Record

MS 30 - James Beattie, Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic, poet, essayist and moral philosopher: papers
- 1 - James Beattie's copy letters

Collection	GB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections
Level	Item
Ref No	MS 30/1/330
Title	To Robert Arbuthnot
Date	c. 10 August 1792
Extent	1 Item
Administrative History	Robert Arbuthnot [1728-1803] was a member of a distinguished Jacobite/ Episcopalian family. He was brought up and later owned Haddo-Rattray House, north of Peterhead. He was a merchant and then a banker in the firm of Arbuthnot and Guthrie, which failed in 1772. He then moved to Edinburgh where he bacame secretary of the Board for the Encouragement of Manufacturies and Fisheries in Scotland. He befriended Beattie after Beattie moved to Aberdeen in 1758, and became for some years his principal poetic adviser and promoter. He negotiated on Beattie's behalf and often in conjuction with Sir William Forbes, with the booksellers over several of the publications
Description	Expecting a proof sheet from Creech, but still kept in suspence. Not greatly surprised of what Arbuthnot tells him of Reid who is a man of speculation and a little of a Republican. Recalls Reid's unrealistic plan for purchase of books for a club with which Beattie was formerly connected. Project came to nothing. Beattie believes Republican (or rather levelling) principles were prevalent in Glasgow and not unknown in Edinburgh. Marischal College is free of them but Beattie wonders for how long. When he proposed an address to the King about the late proclamation, it was agreed only if Beattie would write it. Beattie did write it and sent it to the Principal, but meanwhile another address has been sent off to London. Thanks Arbuthnot and Mr Erskine for praise of James Hay Beattie's Ode on Peterhead. Has tried to do justice in the biographical sketch to the part of his character Arbuthnot mentions with such affection.
Access Status	Open
Publication Note	Published in "The Correspondence of James Beattie - Letters 1758-1775", ed. Roger J. Robinson

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