thing farther of the pension, until the 20th August, when he received a letter from Lord North's secretary, informing him officially, by his lord-. ship's desire, that the King had been pleased to consent to a pension of two hundred pounds ayear being paid to him.

Thus, at length, he saw happily accomplished the object of the wishes of his friends and his own, by this provision, which his Majesty had been graciously pleased to make for him, and which, though not such as to place him in great affluence, was yet amply sufficient, with the emoluments of his professorship, for all his wants; and, together with the profit to be derived from his writings, to render him independent.

If any thing could add to the satisfaction he naturally felt from this fortunate conclusion of his affairs, it was the distinguished honour he met with, before he left London, of a personal

ment, very kindly insisted on his accepting of the use of their post-chaise and four, to carry him the first stage on his road, where he could find post-horses for the rest of the way. ||

I state this account of the graduation of Oxford, from the MS. Diary, and from a letter to me, from Mr Williamson, who was present in the theatre on the occasion, and heard and saw the whole.

and private interview with his Majesty, at the palace at Kew.

Dr Beattie had been informed by Dr Majendie, who lived at Kew, and was often at the palace, that the King having asked some questions of the Doctor respecting him, and being told that he sometimes visited Dr Majendie there, his Majesty had desired to be informed the next time Dr Beattie was to be at Kew. What his Majesty's intentions were, Dr Majendie said he did not know; but supposed the King intended to admit him to a private audience. A day was therefore fixed, on which Dr Beattie was to be at Dr Majendie's house, early in the morning, of which the Doctor was to give notice to his Majesty.Of this interesting event, so honourable to Dr Beattie, I shall transcribe, in his own words, the account he has given in his Diary.

Tuesday, 24th August, set out for Dr Majendie's at Kew-Green. The Doctor told me, that he had not seen the King yesterday, but had left a note in writing, to intimate, that I was to be at his house to-day; and that one of the King's pages had come to him this morning, to say, "that his Majesty would see me a little after "twelve." At twelve, the Doctor and I went to

We had been only a when the King and

the King's house, at Kew. few minutes in the hall, Queen came in from an airing; and, as they passed through the hall, the King called to me by name, and asked how long it was since I came from town. I answered, about an hour. "I shall see you," says he, "in a little." The Doctor and I waited a considerable time, (for the King was busy,) and then we were called into a large room, furnished as a library, where the King was walking about, and the Queen sitting in a chair. We were received in the most gracious manner possible, by both their Majesties. I had the honour of a conversation with them (nobody else being present, but Dr Majendie) for upwards of an hour, on a great variety of topics; in which both the King and Queen joined, with a degree of chearfulness, affability, and ease, that was to me surprising, and soon dissipated the embarrassment which I felt at the beginning of the conference. They both complimented me, in the highest terms, on my Essay," which, they said, was a book they always kept by them; and the King said he had one copy of it at Kew, and another in town, and immediately went and took it down from a shelf. I found it was the

second edition. "I never stole a book but one," said his Majesty, "and that was yours; (speak"ing to me) I stole it from the Queen, to give "it to Lord Hertford to read." He had heard that the sale of Hume's Essays' had failed, since my book was published; and I told him what Mr Strahan had told me, in regard to that matter. He had even heard of my being in Edinburgh last summer, and how Mr Hume was offended on the score of my book. book. He asked ma

ny questions about the second part of the 'Essay,' and when it would be ready for the press. I gave him, in a short speech, an account of the plan of it; and said, my health was so precarious, I could not tell when it might be ready, as I had many books to consult before I could finish it; but, that if my health were good, I thought I might bring it to a conclusion in two or three years. He asked, how long I had been in composing my Essay? praised the caution with which it was written; and said, he did not wonder that it had employed me five or six years. He asked about my poems. I said, there was only one poem of my own, on which I set any value, (meaning the Minstrel') and that it was first published about the same time with the " Essay.'

6

My other poems, I said, were incorrect, being but juvenile pieces, and of little consequence, even in my own opinion. We had much conversation on moral subjects; from which both their Majesties let it appear, that they were warm friends to Christianity; and so little inclined to infidelity, that they could hardly believe that any thinking man could really be an atheist, unless he could bring himself to believe, that he made himself; a thought which pleased the King exceedingly; and he repeated it several times to the Queen. He asked, whether any thing had been written against me. I spoke of the late pamphlet, of which I gave an account, telling him, that I never had met with any man who had read it, except one Quaker. This brought on some discourse about the Quakers, whose moderation, and mild behaviour, the King and Queen commended. I was asked many questions about the Scots universities; the revenues of the Scots clergy; their mode of praying and preaching; the medical college of Edinburgh; Dr Gregory, (of whom I gave a particular character,) and Dr Cullen; the length of our vacation at Aberdeen, and the closeness of our attendance during the winter; the number of students that attend my lectures; my mode of