788
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
ment of this latter was solely intrusted to Mr. Smellie ; but as it happened to be a losing con- cern, he shortly afterwards insisted on its dis- continuance. This led to disputes, which finally terminated in a dissolution of the copartnery in 1771 ; when a new contract was entered into between Mr. Balfour and Mr. Smellie only. About the same time, he appears to have been on terms with the eminent William Strahan, to undertake the management of the vast printing concern carried on by him in London ; but from some cause not clearly explained, the treaty was broken off. It is worthy of mention, as showing the respect in which Mr. Smelliewas at this time held, uiat upon his entering on this new co- partnery, lord Kames became security for a bank credit in iavour of the younger printer, to the amount of jGSOO. In 1780, on the suggestion of the late earl of Buchan, a society for collecting and investigating the antiquities of Scot- land, was instituted at Edinburgh. Of this society, Mr. Smellie was personally invited by his lordship to become a member; which he did, and was appointed printer of their journals and transactions. Next year he was elected keeper of their museum of natural history; and in 1793, he was elected secretary, which office he held till his death. It is not, we believe, gene- rally known, that with Mr. Smellie originated the admirable scheme of a statistical account of all the parishes of Scotland, which was after- wards brought to maturity by sir John Sinclair. At the desire of the antiquarian society, Mr. Smellie, in 1781, drew up a regular plan of the undertaking, which was printed and circulated ; but the individuals to whom they were addressed, do not seem to have understood the important nature of the application, and only a very few complied with the directions given in it. In 1780, Mr. Smellie commenced the publication of his Translation of Bnffon'i Natural History; a work which has ever stood deservedly high in the opinion of naturalists, being illustrated with numerous notes and illustrations of the French author, besides a considerable number of new observations. In the year 1780, the partnership between Mr. Smellie and Mr. Balfour was dis- solved, when the former entered into partnership with Mr. William Creech, bookseller. This con- nexion continued to the end of 1789, when Mr. Smellie commenced, and ever afterwards carried first volume of his Philosophy of Natural History on business on his own account. In 1790, the was published; the copyright of which was pur- chased by Mr. Elliot, bookseller, Edinburgh, for one thousand guineas. The second and con- cluding volume was not published till 1799. His acquaintance with Robert Bums* commenced
- Robert Burns, the brigbtest (tar in the ixietical annals
of Scotland, was born " on the Doon side," near tbe town Of Ayr, Jan 35, I7Sn, and reared to the laborions profes- sion of a fanner. With the advantagre of a plain educa- tion, and access to a Cbw books, the mind of this highly- gifted individoal received a degree of caltiTation, mnch saperior to what is attainable in the same grade of society in other conntiies ; and at an early age, he began to write in his vemacnlar language, verses respecting rural events
in the year 1787, upon the occasion of the poet's coming to Edinburgh to publish his poems, which were printed by Mr. Smellie. From that similarly social dispositions, and mutual relish of each others wit, an immediate and permanent intimacy took place betwixt them. After Bums's departure from Edinburgh, they corresponded frequently ; but the greater part of the communi- cations were afterwuds destroyed l^ Mr. Smel- lie, equally, perhaps, on the baid's account and his own. Of the high opinion which the latter entertained, however, of his friend — and it ia well known how fastidious was his taste on tbe score of talent, honesty, and real friendship amongst his fellow-creatures — we have sufficient evidence in the poetical sketch, by Bums :
To CrochaHan came The old cock'd hat, the grey snrtoat, the same; His bristling beard jnst rising in Its might, Twas four long nights and days to shaying night ; His nncurl'd gnnzzly locks, wild staring, uiatch'd A head, for thought profotind and clear, nnmateta'd ; Yet though his caustic wit was bttiog, mde. His heart was warm, benevolent, and good.
Mr. Smellie expired, at Edinburgh, in his fifty -fifth year ; and we regret to add his name to the long list of men of genius, who have ter- minated a career of labour, anxiety, and useful- ness, amid the pressure of pecuniary difficulties.* Some years after his deatli, a volume was pub- lished, under the care of his son, containing me- moirs of three distinguished men, with whom he had been acquainted; lord Kames,t Dr. John Gregory^ and Mr. David Hume : it formed part of a more extended design, which Mr. Smellie had sketched out, but found not time to execute.
and ehaiacters. Models, as far as he r eq ui red anj, be found in the poetry of Kamsay and Ferguson, and in Uiat great body of national song, comic and sentiincnta], wfaiiA the Scottish people have composed for themsdves in the course of ages. In 1 78?, he published a volume at poems at Kilmarnock, which had a wonderful success, and wras soon afterwards invited to Edinburgh, where a new edItioB of his poems were printed, and from wtiich he realized ^100. He then took afum in paitnerstiip with his toatlier Gilbert, and at last settled at Dnmftles, as an ezcisemaa. During the latter years of his life, he employed his poeti- cal talent chieily in the compo s ition of a aeries of song*, which, though they liave the general fault of treetinc love with too little regard for its higher and more delicate emotions, are allowed to rank among the ixst compoaitiaiis in that department of poetry. His latter years, as most be generally known, were clouded with poverty and its attendant distresses, aggravated by passions, whldi, equally with his genius, fbrmed a part of Uie eztrmonli. nary character assigned to liim by nature. After tiis deetl^ which happened at Dnmfries, July 31, 170d, leaiing e widow and four children, his works, including poems, songs, and letters, were published in an elegant odlection by Dr. James Currie, of liverpool, who added a biogis- phical memoir, remarkable for Judgment and good taiste, and which produced above jf looo tot the benefit of his family. Mrs. Bums died March sd, 1834.
- Sfemoin of the l^t, WriitngB, and Comtpimdenee «f
WiUiim Smeltte, F.R.S. and F^.S^ late printer, t» Sdim. iwrgh. Secretary and Superintendent of Natural Hittarf la the Societf of Scottish AnHguariee, jre. By Robot Kerr, F.R.S. and F.A.S. two vols. Svo. Edlnbnr^ : printed by Alexander Smellie, for John Anderson, 181 1, with a portrait and fac-«imile of his writing. A work. says Mr. Robert Chambers, perhaps disproportioned to the subject, but containing many curious anecdotes.
t Henry Home, lord Kames, author of tbe Slementa of CriUciim, and other works, died Dec. 36, 1783.
t An eminent physician, and authorofJFsMer'sX^facy to his Dmghters. He was born at Aberdeea, JniM S, ITU, and died at Edinburgh, Feb. 9, I77S.
