Letter to Andrew Ettleweel. as the medical men of the city seem to be agreed, that cleanliness is absolutely requisite for the prevention of fever, might it not be insisted on, as a cautionary measure against the propagation of this dire disease? You will excuse me if my remarks on this subject are pert or indelicate, for an involuntary shrug reminds me that I sat this morning too near a gentlemen who never travels without company! You have, I doubt not, accused me of want of gallantry in not noticing the ladies-but much as I respect them, I am getting so very sleepy, that I must allow them to remain till my next letter; for if I trust myself in their company, even in imagination, I shall wander into the regions of fancy, and forget to rise to-morrow morning for the Moral Philosophy. In the mean time, adieu, and believe My dear Brother, 2 me, Glasgow, 10th Dec. 1818. Yours, ever, MATTHEW KENSPECKLE. TO THE EDITOR. SIR-Whan onie man sets himsel' out i' the public prents to be a correcker o' the manners o' the age, I trow then ilka ane's at liberty to write their min' till him, gif it were nae mair than just to wis' weel to his undertakin': it wad therefore oblige me, ware ye to communicate through the Mirror, the letter alang wi' this, direcket TO ANDREW ETTLEWEEL. ANDREW, I was daunerin the ither day through a richt lanesome pairt o' the kintra, yet no unco far frae your neeborhood, whan I cam up wi'a douse leukin' aul' carle, wha salutet me in a frien'ly way after the kintra fas'cn, whan we sune fell upo' a crack thegither; 1 fan' him to be a won'erfu' gleg body; I was muckle delytet wi' him, he tell't me sae moaie lang-syne stories, an' had them a' as plain upo' his n ind as gif they had been prentit in a beuk. Amang ither things spoke o' was the unco changes that ha’e Letter to Andrew Ettleweel. ta'en place i' our ain day, whilk we baith thocht hadnae been muckle for the better; fok indeed appear a hantle_gaudier now-a-days, than they did whan we ware callans, yet the maist feck ware as scant o' onie kin' o' gumption, as ever men ware kent to be in onis time bygane. As we ware thus gaun on daverin', we came in sicht o' a house on the side o' the road; he said he ettled to ca' yonder an' hae his pipe lichtet; whan we cam' near we saw a brod aboon the door wi' Yill an' Whusky paintet on't, sae we agree't to hae a chappin thegither. The time he was fillin' his pipe I teuk up a beuk was lyin' i' the winnock sole, whilk chanc't to be the KILMARNOCK MIRROR: the first thing I gat my e'e on whan I open't it was your Letter; I read it out to see what my neebor trav❜ller wad say o't; he speer'd gin there was nae name subscryv't to't; aye quo' I, there's ane Andrew Ettleweel pits his name till't. He gae a great gaffa, an' said, "Aye, aye, an' is Andrew at that wark again? I ken Andrew: he's ane that can tell a gay aul'farren tale, but I'se lay twa an' a plack he'll fin' the wark o' reformation as dreigh a job as e'er he teuk in han'; howsomever he may do some gude, but I'm flee't it be lang afore it be muckle kent; an' I'se gie onie body mylug for a lavrock's egg,' gif he dinna stick it a' thegither yet, that's to say he'll ne'er mak a feenish o't, an' I'se gie ye my reason, (quo' he) for thinkin' sae; its my thocht that Andrew has taen up his grun' wrang; I fin' nae fauts wi' him beginnin' wi' the kirk, for if the kirk binna the soorce o' corrupshon, it, at onie rate, stan's in muckle need o' reformin', but I kennae what can be his noshen for beginnin' at the kirk yett; for as lang as the fountain is drumlie, he'll fin' it a gay kittle job to keep the streams clear. I hae my ain doots that Andrew is owre like the feck o' fok i' our day, he swithers to say a' he thinks, for fear o' offendin' the gentles. Aul' John Knox teuk a mair sicker plan, whan he begoud his reformin' wark, he began wi' the gentles, aye the vera greatest o' them, an' didnae skunner to tell them their fauts starkly to their face; it was nae outer court wark wi' him; he kent weel if he cou'd introduce a reform amang the rich fo'k, the puir anes wad sune follow their example, an' he kent as weel that the rich anes wad ne'er follow the puir anes, he didna stick to tell the paughtiest o' them a', o' their failin's. It wad need a gay stalwart billie to carry on a wark o' that kin'. Now tho' Andrew's a richt knacky body, an's gleg eneuch at Letter to Andrew Ettleweel. ocht he taks in han', yet I'm flee't he do little to reformin' the kirk as lang's he stan's at the yett glourin' at adverteesements about roups o' potatoes, an' kye, an' the like; or eatin' buns an' drinkin' yill i Geordie Tamson's. Now he sude hae began i' the inside o' the kirk, aye, at the verra pupet, an' whatfor' no? gif a herd sude see onie o' his sheep rinnin' headlang oure a scaur, an' dinnae mind to stap them, an' turn them frae their skaith, he is sair to blame. Tho' Andrew's minister may ken naething about thae mid-day meetin's i̇' Geordie Tamson's, (tho' by the bye he sude be tell't o' them, that he micht hae't i' his power to use his authoritie for pittin' a stap to them) yet he canna surelie be sae blin' as be gaun in an' out at the kirk yett, an' no see the sabbath day profain'd wi' maybe dizzens o' his ock starin' an' readin' thae prentit papers anent warl'ly affairs, whan their thochts sude be taen up wi' things spiritual; he canna but notice thae things. Now its as plain's a pike staff, gif he was i' the way o' his duty, he wad lift up his voice like a trumpet against sic unwarrantable conduct. Fo'k's unco ready to think there's naithing wrang whan the minister fin's nae fau't