78 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Aberdeen ; on which account he is attired in the costume of a Highlander, with
a Lochaber axe. Upon the demise of Principal Chalmers, he was unanimously
elected in his place, and held the office till the period of his death, upon the
11th of September 1815, in the eighty-eighth year of his age.
No. IT.-Said to be a capital likeness of MR. JOHN LESLIE, Professor
of the Greek language in King’s College, Aberdeen. He was accused-whether
justly or unjustly we know not-of saying that he had rendered the Greek
language vernacular from Aberdour, in Fife, to Aberdeen. He was an old
schoolfellow of Dr. Robertson, the historian, through whose recommendation he
obtained the Professorship. He died at Old Aberdeen, upon the 24th of May
1790, aged sixty-nine.
No. V.-DR. JOHN CHALMERS, who held the situation of ,Principal of
King’s College for nearly threescore years. He was a man of very considerable
learning, but devoted himself chiefly to agricultural pursuits. He had so long
held the Principalship, that the patience of some of the expectants of the office
seemed wellnigh worn out. The Doctor was aware of this, and used to make
it the occasion of many a sly joke. He had a farm at Sclattie, in the
neighbourhood of Aberdeen, whither he used to retire during the summer
months. On one of his journeys thither he fell from his horse, and received a
severe contusion on the shoulder. The report of the accident soon spread, and
it was confidently reported at Aberdeen that the Principal was lying at the
point of death. Two of the Professors, each an aspirant to the expected
vacancy, set out post-haste to enquire after their friend‘s health, and arrived
simultaneously, although by different routes, at Sclattie. They were ushered
into the silent and darkened chamber of the wounded man, and, on stealthy tiptoe,
with countenances composed into fitting demureness, took their stations on
opposite sides of what they believed (hoped 1) was his death-bed. A solemn
silence of some minutes was at length abruptly broken by the PrincipaI thrusting
out his capenveloped head, and putting the perplexing question, “ Weel,
gentlemen, which of you is to be Principal ?” The Professors looked first at
the Doctor, then at each other, and after a hearty laugh, in which the Principal’s
voice was “ready chorus,” sincerely congratulated him on his escape. The
Doctor, however, survived them both. He died at Sclattie upon the 7th May
1800.
No. VI.-MR. THOMAS GORDON, commonly called “ Humorist Gordon.”
He was Professor of Philosophy for a long period of years. He possessed
vast and varied learning-was a scholar, a mathematician, an antiquarian, and a
divine. He was uncle’ to the late talented Dr. Eden Scott Gordon, and was one
of a literary club which used to hold their weekly meeting in an Inn in Old
Aberdeen, He was a man of a jovial turn, fond of anecdote, and a great
humorist. On one occasion he had given dire offence to Professor Leslie, who
