(A) The founder of Trinity college was Sir Thomas Pope, who, it seems, would often take a piece of plate from a friend's house, and carry it home concealed under his gown, out of fun, no doubt. Cuff, being merry with some of his acquaintance at another college, happened to say, alluding to Sir Thomas Pope's usual joke above mentioned, "A pox on this beggarly house! why, our founder stole as much plate as would build such another." This piece of wit was the cause of his expulsion. The heads of colleges in those days did not understand humour. Anthony Wood was told this story by Dr Bathurst. Cullen, a borough town in the county of Banff in Scotland. It is situated on the sea-coast. W. Long. 2. 12. N. Lat. 57. 38. The manufacture of linen and damask has been established in this town for more than 50 years.

Cullen, Dr William, an eminent physician and distinguished medical teacher, was born in Lanarkshire, in the west of Scotland, 11th December, 1712. His father was for some time chief magistrate of the town of Hamilton; but though a very respectable man, his circumstances were not such as to permit him to lay out much money on the education of his son. William therefore, after serving an apprenticeship to a Surgeon apothecary in Glasgow, went several voyages to the West Indies as a Surgeon in a trading vessel from London: but of this employment he tired, and settled himself, at an early period of life, as a country Surgeon in the parish of Shotts, where he laid a short time practising among the farmers and country people, and then went to Hamilton with a view to practice as a physician, having never been fond of operating as a Surgeon.

While he resided near Shotts, it chanced that Archibald duke of Argyle, who at that time bore the chief political sway in Scotland, made a visit to a gentleman of rank in that neighbourhood. The duke was fond of literary pursuits, and was then particularly engaged in some chemical researches, which required to be elucidated by experiment. Eager in these pursuits, his grace, while on his visit, found himself much at a loss for the want of some small chemical apparatus, which his landlord could not furnish: but happily recollecting young Cullen in the neighbourhood, he mentioned him to the duke as a person who could probably furnish it. —He was accordingly invited to dine; was introduced to his grace,—who was so much pleased with his knowledge, his politeness and address, that he formed an acquaintance which laid the foundation of all Dr Cullen's future advancement.

The name of Cullen by this time became familiar at every table in that neighbourhood; and thus he came to be known, by character, to the duke of Hamilton, who then resided, for a short time, in that part of the country: and that nobleman having been suddenly taken ill, the affluence of young Cullen was called in; which proved a fortunate circumstance in serving to promote his advancement to a station in life more suited to his talents than that in which he had hitherto moved.

The duke was highly delighted with the sprightly character and ingenious conversation of his new acquaintance. Receiving instruction from him in a much more pleasing, and an infinitely easier way than he had ever before obtained, the conversation of Cullen proved highly interesting to his grace. —No wonder then that he soon found means to get his favourite doctor, who was already the esteemed acquaintance of the man through whose hands all fermentations in Scotland were obliged to pass, appointed to a place in the university of Glasgow, where his singular talents for discharging the duties of the station he now occupied soon became very conspicuous.

During his residence in the country, however, several important incidents occurred, that ought not to be passed over in silence. It was during this time that was formed a connection in business in a very humble line between two men, who became afterwards eminently conspicuous in much more exalted stations. William, afterwards Doctor Hunter, the famous lecturer on anatomy in London, was a native of the same part of the country; and not being in affluent circumstances more than Cullen, these two young men, stimulated by the impulse of genius to prosecute their medical studies with ardour, but thwarted by the narrowness of their fortune, entered into a copartnery business as surgeons and apothecaries in the country. The chief end of their contract being to furnish the parties with the means of prosecuting their medical studies, which they could not separately so well enjoy, it was stipulated, that one of them alternately should be allowed to study in what college he inclined, during the winter, while the other should carry on the business in the country, for the common advantage. In consequence of this agreement, Cullen was first allowed to study in the university of Edinburgh for one winter; but when it came to Hunter's turn next winter, he, preferring London to Edinburgh, went thither. There his singular neatness in dissecting, and uncommon dexterity in making anatomical preparations, his assiduity in study, his mildness of manner, and pliability of temper, soon recommended him to the notice of Dr Douglas, who then read lectures upon anatomy and midwifery there; who engaged Hunter as an assistant, and whose chair he afterwards filled with so much honour to himself and satisfaction to the public.

