WRITINGS OF DR. SMITH.

VII

more ornamental branches of learning; in particu-lar, with the works of the Roman, Greek, French , »and Italian poets, appeared fufficiently fromthe hold which they kept of his memory, afterall the different occupations and inquiries in whichhis maturer faculties had been employed ï! . Inthe Englifh language, the variety of poetical pas-sages which he was not only accuftomed to referto occasionally, but which he was able to repeatwith correftnefs, appeared surprising even to those,whose attention had never been directed to moreimportant acquisitions.

After a residence at Oxford of seven years, hereturned to Kirkaldy, and lived two years withhis mother; engaged in study, but without anyfixed plan for his future life. He had been ori-ginally destined for the Church of England , andwith that view had been sent to Oxford ; but notfinding the ecclesiastical profession suitable to histafte, he chose to consult, in this instance, hisown inclination, in preference to the wishes of his

* The uncommon degree în which Mr. Smith retained pof-feffion, even to the close of his life, of different branches ofknowledge which he had long ceafed to cultivate, has been of-ten remarked to me by my learned colleague and friend , Mr.

Dalzel, Profeffor of Greek in this University . - Mr. Dalzel

mentioned particularly the readiness and correctness of Mr.Smith’s memory on philological fubje&s, and the acutenefsand skill he displayed in various conversations with him onsome of the minutie of Greek grammar.