The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-16 00:00:00

DEATH OF
_DR. GILLESPIE.

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It is with feelings of the sincerest regret that we
announce the sudden death of Thomas Gillespie,
LL.D., Professor of Humanity in the University of
St. Andrew's—an individual well-known to the lite-
rary world for his many beautiful contributions to
the poetry of his country, and known also to the
classical world .as an author and a teacher. Dr.
Gillespie had been a few weeks in the country, at
the house of Mr. David Tennant, schoolmaster of
Dunino, enjoying the pleasing pastime of an angler,
to which he was a great votary. In the afternoon
of the 10th inst., when in apparent health at Dunino,
he was suddenly taken ill, and though the assistance
of Drs. Reid and - Adamson was speedily had from
St. Andrew's at seven o'clock, all was in vain, and he
breathed his last at two in the morning. His loss
will be felt as :a severe blow by his colleagues, and
also by a very wide literary and social circle. The
Doctor had the rudiments of his education in the
celebrated seminary of Wallacehall, in his own native
parish of Closeburn, Dumfriesshire ; and, after pass-
ing the curriculum ofithe Dumfries Academy, long
and justly noted among our Scottish seminaries, he
enrolled himself as a student in the University of
PAinburvh. with a view to the Church ; and, after
making his way through the divinity hall with marked
approbation, he obtained license as a preacher. A fevv
years after, upon the presentation of the United Col-
lege, St. Andrew's, he was inducted as minister of
Cults, in the Presbytery of Cupar, where, after the
manner of the Spanish adventurer, he had the words
of the Roman poet carved over the portal—
" Invent portum, spesetfortuna valete.
Sat me ludistis, indite nunc
His immediate predecessor in the ministry at Cults
was the Rev. Mr. Wilkie, father of the late lamented
Sir David Wilkie; and we have heard Dr. Gillespie
condemn his own want of taste in. having, upon his
entering to the manse, unconsciously, in the cleansing
process, washed away many rude drawings from the
walls of the nursery, the work of the infant painter.
Like a kindred spirit the Doctor had a great admi-
ration of the genius of Wilkie ; and in the course of
his pilgrimage in Cults, he collected many interesting
anecdotes of Sir D. Wilkie's juvenile efforts and encou-
ragements, and which were communicated by him to
Allan Cunningham, and hold a place in bis last Work—
" The Life of Sir avid Wilkie.' Dr. Gillespie having
been appointed assistant and successor to his-father-
in-law—that diStinguished classical scholar, the late
Dr. John Hunter, Professor of Humanity in St.
Andrew's—he, in the year 1828, vacated the Eying of
Cults, and settled in .that ancient ,seat of learning—
the city of St. Andrew's. His 'attention to the ad-
vancement of the pupils placed under his charge was
unceasing; and his devotion to the interests of the
University (in which he also held the office of clerk),
and of the city, and of everything in that historical
locality, could not be surpassed. He lent a helping
hand to the Martyrs Monument, very recently
erected at St. Andrew's. Very few men had greater
versatility of imagination or power of satire • and
few indeed could • commit their overflowing
thoughts more easily to paper, ready for the eye of
the printer and the critic. Not long ago, we heard
Dr. Gillespie himself. state, and state with some re-
gret, that many things from his pen were scattered,
if not lost, without preserved duplicate's. There is,
however, a vast amount of his writings, both in poetry
and prose, extant in the magazines of the day, as well
as in the newspaper press of Scotland, particularly in
that of Fife and Dumfries. We have beside us, for
next publication, a poetical communication from Dr.
Gillespie so recent in its date as Monday last. To the
Dumfries Courier he was atone time an occasional con-
tributor ; and his "Farewell to CannyCloseburn"—the
record of his last visit to his birth-place as it has hap-
pened, will long hold a place in the remembrance of
his friends and admirers on the delightful banks of the
Nith. Earnest!y, indeed, do we hope that some bio-
grapher will be found to favour the public with the
life and a selection from the works of the individual
whose death we now in sorrow record. Dr. Gil-
lespie was twice married, his foriner wife being a
daughter of Dr. Hunter, already mentioned ; and his
second, who survives to lament his loss, a daughter of
the late Rev. Dr. George Campbell, Cupar-Fife, and
sister of the Right Hon. Lord Campbell. —Fife -
shire Journal,

DEATH FROM THE PUNCTURE or. A NEEDLE.—
Yesterday Mr. Baker, Deputy-Coroner, hold an inquest
at the London Hospital on the body of rdward Platt,
aged 49, a weaver. It appeared by the evidence that
deceased resided at Nch 81, Pitt-street, Bethnal-green-
road. He was in remarkably good health. On Friday
week last deceased observed a small gathering or fester
to rise near the nail of the great toe on his nght foot ;
it being very painful he pricked it with -a -small needle,
which drew blood, Ho paid no attention to it at the
time, but in the course of the same evening he was
seized with a violent pain in his throat and chest, which
increased to such an alarming extent that on the follow-
ing Sunday he was obliged to apply for medical advice.
The medical gentleman on observing his symptoms pre-
scribed for him, and recommended his immediate re-
moval to the hospital, but deceased refused to go until
the Tuesday following. Mr. Self, house-pupil, deposed
that deceased, when admitted, was labouring under lock.
jaw. He was dying when brought in. Opium and other
usual remedies were administered, but he expired within
one hour afterwards. Witness was of opinion that de-
ceased had died from tetatms, or lock-jaw, brought on
by the puncture of his toe. Verdict in accordance with
the surgeon's testimony.
ETES AND EYELASHES.—Sad complaints have been
forwarded to our office, of the conduct of waggettirs,
draymen, and others, drivers of carts and other vehicles
of burden, in respect of their manner of carrying their
whips. The whip is borne by these individuals over the
shoulder, with the thong dangling down their backs.
To this arrangement, abstractedly considered, there is no
objection ; but the thong not only dangles, but also
whisks about at its own sweet will, flying constantly in
the face of all propriety, and every now and then into
that of some unhappy passenger. It is made to describe
those mischievous gyrations by the slouching, careless
gait of the bearer ; the irregularity of which, there is
every reason to suppose, is in many cases aggravated by
beer. It is bad enough when a natural lash gets into
the eye; what must it be to receive that of a. whip there?
expect
Policemen! Punch and England Srou to do Your
duty, and put an immediate stop to this nuisance. Bar •
your draymen,—punch.
clay, Perkins, and Co., correct