In the midst of these occupations, Dr. Robison was led to compose a work of a very different nature, which he published in 1797, under the title of Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe. On his way to St. Petersburg in 1770, he and Admiral Knowles were entertained by the Prince Bishop of Liege, who, with his chapter and all his ser vants constituted a lodge of freemasons. Mr. Robison was here initiated into the mysteries of the fraternity, and was thus led, during his residence abroad, to ex amine the nature and character of such institutions. This work, which consists principally of the history of the society of Illuminati, and the German Union, was founded on documents, the truth of which Dr. Robison had no reason to call in question; but which were un doubtedly not deserving of implicit confidence. The work was read with avidity in every part of Europe. It underwent four editions in two years, and extended his reputation among a class of readers who had never heard of the fame of his talents, and who were incapable of appreciating them, even if they had been known.
Upon the death of Dr. Black in t799, Dr. Robison was applied to by his friends to superintend the pub lication of the lectures of that eminent chemist. Dr. Robison cheerfully undertook a task which, at his time of life, and from other causes, was by no means an easy one. Dr. Black had discovered so much, and written so little, that this publication became necessary to establish Dr. Black's claim to the great discovery of latent heat. This work, which was published in 1803, in 2 vols. 4to. though well executed, was too late in making its appearance. Chemistry had undergone a complete revolution, and even the lectures of Dr. Black were received with comparatively little interest. The last work which Dr. Robison lived to publish, w as the first volume of his Elements of Mechanical Philosophy ; being the Substance of a •Course of Lectures on that Science. This volume, including Dynamics and As tronomy, was published in t804; and he had proceed ed a considerable way in preparing the manuscript of the second volume, when, after delivering a lecture on the 28th of January, he was seized with a slight cold, and died on the 30th January, 1805, in the 66th year of his age.
Dr. Robison was in stature considerably above the middle size. His person as well as features were un commonly handsome, and his physiognomy noble and dignified, yet subdued by a tenderness of expression characterizing the natural benevolence of his nature; but deepened with a tinge of sorrow which his fine fea tures had gradually derived from his bodily infirmi ties.* The effect of these external qualities was sustained by the elegance of his manners, as well as by his powers of conversation, and the extent of his general knowledge. Having mixed much with the world, and conversed much before he began to write, his written style partakes a little of the case, and fluency, and diffuseness of conversation ; while among his scientific countrymen, who generally write long before they have mixed much with society, it is more customary to find their conversation marked with the stiffness and for mality of written language.
After Dr. Robison's death, Professor Playfair under took to draw up an account of the life and writings of his friend, and to edit a collection of his various articles in the Encyclopedia. The first of these tasks Mr. Play fair executed with his usual ability, but his occupa tions would not permit him to execute the second. It therefore devolved upon Dr. Brewster, one of Dr. Ro bison's pupils, to publish these papers in 1822, under the title of ? System of Mechanical Philosophy, in 4 vols. 8vo. with a volume of plates. This work includes the first volume already mentioned as having been pub lished in 1804, and some manuscripts which were in tended for a second volume of the same work, to gether with all the leading articles which had appeared in the Encyclopedia Britannica, and in the Supplement to the third edition of it. As Dr. Brewster was obliged, from the wishes of the publisher, to limit the work to four volumes, he was compelled to leave out several of the inferior articles, and to exercise a considerable editorial jurisdiction over the rest. This work, as Mr.
Playfair has justly remarked. will place his scientific character higher than it has ever been with any but those who were personally acquainted with him. In addition to several notes written by himself, the editor was fortunate in being able to prevail upon the late eminent Mr. JamesWatt to undertake the revision of the article Steam•Engine ; and though he intended only to correct imperfections, and supply some of the most prominent defects, yet he was gradually led to ex tend his views, and to compose most valuable additions on the history, the principles, and the construction of the steam-engine.
Practical and useful as all the writings of Dr. Robi son arc, we are disposed to think that they are still too profound for general readers, and that their popularity, however great, would still have been heightened by the omission of several of the mathematical disquisi tions. Dr. Thomas Young, however, has expressed an opinion which may be considered as the reverse of this, when he says that Professor Robison, as well as many others of his countrymen, would certainly have been the better of a little more pure mathematics. \Ve arc not disposed to controvert what in its literal significa tion is so very true; but we may be permitted to oppose it with another observation equally true, that many of their friends in England would also be the better of a little more of the same rare commodity. With the exception of Mr. Ivory and Professor Wal lace, we willingly admit the inferiority of our coun trymen in mathematical attainments; but if the ob servation is meant to convey the idea that Dr. Robi son or any of his countrymen, would have made more discoveries in chemical and physical science, had they been more profound mathematicians, we venture with much deference to doubt its accuracy. The history of British science will, we think, establish the opposite opinion ; and the names of Priestly, Watt, Black, James Hutton, Herschel, Dollond, Blair, Ramsden, Troughton, Wollaston, and Sir Humphry Davy, none of whom ever pretended to be great mathematicians, re qiilre only to be mentioned, to give this opinion the character of demonstration. That a profound know ledge of pure mathematics would have been useful to all these illustrious men, after they had begun their career of invention and discovery, and fairly grappled with the difficulties of original investigation, it would be idle to deny ; but we humbly conceive that there is in that turn of mind which disposes it to seek its gratification in the abstractions of the higher mathematics, something incompatible with that genius for invention and dis covery which limits its ambition to the study of the material universe.
We shall conclude this account of Dr. Robison's life with a brief sketch of his character, as drawn by Dr. Brewster, in his preface to the work above mentioned. " Although Dr. Robison's name cannot be associated with the great discoveries of the century which he adorned, yet the memory of his talents and his virtues will be long cherished by his country. Imbued with the genuine spirit of the philosophy which he taught, he was one of the warmest patrons of genius, wherever it was found. His mind was nobly elevated above the mean jealousies of rival ambition ; and his love of sci ence and of justice was too ardent to allow him either to depreciate the labours of others, or transfer them to himself. To these great qualities as a philosopher, Robison added all the more estimable endowments of domestic and social life. His friendship was at all times generous and sincere. His piety was ardent and unostentatious. His patriotism was of the most pure and exalted character ; and, like the immortal Newton, whose memory he cherished with a peculiar reverence, he was pre-eminently entitled to the appellation of a Christian patriot and philosopher." Dr. Robison was survived by Mrs. Robison, and a family of three sons and a daughter. His daughter, who died a few years ago, was married to the late Lord Kinedder. His eldest son, who has returned from India, inherits the talents of his father, and now fills the situa tion of Secretary to the Society of Arts for Scotland, and Secretary of the Physical Class of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.