412 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Mr. Sibbald was the son of a farmer at Whitelaw, in Roxbnrghshire, where
he was born about 1747. He received his education at the grammar-school of
Selkirk. Although fond of literary amusements, he does not seem to have contemplated
following any other profession than that of his father. Accordingly,
his first attempt to establish himself in the world was by becoming a lessee
of the farm of Newton, which he held from Sir Walter Elliot of Stobbs. Here
he carried on the business of farming for several years, relieving the monotony
of rustic life by literary and scientific pursuits. In May 1779, however, finding
the agricultural interest considerably depressed, he sold off his stock, gave up
his lease, and, without any fixed purpose, repaired to Edinburgh with little
more than a hundred pounds in his pocket.
Having some acquaintance with Mr. Charles Elliot, an eminent and enterprising
bookseller, he engaged for a short time as his shopman ; and, in about a
year afterwards, bought the circulating library which had originally belonged to
Allan Ramsay the poet.’ He then opened a bookseller’s shop in the Parliament
Square, where, by a degree of enterprise surpassing his contemporaries, he soon
obtained distinction. He was the first to introduce the better order of engavings
into Edinburgh, many of which were coloured to resemble paintings. They
were considered as altogether of foreign or English manufacture, and as such
were extensively purchased ; but, having been one day detected in the act of
colouring them himself, from that unlucky period his business in this line
diminished.
In 1783, Sibbald commenced the Edinburgh Magazine: which was exceedingly
well received, and in which, as editor and principal contributor, he displayed
much talent and great research. Anxious to devote his attention exclusively
to literary pursuits, he formed an arrhngement .in 1791 with two young
men, Lawrie and Symington, by which they were to have his stock and business
on payment of an annual sum. Mr. Sibbald then entered into a newspaper
speculation, the “ Edinburgh Herald,” which he conducted ; but it did not continue
for any length of time. He next went to London: where he resided
1 It was from this librarp, originally established by the author of the “ Gentle Shepherd,” and
we believe the oldest institution of the kind in the kingdom, that Sir Walter Scott, according to his
own statement, read in his younger years with such avidity. The collection latterly contained above
thirty thousand volumes. It was called the Edinburgh Circulating Library ; but the selection of
books was very superior to what are usually to be met with in collections of that description. Almost
all the eminent men of last century who studied in Edinburgh,’as well as many of a succeeding period
(some of whom filled the first offices in the state), were readers of this library. After the death of
Mr. Sibbald, it was purchased, and enlarged, by Mr. Alexander Hackay-of Blackcastle in Edinburghshire-
who was then a bookseller in the High Street ; and who, upon retiring from business about
the year 1832, and not finding a purchaser for the whole, sold it off by public auction.
To this work Lord Hailea was a contributor. The Magazine wm subsequently conducted by
Dr. Robert Andewon, author of the Lives of the Poets, and published by Mr. Mackay.
While in London his Scottish relations altogether lost sight of him ; they neither knew where
he lived, nor how he lived. At length his brother William, a merchant in Leith, made particular
inquiry into these circumstances by a letter, which he sent through such a channel as to be sure of
reaching him. The answer was comprised in the following words :-I‘ My lodging is in Soho, and
my business is so-so.”
