Scotland/Scots > Life of John Knox ; and, The life of Alexander Henderson

LIFE OF JOHN KNOX.
the religious service. But the Greek language, long
after it had been enthusiastically studied on the con¬
tinent, and after it had become a fixed branch of edu¬
cation in the neighbouring kingdom, continued to be
almost unknown in Scotland. Individuals acquired the
knowledge of it abroad ; hut the first attempts to teach
it in this country were of a private nature, and exposed
their patrons to the suspicion of heresy. The town of
Montrose is distinguished hy being the first place, as far
as I have been able to discover, in which Greek was
taught in Scotland ; and John Erskine of Dun is en¬
titled to the honour of being regarded as the first of his
countrymen who patronized the study of that polite
and useful language. As early as the year 1534, that
enlightened and public-spirited baron, on returning from
his travels, brought with him a Frenchman, skilled
in the Greek tongue, whom he settled in Montrose ; and
upon his removal, he liberally encouraged others to come
from France and succeed to his place. From this private
seminary many Greek scholars proceeded, and the know¬
ledge of the language was gradually diffused through
the kingdom. After this statement, I need scarcely
add, that the oriental tongues were at this time utterly
unknown in this country. It was not until the establish¬
ment of the Reformation, that Hebrew began to be
studied; and John Row was the first who taught it,
having opened a class for this purpose in the year 1560,
immediately upon his settlement as minister in Perth.
From that time, the knowledge of Greek and the Eastern
languages advanced among our countrymen with a rapid
pace.
Knox acquired the Greek language before he reached
middle age; but we find him acknowledging, as late as
the year 1550, that he was ignorant of Hebrew, a defect
in his education which he exceedingly lamented, and
which he afterwards got supplied during his exile on the
continent.
John Mair, better known by his Latin name, Major,