t with three small ships of war and an armed brigantine. It was
therefore necessary to protect the goods passing between Leith and
London by armed convoys. Sometimes the vessels on their return were
quarantined for a time in Inverkeithing Bay.

The first Mrs. Murray died, leaving her husband childless, and he
married again. By his second wife he had three sons and two daughters,
two of the sons, born in 1779 and 1781 respectively, died in infancy,
while the third, John, born in 1778, is the subject of this Memoir. In
1782 he writes to his friend the Rev. John Whitaker: "We have one son
and daughter, the son above four years, and the daughter above two
years, both healthy and good-natured."

In June 1782 Mr. Murray had a paralytic stroke, by which he, for a time,
lost the use of his left side, and though he shortly recovered, and
continued his work as before, he was aware of his dangerous position. To
a friend going to Madeira in September 1791 he wrote: "Whether we shall
ever meet again is a matter not easily determined. The stroke by which I
suffered in 1782 is only suspended; it will be repeated, and I must
fall in the contest."

In the meantime Mr. Murray made arrangements for the education of his
son. He was first sent for a year to the High School of Edinburgh. While
there he lived with Mr. Robert Kerr, author of several works on
Chemistry and Natural History, published by Mr. Murray. Having passed a
year in Edinburgh, the boy returned to London, and after a time was sent
to a school at Margate. There he seems to have made some progress. To a
friend Mr. Murray wrote: "He promises, I think, to write well, although
his master complains a little of his indolence, which I am afraid he
inherits from me. If he does not overcome it, _it_ will overcome him."
In a later letter he said: "The school is not the best, but the people
are kind to him, and his health leaves no alternative. He writes a good
hand, is fond of figures, and is coming forward both in Latin and
French. Yet he inherits a spice of indolence, and is a little impatient
in his temper. His appearance--open, modest, and manly--is much in his
favour. He is grown a good deal, and left us for Margate (after his
holiday) as happy as could be expected."

In the course of the following year Mr. Murray sent the boy to a
well-known school at Gosport, kept by Dr. Burney, one of his old Mends.
Burney was a native of the North of Ireland, and had originally been
calle