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The History of the University of Edinburgh
The History of the University of Edinburgh Author:Alexander Bower Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER X. The Rebellion 1715—Principal Wishmrt—Professorship of Church History—Of Civil History—The Foundation of the Medical School. The differences that... more » had taken place between the patrons and the professors, and of which some account has been already given, were at last accommodated to the satisfaction of both parties. In testimony of which, the magistrates presented them with the freedom of the city. Every thing being thus amicably adjusted, and the professors possessing the full confidence of all ranks in the country, the university began to be more flourishing than it had ever been before, when an unfortunate event interrupted, for a short time, the peace of the college, as well as of the country at large. This was the rebellion of 1715. It seems to be now universally admitted, notwithstanding the apparent determination of Queen Anne to pursue the same course which William had so successfully adopted, that, after she despaired of having any children to succeed to the throne, andparticularly for the last four years of her reign, her inclinations were strongly bent towards the exiled family, her own nearest relations, and whom she considered as possessing the only just right to the crown. There was a very considerable party in England in the interest of the House of Stuart; but it is well known that the great body of the people of Scotland had espoused their cause in the warmest manner. The pretended cause of disaffection at this time was the union ; and imagining this to be a proper season for accomplishing their ends, upon 14th December 1714, an advertisement was placarded throughout the city, inviting all merchants, trades men, and inhabitants, to concur end assist, not only in forcing the Lord Provost to sign an address to his Majesty King George for dissolving o...« less