Thus was diffused, in a premature manner, a copartnery perhaps of as singular a kind as is to be found in the annals of literature: nor was Cullen a man of that disposition to let any engagement with him prove a bar to his partner's advancement in life. The articles were freely departed from by him; and Cullen and Hunter ever after kept up a very cordial and friendly correspondence; though, it is believed, they never from that time had a personal interview.

During the time that Cullen practised as a country Surgeon and apothecary, he formed another connection of a more permanent kind, which happily for him, was not diffused till a very late period of his life. With the ardour of disposition he possessed, it cannot be supposed he beheld the fair sex with indifference. Very early in life he took a strong attachment to an amiable woman, a Miss Johnston, daughter to a clergyman in that neighbourhood, nearly of his own age, who was prevailed on to join with him in the sacred bonds of wedlock, at a time when he had nothing else to recommend him to her except his person and dispositions. After giving to him a numerous family, and participating with him the changes of fortune which he experienced, she died in summer 1786.

In the year 1746, Cullen, who had now taken the degree of doctor in physic, was appointed a lecturer in chemistry in the university of Glasgow: and in the month of October began his lectures in that science. His singular talents for arrangement, his distinctness of enunciation, his vivacity of manner, and his knowledge of the science he taught, rendered his lectures interesting to the students to a degree that had been till then unknown at that university. He became, therefore, in some measure, adored by the students. The former professors were eclipsed by the brilliancy of his reputation; and he had to experience all those little rubs that envy and disappointed ambition naturally threw in his way. Regardless, however, of these secret chagrins, he pressed forward with ardour in his literary career; and, supported by the favour of the public, he consoled himself for the contumely he met with from a few individuals. His practice as a physician increased from day to day; and a vacancy having occurred in the year 1751, he was then appointed by the king professor of medicine in that university. This new appointment served only to call forth his powers, and to bring to light talents that it was not formerly known he possessed; so that his fame continued to increase.

As, at that period, the patrons of the university of Edinburgh were constantly on the watch for the most eminent medical men to support the rising fame of the college, their attention was soon directed towards Cullen; who, on the death of Dr Plummer, professor of chemistry, was, in 1756, unanimously invited to accept the vacant chair. This invitation he accepted: and having resigned all his employments in Glasgow, he began his academical career in Edinburgh in the month of October of that year; and there he resided till his death.

If the admission of Cullen into the university of Glasgow gave great spirit to the exertions of the students, this was still, if possible, more strongly felt in Edinburgh. Chemistry, which had been till that time of small account in that university, and was attended to by very few of the students, instantly became a favourite study; and the lectures upon that science were more frequented than any others in the university, anatomy alone excepted. The students, in general, spoke of Cullen with the rapturous ardour that is natural to youth when they are highly pleased. These eulogiums appeared extravagant to moderate men, and could not fail to prove disgusting to his colleagues. A party was formed among the students for opposing this new favourite of the public; and these students, by misrepresenting the doctrines of Cullen to others who could not have an opportunity of hearing these doctrines themselves, made even some of the most intelligent men in the university think it their duty publicly to oppose these imaginary tenets. The ferment was thus augmented; and it was some time before the professors discovered the arts by which they had been imposed upon, and universal harmony restored.

During this time of public ferment, Cullen went steadily forward, without taking any part himself in these disputes. He never gave ear to any tales respecting his colleagues, nor took any notice of the doctrines they taught: That some of their unguarded strictures might at times come to his knowledge, is not impossible; but if they did, they seemed to make no impression on his mind.

