<Glasgow, June> 1, 1741. -- your countrymen very generally have such an affectation of being men and gentlemen immediately, and of despising every thing in Scotland, that they neglect a great deal of good, wise instruction they might have here.I am truly mortified with a vanity and foppery prevailing among our countrymen beyond what I see in others; and a softness and sauntering forsooth which makes them incapable of any hearty drudgery at books.
We had five or six young gentlemen from Edinburgh, men of fortune and fine genius at my class, and studying law; our Irishmen thought them poor book-worms.
<Glasgow, June> 15, 1741.-The wretched turn their minds take is to the silly manliness of taverns....I shall not leave Glasgow except about three weeks in July for this whole vacation, but have more avocations by too numerous an acquaintance than you can imagine.In short, Tom, I find old age not in gray hairs and other trifles, but in an incapacity of mind for such close thinking or composition as I once had, and have pretty much dropped the thoughts of some great designs I had once sketched out.In running over my papers I am quite {465} dissatisfied with method, style, matter, and some reasonings, though I don't repent my labor, as by it and the thoughts suggested by friends, -- a multitude of which I had from W.Bruce and Synge, and still more in number from some excellent friends here, -- I am fitter for my business; but, as to composing in order, I am quite bewildered, and am adding confusedly to a confused book all valuable remarks in a farrago, to refresh my memory in my class lectures on several subjects.You'll find the like.Pray lay up a good stock of sermons.You would see a noble one by one of my Scotch intimates, who sees all I do, Mr.Leechman.
<Glasgow, April> 12, 1742 -- You are such a lazy wretch that I should never write you more.Not one word of answer to my congratulatory epistle you got six weeks before you were married.Not one word of godly admonitions about spending at,.evening with friends at the Welshes Head, and other pious sentiments about the vanity and folly of staying at home in the evenings.
<Glasgow, May> 31, 1742.The bearer, Mr.Hay, takes over some copies of a new translation of Antoninus, the greater half of which, and more, was my amusement last summer for the sake of a singular worthy soul, one Foulis;but I don't let my name appear in it, nor indeed have I told it to any here but the man concerned: I hope you'll like it.
The rest was done by a very ingenious lad, one Moore.Pray try your critical faculties in finding what parts I did, and what he did.I did not translate books in suite; but I one or two, and he one or two.I hope if you like it that it may sell pretty well with you about Belfast.I am sure it is doing a public good to diffuse the sentiments; and, if you knew Foulis, you would think he well deserved all encouragement.
<Date cut off.> -- Having this opportunity, I must trouble you with a small affair.Upon conversation with Mr.
Brown, who came lately from Ireland, along with Mr.
Alexander Haliday, about the circumstances of some ministers, very worthy men, in your presbytery, it occurred to me that a little liberality could not be better exercised than among them.I am concerned that in my prosperous circumstances I did not think of it sooner.If vou have any little contributions made towards such as are more distressed than the rest, you may mark me as a subscriber for 5L.per annum, and take the above ten pounds as my payment for the two years past.Alexander Young will advance it immediately, as I wrote him lately that I would probably draw such a bill, without telling him the purposes.I think it altogether proper you should not mention my name to your brethren, but conceal it.I am already called New Light here.I don't value it for myself, but I see it hurts some ministers here, who are most intimate with me.I have been these ten days in great hurry and perplexity, as I have for that time foreseen the death of our professor, who died last Wednesday, and some of my colleagues join me in laboring for Mr.Leechman to succeed.We are not yet certain of the event, but have good hopes.If he succeeds, it will put a new face upon theology in Scotland.I am extremely concerned for your divisions in Belfast.I find they talk of Jack Maxwell of Armagh or young Kennedy.The talents of this latter I know not, but believe he has a very honest heart.
Jack Maxwell is an ingenious, lively fellow, for any thing Icould discover.That presbytery will miss him much.Pray write me now sometimes.I am sorry the event in your family made some hints in my last so seasonable.But your son is now as well as if he had lived sixty years a Plato or a Caesar, or if he is not, life is scarce worth spending under such a Providence: we should all long .
<Glasgow, August> 5, 1743 -- I have had two letters of late from Mr.Mussenden; one about five weeks ago, with an invitation to Mr.Leechman to succeed Dr.Kilpatrick.
Leechman was then just upon his marriage.I concluded the matter {466} quite impracticable, and returned an answer to that purpose; and, upon conversing, Leechman found I was not then mistaken.He was lately very ill treated by our judges in a discretionary augmentation he applied for, which they could have given with full consent of parties.His wife is not so averse to removal as formerly.Indeed the difficulty is with himself.You never knew a better, sweeter man, -- of excellent literature, and, except his air and a little roughness of voice, the best preacher imaginable.You could not get a greater blessing among you of that kind.As I have heard nothing from other hands, I want fuller information.
Are the people generally hearty for Leechman upon the character they hear? Is there no other worthy man on the field? Unless these points be cleared.He will take no steps.I remember one Millan, an assistant.Pray is he to be continued, and no way affronted or neglected in this design?
