Biographia Philosophica - A Retrospect

Text extracted from opening pages of book: BIOGKAPHIA PHILOSOPHIC A RETROSPECT BY ALEXANDER CAMPBELL FRASEE FKKLOW OF THE BRITISH ACADEMY; HON. D. O. L, ( OXPOKIl), HON. LUD, ( OU80. & ED1N.) UTP. D* ( WBUIT); PaOFKHROR ( KUXRITim) OF WKJIO AN3D MWAI'BYftlCS, AKD FORXKRLY OIFFORD LBCTTIJEER OK NATl'XAL THEOLOGY, IK THK UKIVXRHITY OF EWNBUEtiH Cff / TO/ IX, & 7C' VITA WILLIAM BLACKWOOB AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MOMIT TO MY WIFE, MY CONSTANT LOVING SUPPORT FOR FIFTY-FOUR YJSAR8. University Libraries PREFACE. IT may appear to some that in the following pages the Biographic Is too prominent, to others that the Philosophic is in excess, and perhaps a larger number may think that there is too much of both. When I remembered how the modesty of David Hume confined his narrative of the events of his own really memorable life within about a dozen pages, I was ready to agree with the first of these opinions, and to resolve that this Retrospect should remain unpublished. But I reflected that here the Biogrcphia was introduced for the sake of Philosophic, so that it was not a story of personal incidents for their own sake. The narra tive is intended partly to infuse some familiar human interest Into this account of a philosophical endeavour to deal with the riddle of the Uni verse; and partly to show how racial, educational, and social influences, as well as changing phases of thought and national sentiment, in the last eighty years of the nineteenth century, have tended to V1U PREPACK. direct the issue of that intellectual endeavour. Besides* as my former publications have been largely fragmentary, it seemed that their latent unity and general drift might become more ap parent through a mediumwhich, I fear after all, is too autobiographical The second, fourth, fifth, and eighth chapters are chiefly philosophical; the rationale of theistlc faith ancl hope, in which the preceding chapters converge, is presented in outline in the eighth, The other chapters are more mixed. In the first and seventh I have perhaps unduly indulged in local and personal recollections which might have been multiplied to an indeiaite extent, In the third chapter I led to approach two ecclesiastical revolutions, each of commanding interest in the recent church history of Britain* and which in some respects resemble one another the Oxford Movement, inspired by Newman, which still agitates the ancient historic Church of England, and the Edinburgh Movement, in spired by Chalmers, which conducted to eccle siastical disruption in Scotland* I have to thank Professor Pringle-Pattison, my successor in the Chair of Hamilton, for his in reading the proofs, for useful OoEto: v, HAOTHOETOW, 1901, CONTENTS. CHAPTER L IN THE LAND OF LOENB: EARLY MEMOEIES. 1819-18SS. PAOB Some awakening questions in boyhood In what, and why, am It Early environment at Ardehattan Genealogical - Fraer8 of Strichen Croy and Culloden Campbells of Barealdme and Glenn re Barcaldine Castle Murder of my great-grandunele, Colin Campbell of Glenure, in 1752 * Allan Brack* and' Kidnapped* A metaphysical Colin Campbell of Aehnaba - A centenarian at Gallanach Ardehattan manse family My mother and Church of England Evangelicalism- Visit to Strathnaira in 1824 Johnson and Boswell at Cawdor manse Miss Macaulay and her nephew ** Tom The Comet The sultry summer of 1820 Dunollie and the lords of Lome General Campbell of Lochnell Ardchattan parishschool ia 18S* 7 and Archibald M& eCkllum - Bishop Come Sir Colquhonn Grant My desultory education * Edinburgh Evening Courant* - Glasgow in 1820 and the Catholic Belief Bill Pioii& ment& ry . Reform and' Lord John Rwwell Fawurite books Sir Walter Scott interdicted My metaphysical aunt and John Lodce Robert Owen Sir Guy Cwoapbell Arddhattan Priory aad the Gamp bells of Ardehattan Uxxirouce Dundjis Campbell and JumiuB n Inverawe and itm legends Bomawe axid William Wordsworth Some Lorae dergymen John Madeod (' anxpbell Gaelic langxiagc and literature and the Gael