of the most brilliant conversationalists and the
kindest-hearted of men in Edinburgh.
Among the prizes competed for are the gold
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
medal was first awarded." The appendix to
Stevens's history of the famous school contains a
most interesting list of 180 boys, medallists or
city for Greek in the Rector's class ; the Ritchie
gold medal, presented in 1824, by Mr. William
Ritchie, for twenty-three years a master of the
school; the Macdonald, a third class medal,
given by Colonel John Macdonald, of the regiment
of Clan Alpine, son of the celebrated Flora
Macdonald, and presented for the first time in
1824.
The College Bailie silver medal for writing, the
personal gift of the gentleman holding that office
for the year, was first presented in 1814, and for
the last time in 1834.
"The head boy or dux of the school, at the yearly
examination, till about the close of the eighteenth
century," says Dr. Steven, '( usuallyreceived from the
city, as a prize, a copy of the best edition of one of
the classics. This was prior to I 794, when a gold
63
a gold medal given by Lieut.-Colonel Peter
Murray, Adjutant-General in Bengal in 1794, and
the name of which was changed to the Macgregor.
institution in the kingdom has ever sent forth SO
many pupils who have added fresh laurels to the
glory of their country.
In it is still preserved as a relic the carved
stone which was over the principal entrance of the
first school from'1578 to 1777. It bears within a
panel the triple castle of the city, with the initials
I. S., and, under the thistle, the date and legend :-
MVSIS : RESPUBLICA
FLORET. 1578.
Above t6is in a pediment is an imperial cronm,
with two thistles and the initials I. R. 6.
The High School Club, composed of old
scholars, was first instituted in 1849.
At a great entertainment given in the city to Mr.
(afterwards Lord) Brougham, on the 25th of April,
1825, presided over by Henry (afterwards Lord)
Of the distinguished men in every department of
life who conned their studies in the class-rooms, even
of the new High School, it is impossible to attempt
