ceived things from Mr. Morhead since then, with which he thought to have gotten my thinges, but he hath received his own and not mine. I informe you breifly of this, but I more desire to heare something of my father's affaires. I have not so much as seene any of his bookes yet, though there be some of them heere. I pray you the first occasion write to me what he hath done; as yet my part is in the mean while to recommend it to God. Remember my duety to my aunt, my love to my brother James. I blesse God for the thing I heare of him, though I come short of it myselfe, pray him to pray for me, that God uphold me, and let not Satan take advantage either by objecting liberty before me or ill example.

"Remember me to Elizabeth, Elisha, and my young brother and sister. Remember me to Mrs. Freese.

"Pardon my most rude forme of writing in regard of the past and ye time of night wherein I writt this letter.

"Your obed. Son,

"R. LEIGHTON.

"EDBRG., May 20, 1629.

"To his loving father Mr. Alexr. Leighton, Dr. of Physike, at his house on the top of pudle hill, near blackfriars gate, over against the King's wardrobe- These

London.

"

Endorsed,-Maij 20, 1629 (Style Rom.), Rob. Leighton's letter to his mother, from Edenboroughe."1

Such is all that can be gathered from existing sources regarding Robert Leighton's youth and student days. One would willingly know more and regrets that he can know so little. The veil is only lifted at brief and long separated intervals to fall again, and the record of his early days, chiefly on account of the vicissitudes of his family, is very incomplete. His character, however, stands out clear amid the surrounding

1 Notes and Queries: 3rd series, vol. i. (1862) p. 107.

uncertainty regarding details and is full of a potency which his later years more definitely unfolded.

November 26, 1630, saw the execution of the dreadful sentence upon his father, after which he was confined to the Fleet. When Leighton graduated at Edinburgh College on July 23, 1661, his father was then a prisoner, and the last year of his college career must have been for him one of strain and much solicitude for his father's welfare. At a later period of his life one of the professors wrote to Dr. Alexander Leighton congratulating him "on having a son in whom Providence had made him abundant compensation for his sufferings." During the next ten years he was abroad. Burnet's statement is: "From Scotland his father sent him to travel. He spent some years in France and spoke that language like a native."1 He lived with relations at Douay-not unlikely friends of his mother-and there he conceived, as is said, a certain sympathy for the French Catholics. His travels brought him a wider knowledge of the life of others and an acquaintance with forms of religious thought and worship, different from his own. Perhaps this may account in some measure for his freedom from insular prejudices, his capacity of seeing good in those who widely differed from him, as well as his wider charity. Leighton became a believer in the influence of travel, and many years afterwards recommended a similar course to his nephew, alleging that "there is a very peculiar advantage in travel, not to be understood but by the trial of it: and that for himself he nowise repented of the time he had spent in that way."

NOTE TO CHAPTER V

The "Old College Record" was carried off by the Town Council of Edinburgh in 1704,2 and was destroyed some time subsequently to 1826, so that we are deprived of valuable data

relative to the early student life of Edinburgh College. But the following course of study, belonging to the period when Robert Leighton was a student, not only illustrates University life in the period, but goes far to explain the thorough training he received, and the good use he makes of the classical writer throughout his lectures and sermons.

The Discipline of the College of Edinburgh, December 3, 1628; wherein is contained the Offices and Duties of the Professors, Masters, Scholars, Bursars and Servants as it has been observed many years ago.

THE ORDER OF THE FIRST YEAR.

In the beginning of October, the entrant students to the discipline of the College are exercised in Latin authors, chiefly in Cicero, and turning of Scots into Latin and Latin into Scots: and the Regent is to examine these versions both in the etymology, construction, and in the right writing of them, until the Primar give and examine a common theme.

The common theme being examined, Clenard's Greek Grammar is continually taught, in which, when they come to the annotations of the nouns, the practice of the rules is joined with the Grammar out of some part of the New Testament. Then are taught the first and second orations of Isocrates, and also one or two others of the same author, and of the poets, Phocilides, the first book of Hesiod, with some book of Homer.

About the middle of May are taught Ramus's Logics,1 and with the Logics some Latin themes to be turned into Greek, and some in Greek to be turned into Latin.

