1825-6, 1826-7, he studied Greek and logic, mathematics and morals, in the University of Edinburgh; his professors being respectively George Dunbar, David Ritchie, William Wallace, and John Wilson quotation (his uncle), in whose house at Elleray, amidst all its literary and political associations and activities, he spent the summer vacations. In eighteen twenty eight he entered Magdalen college, Oxford, as fellow commoner, where, after pursuing the ordinary round, he graduated B.A. at the Easter Term, 1832. He was immediately called to the Scottish bar as an advocate and having as year-fellows Lord Mackenzie, the late W. B. D. D. Turnbull, Henry Glassford Bell, &c. The bar in Scotland is considered the avenue to public and official life; the admission to the faculty of advocates is therefore strictly guarded, not only by a double examination in literature and law, but by heavy entrance fees, amounting to the aggregate to about £350. For a short time after his advocate ship was gained Ferrier frequented the parliament house and practiced in the courts, though caring little for the dry work and fruitless studies which the "getting up" of cases involved.
The publication, in 1829, of Sir William Hamilton's famous paper on "The Philosophy of the Conditioned", and in 1830 of that on philosophy of perception, had stirred the thoughtful, and excited the hope of fresh results following up on new endeavors. In 1831, Ferrier became intimate with Hamilton, who was like himself and advocate devoted to metaphysical studies, and on the outlook for professional employment. Between two such minds friendship was speedily matured, and Ferrier resolved to sound the deep seas of speculation for himself. Hamilton subsequent articles increased his eagerness to know the inner secrets of thought and life; he determined to master the language and philosophy of Germany; For which purpose he spent the summer of 1834 in Heidelberg one of the chief sitters of Teutonic culture and speculation. Here he acquired not only a familiarity with the language, but even with the thought of Germany, and practice himself thoroughly in the transference of the thoughts attained in that language into the speech of his own country. He became an adept in the language of philosophy of Germany, and penetrated into the seminal thoughts of the several systems.
He continued his readings and studies of metaphysical writings after his return from Germany, and in 1836, when at last Edinburgh recognized, by electing him to the professorship of logic, the extraordinary merits of Sir William Hamilton, Ferrier made his earliest appeal for a professorial appointment as candidate for the chair of history which his friend vacated. In his candidature he was defeated by George Skene. In 1837, Ferrier married his cousin Margaret—a woman, a competent witness says, with intellect fit to appreciate and sustain, and humor and esprit fit to charm and cheer, even a man like him,—the eldest daughter of professor
