The late Mr. William Smellie, Printer, author of "The
Philosophy of Natural History," and translator of the works of Buffon,
is by no means one of Kay's happiest efforts, as instead of the vacant
expression delineated, the prevailing cast of Mr. Smellie's features was
grave and thoughtful ; but this defect may have arisen in consequence of
the figure being originally that of a Mr. Gavin, and afterwards changed
to Mr. Smellie. He was born in the Pleasance of Edinburgh, in 1740. Both
his father and grandfather were architects, and were possessed of
considerable property at St. Leonards, in the neighbourhood of
Edinburgh. He married, in March, 1703, Miss Jane Robertson, daughter of
an eminent army-agent iu London. This lady was full cousin to the
present Mrs. Oswald of Dunnikier, their mothers having been sisters. Mr.
Smellie's only brother, named John, married Miss Agnes Ferrier, sister
of the late James Ferrier, Esq., Principal Clerk of Session.
Independently of his professional eminence—being the
most learned printer of his day—Air. Smellie's talents procured him the
constant society and friendship of nearly all the eminent literary
characters who flourished towards the latter end of the last century.
For his great convivial qualities and brilliant wit, we have the
testimony of many kindred spirits ; among whom may be mentioned the poet
Burns, who, in a letter to a venerable old gentleman, lately deceased,
Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, thus describes him:—"There in my eye is our
friend Smellie, a man positively of the first abilities and greatest
strength of mind, as well as one of the best hearts and keenest wits
that I have ever met with," etc.—Bums' Works, Letter 56.
Mr. Smellie was one of the principal writers in the
Edinburgh Magazine and Review—a work which commenced in 1773, and
was conducted for some years with great spirit, and much display of
talent. It would assuredly have succeeded, had its management been
committed entirely to the calm, judicious, and conciliatory control of
Mr. Smellie; but owing to the harsh irritability of temper, and the
severe and almost indiscriminate satire in which Dr. Gilbert Stewart,
the principal editor, indulged, several of the reviews which appeared in
that periodical gave great offence to many leading characters of the
day; the consequence of which was such a diminution in the sale of the
work as to render it necessary to discontinue it altogether. This took
place in August, 1776, after the publication of forty-seven numbers,
forming five octavo volumes. Had the work been only conducted upon the
principles developed in the prospectus, it would have had few rivals and
fewer superiors.
Mr. Srnellie was likewise editor of the first edition
of the "Encyclopedia Britannica," three volumes, quarto, 1771. The whole
plan was arranged, and all the principal articles were written or
compiled by him. He also wrote a great number of pamphlets on various
subjects, among which may be particularised his "Address on the Nature,
Powers, and Privileges of Juries," published in 1784. It is an admirable
treatise, and ought to be carefully studied by every true friend to the
Constitution, especially by such as have occasion to act as jurymen. It
may be remarked, that this pamphlet inculcated those doctrines which
have since been recognised as English law, in Mr. Fox's celebrated Bill
on the subject of libels. The late Honourable Thomas Erskine (afterwards
Lord Chancellor), in his defence of the Dean of St. Asaph for a libel,
paid Mr. Srnellie a very high compliment for this defence of the rights
of juries.
Such was the high character of Mr. Srnellie as au
author, that when the first volume of his "Philosophy of Natural
History" was announced as preparing for the press, the late Mr. C.
Elliot made him an offer of one thousand guineas for the copyright, and
fifty guineas for every subsequent edition, besides the employment of
printing it. This was the largest sum ever previously given—at least, in
Edinburgh—for the literary property of a single quarto volume of similar
extent, and evinced both the liberality of the bookseller, and the high
estimation in which the fame and talents of the author were held. It
was, besides, an odd volume, being the first of the work. It is
remarkable, that this bargain was finally concluded before a single
page of the book was written.
In his translation of Buffon (9 vols. 8vo), Mr.
Srnellie introduced niauy original notes, observations, and
illustrations of great importance, pointing out particular passages and
opinions iu which he differed from his author, and furnishing many new
facts and reasonings. The Count de Buffon, as appears from his own
letters to Mr. Smellie on the occasion, was highly pleased with this
translation, of which a considerable number of editions was published.
In these nine volumes he comprehended all that was contained in the
original, which consisted of sixteen large quarto volumes. The method he
purstied of rendering it into the English language was somewhat unusual.
Instead of translating literally, paragraph by paragraph, and sentence
by sentence, he deliberately read over six or eight pages at a time,
making himself perfectly master of their substance, and then wrote down
the whole iu English, iu his own words and arrangement. The greater part
of this task he performed in a small correcting-room connected with his
printing-office, amidst the continued interruption arising from the
introduction of proof-sheets of other works for his professional revisal,
and the almost perpetual calls of customers, authors, and idle
acquaintances. Yet such was his self-possession, that as usual with
almost everything he wrote, he gave it out to his compositors page by
page, as fast as it was written, and hardly ever found it necessary to
alter a single word, after the types were set up from his first
uncorrected manuscript.
