The Scottish Philosophy [280]
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 I could 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 [Greek words].
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? Leechman is well as he is, and happy, though preaching to a pack of horse-copers and smugglers of the rudest sort. He would do nothing hard or disagreeable to any worthy man, and has no desire of change. But if the field be clear, it were not to force him out of that obscure hole where he is so much lost. He was the man I wished in the first place to be our professor of theology. . . . I have no news but that we expect immediately from Robert Simson a piece of amazing geometry, reinventing two books of Appollonius, and he has a third almost ready. He is the best geometer in the world, reinventing old books, of which Pappius preserves only a general account of the subjects.
20, 1743. -- I had the favor of yours by Mr. Blow, but could not return an answer by him, being much employed in promoting the affair you wrote about. I had also very urgent letters from Messrs. Mairs and Duchals to the same purpose. `Tis very difficult to persuade a modest worthy man who is tolerably settled, to adventure upon a new scene of affairs among strangers. I shall use my utmost endeavors to prevail upon him as I have been doing for some time past. I am sorry I cannot give you great hopes of success , but I don't yet so despair as to quit solicitation, as he is exceedingly moved with the affection and generosity of that people. My most humble and hearty respects to your brethren of your presbytery, whom I shall always remember with the greatest esteem and affection.
20, 1743-44 -- am not a little surprised that I have not heard from you these four months past, though there were some of my letters which any other person would have thought required an answer. I could tell you a good deal of news upon the unexpected election of a professor of divinity, and the furious indignation of our zealots; but you deserve no news from anybody. We have our own concern about the settlement in Belfast, but we are to expect no accounts from you of any thing. Pray tell Mrs. Haliday her son is doing very well. . . . I was never more honored than since our late professor's death. Our hearty respects to Mrs. Drennan, and sympathy on the loss of her boys.
Dicimus autem hos quoque felices qui ferre incommoda vtae Nec jactare jugum vita dedicere magistra
16, 1746. -- Our public
Dicimus autem hos quoque felices qui ferre incommoda vtae Nec jactare jugum vita dedicere magistra