BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF JOHN LEYDEN, M. D. THE subject of the present brief memorial will be long distinguished among those whom the elasticity and ardour of genius have raised to distinction from an obscure and humble origin. JOHN LEYDEN was descended from a family of small farmers, long settled upon the estate of Cavers, in the vale of Teviot, a few miles from Hawick. He loved to mention some traditional rhymes, which one of his ancestors had composed, and to commemorate the prowess of another, who had taken arms with the insurgent Cameronians, about the time of the Revolution, and who distinguished himself by his gallantry at the defence of the churchyard of Dunkeld, 21st August, 1689, against a superior body of Highlanders, when Colonel Cleland, the leader of these warlike enthusiasts, was slain at their head. John Leyden, residing in the village of Denholm, and parish of Cavers, Roxburghshire, and Isabella Scott, his wife, were the parents of Dr Leyden, and still survive to deplore the irreparable loss of a son the honour alike of his family and country. Their irreproachable life, and simplicity of manners, recommend VOL. IV. PART M, ed them to the respect and kindness of their neighbours, and to the protection of the family of Mr Douglas of Cavers, upon whose estate they resided. John Leyden, so eminent for the genius which he displayed, and the extensive knowledge which he accumulated during his brief career, was born at Denholm, on 8th September, 1775, and bred up, like other children in the same humble line of life, to such country labour as suited his strength. He was ten years of age before he had an opportunity of attending even the reading school, and as the death of his first teacher, William Wilson, school-master at Kirktown, soon after took place, the humble studies of the future poet, antiquary, and orientalist, were adjourned till the subsequent year, (1786) when a Mr W. Scott taught the same school. But the sacred fire had already caught to the ready fuel which nature had adjusted for its supply. The ardent and unutterable longing for information of every description, which characterized John Leyden as much as any man who ever lived, was now roused and upon the watch. The rude traditionary tales and ballads of d the once warlike district of Teviot dale were the readiest food which offered itself to this awakening appetite for knowledge. These songs and legends became rooted in his memory, and he so identified his feelings with the wild, adventurous, and daring characters which they celebrate, that the associations thus formed in childhood, and cherished in youth, gave an eccentric and romantic tincture to his own mind, and many, if not all the peculiarities of his manner and habits of thinking may be traced to his imitating the manners and assuming the tone of a borderer of former times. To this may be ascribed his eager admiration of adventurous deeds and military achievement, his contempt of luxury, his zealous, and somewhat exclusive preference of his native district, an affected dislike to the southron, as the "auld enemies of Scotland," an earnest desire to join to the reputation of high literary acquirements the praise of an adept at all manly exercises, and the disregard of ceremony, and bold undaunted bearing in society, which might be supposed to have characterized an ancient native of the border. In his early days also he probably really felt the influence of those superstitious impressions, which at a later period he used sometimes to assume, to the great amusement of his friends, and astonishment of strangers. It was indeed somewhat singular, when he got upon this topic to hear Leyden maintain powerfully, and with great learning, the exploded doctrines of dæmonology, and sometimes even affect to confirm the strange tales with which his memory abounded, by reference to the ghostly experiences of his childhood. Even to those most intimate with him, he would sometimes urge such topics, in a manner which made it impossible to determine whether he was serious or jocular, and most probably his fancy, though not his sober judgment, actually retained some im But the romantic legend and heroic ballad did not satiate, though they fed his youthful appetite for knowledge. The obscure shepherd boy never heard of any source of information within his reach without straining every nerve to obtain access to it. A companion, for example, had met with an odd volume of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, and gave an account of its contents, which excited the curiosity of young Leyden. This precious book was in possession of a blacksmith's apprentice, who lived at several miles distance from Denholm, and the season was winter. Leyden however waded through the snow, to present himself by day-break at the forge-door, and request a perusal of this interesting book in presence of the owner, for an unlimited loan was scarcely to be hoped for. He was disappointed, was obliged to follow the blacksmith to a still greater distance, where he was employed on some temporary job, and when he found him, the son of Vulcan, with caprice worthy of a modern collector, was not disposed to impart his treasure, and put him off with some apology. Leyden remained stationary beside him the whole day, till the lad, softened, or wearied out by his pertinacity, actually made him a present of