Education for Life. George Turnbull

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      to write let letters be directed to the care of John Gordon Factor in Roterdam³⁴ Tell Mr Maclauran³⁵ that it has been impossible for me to get out to the country to wait on Jeriswood.³⁶

      6. To CHARLES MACKIE

      Address: To Mr Charles Macky Professor of History and Antiquities in the

       University of Edinburgh North Britain

      MS: EUL, La. II. 91; unpubl.

      Groninghen, 20 October 1725

      Dear Sir

      Your friend Rossal³⁷ is very kind & oblidging; and I hope in a litle time I shal be acquainted with him. Mr Udney³⁸ & I wait upon his history colledge; which he has but jus<t> begun. Monsieur Cramant³⁹ is still here &

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      was Exceedingly weel pleased to hear of your weelfare & desired to have his compliments returned to you. I believe I shal pass this winter pretty pleasantly But by what I can see yet I should not care to be here another. I wrote to Mr Duncan lately my mind about my affair at Aberdeen I should be much oblidged to him if he could think of it; & I leave the terms Entirely to you. But what are our folks inclinations at Aberdeen I know not. I am afraid the folks I thought would be easiest may be most uneasy. For I have wrote twice or thrice both to Dr Mackail⁴⁰ and Mr Varner⁴¹ & have had no answer If they will make me uneasy I cannot help it: But this winter I neither will nor can come home.⁴² Let them do what they please. And indeed I wish heartily I may be so lucky as to have no more to do with that place. But I know I need not put you in mind how much I want to be delivered from Aberdeen; & how much I wish something better would cast up. I should be glad to know if you have made any steps in the Glascow project⁴³ & what you think of it But I must either finish this letter now without saying any more or lose this post for I am called to the other Room to attend Mr Barbeyrac⁴⁴ who is come to honour us with a visit. I suppose Mr Duncan has given you an account of his colledges.⁴⁵ I realy like his

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      colledge on the Institutes⁴⁶ but he has given it over because he had not above five to wait on it. I am Dearest Sir

      Your most obliged

       humble servant

      George Turnbull.

      7. To CHARLES MACKIE

      Address: To Mr Charles Macky Professor of History in the university

       of Edinburgh

      MS: EUL MS La. II. 91; unpubl.

      Aberdeen, 23 January 1727

      Dearest Sir

      Tis indeed a dismal and affecting story that gives occasion to my troubling you at this time. Poor James Hadden’s melancholy death.⁴⁷ Now Dear Sir may I adventure to speak of my self to you for that profession & entreat your friendly asistance. I know by many proofs the sincerity of your kindness & friendship towards me. If it was possible to get me into that business I would be very happy: And I can’t think considering how litle there is to do in such a profession but I might turn my studies so as in time to be able to do tolerably in it. I never thought such a profession should be a sine cure; nor was I in such a one would I incline to make it so: But on the contrary apply my self to it with all vigour and application. Dear Sir I need not tell you more particularly what I would have you do for me<.> I write to Mr Maclauran at the same time: I cannot say but I am somewhat uneasy Mr Duff’s presentation is not yet come down.⁴⁸ But I am very sure that if in that or any thing that casts up it be proper to medle for me neither Mr

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      Maclauran nor you will forget me. I had once some thoughts of writing to the Sollicitor⁴⁹ or my Lord Provost of Edinburgh.⁵⁰ But considering how litle I have the honour to be of their acquaintance I thought it better to refer all to you and Mr Maclauran. I am Dearest Sir

      with the sincerest respect

       your most

       humble servant

      George Turnbull

      8. To CHARLES MACKIE

      MS: EUL, La. II. 91; unpubl.

      [Utrecht], 10 January 1730

      Dear Sir,

      I heartily wish you many happy returns of years. I was indeed Longing most impatiently to hear from you; But your friendship I could never suspect; nor would I fear the indolence you complain off did any opportunity offer of doing me or any friend a real service. Your letters will ever be most agreable to me when they bring me good accounts of your self & your’s; But this last indeed brought me news which gave me a very sensible uneasiness. Poor Trotter⁵¹ is he indeed taken from us! And must Mr Scot⁵² also die! How vain and uncertain is human life sed ita visum Superis!⁵³ I am glad however to hear my other friends are so weel; & that Mr Warrender⁵⁴

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      is to come abroad with that young Lord: sure I am his Lordship is very lucky: And how earnestly must I wish who know & like Warrender so weel that he would come to this place & that it might be our mutual happiness to travel together. And indeed this is an exceeding good place for study. Mr Wauchope⁵⁵ who gives his kind service to you & with whom I am very happy gives great application & with Excellent success. But I need not trouble you with an account of the colleges he attends. Lord George Hay⁵⁶ who is just come here within these few days, I would gladly hope, will follow his good Example. He is recommended to my care in the most obliging manner by the Marquis;⁵⁷ & lodges in the same house with us. Allow me to give some account of my self<.> I attend the college of Mr Otto upon the Pandects & believe me it is an Excellent one.⁵⁸ I have likewise a privatissimum upon Grotius in conjunction with Mitchel,⁵⁹ who you may be sure remembers you most kindly, & My Lord Cornberry⁶⁰ with whom I have the honour to be very weel acquainted & who is indeed the most virtous wise young gentleman I ever knew & at the same time has a vast deal of Life & wit. No doubt you know Mr Otto’s Thesaurus juris is now finished & the price mounts every day.⁶¹ It is certainly a curious collection. Mr Cunninghame⁶² to whom Otto has been vastly obliged in making that

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      collection says it has much dimi<ni>shed the value of a Law library he had gathered from all parts of the world with great care. And By the bye Cunninghame has been here severall days; he is a worthy good man but the most entetaea about his readings of Horace & Phaedrus.⁶³ I have been often with him & he with me; & I am sure I could divert you a litle if I durst; But all I dare say is that you will soon see another learned work of his in which he is to defend as warmly as ever he attacked a certain Learned Doctor at the Expence of a very Reverend prelate.⁶⁴ Mr Duker⁶⁵ whose Thucidides we will now have in three months gives Mr Wauchope a privatissimum upon Sueton.⁶⁶ He is realy as Good as he is learned & the last he has given unquestioned proofs of. He is likewise busy just now in giving the finishing stroke to some notes upon Livy upon his collegue Mr Drakenburg’s⁶⁷ account a book the world will likewise very soon see. You see then Dear Charles how I employ my time here. And tho I am Exceeding happy in Mr

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      Wauchope & will never part with him upon any consideration while he has any use for me; yet you know sufficiently my inclinations do not give me to be a Wanderer: if therefore Will Scot happens to die (which I sincerly pray heaven may forbid) Could it possibly be brought about, the profession of the law of nature is much to my taste and I would willingly make a bargain with Mr Scot about it: The Greek Class is the most profitable & perhaps if other folks could be brought to consent to it he would not be averse to return to it upon certain terms.⁶⁸ And I have now three hundred pounds good. No doubt you sufficiently understand me & I would have you to talk with my good friend Mr Maclauran about it. To no other but you