Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 edition. Excerpt: ... BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ADAM FERGUSON. The Memoir now submitted to the Society, while it details the chief events in the life of a man who occupied a distinguished place in the literature of Scotland, at a period when it had attained a high reputation, cannot claim to be so complete as might be desired. His life was prolonged for several years after nearly all of his early friends had passed away; and since his death many papers have been destroyed or have fallen aside, which would now be of the greatest interest. Whilst in this way much .has been lost that might have given greater completeness to these pages, still, the recent publication of the Diary of his friend Dr Carlyle of Inveresk, has furnished many additional details, and afforded further evidence of the estimation in which he was held by his literary associates. Several letters selected from the lives of his distinguished friends, and from the Manuscript Collection of the University, in addition to information derived from the short notices of his life already printed, have afforded the materials for preparing this sketch of one, whose career was more varied, while his public labours and literary connections were not less important and extensive, than those of any of his contemporaries. Dr Adam Ferguson, son of the Rev. Adam Ferguson, minister of the parish of Logierait, Perthshire, was born in the manse of that parish on the 20th of June 1723. His father was descended from an old and respectable family in Athole, to whom the estate of Dunfallandy yet pertains; and his mother was the daughter of Mr Gordon of Hallhead, in the county of Aberdeen. In the female line Ferguson traced a connection with the noble family of Argyll, thus referred to in a letter addressed to him by Dr...
