Ossian Collection > Life and letters of James Macpherson

ABERDEEN. 41
admission of those who afterwards attacked
him, he obtained an extensive acquaintance with
modern Kterature,
If we may judge by the soHtary story ^ that is
told of his college-days, it is hardly likely that
he was popular with his fellow-students. He
had a standing feud with a very poor, ugly and
awkward lad, named Machardy, who was with
him in the Greek class ; and on one occasion
he mocked him in some lines of Hudibrastic
verse. Machardy, picking up courage, retorted
in heroics, and turned the laugh against Mac-
pherson. The quarrel was coming to extremities
when it was brought to the notice of the pro-
fessor, the learned Dr. Blackwell, principal of
the college. He ordered both culprits to pro-
duce their effusions, and read them with much
gravity to the whole class. After making some
severe comments on their literary failings, he
ordered both writers to keep the peace, under
pain of expulsion. Macpherson, it is said, was
very indignant.
He took no degree from King's College ; it
is doubtful whether he remained there long
enough to enable him to take a degree. In the
^ Scotland and Scotsmen of the Eighteenth Century.