In August, 1871, Mr. Smellie drew up the first
regular plan for procuring a statistical account of the parishes of
Scotland. This plan was printed and distributed by order of the Society
of Antiquaries; and, although no other result followed at the time than
a statistical report, by the Earl of Buchan, of the parish of Uphall, in
which his lordship then resided, along with three or four others, which
were printed in the Society's Transactions, yet it is proper to mention
the circumstance, as it was the precursor of the scheme which the late
Sir John Sinclair afterwards brought to maturity.
On the death of Dr. Ramsay in 1775, Mr. Smellie
became a candidate for the Chair of Natural History in the University of
Edinburgh. The patronage being in the gift of the Crown, his Mends made
strong and ardent applications in his favour to Lord Suffolk; but, from
the superior political influence of his opponent, Dr. "Walker, these
exertions were unsuccessful.
Mr. Smellie was one of the original founders of the
Society of Antiquaries. In 1781 he was appointed Superintendent of its
Museum of Natural History; and in 1793 he was elected Secretary. It is
not intended here to give a history of that Society ; yet, as a
considerable portion of the strange and inexplicable opposition which
that association encountered in their application for a Royal Charter
from two highly respectable public bodies, originated out of
circumstances intimately connected with Mr. Smellie's history, a short
account of these transactions may be given. Mr. Smellie having announced
his intention of giving a course of lectures, at the request of the
Society, on the "Philosophy of Natural History," to be delivered in
their hall, this proposal gave great dissatisfaction to Dr. Walker, the
recently elected Professor of Natural History, already mentioned;
although every attempt was made by the Earl of Buchan to satisfy him
that Mr. Smellie's lectures would not interfere with those of the
University, and although Dr. Walker had not even given a single lecture
for nearly seven years after his appointment. Nothing, however, would
satisfy him; and his answer to the Earl's pacific endeavours was—"In the
professorship I am soon to undertake I have foreseen many difficulties,
which I yet hope to surmount; but the lectures of Mr. Smellie, under the
auspices of the Antiquarian Society, is a new discouragement which I did
not expect." This discontent was communicated to the Senatus Academicus,
and through that respectable body an unexpected opposition arose when
the Society of Antiquaries transmitted a petition to the King praying
for a charter. The Curators of the Advocates' Library likewise objected
to the grant, under the idea that the institution of the Society might
prove injurious to their magnificent Library, by intercepting ancient
manuscripts and monuments illustrative of Scottish history and
antiquities, which would be more useful if collected into one
repository. All this opposition, however, proved of no avail. Much to
the honour of the late Lord Melville—who was at that time Lord Advocate
for Scotland—his lordship signified, by a note to the Secretary of the
Society, that he saw no reason for refusing the prayer of the petition,
and at the same time transmitted the draft of such a charter as he
considered was proper to be granted. In consequence, therefore, of his
lordship's favourable interposition, the royal warrant, in which his
Majesty was pleased voluntarily to declare himself patron of the
Society, passed the Privy Seal next day. As soon as it was received in
Edinburgh, a charter was extended under the Great Seal. The gentlemen of
this public office, sensible of the many advantages likely to accrue
from the establishment of the Society, generously refused to accept
their accustomed fees, and the royal charter, which is dated the 29th
March, was finally ratified, by passing through all the customary forms,
on the 5th and 6th of May, 1783.
During the time Mr. Smellie attended the class of
Botany in the University, the Professor, Dr. Hope, having met with an
accident which confined him to the house for a long time, requested Mr.
Smellie —of whose knowledge and abilities he was highly sensible—to
carry on his lectures during his necessary absence. This was done by Mr.
Smellie for a considerable time—(his widow has stated, during six
weeks)—to the entire satisfaction of his fellow-students.
Mr. Smellie was about the middle size, and had been
in his youth well-looking and active ; but when rather past the middle
of life he acquired a sort of lounging gait, and had become careless and
somewhat slovenly in his dress and appearance. These peculiarities are
well described in the following lines, produced by Burns at the meeting
of the Grochal-lan Club, alluded to in our notice of Lord Newton
:—
---------"To Crochallan came,
The old cocked hat, the brown sartout the same;
His bristling beard just rising in its might,
(Twas four long nights and days to shaving-night);
His uncombed grisly locks, wild-staring, thatched—
A head for thought profound, and clear unmatched:
And. though his caustic wit was biting rude,
His heart was warm, benevolent and good."
