5254
himself, turning it out of a solid block of wood, and
covering it with paper.

~He now went to service afresh, first with a miller who
starved him, next with a doctor who ill-used him; so he
came home again in a very miserable condition. While
there, he taught himself to make clocks, and actually
made a kind of watch with a whalebone spring, though
he had never seen the inside of one but once, and that

THE SHEPHERD-BOY PHILOSOPHER.

but was able to help his poor old father, 2 mere day-
labourer.

He made a short break in his portrait-painting, which
he never really liked, by coming home with a stock 0
Doctor's stuff, and setting up as a medical man. But it
did nat answer. Very few of his patients paid him, and
he owned himself that fewer still got any good from him,
So he went back to his portrait-painting, but employed

THE SHEPHERD-BOY PHILOSOPHER.

was shown him by a chance passer-by on the read. He
now taught himself drawing, and took to portrait-painting.
Some kind friends took him to Edinburgh, in order that
che might be properly instructed in the art; but the
expense was too great, so he boldly set to work on his
(Own account, and succeeded so well, that for twenty-six
years he not only supported himself by his profession,

his spare time in his favourite scientific pursuits, In
these he was much assisted by Maclaurin, the celebrated
mathematician. At last he got quite tired of painting,
and left Edinburgh for London, with the view of teaching
mechanics and astronomy. He gave lectures, and wrote
various works on these subjects, which paid him so well,
that he was enabled to give up his portrait-painting