Mr Beattie was married, in 1767, to Miss Mary Dun, daughter of Dr James Dun, rector of the Gram • mar-school at Aberdeen. This connection, at first every way auspicious for his happiness, proved, in the sequel, a source of the deepest distress. For, in the course of a few years, Mrs Beattie, whose mother had laboured under a similar malady, showed une quivocal symptoms of mental disorder, which termi nated in a state of confirmed insanity.
In the year 1770, Mr Beattie published his Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Trea, in opposi tion to Sophistry and Scepticism. His design was, to " prove the universality and immutability of moral sentiment r and his motives for the undertaking are sufficiently evident from the title which he has pre fixed to the book. • He appears to have been parti cularly encouraged to the prosecution of this task by the opinions of Dr John Gregory and Dr Blacklock. A general outline of the work, which appeared in most of the journals previous to its publication, was prepared by the latter. His original intention, as expressed by himself in one of his letters, was, " first, to have considered the permanenty of truth in ge neral ;" and, secondly, to have applied the principles which he should have established " to the illustra tion of certain truths of morality and religion, to which the reasonings of Helvetius, of Mr Hume in his Essays, and of some dther modern philosophers, seemed unfavourable." Of this plan, the former part only was completed. It is well known that, in the execution of it, the author did not spare the opinions of those whom he considered as the enemies of reli gious and moral truth ; and particularly treated the writings of Mr Hume without reserve or qualifica tion. The friends of the latter took up arms in re turn, representing the Essay as a piece of personal and unprovoked hostility ; and, some time after, the opinions which it contained were canvassed in a more public manner, and with much severity, in an Exa mination by Dr Priestley. These attacks, or retalia tions, were met by Beattie with the same firmness which be had displayed in• the original publication of his sentiments ; nor would he ever consent to abate either the plainness or spirit with which he had ex pressed them.
In proportion to the censure which this publica tion called forth from a certain number of persons, was its favourable reception with a different class. It was the means of gaining for its author the unso licited good offices of George Lord Lyttletop, Dr Johnson, Hurd Bishop of Worcester, Percy Bishop of Dromore, and many others. From the great suc ens of the work, a second edition of it was called for in 1771. Mr Beattie visited London in the same year, and again in 1773. On the last of these oc casions; he received some flattering marks of public notice and distinetion. He had the honour of being admitted to a private and long interview with their Majesties ; received, from the University of Oxford, an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, at the same time with Sir Joshua. Reynolds ; and was afterwards
requested by the latter to sit for his portrait. The reputation of his Essay, and still more, perhaps, the motives and general character of the author, likewise procured for him, about this time, a yearly pension of L.200 from the Crown.
In the course of the same year, 1773, be published the first part of his Minstrel, or the. Progress of Ge nius ; to which he added a second partial 774. His object, as described by himself, was " to trace the progress of a poetical genius, born in a rude age, . from the first dawning of Riney and• reason, till that period at which he may be supposed capable of ap pearing in the world as a Minstrel ; that is, as an itinerant poet and musician ; a character which, ac cording to the notion of our forefathers, was not only respectable, but sacred." It appearipfrom his letters, that he little anticipated the favourable re ception which this poem obtained from the public; a doubt which was probably founded on the want o incident and variety of character, in the composition. Its merit, however, was quickly acknowledged ; and by it the author's reputation, as a poet and a man of genius, was raised to its height.
On occasion of a vacancy which occurred soon after in the chair of Natural and Experimental Phi losophy at Edinburgh, it was proposed that Dr Beat tie should become a candidate ; to which step he was strongly urged by some of his friends, particu larly Lord Hailer. And, about the same period, he received various offers of preferment in the English church. These plans of promotion, however, he successively declined, considering the situation which he held as best adapted to hie abilities, and affording him the greatest opportunities of usefulness. Hid reluctance to accept a chair in the university of Edinburgh arose partly, indeed, from the retraining effect of those heats which controversial metaphysics had produced. " I am so great a lover ofTeace," he says in a letter to one of his friends on this occa sion, " and so Willing to think well of my neighbours, that I do not wish to be connected with one person who dislikes me." Between the years 1780 and 1798, he published his Elements of Moral Science, and various other works, moral and critical, which are wb11 known, and deservedly popular. He enjoyed the acquaint ance and friendship of many distinguished charac ters, in different classes of society. Among his lite rary correspondents in England were Bishop Por ters, Mrs Montague, Scott the poet of Amwell, and Mr Gray. He was entrusted by the latter, in 1768, with superintending an edition of his poems, printed by Foulis.