In the summer of 1827 the Editor of this Memoir purchased, at a book-stall in Edinburgh, a copy of Ferguson's “Select Mechanical Exercises;” and at this distance of time is still retained a vivid recollection of the pleasure experienced in the perusal of the “Short Account of the Author” prefixed to the volume, and also of the disappointment felt at its coming so abruptly to a close. Ferguson, in his preliminary remarks, promises to give the reader “a faithful and circumstantial detail of his whole proceedings from his first obscure beginning to the present time,”—viz. from 1710—the year of his birth—till 1773, the year in which the “Account” was written. It occupies 43 pages, 36 of which refer to the details of his life in Scotland, while only 7 pages are devoted to his life in England; the latter extending over a space of 30 years, of which next to nothing is there related.

To supply, if possible, more ample information regarding Ferguson, the writer began so early as the year 1829 to collect, from all available sources, as opportunity offered, whatever particulars could be found and were not generally known. In an examination lately made, with a view to publication, of correspondence, memoranda and notes, these were found to form a heterogeneous collection, comprising much interesting matter little known, as well as certain particulars apparently of trivial importance, but which, as these also indicated Ferguson's pursuits at the time, have been retained.

Ferguson leaves Edinburgh for London.—It is now not certainly known what made Ferguson resolve to leave Edinburgh. He would, no doubt, see many obstacles in the way to his attaining success in it. On looking around him he could not fail to observe that its trade was in a very depressed state; that there was then a scarcity of the “circulating medium;” that an apathy had settled down on its inhabitants; and that there was a consequent want of enterprise—a state of things, he would find, that had arisen since the Union, owing, in a great measure, to the large numbers of the nobility and gentry abandoning it for London. In short, Edinburgh, between the date of the Union, in 1707, and the year 1750, passed through one of the most depressed periods of its history—a period which has been designated “the dark age of Edinburgh.” It is therefore evident that Edinburgh, in 1743, was not the place to give full scope to Ferguson's genius, where he could expect to have success in his self-taught business of limning, or as an occasional writer on his favourite science of astronomy. We may also add, that Ferguson, about a year previous to his leaving Edinburgh, had set afloat in the London literary market there, two speculations—viz. “The Astronomical Rotula,” and an Astronomical Card-Dial. Of the success of the latter publication, nothing now is known; but the former—the Rotula—was successful.

Ferguson's Residence, 1761.—In Kent's London Directory for the year 1761, is inserted the following entry of his residence,—viz.

In 1761 it would appear, from an advertisement at the foot of one of his publications of this year, that he either had a residence in Red-Lion Court, Fleet Street, London, or had a room in that Court as a Glass-room. A quarto work published by Ferguson early in 1761, entitled, “A Plain Method of Determining the Parallax of Venus” has the following at foot of title-page:—“London: Printed for, and sold by the Author, in Red-Lion Court, Opposite Serjeant's Inn, Fleet Street.”

Pamphlet on the Parallax of Venus, published in quarto. —This pamphlet, published by Ferguson early in 1761, is a thin quarto of 54 pages, with 4 illustrative folding-plates, shows how to determine the Parallax of Venus by the then forthcoming transit of that planet over the Sun's disc, calculated to take place on June 6th, 1761; and consequently, the Distances of all the Planets from the Sun. This work is now very scarce; the title is as follows :—