An act to prevent the counterfeiting of dollars.

July 20.

An act for the better support of his majesty's household

An act to enable his majesty to raise the sum of 2,500,0007.

An act to obviate certain incon

veniences in the receipt of the in

come tax.

An act for explaining and amending the hackney coach acts.

An act for the more easy apprehending criminals escaping from one part of the kingdom to another.

An act to permit certain persons in the ordnance-office to send letters free of postage.

An act for reducing the duty on oak bark imported into the kingdom.

An act for further encourage ment of the British fisheries and to prevent smuggling in the Isle of Man.

An act for settling disputes between masters and journeymen in the cotton manufactories.

LITERARY

"JA

AMES BEATTIE, LL. D. was born on the 5th of No. yember, in the year 1735. The parish of Laurencekirk, in the county of Kincardine, in Scotland, has the honour of enrolling his name among those of several other literary characters which that remote part of the island has produced.

"His ancestors had resided there for a considerable period. The Beatties or Beatons, however, came originally from the western isles; upon what occasion, or at what precise time, cannot be exactly ascertained. His father, James Beattie, followed the honourable profession of a farmer. His mother's name was Jean Watson.

Dr. Beattie's father was a man of very considerable abilities--of the strictest probity-exact in taking an account of the manner wherein he spent his time; and at his leisure hours he cultivated the muses. A journal kept by him, as well as some specimens of his poetry, are

still in the possession of his descendants. This last circumstance is the more worthy of being noticed, as it proves that Dr. Beattie derived his poetical turn from his fa

ther.

"The subject of this memoir was deprived of his father at a very tender age; he was then only seven years old. An event of this kind is always accompanied with serious consequences, in whatever situation the sufferer may be placed; such misfortunes, however, are felt more severely by some ranks in society than by others. Those who are in circumstances not sufficiently destitute to excite the commiseration of the public, are generally left to their own unassisted exertions; and in this situation was the family of Mrs. Beattie. The hopes of the widow, and her helpless offspring, were immediately fixed upon the senior, and only brother, of the doctor. In him they were not disappointed. David Beattie, at the 4 2

ine

time of his father's death, was eighteen years old; and as it was not then the custom, in Scotland, to initiate boys so early into the knowledge of the learned languages as has of late become fashionable, he was at that age at school prosecuting his studies. His father, in consequence of the promising talents which he discovered, had resolved to send him to the university; but a premature death deprived him of this advantage, and imperiously called upon him to relinquish such pursuits, and to devote his time and abilities to the support of his mother's family. This duty, for a long series of years, he discharged with assiduity and affection; and whatever pleasure or instruction the public have derived from Dr. Beattie's writings, they ought to consider themselves as highly indebted for it to the fostering, generous, and, I may say, parental care of his elder brother.

"Mr. Beattie had, as I have already observed, published proposals for printing his poems. Many of his pieces were shown to his friends; and from their opinion of the merit they possessed, the genteelest part of the inhabitants of Aberdeen were desirous of culti vating his acquaintance, and were anxious to be favoured with a perusal of his verses. His situation, as master of the grammar-school, was also the means of introducing him into the best company in the town of Aberdeen.

"In May, 1760, about two months after he printed his proposals, Mr. Beattie had accepted of an invitation to dinner from the parents of one of his scholars. It required little sagacity to discover his superior abilities; and besides, his fame had gone before him. He was, however, at last requested to

recite a part of a poem he had written. It had in a great measure escaped his memory. The specimen it was then in his power to give produced a great desire in those who heard it, to hear the whole. He accordingly went to his lodgings, and returned to the company with his manuscript. He was informed, however, either while he was going or returning from the place where he lived, of the sudden and unexpected death of professor William Duncan. This information he naturally communicated to those persons to whom he was about to show his poetical effusions.

"There were now, it will be remembered, two vacant professorships in Marischal college, because Dr. Gerard had a year before been chosen professor of divinity on the death of Dr. Pollock, and the chair of moral philosophy had not yet

been filled.

"It was suggested by Mr. Arbuthnot, at whose particular request Beattie had gone home for his poems, that a young man of genius, and who had produced such unquestionable proofs of his talents, would be a very fit succes, sor either to Duncan or Gerard. In consequence of this conversation, it is likely Beattie received a considerable accession to his ambi tion; and, though conscious of his own powers, he was pleased with the favourable opinion of Mr. Arbuthnot.

"This gentleman, however, did not confine himself to empty and unmeaning compliments; but generously offered to write in his behalf to the earl of Erroll, lord high constable of Scotland. He actually prevailed upon his lordship to recommend him to his majesty, as one well worthy of being appointed to a vacant professorship.

"The