the volume, and he returned home by sun-set, exhausted by hunger and fatigue, but in triumphant possession of a treasure for which he would have subjected himself to yet greater privations. This childish history took place when he was about eleven years old; nor is there any great violence in conjecturing that these fascinating tales, obtained with so much difficulty, may have given his youthful mind that decided turn towards oriental learning which was displayed through his whole life, and illustrated by his regretted and too early decease. At least the anecdote affords an early and striking illustration of the ardour of his litera ry curiosity, and the perseverance which marked his pursuit of the means for gratifying it. Other sources of information now began to offer themselves, scanty indeed, compared to those which are accessible to thousands of a more limited capacity, but to Leyden as invaluable as an iron spike, or a Birmingham knife, would have been to Alexander Selkirk, during his solitary residence on Juan Fernandes. From the new teacher at Kirktown, Leyden acquired some smattering of the Latin language; but ere he could make any progress, the school became again vacant in the year 1786. Next year it was again opened by a third schoolmaster, named Andrew Scott, under whom Leyden gained some knowledge of arithmetic. Thus transferred from one teacher to another, snatching information at such times, and in such portions, as these precarious circumstances afforded, he continued not only to retain the elemental knowledge which he had acquired, but to struggle onward vigorously in the paths of learning. It seems probable that the disadvantage sustained from want of the usual assistances to early learning, may, in so energetic a mind as that of Leyden, be in many respects balanced by the habit of severe study, and pain ful investigation, which it was necessary to substitute for those adventiti ous aids. The mind becomes doubly familiar with that information which it has attained through its own laborious and determined perseverance, and acquires a readiness in encountering and overcoming difficulties of a similar nature from the consciousness of those which it has already successfully surmounted. Accordingly Leyden used often to impute the extraordinary facility which he possessed in the acquisition of languages to the unassisted exercises of his juvenile years. About this period his predominant desire for learning had determined his parents to breed young Leyden up for the church of Scotland, trusting for his success to those early talents which already displayed themselves so strongly. Mr Duncan, a Cameronian minister at Denholm, became now his instructor in the Latin language. It does not appear that he had any Greek tutor, nevertheless he probably had acquired some knowledge of the elements of that language before he attended the college of Edinburgh in 1790, for the purpose of commencing his professional studies. The late worthy and learned Professor Andrew Dalzell, used to describe with some humour, the astonishment and amusement excited in his class when John Leyden first stood up to recite his Greek exercise. The rustic, yet undaunted manner, the humble dress, the high harsh tone of his voice, joined to the broad provincial accent of Teviotdale, discomposed on this first occasion the gravity of the professor, and totally routed that of the students. But it was soon perceived that these uncouth attributes were joined to qualities which commanded respect and admiration. The rapid progress of the young rustic attracted the approbation and countenance of the professor, who was ever prompt to distinguish and en courage merit; and to those among the students who did not admit literary proficiency as a shelter for the ridicule due since the days of Juvenal to the scholar's worn coat and unfashionable demeanour, Leyden was in no respect averse from shewing strong reasons adapted to their comprehension, and affecting their personal safety, for keeping their mirth within de cent bounds. The Greek language was long his favourite study, and, considering his opportunities, he became much more intimately acquainted with its best authors than is usual in Scotland, even among those who make some pretensions to literature. The Latin he understood thoroughly; and it is perhaps the best proof of his classical attain ments, that at a later period, to use his own expression," he passed muster pretty well when introduced to Dr Parr." But though he soon became particu. larly distinguished by his talents as a linguist, few departments of science altogether escaped his notice. He investigated moral philosophy with the ardour common to all youths of talent who studied ethics, under the auspices of Professor Dugald Stuart, with whose personal notice he was honoured. He became a respectable mathematician, and was at least superficially acquainted with natural philosophy, natural history, chemistry, botany, and mineralogy. These various sciences he acquired in different degrees, and at different times, during his residence at college. They were the fruit of no very regular plan of study: whatever subject interested his mind at the time attracted his principal attention till time and industry had overcome the difficulties which it presented, and was then exchanged for another pursuit. It seemed frequently to be Leyden's Leyden was now at the