ROBISON, JonN, a celebrated Scottish natural phi losopher, was born at Boghall, in tha county of Stirling, and parish of Beiclernock. His father, Mr. John Ro bison, had acquired considerable wealth as a merchant in Glasgow, and had retired from business to his es tate of Boghall, before the birth of his son. Mr. Robi son received the rudiments of his education at the grammar school of Glasgow, and after going through the usual routine of classical instruction, he entered the University of Glasgow as a Student of Humanity, in November, 1750. Here he enjoyed the rare advan tage of studying Greek under the celebrated Dr. Moore, who possessed an extensive knowledge of the ancient geometry ; of acquiring mathematical knowledge un der Dr. Robert Simson ; and of studying the opera tions of the human mind in the lectures of the illustri ous Adam Smith. Notwithstanding these advantages, Dr. Robison does not seem to have been a very hard student, and in after life accused himself of want of application at the University. His fellow students, however, entertained the highest respect for his ac quirements, and he had early excited notice by the in genuity of his reasonings, and the boldness of his opi nions. The instructions, however, even of Dr. Simson, do not appear to have inspired him with very ardent love of the mathematics, and he was led to attend to them only after he had discovered their use in natural philosophy. In the year 1756, Mr. Robison took his degree of M. A.; and, in 1757, when the death of Dr. Dick, who was joint Professor of Natural Philosophy with his father, Mr. Robison is said to have been re commended by Dr. Adam Smith as a temporary assist ant to the old gentleman. Mr. Dick, however, consi dered him as too young for such a situation, and he was, therefore, compelled to look out for some other employment.
His father who was a man of exemplary piety, had destined his son for the church ; but motives, with which we are not acquainted, but which certainly did not arise from any dislike to the objects or duties of the 'clerical profession, prevented him from yielding to the wishes of his family.
Dr. Blair, Prebendary of Westminster, happened at that time to be in search of a person qualified to go to sea with Edward, Duke of York, and to assist his Royal Highness in the study of mathematics and navi gation. \Vith the view of obtaining that appointment,
Dr. Robison went to London with recommendations from Professor Dick and Dr. Sintson ; but be had no sooner arrived in 1758, than he learned that the projected voyage was not determined upon ; and af ter waiting for some time in anxious expectation, he was mortified to find that the scheme was entirely abandoned. Having been introduced to Admiral Knuwls, whose son was to have accompanied the Duke of York, the Admiral engaged him to accom pany his own son to sca, and to take charge of his educa tion.
Young Knowles went out in 1759 as a midshipman on board of Admiral Saunders's ship, the Neptune of 90 guns, accompanied by Mr. Robison, but being pro moted in the course of the voyage to the rank of lieu tenant, on board the Royal William of 80 guns, Mr. Robison attended him on board that ship, and was rated as a midshipman.
This fleet, the object of which was to assist in reduc ing Quebec, reached the American coast in April, and in May it ascended the river St. Laurence. In this si tuation Mr. Robison had an opportunity of seeing a great deal of active service, and he was occasionally employed in making surveys of the river and the ad jacent grounds.
" An anecdote which Mr. Robison used to tell," says Mr. Pla) fair, " deserves well to be mentioned. He happened to be on duty in the boat in which Ge neral Wolfe went to visit some of their posts the night before the battle, which was expected to be decisive of the fate of the campaign. The evening was fine, and the scene, considering the work they were engaged in, and the morning to which they were looking forward, sufficiently impressive. As they rowed along, the Ge neral, with much feeling, repeated nearly the whole of Grey's Elegy, (which had appeared not long before, and was yet but little known,) to an officer who sat with him in the stern of the boat, adding, as he concluded, that he would prefer being the author of that poem to -the glory of beating the French to-morrow." To-mor row came, and the life of that illustrious soldier was ter minated amid the tears of his friends and the shouts of his victorious army. The body of General Wolfe was brought to England in the Royal William, and was land ed at Spithead on the 18th of November.