Lord Douglas in Berjointly; but the death of the former wickshire. He served his apprenticeso much affected him, that he surviv. ship with Mr Samuel Mitchelson, in ed him only twelve days, and died in Carrubber's Close, Edinburgh, who August 651. Bede ascribes three was a great musical amateur, and in miracles to Aidan; two of them per- whose house occurred the famous formed in his lifetime, and the other "Haggis scene" described by Smolafter his death. He was buried in lett in Humphrey Clinker. In the his church of Lindisferne, and part of spring of 1787, when he had just his relics was removed into Scotland completed his twentieth year, Burns by his successor Colman in 664. being at that time in Edinburgh, he was fortunate enough to make his acquaintance, and in May of that year, he and the poet went upon an excursion together into Berwickshire and Teviotdale, when he introduced Burns at his father's house, and the reception he received from the family is pleasantly referred to in his gifted companion's memoranda on this tour. In 1789 Ainslie passed Writer to the Signet. He afterwards visited Burns at Ellisland, when the AIKMAN, WILLIAM, an eminent painter, the son of William Aikman of Cairney, advocate, was born 24th October 1682. He was intended by his father for the law, but the bent of his own mind early led him to paint. ing as a profession. In 1707, after selling off his paternal estate, he went to Rome, where he spent three years in studying the great masters, and returned to his native country in 1712, having also visited Constantinople and Smyrna. In 1723, being patron-poet gave him a manuscript copy of ized by the Duke of Argyle, he was Tam O'Shanter, which he presented induced to settle as a portrait-painter to Sir Walter Scott. He married a in London, where he soon acquired lady named Cunningham, the daughthe friendship of the Earl of Burling.ter of a colonel in the Scots Brigade ton, Sir Godfrey Kneller, and others. He died 4th June, O. S. 1731, in his 49th year. His remains, with those of his son, who predeceased him about six months, were removed to Edinburgh, and interred together in the Greyfriars' Churchyard. An Epitaph, by his friend Mallet the poet, was inscribed on his tomb. Several of his portraits are in the possession of the Dukes of Hamilton, Argyle, Devonshire, and others. He numbered among his friends Allan Ramsay, Somerville, the author of the Chase, and Thomson, the author of the Seasons, who commemorated his genius in their poetry. He was also intimate with most of the wits of Queen Anne's days. His style bears a close resemblance to that of Kneller. AINSLIE, ROBERT, Writer to the Signet, the friend and correspondent of Robert Burns, was born 13th January 1766. He was the eldest son in the Dutch Service, by whom he had a numerous family, of whom only two daughters survived him. He had two brothers, and one sister, the latter of whom, whose beauty was highly spoken of by Burns, died before him. One of his brothers, Douglas, succeeded his father as Land Agent; and the other, Whitelaw, is known as the author of an elaborate book on the Materia Medica of India, where he for many years held the situation of medical superintendent of the Southern Division of India, for which work he was knighted by William IV. Mr Ainslie died on the 11th April 1838. He was the author of two religious little works, "A Father's Gift to His Children," and "Reasons for the Hope that is in Us," the latter comprising many of the evidences for the truth of Christianity. He was also a contributor to the Edinburgh Magazine and others of the periodicals |