These attempts of a party of students to lower the character of Cullen on his first outset in the university of Edinburgh having proved fruitless, his fame as a professor, and his reputation as a physician, became more and more respected every day. Nor could it well be otherwise: Cullen's professional knowledge was always great, and his manner of lecturing singularly clear and intelligible, lively and entertaining; and to his patients, his conduct in general as a physician was so pleasing, his address so affable and engaging, and his manner so open, so kind, and so little regulated by pecuniary considerations, that it was impossible for those who had occasion to call once for his medical assistance, ever to be satisfied on any future occasion without it. He became the friend and companion of every family he visited; and his future acquaintance could not be dispensed with.

But if Dr Cullen in his public capacity deserved to be admired, in his private capacity by his students he deserved to be adored. His conduct to them was so attentive, and the interest he took in the private concerns of all those students who applied to him for advice, was so cordial and so warm, that it was impossible for any one who had a heart susceptible of generous emotions, not to be enraptured with a conduct so uncommon and so kind. Among ingenuous youth, gratitude easily degenerates into rapture—into respect nearly allied to adoration. Those who advert to this natural constitution of the human mind, will be at no loss to account for that popularity that Cullen enjoyed—a popularity, that those who attempt to weigh every occurrence by the cool standard of reason alone, will be inclined to think excessive. It is fortunate, however, that the bulk of mankind will ever be influenced in their judgment not less by feelings and affections than by the cold and phlegmatic dictates of reason. The adoration which generous conduct excites, is the reward which nature hath appropriated exclusively to disinterested beneficence. This was the secret charm that Cullen ever carried about with him, which fascinated such numbers of those who had intimate access to him. This was the power which his envious opponents never could have an opportunity of feeling.

The general conduct of Cullen to his students was this. With all such as he observed to be attentive and diligent, he formed an early acquaintance, by inviting them by twos, by threes, or by fours at a time, to sup with him, conversing with them on these occasions with the most engaging ease, and freely entering with them on the subject of their studies, their amusements, their difficulties, their hopes, and future prospects. In this way, he usually invited the whole of his numerous clas, till he made himself acquainted with their abilities, their private character, and their objects of pursuit. Those among them whom he found most affiduous, best disposed, or the most friendliest, he invited the most frequently, till an intimacy was gradually formed, which proved highly beneficial to them. Their doubts, with regard to their objects of study he listened to with attention, and solved with the most obliging condescension. His library, which consisted of an excellent assortment of the best books, especially on medical subjects, was at all times open for their accommodation; and his advice, in every case of difficulty to them, they always had it in their power most readily to obtain. They seemed to be his family; and few persons of distinguished merit have left the university of Edinburgh in his time, with whom he did not keep up a correspondence till they were fairly established in business. By these means, he came to have a most accurate knowledge of the state of every country, with respect to practitioners in the medical line; the only use he made of which knowledge, was to direct students in their choice of places, where they might have an opportunity of engaging in business with a reasonable prospect of success. success. Many, very many, able men has he thus put into a good line of business, where they never could have thought of it themselves; and they are now reaping the fruits of this beneficent foresight on his part.

