Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 1

ST. ANDREWS
4«J
ST. ANDREWS.
ban in fact filled them, since the date of it, wi.h
talents and attainments of the most respectable
order, and the highest usefulness." The university
commissioners, whose report we are now quoting,
add: " It is pleasant to he enabled to state, that the
members of the Senatus Academieus themselves
have, on every occasion on which they could act
with ell'ect, manifested the utmost zeal in the cause
of literature and science, and for the efficiency and
fame of their university. In 1811, their medical
chair, which it would appear had never become
effective, engaged their attention; and in conse-
quence of authority vested in them by its munifi-
cent founder, the Duke of Chandos, to form such
regulations and statutes as might tend to the pro-
motion of its object, they resolved that it should be
a chair for instruction in the principles of medicine,
anatomy, and chemistry, and that the holder of it
should be an efficient professor, teaching two very
important branches of medical science, chemistry
and chemical pharmacy. They made at the same
time certain arrangements for creating a fund, to
meet the expense of a chemical apparatus and class
experiments; and ever since that time, the pre-
scribed branches have been taught eveiy session
with great ability, and to a respectable class.
About 1818-19, a class for political economy was
opened by the professor of moral philosophy, and
the lectures on the subject have been so attended of
late, as to show that the science is growing at St.
Andrews, as elsewhere, into estimation and request.
In the session of 1825-6, the United college origin-
ated a lectureship for natural history; and to pro-
mote the permanency and success of the measure,
they voted 25 guineas from their revenue, as an
annual salary to the lecturer. Some bequests of
specimens have given a beginning to a museum,
and the subjects of the science have excited great
interest among the students." Since the date of
this Report, a regular chair of natural history has
been established, the museum has been augmented
into a very fine collection, and the two together
have materially increased the reputation of the
university. The revenue of the university, as dis-
tinct from the two colleges, does not exceed £600,
and is chiefly appropriated to the support of the
university library. The income of the United col-
lege, in 1774, was £1,727; in 1823, £3,020. The
salary of the principal, in 1824, was £342 ; of each
of the. four foundation-professors, £254; of each of
the professors of humanity, civil histoiy, and medi-
cine, £140 ; of mathematics, £245. The bursaries
belonging to the United college are 63, besides
prizes; and there are foundation scholarships, first
competed for in Sept 1865. The annual amount
of grants from the Crown is £297. The united col-
lege holds the patronage of Denino, Kemback, Kil-
meny, and Cults, and alternately with another
patron, Forteviot. The buildings of St. Salvator's
college have been re-erected by government grants,
within the last 37 years ; and they form a magnifi-
cent square, ornamented by a handsome spire 156
feet high. Through a portal directly under this
spire we enter a quadrangular court, 230 feet long,
and 180 broad. The chapel stands on the right: is
a handsome edifice, with Gothic front and turreted
buttresses ; and has six beautiful memorial windows.
In the chapel is an elegant tomb, erected by Bishop
Kennedy, the founder, for himself. "It is a piece of
exquisite Gothic workmanship; and though much
injured by time and accidents, is still sufficiently
entire to show the fine taste of the designer. It
stands on the north side of the church, opposite to
where the altar formerly stood, and where the pul-
pit now stands. An epitaph is easily discernible
T
upon it, consisting of two lines, but so much defaced
as to be altogether illegible. The top was orna-
mented by a representation of our Saviour, with
angels around, and the instruments of the passion.
The bishop died in 1466, and was embalmed with
spices and buried in this tomb. Within it, and ac-
cording to tradition, about the year 1683, were dis-
covered six magnificent maces, which had been
concealed there in troublesome times. Three of
these maces are kept in St. Andrews, and Bhown as
curiosities to strangers ; and one was presented to
each of the other three Scottish universities, Aber-
deen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. One of the maces
is very superior in elegance and value to the rest,
and is the original, of which the others are only
copies. It is of beautiful Gothic workmanship.
The bishop seems to have copied it in the architec-
ture of his tomb." The roof of the church, which
was of beautiful Gothic architecture, having become
apparently insufficient, it was judged necessary to
pull it down, and to substitute another in its place.
In doing this, the architect unfortunately suffered the
tomb of Kennedy to be greatly injured. The average
number of students at St. Salvator's is about 200.
St. Leonard's college obtained its name from its
vicinity to St. Leonard's church. " It appears,"
says a modern author, " from the foundation-char-
ter, that there had been an hospital in the same
place for the reception and entertainment of pil
grims of different nations, who crowded to St. An
drews to pay their devotions to the arm of St.
Andrew which wrought a great many miracles
At length, however, the saint's arm being tired
with such laborious sort of work, or thinking he
had done enough, the miracles and the conflux of
pilgrims ceased, and the hospital was deserted.
The prior and convent, who had been the founders
and were the patrons of the hospital, then filled it
with old women; but these old women produced
little or no fruit of devotion, and were turned out.
The prior and convent, having repaired the church
and hospital of St. Leonard, next resolved to con-
vert them into a college, to consist of a master or
principal, four chaplains, two of whom were to be
regents, and twenty scholars, who were first to be
taught the languages and then the liberal arts and
sciences. Six of them, who were thought most fit,
were also to apply, with great ardour and vehement
reading, — ' continuo studio et lectura, vehementi
opera,' — to the study of theology under the princi-
pal. Such of these scholars as were found fittest
for it, were also to be taught music, both plain song
and descant. The foundation-charter to this pur-
pose, was executed by the archbishop, the prior,
and chapter, at St. Andrews, August 20, 1512. By
another charter, the prior and chapter endowed this
college with all the houses, lands, and revenues
which had belonged to St. Leonard's hospital."
Both these charters received the royal confirmation
in next year. On the union of this college with St.
Salvator's, the buildings of it were sold and con-
verted into dwelling-houses, to which purpose such
of them as now remain are still applied. It stood
on the south-east side of the town, adjoining to the
monastery. The ruins of the church of St. Leonard
are accounted a fine specimen of Gothic architec-
ture. Into this church, it seems, Dr. Johnson
could obtain no admission. He was always, be
says, prevented by some civil excuse or other; and
he loudly complains of its having been applied to
the profane purpose of a green-house. It is now
entirely unroofed. A little way to the east of it,
and on the right, as we proceed from the principal
gate of the abbey to the shore, stood an aged syca-
more, which, the same traveller informs us, was' the
Tl