What they hear at the beginning out of the New Testament, the first oration of Isocrates and Phocilides, or the first book of Hesiod, they commit to memory: and what is taught during the week they repeat on the Saturday mornings with a clear voice in the master's audience: on that same day they dispute betwixt ten and twelve o'clock. On the morning of the Lord's day the Catechism is taught.

1 Ramus was a Protestant and a victim of the St. Bartholomew massacre. His Logic was adopted with zeal by the Protestant Universities of Europe in the last half of the sixteenth century in opposition to the Aristotelian with which the cause of Roman Catholicism was regarded as associated.

THE ORDER OF THE SECOND YEAR.

From the beginning of October they are exercised in repeating those things which were taught in the former year; and near the end of October they are examined on the same.

The examinations being ended, they are examined in themes and versions, until the Greek theme is taught by the Primar: which uses to be taught the day after the common theme (foresaid) is given.

After the Greek theme is taught Talaeus' Rhetoric with Cassander, or the like, together with Apthonius's Progymnasmata. Afterwards they make orations to exercise their style in Logic and Rhetoric.

In the beginning of January, Aristotle's Organon is begun to be taught, beginning at Porphyry's Isagoge; and in that year are taught the books of the Categories on the Interpretation of the Prior Analytics, the first, second, and eight of the Topics, and the two books of Sophistics.

In the end of the year is taught a compend of arithmetic.

On the Saturday they dispute on Logic theses in their private schools. But on the first Saturday in May, at three o'clock in the afternoon, they begin to have orations in public: and they have each days appointed, until all of them have declaimed before the end of the year.

On the Lord's day, in the morning, the Regent goes on in the explication of the Catechism.

THE ORDER OF THE THIRD CLASS.

In the beginning of the third year, they repeat1 what was taught in the former year, until the examinations.

After the examinations, the Regent teaches his scholars the Hebrew Grammar, and exercises them in Logical analysis and Rhetoric, in what authors he thinks best, until a public examination of their progress in analysis is made by the Primar: which usually takes place the day after the Greek theme (aforesaid) is given and examined.

The trial of their ability in analysis being made, the Regent goes

1 Burnet says of Leighton's scholarshlp: "He laid together in his memory the greatest treasure of the best and wisest of all the ancient sayings of the heathen as well as Christians, that I have ever known any man master of, and he used them in the aptest manner possible." History of his Own Times, vol. i. p. 240.

on to teach his scholars the two books of the Posteriores in the Logics, and then teaches the first, second, the half of the third, the fifth and sixth books of the Ethics, afterwards the five first books of the Acroamatics (or General Physics) and teaches a short compound of the three last.

In the end of the year the anatomy of the human body is described.

On the Saturdays they dispute in their private schools on theses which the Regent prescribes out of those things which they have heard.

On the Lord's day, some commonplace of Divinity is taught.

THE ORDER OF THE FOURTH CLASS.

In the beginning of the fourth year, after the vacation, all those things which were formerly learned are repeated, until the two inferior classes be examined.

The examinations being ended, they begin the books de Caelo (i.e. concerning the heavens), and the Regent teaches the first book, the greater part of the second and fourth; which being perfected, the sphere of John de Sacrobosce is taught, with some theorems of the planets, to the fourth chapter; as also the more notable constellations are shown in the book, in the celestial globe, and in the heavens.

Then are taught most exactly the books de Ortu (i.e. of generation) and the books de Meteoris, as much as sufficeth. Then are taught the three books of Anima (i.e. concerning the soul).

In the beginning of May they begin to repeat all those things learned in the Logics and Philosophy.

In the time of the repetitions, Hunter's Cosmography is taught; and afterwards they are exercised in disputing, chiefly on the theses, which they are publicly to defend at the laureation.

On the Lord's day, in the morning, they are exercised in common places of Theology, and on the most necessary controversies.

The Bachelors, after they have learned in the third year the first four chapters of the first book de Demonstratione, convene in the Magistrand school at five o'clock at night, and there dispute with the Magistrands,1 every one of them having a Magistrand for his antagonist, the choice being made by the Regents, who likewise 1 The name given to those who are in the highest philosophical class before graduation. It is still retained in Aberdeen.