Nor was it in this way only that he befriended the students at the university of Edinburgh. Possessing a benevolence of mind that made him ever think first of the wants of others, and recollecting the difficulties that he himself had to struggle with in his younger days, he was at all times singularly attentive to their pecuniary concerns. From his general acquaintance among the students, and the friendly habits he was on with many of them, he found no difficulty in discovering those among them who were rather in embarrassed circumstances, without being obliged to hurt their delicacy in any degree. To such persons, when their habits of study admitted of it, he was peculiarly attentive. They were more frequently invited to his house than others; they were treated with more than usual kindness and familiarity; they were conducted to his library, and encouraged by the most delicate address to borrow from it freely whatever books he thought they had occasion for: and as persons in these circumstances were usually more shy in this respect than others, books were sometimes pressed upon them as a sort of constraint, by the doctor inviting to have their opinion of such or such passages they had not read, and desiring them to carry the book home for that purpose. He, in short, behaved to them rather as if he courted their company, and stood in need of their acquaintance than they of his. He thus raised them in the opinion of their acquaintance to a much higher degree of estimation than they could otherwise have obtained; which, to people whose minds were depressed by penury, and whose sense of honour was sharpened by the consciousness of an inferiority of a certain kind, was singularly engaging. Thus they were inspired with a secret sense of dignity, which elevated their minds, and excited an uncommon ardour of pursuit, instead of that melancholy inactivity which is so natural in such circumstances, and which too often leads to despair. Nor was he less delicate in the manner of supplying their wants, than attentive to discover them. He often found out some polite excuse for refusing to take payment for a first course, and never was at a loss for one to an after course. Before they could have an opportunity of applying for a ticket, he would sometimes lead the conversation to some subject that occurred in the course of his lectures; and as his lectures were never put in writing by himself, he would sometimes beg the favour to see their notes, if he knew they had been taken with attention, under a pretext of affixing his memory. Sometimes he would express a wish to have their opinion of a particular part of his course, and presented them with a ticket for that purpose; and sometimes he refused to take payment, under the pretext that they had not received his full course the preceding year, some part of it having been necessarily omitted for want of time, which he meant to include in this course. By such delicate address, in which he greatly excelled, he took care to forerun their wants. Thus he not only gave them the benefit of his own lectures, but by refusing to take their money, he also enabled them to attend those of others that were necessary to complete their course of studies. These were particular devices he adopted to individuals to whom economy was necessary; but it was a general rule with him, never to take money from any student for more than two courses of the same set of lectures, permitting him to attend these lectures as many years longer as he pleased gratis.

He introduced another general rule into the university, that was dictated by the same principle of disinterested beneficence, that ought not to be here passed over in silence. Before he came to Edinburgh, it was the custom of medical professors to accept of fees for their medical assistance, when wanted, even from medical students themselves, who were perhaps attending the professor's own lectures at the time. But Cullen never would take fees as a physician from any student at the university, though he attended them, when called in as a physician, with the same assiduity and care as if they had been persons of the first rank, who paid him most liberally. This gradually induced others to adopt a similar practice: so that it is now become a general rule for medical professors to decline taking any fees when their assistance is necessary to a student. For this useful reform, with many others, the students of the university of Edinburgh are solely indebted to the liberality of Dr Cullen.

The first lectures which Cullen delivered in Edinburgh were on chemistry; and for many years he also gave clinical lectures on the cases which occurred in the royal infirmary. In the month of February 1763, Dr Alston died, after having begun his usual course of lectures on the materia medica; and the magistrates of Edinburgh, as patrons of that professorship in the university, appointed Dr Cullen to that chair, requesting that he would finish the course of lectures that had been begun for that season. This he agreed to do; and though he was under a necessity of going on with the course in a few days after he was nominated, he did not once think of reading the lectures of his predecessor, but resolved to deliver a new course entirely his own. The popularity of Cullen at this time may be guessed at by the increase of new students who came to attend his course in addition to the eight or ten who had entered to Dr Alston. The new students exceeded 100. An imperfect copy of these lectures thus fabricated in haste, having been published, the doctor thought it necessary to give a more correct edition of them in the latter part of his life. But his faculties being then much impaired, his friends looked in vain for those striking beauties that characterized his literary exertions in the prime of life.

Some years afterwards, on the death of Dr White, the magistrates once more appointed Dr Cullen to give lectures on the theory of physic in his stead. And it was on that occasion Dr Cullen thought it expedient to resign the chemical chair in favour of Dr Black, his former pupil, whose talents in that department of science were then well known, and who filled the chair till his death with great satisfaction to the public. Soon after, on the death of Dr Rutherford, who for many years had given lectures with applause on the practice of physic, Dr John Gregory (whose name can never be mentioned by any one who had the pleasure of his acquaintance without the warmest tribute of a grateful respect) having become a candidate for this place along with Dr Cullen, a sort of compromise took place between them, by which they agreed each to give lectures alternately on the theory and on the practice of physic during their joint lives, the longest survivor being allowed to hold either of the classes he should incline. In consequence of this agreement, Dr Cullen delivered the first course of lectures on the practice of physic in winter 1766, and Dr Gregory succeeded him in that branch the following year. Never perhaps did a literary arrangement take place that could have proved more beneficial to the students than this. Both these men possessed great talents, though of a kind extremely dissimilar. Both of them had certain failings or defects, which the other was aware of, and counteracted. Each of them knew and respected the talents of the other. They co-operated, therefore, in the happiest manner, to enlarge the understanding, and to forward the pursuits of their pupils. Unfortunately this arrangement was soon destroyed by the unexpected death of Dr Gregory, who was cut off in the flower of life by a sudden and unforeseen event. After this time, Cullen continued to give lectures on the practice of physic till a few months before his death, which happened on the 5th of February 1793, in the 77th year of his age.