fountain. object to learn just so much of a partihead of knowledge, and availed him- cular science as should enable him to self of former privations by quaffing it resume it at any future period; and to in large draughts. He not only at- those who objected the miscellaneous, tended all the lectures usually connect- or occasionally the superficial nature of ded with the study of theology, but se- his studies, he used to answer with his veral others, particularly some of the favourite interjection, "Dash it, man, medical classes,—a circumstance which never mind: if you have the scaffoldafterwards proved important to his out- ing ready, you can run up the masonry set in life, although at the time it could when you please.' But this mode of only be ascribed to his restless and im- study, however successful with John patient pursuit after science of every Leyden, cannot be safely recommend. description. Admission to these lec-ed to a student of less retentive memotures was easy from the liberality of ry and robust application. With him, the professors, who throw their class- however, at least while he remained in es gratuitously open to young men Britain, it seemed a matter of little educated for the church, a privilege consequence for what length of time of which Leyden availed himself to he resigned any particular branch of the utmost extent. There were indeed study; for when either some motive few branches of study in which he did or mere caprice induced him to resume not make some progress. Besides the it, he could with little difficulty reu learned languages, he acquired French, nite all the broken associations, and Spanish, Italian, and German, was fa- begin where he left off months or years miliar with the ancient Islandic, and before, without having lost an inch of studied Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. ground during the interval. The vacations which our student spent at home were employed in ar. ranging, methodizing, and enlarging the information which he acquired during his winter's attendance at college. His father's cottage affording him little opportunity for quiet and seclusion, he was obliged to look out for accommodations abroad, and some of his places of retreat were sufficiently extraordinary. In a wild recess, in the dean or glen which gives name to the village of Denholm, he contrived a sort. of furnace for the purpose of such chemical experiments as it was adequate. to performing. But his chief place of retirement was the small parish church, a gloomy and ancient building, generally believed in the neighbourhood to be haunted. To this chosen place of study, usually locked during weekdays, Leyden made entrance by means of a window, read there for many hours in the day, and deposited his books and specimens in a retired It was a well-chosen spot of seclusion for the kirk, (excepting during divine service) is rather a place of terror to the Scottish rustic, and that of Cavers was rendered more so by many a tale of ghosts and witchcraft, of which it was the supposed scene; and to which Leyden, partly to indulge his humour, and partly to secure his retirement, contrived to make some modern additions. The nature of his abstruse studies, some specimens of natural history, as toads and adders, left exposed in their spirit-vials, and one or two practical jests played off upon the more curious of the peasantry, rendered his gloomy haunt not only venerated by the wise, but feared by the simple of the parish, who began to account this abstracted student like the gifted person described by Wordsworth, as possessing pew. waking empire wide as dreams, An ample sovereignty of eye and ear; Rich are his walks with supernatural cheers This was a distinction which, as we have already hinted, he was indeed not unwilling to affect, and to which, so far as the visions existing in the high fancy of the poet can supply those ascribed to the actual ghost-seer, he had indeed no slight pretensions. Books as well as retirement were necessary to the progress of Leyden's studies, and not always attainable. But his research collected from every quarter such as were accessible by loan, and he subjected himself to the utmost privations to purchase those were not otherwise to be procu that red. The reputation also of his prosperous career of learning obtained him occasional access to the library at Cavers; an excellent 'old collection, in which he met, for the first time, many of those works of the middle ages which he studied with so much reA Froissart in search and success. particular, translated by Lord Berners, captivated his attention with all those tales" to savage virtue dear," which coincided with his taste for chivalry, and with the models on which it had been formed; and tales of the Black Prince, of the valiant Chandos, and of Geoffrey Tete-Noir, now rivalled the legends of Johnie Armstrang, Walter the Devil, and the Black Douglas. In the country, Leyden's society was naturally considerably restricted, but while at college it began to extend itself among such of his fellow students as were distinguished for proficiency in learning. Among these we may number the celebrated author of the Pleasures of Hope; the Rev. Alexander Murray, united with Leyden in the kindred pursuit of oriental learning, and whose lamp, like that of his friend, was extinguished at the moment when it was placed in the most conspicuous eleva |