wi' them. Sae wha kens but John Walker, Tam Tutap, an' ithers, in taukin' about, an' leuken after their wardly affairs on the Sabbath day, carry on sic practices just for want o' being warn't o' their skaith." My frien' had now chappet the ause out o' his pipe, an puten't i' his poutch; we teuk the road, but had nae time to reshume the crack; our business lay different airts. We had to part, but no afore we trystet to meet again, whan we may ablins begin whare we left aff; an' in that case ye'll maybe hear frae us again on the sam' subject. In the meantime, I rest yer weelwis'er, SAUNDERS SIMPLE. Heathricha, 12th Dec. 1818. On the University of Glasgow-Moral Philosophy Class. ON THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. MORAL PHILOSOPHY CLASS. "He (Robert Melvine) was ane easie dispositiound man, syk lyke as Tweydesyd menis maistly is, albeit he had ane greit hedfil of braines. Outetakande George Yonge, heminister of Kyrke Christ Kyrke, wha culd knap Greike lyke Latin, he was the deipest minister in the haill saidis shyre of Berwyk." Pittscottie. The history of the Ethical class in this University, is intimately connected with the history of moral and political science, for the last seventy years. It was during the professorship of Smith, that the world was favoured with his beautiful, though ill founded Theory of Moral Sentiments. It was during this period also, that the plan was laid, and part of the materials collected for the Wealth of Nations, a work which has been justly deemed the text-book of legislation, on the subjects of which it treats. It was during the professorship of Reid, that philosophy was rescued from the hold of the wranglers, by whom it was degraded into a mere juggle, a tissue of scepticism, equally insulting to the feelings and the reason of mankind, for it was then, that he completed the overthrow of the Berkleian theory, which by denying the existence of matter led to the most atheistical conclusions. It is saying a great deal, but not more than we honestly believe ourselves entitled to say, that another seventy years will not pass over, before the name of the present professor, will be ranked with those of the worthies, whom we have mentioned. So firmly has this belief taken hold of our minds, and so sure do we feel that it will be the task of future times, to estimate his character and ability, that it is with no little distrust of our qualifications, that we take upon us to appreciate either. We have indeed attended his class and enjoyed what opportu nities it afforded, of observing the man, but it was in very early life, at a time when lectures and lecturers engaged far less of our attention, than the delights of the foot-ball. What we have now to say, is offered more on the observations of others, than on our own. It is difficult to talk of private character with propriety, but when all we know is favourable, there can be no harm in speak. ing out. We pretend not to offer an enumeration of Mr. On the University of Glasgow-Moral Philosophy Class. Mylne's virtues, but we can safely say that the character to the formation of which they go, is respected, esteemed and loved. In proof of this, we need only refer to the addresses of the students, when he was accused of disaffection to the Government. On that occasion there was but one feeling of indignation throughout the University. It never occurred that there was a probability of truth in the charge, and before the matter was at all cleared up, the students of the higher classes sent in addresses, containing the strongest expressions of indignation at the charge, and respect for the Professor. These addresses were unsought, and uninstigated, and must consequently be considered the gen uine evidence of sincere feeling. Had the character of the man been different, their disposition would have been to crow over, rather than to sympathise in his misfortune. The qualities of Mr. Mylne's mind, are great depth and clearness. The term acute, so far as it denotes mere cleverness, wę do not think applicable to his powers, but in as much as it de notes facility in the detection of error, no term can be more happily applied. In this single respect, he seems to resemble Du gald Stewart. In others according to our humble judgment, he is very superior. Mr. Stewart seldom seems to get to the bottom of a subject; Mr. Mylae always does. At times one cannot help doubting, whether Mr. Stewart clearly comprehends what he is about; of Mr. Mylne there is never such a doubt. Of the two, Mr. Mylne is the more original thinker, in so far as this phrase signifies thinking for one's self, rather than adopting the thoughts of another. Mr. Stewart enters upon a discussion, with all the prejudices of his school; Mr. Mylne is the disciple of no school; follows no system but his own. Lastly, Mr. Mylne's view of the human mind is more simple, and consequently more philosophical. In this opinion all may not coneur, but we are well persuaded that those who have attentively studied the systems of both, will decide for Mr. Mylne. In Mr. Stewart's catalogue of the elemental powers, Attention, Abstraction, Conception, &c., hold a place as distinct faculties. Mr. Mylne reduces them to three, Sensation, Memory and Judgment as all necessary to an act of Perception. In discussing a disputed subject, Mr. Mylne states the arguments which have been adduced on either side, with so much fairness, that one is apt to think him a defender of both. But when he comes to state his own opinion, he does it in such a way that all agree with him, before he has done. This is particular |