BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. I41
Having abandoned all thoughts of the clerical profession, LESLIEw ent over
to Virginia, as tutor to the Messrs. Randolph, with whom he spent upwards of
a year in America. He next proceeded to London, having introductory letters
fromDr. Smith, where he proposed delivering lectures on Natural Philosophy ;
but in this he was disappointed. His first literary employment was on the
notes to a new edition of the Bible, then in course of publication by his friend
Dr. William Thomson, with whom he had become acquainted at St Andrews.
He next entered into an engagement with Murray the bookseller, to translate
Buffon’s Natural History of Birds, which was published in 1793, in nine
volumes octavo. He subsequently visited Holland; and, in 1796, proceeded on
a tour through Switzerland and Germany with Mr. Thomas Wedgwood. On
returning to Scotland, he stood candidate for a chair, first in the University of
St. Andrews, and afterwards in that of Glasgow ; but was unsuccessful in both
attempts. In 1799 he again went abroad, making the tour of Norway and
Sweden, in company with Mr. Robert Gordon, whose friendship he had acquired
at St. Andrews. I
The first fruits of Mr. Leslie’s genius for physical inquiry appeared prior to
the year 1800, by the production of his celebrated Dijercntial Themader,
which has been described as one of the “ most beautiful and delicate instruments
that inductive genius ever contrived as a help to experimental inquiry.” This
was followed, in 1804, by his well known “Essay on the Natare and Propagation
of Heat,” which was written while residing with his brothers at Largo,
where the experimental discoveries were made for which the treatise is so much
distinguished. The Essay immediately attracted the notice of the Royal
Society, by the council of which the Rumford medals were unanimously awarded
to him.
In 1806, the Mathematical chair in the University of Edinburgh having
become vacant by the translation of Professor Playfair to the chair of Natural
Philosophy, Mr. Leslie came forward as a candidate. He was opposed by Dr.
Thomas M‘Knight, one of the ministers of the city. In addition to the fame of
his recent discoveries, Mr. Leslie was warmly recommended to the Town Council
and Magistrates by testimonials from the most scientific and able men of the day.
Vigorous opposition, however, was made to his election by most of the city
clergy-who accused him of infidelity1-and they insisted on their right to be
consulted in the choice of Professors, according to the original charter of the
College. They protested against the proceedings of the Council ; and subsequently-
on the 22d May-brought the affair before the General Assembly.
The leaders in this opposition were of the moderate party, while the cause of
Mr. Leslie was as warmly espoused by those usually to be found on the opposite
side. The case created great excitement, Satisfactory testimonials were produced,
as well as one of Mr. Leslie’s own letters, confirmatory of his orthodox
principles. The debat-in which the Rev. Sir Henry MoncreifF was one of the
The accusation of infidelity rested on a note in the “ Essay on the Natnre and Propagation of
Heat,’’ in which Mr..Leslie took occasion to refer to Hume’s ‘‘Essay on N e w Connection.”