and joined heartily in his pursuits whether
gay or serious. It was delightful to see the three brothers so happy in
each other's society, and helping on a worthy common object. Marmaduke,
the Cambridge man, would talk astronomy, and William, the sailor,
afterwards Admiral Ramsay, brought down a fine telescope, and himself
gave them their first lesson in practical astronomy, handing over the
instrument when he left to his brother the curate, that he might
continue the instruction.

During all these years of useful, cheerful, happy employment at Frome,
Edward Ramsay never forgot the land of his forefathers and of his own
youth. He sometimes visited Bath and London to hear Edward Irving
preach, to see Kean act, to stare at old books and prints in the shop
windows, to revel in the beauties of Kew Gardens; but every summer he
found time for a visit to Scotland, and spent his holiday with boyish
delight amongst the scenes and friends of his childhood.

It was on one of those visits to Scotland, in the autumn of 1822, whilst
Mr. Ramsay was spending his holidays among his friends on Deeside, that
the managers of St. Paul's Chapel, Aberdeen, offered him the place of
second minister to that congregation, along with Mr. Cordiner. He was
much gratified, and would gladly have accepted the appointment. He liked
the place--his native town; thought highly of the respectability of the
congregation; but there was one objection, which to him was insuperable.
The congregation had for some time been Episcopal only in name, and it
went against Mr. Ramsay's conscience to minister in a church calling
itself Episcopal, but without the communion or discipline of a bishop.
He explained to the managers his objection, and thought for a time it
might be overcome by a union with the Scotch Episcopal churches in the
diocese. He had yet to learn the strength, of the Scotch prejudice
against bishops; perhaps to learn that the more shadowy the grounds of
dispute, so much the more keenly are ecclesiastical squabbles fought.
Worthy Bishop Skinner would have been glad to have Ramsay a
fellow-labourer in his city upon whatever conditions. Yet he could not
contradict his younger friend's honest and temperate adherence to his
principles and to Episcopacy. The correspondence all round, which I have
before me, is quite decorous; but after Ramsay had stated his objection,
and that it was insuperable, the managers wrote to him, 1st October
1822, that "a unanimou