ADAM**, LL.D., a distinguished philosopher and historian, born June 20, 1723, at Logierait in the Highlands of Perthshire, of which parish his father was minister. This excellent man had a numerous family, of whom Adam was his youngest son, by Mary Gordon, daughter of Mr Gordon of Hallhead, in Aberdeenshire.

It is believed that Adam received the first part of his education at the village school of his native parish, and thence he was removed to Perth, where he is said to have made uncommon progress in classical literature.

Towards the end of 1738 he entered the university of St Andrews. The Greek class in St Leonard's College was at this time taught by Mr Francis Pringle, the ablest Greek scholar Scotland then possessed; and in his class Adam Ferguson was enrolled as a ternar—that is to say, one who pays the lowest rate of fees. It has been alleged that he was admitted one of the foundation bursars, having stood first in the list of successful competitors; but if so, the victory was not very splendid, as, of the twelve who entered the class along with him, not more than eight (being of the denomination of ternars) could have been permitted to share in the contest. Ferguson appears to have acquired little more at this seminary than a high admiration of the Grecian and Roman literature, to the beauties of which he was more nearly introduced than he had hitherto been. He obtained the degree of master of arts May 4, 1742, when he had nearly completed his nineteenth year. In November of the same year he entered the divinity hall; and he studied also a year or two at Edinburgh; but there his attention appears to have been chiefly given to pursuits not immediately connected with his clerical views. In 1745, though he had studied divinity only one-half of the usual period, the General Assembly permitted his ordination by the presbytery of Dunkeld, on the representation that young Ferguson had Ferguson, been pitched upon as the fittest person, from his knowledge of the Erse language, to fill the office of chaplain to the Highland regiment (the 42d) under the command of Lord John Murray. He continued attached to this regiment till 1757; about the beginning of which year he was elected keeper of the Advocates' Library, on the resignation of the celebrated David Hume; but this office he relinquished in about a year.

In the course of 1757 Ferguson rendered himself conspicuous by the interest he took in the success of the tragedy of Douglas, written by his familiar friend the Rev. John Home, and by his published defence of the morality of stage plays. When Home resigned his living in June of that year, Ferguson and he retired to Braids, in the vicinity of Edinburgh, and there spent several months in study, enlivened by the intercourse of friendship. Ferguson's campaigning experience appears to have given him a relish for a migratory life: he delighted particularly in taking occasional excursions to the Highlands, and rambling amidst the lakes and forests of Rannoch, or among his native hills. It was here that the lofty enthusiasm of his spirit was nursed and matured; and it may be said that the dignity and ease of manner for which he was distinguished above most of the literary men of his country, was acquired not so much in the intercourse of polished society, as in the wilds of Athole. To use his own expressive words—"If I had not been in the Highlands of Scotland, I might be of their mind who think the inhabitants of Paris and Versailles the only polite people in the world. It is truly wonderful to see persons of every sex and age, who never travelled beyond the nearest mountain, possess themselves perfectly, perform acts of kindness with an aspect of dignity, and a perfect discernment of what is proper to oblige. This is seldom to be seen in our cities or in our capital; but a person among the mountains, who thinks himself nobly born, considers courtesy as the test of his rank."

In 1759 Ferguson succeeded Dr John Stewart as professor of natural philosophy in the university of Edinburgh. He had paid comparatively little attention to physical science; yet with only four months to prepare his course, he acquitted himself to the satisfaction of all.

Ferguson was appointed in 1764 to the chair of moral philosophy, which had long been a favourite object of his ambition. He entered on his new duties with a degree of spirit and activity from which the most splendid results were to be anticipated. In his discourses he seldom had recourse to notes, but trusted to his memory—a method of lecturing liable to abuse, and generally unsatisfactory to the student, though in his hands happily executed. His class was crowded by great numbers of gentlemen of high rank and official station, as well as by younger students. Within little more than a year after he commenced his labours as a lecturer on morals, he published his Essay on the History of Civil Society, which was received with great approbation. Mr Hume, in a letter, congratulates the author on the success of the book, adding that he had "met with nobody that had read it who did not praise it." About this time Ferguson married Miss Burnet, a young lady nearly connected with his mother's family, and still more nearly related to his intimate friend Dr Black. Soon afterwards he began to cultivate a farm in the parish of Currie, and, at a considerable sacrifice of private interest, gratified his taste for improvement, by transforming a barren heath into a scene which became distinguished for beauty and fertility. All this time, however, he continued to conduct the business of his class with unremitting diligence, but seized every interval of leisure to collect materials for a history of the Roman commonwealth. Whilst thus engaged, he was solicited by the guardians of Charles, Earl of Chesterfield, to superintend that young nobleman's education, which had been much neglected. The negotiation was conducted through the mediation of Dr Adam Smith; and Ferguson, Ferguson, was persuaded to accept the charge, though it necessitated the suspension of his lectures in the university; but having obtained leave of absence for the next session, he joined his young charge at Geneva in May 1774. This connection, however, terminated about twelve months afterwards. In the meantime he had very nearly been deprived of his office in the university, the town-council before the conclusion of the session having thought fit to declare the chair vacant. His friends in the university, particularly Drs Robertson, Blair, and Black, were exceedingly indignant at this decision, and endeavoured to get it reversed. As the council, however, seemed to have determined to fill up the place by a new election, it became necessary to apply to the Court of Session to put a stop to their proceedings.

