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Kay's Originals Vol. 1

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330 B I0 G R A P 11 I CA L S KE T C H E S. to spend the evenings with those families who were kind enough to receive him into their domestic circle, where he always proved, if not a great addition, at least a very pleasing one. Upon an occasion of this description, when with the family of Mr. Fergusson, the Count having expressed a desire to see how the proceedings were conducted in the Court of Session, his host, in his usual obliging manner, agreed to gratify the Count by calling for him next morning on his way to the Parliament House. Mr, Fergusson was true to his appointment, and the artist having observed the parties, has rendered the circumstance memorable by the foregoing etching, which is remarkable for its correct representation of both individuals. The Count is still (1837) alive, and resides at Durham, in a pretty cottage on the banks of the Wear, near the Prebend Bridge, Having obtained, through the generosity of several kind friends, a small annuity, he now hoards with the Misses Ebdon, the sisters of a minor canon of Durham, and seems much attached to his intelligent landladies. The celebrated Stephen Kemble, of cumbrous magnitude, was long his nextdoor neighbour, and their vicinity to each other, as well as congeniality of disposition, soon occasioned constant intercourse and an amusing intimacy betwixt two persons formed by nature in moulds so different. A nephew of the late Mr. Neil Fergusson happened to visit Count Bomwlaski on the 8th of October 1836, and found him, although then in his 97th year, still in tolerable bodily health, and in full possession of all his mental faculties. He recurred with much feeling to the many acts of real friendship which he had experienced from Mr. Fergusson, and spoke with warm gratitude of several other individuals in the Scottish metropolis, whose delicate attentions had served to mitigate the mortifying hardships of his peculiar lot. While in Edinburgh, Boruwlaski’s name, from a similarity in sound, was waggishly converted into Eamel-of- Whisky, by which appellation he was generally known. No. CXXXIV. DR. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, PROFESSOR OF MIDWIFERY. THE Medical School of Edinburgh had been established for a very considerable period of time before it was found necessary to institute a Chair to teach the principles and practice of Midwifery. So early as 1726, Mr. Joseph Gibson had been appointed by the Town Council to give instructions in the art of midwifery ; but he appears to have confined his teaching to females
Volume 8 Page 462
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