ci
classici_ of Scottish history. It contains, like the same writer's
description of the last appearance of Knox in the pulpit, one of the
most living pieces of portraiture in our literature: 'When we cam to his
chalmer, we fand him sitting in his chaire, teatching his young man that
servit him in his chalmer a, b, ab; e, b, eb, etc. Efter salutation, Mr.
Andro sayes, "I sie, sir, yie are nocht ydle." "Better this," quoth he,
"nor stelling sheipe, or sitting ydle, quhilk is als ill!"' Buchanan put
the proof of his Epistolary Dedication to the King into the hands of
Melville, who read it and suggested some amendments. 'I may do no mair,'
said the worn-out veteran, 'for thinking on another mater.' When
Melville asked what he meant, he replied, 'To die.' Leaving him for a
little, the Melvilles accompanied his nephew, Thomas Buchanan, on a
visit to his printer, whom they found setting up the passage of the
_History_ relating the 'burial of Davie.'[2] Its boldness alarmed them,
and they asked the printer to stop the passage meanwhile. Returning to
the house, they found him in bed, and, asking how he did, he replied,
'Even going the way of weil-fare.' His nephew then mentioned their fear
that the passage referred to would so offend the King that the work
would be suppressed. 'Tell me, man,' Buchanan answered, 'giff I have
tauld the treuthe?' 'Yes,' replied his nephew; 'sir, I think sa.' 'I
will byd his fead[3] and all his kin's, then!'

[Footnote 2: Rizzio.]

[Footnote 3: Feud.]

Melville needed a stout heart for the task that lay before him in
Glasgow. The University, which had never been prosperous, being always
starved in its revenues and undermanned, had declined so far that its
gates had to be closed for lack of students; so that when he entered on
the Principalship he actually constituted the whole Senatus in his own
person. He began by training a number of young men as regents, the
course of study embracing classics, mathematics, and mental and moral
philosophy, in each of which he carried his class as far as the highest
standards of any University in Europe; and in addition to these labours
he taught all the theological classes. When the regents were qualified
he specialised their subjects--a great reform on the old system, under
which the students passed through the entire curriculum under the same
teacher.

Melville's teaching was not confined to his class-hours nor to his
professor's desk; he sat with the stud