After his return, he continued, as formerly, to divide his time between his literary and agricultural pursuits, and engaged occasionally in the political controversies which agitated the country during the progress of the American war. Besides his pamphlet in answer to Dr Price's observations on liberty, he communicated his views from time to time to Sir William Pulteney, and other members of parliament; and when it was resolved by government to send out commissioners to quiet the disorders in the colonies, he was appointed secretary to the commission. It is well known that the commissioners returned without accomplishing the object of their mission; but they had an opportunity of acquiring more useful information of the state and temper of the country than government had received in all the previous course of the contest. Whilst Dr Ferguson was absent during the session 1778-1779, his place was supplied by Dugald Stewart, who, about five years afterwards, was destined to succeed him in the chair of moral philosophy.

In 1780 Dr Ferguson was seized with an attack of apoplexy, which, though not violent, was nevertheless sufficient to alarm his friends. This formidable affection did not in the slightest degree impair the force of his understanding; and so abstemious did he afterwards become, as not only to secure himself against the recurrence of the disease, but to enjoy almost uninterrupted health for more than thirty years. As he could not now venture to lecture extempore as formerly, he wrote out his course, availing himself of the notes taken by some of the more intelligent of his former pupils. He was now (1783) busy in carrying his great historical work through the press. This was the History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic, 3 vols. 4to; a book which not only delights by the clearness of its narrative and the boldness of its descriptions, but instructs and animates by profound and masterly delineations of character, as well as by the philosophical precision with which it traces the connection of events.

No longer able for the fatigue of public teaching, in the following year he resigned his chair in the university. He was succeeded by Dugald Stewart, then professor of mathematics; and an arrangement was made by which Dr Ferguson retained the salary. He now proceeded to revise the notes of his lectures on ethics and politics; and in 1792 they were published under the title of Principles of Moral and Political Science. Though composed under disadvantageous circumstances, this work contains an admirable view of the systems both of ancient and modern philosophers, particularly respecting the foundations of moral approbation, and the sources of private happiness and public security. Dr Ferguson, now in his seventieth year, resolved to pay a visit to the ancient metropolis of the world. He passed a short time at some of the principal cities of Europe, Berlin, Vienna, Florence, Naples, and Venice, and resided part of the winter of 1793 at Rome, in all of which places his reception was extremely flattering. He was elected a member of the Academy of Berlin, as well as of other learned societies. Upon his return to Britain in 1794, he took up Ferguson, his residence at Nidpath Castle in Tweeddale, from which he soon removed to Hallyards on Manor Water, and in this agreeable retreat he spent the next fourteen years of his life. At last, however, when his sight and his hearing had in a great measure failed, he took up his abode at St Andrews. Here his strength gradually declined, but the vigour of his mind continued unimpaired to the last hour of his life. He died, after a short illness, Feb. 22, 1816, in the ninety-third year of his age, leaving three sons and three daughters.

In the various situations which it was his lot to occupy, he had uniformly conducted himself with a dignity and decision which bespoke the elevation and force of his mind. In private life his conversation was easy and elegant, and among his intimate friends, enlivened by a fascinating gaiety and refinement of humour.

Among his writings are—The Morality of Stage Plays seriously considered. Edinb. 1757. A Passpah on the Militia. Lond. 1758. The History of the Proceedings in the case of Margaret, commonly called Sister Peg. Three editions. Lond. 1762. Another. 1777. Analysis of Lectures on Mechanics. Edinb. An Essay on the Nature of Civil Society. Lond. 1767. This book has passed through many editions, and has been translated into almost all the European languages. Elements of Pneumatics and Moral Philosophy. Edinb. 1765. 2mo. Institutes of Moral Philosophy. 1769; 319 pages 12mo. Another edition, 1773; 294 pages. A translation of this edition into French was published at Geneva in 1775, and revised by the author. A third edition, enlarged, was published at Edinb. 1785; 317 pages, 12mo. This elementary work has been used as a text book in several foreign universities. Remarks on a pamphlet published by Dr Price, entitled Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty, &c. Lond. 1776. The History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic. Lond. 1783. 3 vols. 4to. A translation into German was printed at Leipzig in 1784. It has been translated into several other modern languages, and has passed through a number of English editions. Principles of Moral and Political Science. Lond. 1792. 4to. Memoir of the Life and Character of Joseph Black, Esq., D.D., 1801. (Published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.) Biographical Sketch or Memoir of Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Ferguson. Edinb. 1817, printed, but not published for sale. He left behind him many papers; but a great mass of letters and other valuable documents had been indiscriminately destroyed by his direction some years before his death.