RAMSAY, Allan, a Scottish poet, was born at Lead-hills in Lanarkshire, in October 1686. His father was employed in the management of Lord Hopetoun’s mines at that place; but died whilst the poet was yet in his infancy, in consequence of which, and the marriage of his mother soon after his father’s death, it seems probable that, during the earlier part of his life, he continued in rather a destitute situation. He remained at Leadhills till he reached his fifteenth year, and was employed in washing, preparing the lead ore for smelting, and other operations about the works in which the children of miners and young persons are usually employed.

In 1701, when in his fifteenth year, he was bound apprentice to a wigmaker in Edinburgh; and it appears from the record of his children’s birth in the parish register that he continued in the same humble profession until the year 1716. One of the earliest of Ramsay’s productions now known, an address to the members of the Easy Club, appeared in 1712, when he was twenty-six years of age; and three years afterwards he was humorously appointed their poet laureat. Many of his poems written about this time were published in the form of separate pamphlets. When he had followed the occupation of wigmaker for a considerable time, he at last abandoned it for that of bookseller, as being more congenial to the literary turn of his mind. His detached pamphlets were afterwards published by him in the year 1721, in one volume 4to, which was encouraged by a very liberal subscription. The first volume of his well-known collection, the Tea-table Miscellany, was published in 1724·, after which a second volume soon made its appearance, a third came forth in 1727, and a fourth after another interval of time. He soon afterwards published what is called the Evergreen, being a collection of Scotch poems written by ingenious poets prior to the year 1600. In 1725 appeared his Gentle Shepherd, part of which, called Patic and Roger, was printed in 1721, and Jenny and Meggy in 1723, the great success of which induced him to form them afterwards into a regular drama.

In the year 1728, he published a second volume of his poems, which was afterwards reprinted in 8vo. These performances so rapidly enlarged the circle of his fame and reputation, that in 1731 an edition of his poetical works was published by the booksellers of London, and two years afterwards they appeared at Dublin. From his shop opposite to Niddry Street, he removed to one at the east end of the Luckenbooths. In this shop he continued to sell and lend out books until he was far advanced in years; and we have reason to believe that he was the first person who established a circulating library in Scotland. His collection of Fables appeared in 1730, after which period he may be said to have almost discontinued the occupation of author.

Such, however, was his enterprising spirit, that he built, at his own expense, the first theatre for dramatical performances ever known in Edinburgh, which took place in what is called Carrubber’s Close, in the year 1736; but he did not long enjoy his character of manager, for the magistrates of

Edinburgh required him to shut it up, as an act of parliament prohibited all such amusements without a special license and his majesty’s letters patent. It is generally understood that he relinquished the trade of bookseller about the year 1755, being then sixty-nine years of age, and lived the remainder of his days in a small house erected by himself on the north side of the Castle-hill. A scorbutic complaint, attended with excruciating pain, deprived him of his teeth, and, after corroding one of his jaw-bones, put a period to his existence on the 7th of June 1758, in the seventy-first year of his age.

Ramsay possessed a very considerable share of poetical genius. Of this his Gentle Shepherd, which will continue to be admired as long as the language in which it is written shall be understood, and especially by the natives of North Britain, to whom only the peculiarities of dialect by which it is distinguished can be familiar, affords the best proof. Some of his songs may contain far-fetched allusions and childish conceits; but many of them are equal, if not superior, in their pastoral simplicity, to productions of a similar nature in any other language. Some of the imitations of the ancients by this poet are extremely happy; and several of his tales have all the excellencies that belong to that species of composition. But of a great proportion of his other productions it may be pronounced with truth that they are mere prosaic compositions, filled with the most commonplace observations, and destitute even of the ornament of smooth versification and correct rhymes. A complete edition of his works, with a Life, written by the late Mr George Chalmers, was published in two volumes 8vo.

Ramsay, Andrew Michael, generally known by the name of the Chevalier Ramsoy, a polite Scotch writer, was descended of a good family, and born at Ayr in 1686. His parts and learning recommended him as tutor to the son of the Earl of Wemyss; after which, conceiving a disgust for the religion in which he had been educated, he in the same humour reviewed other Christian churches, and, finding none to his liking, rested for a time in Deism. Whilst he was in this uncertain state of mind, he went to Leyden, where, falling into the company of one Poiret, a mystical divine, he received the infection of mysticism, which prompted him to consult Fénelon, the celebrated archbishop of Cambray, who had imbibed principles of the same nature, and who in 1709 gained him over to the Catholic religion. The subsequent course of his life received its direction from his friendship and connection with this illustrious prelate; and being appointed governor to the Duke de Chateau-Thierry and the Prince de Turenne, he was made a knight of the order of St Lazarus. Ramsay was sent for to Rome by the Chevalier de St George, to undertake the education of his children; but on his arrival there in 1724, he found so many intrigues and dissensions, that he obtained the chevalier’s leave to return to Paris. He died in 1743, in the office of intendant to the Duke of Bouillon, prince de Turenne. The principal work of his composition is the Travels of Cyrus, which has been several times printed in English.

Ramsay, James, was born on the 25th of July 1733, at Frasersburgh, a small town in the county of Aberdeen. His parents were of most respectable character, but in circumstances by no means affluent From his earliest years he discovered a serious disposition, and a strong thirst for knowledge; and after passing through the usual course of a Scotch grammar-school education, he inclined to pursue the studies necessary to qualify him for the profession of clergyman. Several circumstances, however, conspired to divert him for a time from his favourite pursuit.