In drawing the character of Dr Cullen, his biographer, Dr Anderson observes, that in scientific pursuits men may be arranged into two grand classes, which, though greatly different from each other in their extremes, yet approximate at times so near as to be blended indiscriminately together; those who possess a talent for detail, and those who are endowed with the faculty of arrangement. The first may be said to view objects individually as through a microscope. The field of vision is confined; but the objects included within that field, which must usually be considered singly and apart from all others, are seen with a wonderful degree of accuracy and difficulties. The other takes a sweeping view of the universe at large, considers every object he perceives, not individually, but as a part of one harmonious whole: His mind is therefore not so much employed in examining the separate parts of this individual object, as in tracing its relations, connections, and dependencies on those around it.—Such was the turn of Cullen's mind. The talent for arrangement was that which peculiarly distinguished him from the ordinary clats of mortals; and this talent he possessed perhaps in a more distinguished degree than any other person of the age in which he lived. Many persons exceeded him in the minute knowledge of particular departments, who, knowing this, naturally looked upon him as their inferior; but possessing not at the same time that glorious faculty, which, "with an eye wide roaming, glances from the earth to heaven," or the charms which this talent can infuse into congenial minds, felt disgust at the pre-eminence he obtained, and affrontiment at the means by which he obtained it. An Aristotle and a Bacon have had their talents in like manner appreciated; and many are the persons who can neither be exalted to sublime ideas with Homer, nor ravished with the natural touches of a Shakespeare. Such things are wisely ordered, that every department in the universe may be properly filled by those who have talents exactly suited to the task assigned them by heaven.

Had Cullen, however, possessed the talents for arrangement alone, small would have been his title to that high degree of applause he has attained. Without a knowledge of facts, a talent for arrangement produces nothing but chimeras; without materials to work upon, the structures which an over-heated imagination may rear up are merely "the bafelish fabric of a vision." No man was more sensible of the justness of this remark than Dr Cullen, and few were at greater pains to avoid it. His whole life, indeed, was employed, almost without interruption, in collecting facts. Whether he was reading, or walking, or conversing, these were continually falling into his way. With the keen perception of an eagle, he marked them at the first glance; and without stopping at the time to examine them, they were stored up in his memory, to be drawn forth as occasion required, to be confronted with other facts that had been obtained after the same manner, and to have their truth ascertained, or their falsity proved by the evidence which should appear when carefully examined at the impartial bar of justice. Without a memory retentive in a singular degree, this could not have been done; but so very extraordinary was Dr Cullen's memory, that till towards the very decline of life, there was scarcely a fact that had ever occurred to him which he could not readily recollect, with all its concomitant circumstances, whenever he had occasion to refer to it. It was this faculty which so much abridged his labour in study, and enabled him so happily to avail himself of the labour of others in all his literary speculations. He often reaped more by the conversation of an hour than another man would have done in whole weeks of laborious study.

