he publication of the _Novum Organum_ of Lord Bacon and
even after the successful application of his principles by Sir Isaac
Newton and Locke, the logic and metaphysics of Aristotle continued
to occupy the chief place, in the course of instruction, in the most
celebrated universities of Europe. The first great reform, in the
mode of teaching philosophy, introduced into the college of Glasgow,
was effected through a royal visitation, which took place in 1727.
"The improvements in this university," says Professor Jardine,
arising from the regulations introduced by the royal visitation,
were greatly promoted by the appointment, which took place shortly
afterwards of more than one professor of singular zeal and ability.
The first of these was Dr. Francis Hutcheson. This celebrated
philosopher, whose mind was stored with the rarest gifts of
learning, illustrated, with a copious and splendid eloquence, the
amiable system of morality which is still associated with his name,
producing thus the happiest effects not only on his own students but
also on his colleagues, and infusing at once a more liberal spirit,
and a greater degree of industry, into all the departments of
teaching. Great obstacles, however, still remained. The professor of
the first philosophy class according to the practice of the times
continued to deliver his lectures in the Latin language, a method of
instruction which, although it must long have proved a great
impediment to the ready communication of knowledge on the part of
the teacher, and to the reception of it on the part of the pupil,
was not discontinued in this college, till upon the following
occasion.

In the year 1750 Adam Smith was appointed professor of logic and,
being rather unexpectedly called to discharge the duties of his
office he found it necessary to read to his pupils in the English
language, a course of lectures on rhetoric and belles lettres, which
he had formerly delivered in Edinburgh. It was only during one
session however, that he gave these lectures, for at the end of it,
he was elected professor of moral philosophy and it was on the
occasion of this vacancy in the logic chair that Edmund Burke whose
genius led him afterwards to shine in a more exalted sphere was
thought of,