BEATTIE, James, the poet and moral philosopher, was born 25th October, 1735, in a house at the north-east end of Laurencekirk, a village in the heart of the How of the Mearns in Kincardineshire. His father kept a small retail shop, and rented a small farm in the neighbourhood. He was educated at the parish school, and displayed an early taste for reading, especially books of poetry. In 1749 he entered Marischal college, Aberdeen, where he competed for, and received a bursary, where his classical tastes were at once discerned by Dr. Blackwell, and where, in future years, he studied philosophy under Dr. Gerard. In 1753 he was appointed schoolmaster of the parish of Fordoun, about six miles from Laurencekirk. He had all along a taste for the beauties of nature, and his poetical genius was kindled, and may have been partly guided into the direction which it took, by the peculiar scenery of that part of Kincardineshire, where a fine rich plain is seen stretching out, with the lofty Grampians as a back ground. It is reported of him, that at this period of his life he would saunter in the fields the livelong night, contemplating the sky, and marking the approach of day, and that he was particularly fond of wandering in a deep and finely-wooded glen in the neighbourhood of Fordoun. While at this place, he secured friends and patrons in the parish minister, in Lord Monboddo, and Lord Gardenstone. He seems to have attended divinity lectures during several winters at Aberdeen, with a view to the ministry, but he soon relinquished the pursuit. In 1757 he stood a competitive examination for the office of usher in the grammar-school of Aberdeen, and was defeated; but so satisfied were the judges of his qualifications, that, on the office falling vacant the following year, he was appointed to it without any further examination. In this more public position, his literary abilities became known, and, through the influence of some influential friends whom he had acquired, he was installed professor of moral philosophy and logic in Marischal college in 1760. About this time he became a member of a literary society, or club, where he associated with such eminent men as Reid, Campbell, Dr. John Gregory, and Gerard. In the year of his appointment to the chair, he published a small book of poems, entitled "Original Poems and Translations," which at once secured him a wide reputation, as a true poet, and a man of high literary taste. As professor, he lectured and examined two or three hours every day, from November to April, on pneumatology, embracing psychology and natural theology, speculative and practical ethics, economics, jurisprudence, politics, rhetoric, and logic, with readings in Cicero and others of the ancient philosophers. As a moral philosopher, he felt himself called on to oppose the scepticism of which Hume was the champion. It appears from letters of Dr. John Gregory, published in Forbes' Life of Beattie, that atheism and materialism were at that time in high fashion, and were spouted by many who used the name of Hume, but who had never read his works, and who were incapable of understanding them. Dr. Reid was, meanwhile, examining the foundations of philosophy which Hume had turned to a sceptical use, and published in 1764 his "Inquiry into the Human Mind, on the Principles of Common Sense." Beattie followed in 1770 with the "Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, in opposition to Sophistry and Scepticism." This work was his principal study for four years; he wrote it three times over, and some parts of it oftener. His object is—first, to trace the several kinds of evidence and reasoning up to their first principles, and in this part of the treatise he dwells largely on the difference between reason (reasoning) which perceives truth in consequence of a proof, and intuition, which perceives immediately; second, to show that his sentiments are in accordance with true philosophy, and the principles of the most eminent philosophers; and third, to answer sceptical objections. This work is not so profound or original as that of Reid. He errs in under estimating and disparaging Hume: he thought the sceptics unworthy of any kind of reserve or deference, and maintained that their reasonings were, not only false, but ridiculous, and that their talents as philosophers and logicians were absolutely contemptible. He appeals with Reid to common sense, or intuition, as he frequently calls it; but his language and mode of argumentation are loose, and he is incapable of thoroughly estimating and stating the nature and laws of the necessary convictions of the mind. But the book is pointed and acute, and is very pleasantly written, and it had so rapid a sale, that in 1771 a second edition is demanded, and shortly after there are proposals to translate it into French, Dutch, and German. While engaged in these severer labours, he was, at the same time, cherishing what was evidently to him the more congenial occupation—his taste for poetry. So early as 1766 he is labouring in the style and stanza of Spenser, at a poem, in which he proposes to give an account of the birth, education, and adventures of one of the old minstrels. The first book of the "Minstrel" was published anonymously in 1771, and the second book, with his name attached and a new edition of the first, in 1774. The personal incidents worthy of being recorded in his remaining life are not numerous. In 1767 he had married Miss Mary Dunn, who was afflicted with a tendency to mental disease, which broke out first in a distempered mind, and afterwards in open insanity, which greatly distressed the husband, and compelled him at last to provide for her living separate from him. His quiet life was varied by several visits paid to London, where, as he became known by his works, he received considerable attention, and was introduced to many literary men of eminence. On two several occasions he had the honour of an interview with George III., who had a great admiration of the character and object of his works, and granted him a pension. His defences of religion were highly prized by several of the bishops, and a number of the clergy of the church of England, and he was offered a rich living if he would take orders in that church. This he declined, not because he disapproved of the doctrine or worship of the episcopal church, but he was apprehensive that by accepting preferment in the church, he "might strengthen the hands of the gainsayer, and give the world some ground to believe that the love of the truth was not quite so ardent or so pure as he had pretended." In 1773 Oxford university conferred a degree upon him, presbyterian though he was. In the same year he was offered the chair of moral philosophy in Edinburgh, but declined it, as he preferred Aberdeen as his sphere, and was indisposed to go to a place where he would be in the heart of those whom he had attacked. His declining days were embittered by trials which sank deep into his soul, such as the state of his wife, and the death, first of one and then of the other of his sons. He died on October 5, 1802. The following are the titles with the dates of his works—"Poems," 1760; "Essay on Truth," 1770; "Minstrel," book i., 1771; book ii., 1774; "On Poetry and Music," "On Laughter and Ludicrous Composition," "On Classical Learning," 1776; "Dissertations on Memory and Imagination," "On Dreaming," "On the Theory of Language," "On Fable and Romance," "On the Attachments of Kindred," "On Illustrations of Sublimity," 1783; "Evidences of Christianity," 1786; "Elements of Moral Science," 1790-93. His poems will ever hold a place in the classical poetry of Great Britain. His "Minstrel" and his "Hermit" are exquisite poems of their kind. His prose works do not show much depth of thought, but are characterized by much ease and elegance. In his "Theory of Language" he argues strongly that speech is of divine origin. In his "Dissertation on the Imagination," he holds the theory afterwards defended by Alison and Jeffrey, that the feeling of beauty arises from association of ideas. In person he was of the middle size, with something of a slouch in his gait, and in latter years he was inclined to corpulency. He had dark eyes, and a mild and somewhat pensive look. There is an account of his life and writings in a work of three volumes by Sir W. Forbes. This account contains many of his letters, which are full of criticisms of no great profundity, and display at once the amiabilities and weaknesses of the author.—J. M'C.
* BEATTIE, William, M.D., member of the Royal College of Physicians, London, the friend and biographer of Thomas Campbell, and author of numerous highly-popular works, is a native of Scotland, and was educated at the university of Edinburgh (1813-1820), where he took his degree. After prosecuting his studies for some time in London, Dr. Beattie visited the most celebrated continental schools of medicine, and made himself thoroughly conversant with their various theories and modes of practice. He filled for eight years the office of physician to the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV., a post of honour rather than of emolument. Dr. Beattie is a voluminous and successful author. The letterpress of a series of illustrated works, historical and topographical, on Switzerland, Scotland, the Waldenses, the Danube, &c., is from his pen; the engravings are chiefly from the drawings of his lamented friend, the late W. H. Bartlett. All of these works have obtained a very large circulation. His book on "The Courts of Germany" appeared