In his prelections, Dr Cullen never attempted to read. His lectures were delivered *viva voce*, without having been previously put into writing, or thrown into any particular arrangement. The vigour of his mind was such, that nothing more was necessary than a few short notes before him, merely to prevent him from varying from the general order he had been accustomed to observe. This gave to his discourses an ease, a vivacity, a variety, and a force, that are rarely to be met with in academical discourses. His lectures, by consequence, upon the same subject, were never exactly the same. Their general tenor indeed was not much varied; but the particular illustrations were always new, well suited to the circumstances that attracted the general attention of the day, and were delivered in the particular way that accorded with the cast of mind the prelector found himself in at the time. To these circumstances must be ascribed that energetic artless elocution, which rendered his lectures so generally captivating to his hearers. Even those who could not follow him in those extensive views his penetrating mind glanced at, or who were not able to understand those apt allusions to collateral objects which he could only rapidly point at as he went along, could not help being warmed in some measure by the vivacity of his manner. But to those who could follow him in his rapid career, the ideas he suggested were so numerous, the views he laid open were so extensive, and the objects to be attained were so important—that every active faculty of the mind was roused; and such an ardour of enthusiasm was excited in the prosecution of study, as appeared to be perfectly inexplicable to those who were merely un-concerned spectators. In consequence of this un-hack-led freedom in the composition and delivery of his lec- tures, every circumstance was in the nicest unison with the tone of voice and expression of countenance, which the particular cast of mind he was in at the time inspired. Was he joyous, all the figures introduced for illustration were fitted to excite hilarity, and good humour: was he grave, the objects brought under view were of a nature more solemn and grand: and was he peevish, there was a peculiarity of manner in thought, in word, and in action, which produced a most striking and interesting effect. The languor of a nervous uniformity was never experienced, nor did an abortive attempt to excite emotions that the speaker himself could not at the time feel, ever produce those discordant ideas which prove disgusting and unpleasing.

It would seem as if Dr Cullen had considered the proper business of a preceptor to be that of putting his pupils into a proper train of study, so as to enable them to prosecute those studies at a future period, and to carry them on much farther than the short time allowed for academical prelections would admit. He did not, therefore, so much strive to make those who attended his lectures deeply versed in the particular details of objects, as to give them a general view of the whole subject; to shew what had been already attained respecting it; to point out what remained yet to be discovered; and to put them into a train of study that should enable them at a future period, to remove those difficulties that had hitherto obstructed our progress, and thus to advance themselves to farther and farther degrees of perfection. If these were his views, nothing could be more happily adapted to them than the mode he invariably pursued. He first drew, with the striking touches of a master, a rapid and general outline of the subject, by which the whole figure was seen at once to start boldly from the canvass, distinct in all its parts, and unmixed with any other object. He then began anew to retrace the picture, to touch up the lesser parts, and to finish the whole in as perfect a manner as the state of our knowledge at the time would permit. Where materials were wanting, the picture there continued to remain imperfect. The wants were thus rendered obvious; and the means of supplying these were pointed out with the most careful discrimination. The student whenever he looked back to the subject, perceived the defects; and his hopes being awakened, he felt an irresistible impulse to explore that hitherto untrodden path which had been pointed out to him, and fill up the chasm which still remained. Thus were the active faculties of the mind most powerfully excited; and instead of labouring himself to supply deficiencies that far exceeded the power of any one man to accomplish, he set thousands at work to fulfil the task, and put them into a train of going on with it.

It was to these talents, and to this mode of applying them, that Dr Cullen owed his celebrity as a professor; and it was in this manner that he has perhaps done more towards the advancement of science than any other man of his time, though many individuals might perhaps be found who were more deeply versed in the particular departments he taught than he himself was.

Dr Cullen's external appearance, though striking and not unpleasing, was not elegant. He had an expressive countenance and a lively eye. In his person he was tall and thin, stooping much about the shoulders; and when he walked he had a contemplative look, seemingly regarding little the objects around him. According to the observation of one who was well acquainted with the character of Cullen, he was eminently distinguished as a professor for three things. "The energy of his mind, by which he viewed every subject with ardour, and combined it immediately with the whole of his knowledge.

"The scientific arrangement which he gave to his subject, by which there was a lucidas ordo to the dullest scholar. He was the first person in this country who made chemistry cease to be a chaos.

"A wonderful art of interesting the students in every thing which he taught, and of raising an emulation euthanafin among them." Life of Cullen, by Dr Anderson, in the Bee.