He was educated in the episcopal persuasion; and having been unhappy enough to lose his father whilst yet very young, he found, upon his advancing towards the state of manhood, that the joint fortunes of himself and his mother could not bear the expense of a regular education in either [7:19:67]of the universities of Oxford or of Cambridge. Yielding, ’ therefore, to necessity, he resolved to study surgery and pharmacy; and was with this view bound apprentice to Dr Findlay, a physician in Frasersburgh. But though obliged to relinquish for a time his favourite studies, he did not think ignorance excusable in a surgeon any more than in a clergyman; nor did he conceive that he would ever become eminent in the profession in which circumstances had placed him, merely by skill in setting a bone or compounding a medicine. He determined, therefore, to make himself acquainted with at least the outlines of the liberal arts and sciences; and with this view he repaired in 1750 to King’s College, Aberdeen, where he obtained one of the bursaries or exhibitions which are there annually bestowed upon such candidates as display the most accurate knowledge of the Latin language. The small sum of five pounds, however, which none of these bursaries exceeds, was still inadequate to the expense of residence in college; but our young student was soon destined to obtain a more valuable exhibition, also by his own merit.

During the long vacation he returned to his master Dr

Findlay, and was by him intrusted with a very desperate case in surgery, of which his management may be said to have laid the foundation of his future fortunes. His skill and excellent character recommended him so effectually to Sir Alexander Ramsay of Balmain, that he presented him with a bursary of fifteen pounds a year, which commenced at the next session or term in the same college.

Sir Alexander, whom he visited during some of the vacations, was so well pleased with his conversation, that he promised him another bursary, in his gift, of L.25 a year, to commence immediately on the expiration of that which he enjoyed. This promise he performed in the beginning of the year 1755; and, at the solicitation of Dr Findlay, even paid the money in advance, to enable the exhibitioner to travel for the purpose of improving himself in his profession.

Thus provided, Mr Ramsay went to London, and studied surgery and pharmacy under the auspices of Dr Macaulay, in whose family he lived for two years, esteemed alike by him and by his lady. Afterwards, having passed the usual examination at Surgeons’ Hall, he served in his medical capacity for several years in the royal navy.

Having met with an accident, by which his thigh-bone was fractured, he once more turned his thoughts towards the church; and on coming home with Sir Charles Middleton he was admitted into orders; after which he immediately returned to St Christopher’s, where he was presented by the governor to two rectories, valued at L.700 a year.

As soon as he took possession of his livings, in 1763, he married Miss Rebecca Akers, the daughter of a planter of the best family connections in the island, and began to regulate his household on the pious plan inculcated in his Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of the African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies. He summoned all his own slaves daily to the prayers of the family, when he took an opportunity of pointing out to them their duty in the plainest terms, reproving those who had done amiss, and commending such as had shown anything like virtue. Although his serious studies were now theological, he considered himself as answerable to God, his country, and his own family, for a proper use of every branch of knowledge which he possessed. He therefore took the charge of several plantations around him in the capacity of a medical practitioner, and attended them with unremitting diligence and with great success. Thus he lived till the year 1777, when, relinquishing the practice of physic entirely, he paid a visit to the place of his nativity, which he had not seen since 1755. His mother, whose latter days he had made comfortable by a handsome annuity, had been dead for some years; but he rewarded all who had been attentive to her, or in early life serviceable to himself; and he continued the pension to his sister, who had a numerous family, for which her husband was unable to provide.

After remaining three weeks in Scotland, and nearly a year in England, during which time he was admitted into the confidence of Lord George Germaine, then secretary of state for the American department, Mr Ramsay was appointed chaplain to Admiral Barrington, at that time going out to take a command in the West Indies. Under this gallant officer, and afterwards under Lord Rodney, he was present at several engagements, where he displayed a fortitude and zeal for the honour of his country which would not have disgraced the oldest admiral. To the navy, indeed, he seems to have been strongly attached; and, at an early period of his life, he wrote an Essay on the Duty and Qualifications of a Sea-officer, with such a knowledge of the service as would have done honour to the pen of the most experienced commander. Although caressed by the admirals under whom he served, Mr Ramsay once more quitted the naval service, and retired to his pastoral charge in the island of St Christopher’s. There, however, though the former animosities against him had entirely subsided, and though his friendship was now solicited by every person of consequence in the island, he remained but a little time. Sick of the life of a planter and of the prospect of slavery around him, he resigned his livings, and bidding adieu to the island, returned to England with his wife and family in the end of the year 1781. Immediately on his arrival, he was, through the interest of his steady friend Sir Charles Middleton, presented to the livings of Teston and Nettle-stead, in the county of Kent. Here he was soon determined, by the advice of those whom he most respected, to publish an Essay, which had been written many years before, on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies. This publication involved him in controversies which embittered his life. The agitation given to his mind, and the fatigues he underwent in his endeavours to rescue from misery the most helpless portion of the human race, contributed to shorten a life which had been in no common degree useful. He had for some time been afflicted with a pain in his stomach, for which he was prevailed upon, though with great reluctance, to try the effects of air and exercise, by attempting a journey of a hundred miles. But in London, being seized with a violent vomiting of blood, he was unable to proceed and unfit to be removed hence; and, in the house of Sir Charles Middleton, he ended his days, on the 20th of July 1789. His works, besides those to which we have already alluded, consist of a volume of Sea-Sermons, and a Treatise on Signals.