- Museum number
- 1852,1009.858
- Title
-
Object: The Sapient Septemviri
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Object: [Old & New College of Aberdeen unite]
- Description
-
A satire on the seven professors of King's College, Aberdeen; they are addressed by a preacher who stands in a box-like pulpit on the extreme left, holding an open book inscribed 'Return Good for Evil'. The figures have numbers referring to their words, &c, engraved beneath the design.
The preacher is '1, The Beauty of Holiness, Lecturing'. He is Dr. Skene Ogilvy, senior minister of Old Aberdeen, noted for eloquence, humour, and unconventionality. He was very ugly, hence his nickname. The seven professors, wearing gowns, stand in a row on a pavement of black and white squares; the central one wears a papal crown surmounted by a cross; he is '5', saying with a scowl, "Agriculture is the Noblest of Sciences, mind your Glebes, the Emperor of China is a Farmer". He is Dr. John Chalmers, Principal of King's College (d. 1800), who devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. The others (left to right): '8', with the body of a skeleton, holds a scythe, but turns a cheerful profile to the right, saying, "Degrees Male and Female in Medicine and Midwifery, sold here for ready money". He is Dr. William Chalmers, Professor of Medicine. Next is '7', saying to the Principal, "Colledge property, Patronages are unalienable, so says the Law, the Noble Patron has rewarded most justly your Rapacity". He is Dr. William Thorn, Professor of Civil Law (d. 1795) who was enraged by the alienation of patronages, and declared that the Earl of Fife, by giving so little for them, had justly rewarded rapacity. Next, and on the Principal's right, is '6', saying to him, "Has not the Effulgence of my Countenance been a light unto your feet, and a lamp unto your Paths". He is the learned Thomas Gordon (d. 1797, called 'Humorist Gordon', Professor of Philosophy, aged 83). On the Principal's left is '4', saying, "I have rendered Vernacular the Greek Language from Aberdour to Aberdeen". He is John Leslie (d. 1790 aged 69), Professor of Greek, reputed to have made the remark quoted. Next is '3', wearing a bonnet and Highland dress under his gown, and holding a long Lochaber axe. He says, "Annually for 45 years and upwards have I beat up, even to the Ultima Thule have I recruited, our University". He is Roderick McLeod, Sub-Principal since 1764, whose tours in the north of Scotland to recruit for King's College were famous. He succeeded Chalmers as Principal and died 1815 aged 87. On the extreme right is a jovial man wearing a mitre, in which is a pen. He is '2', saying, "Had you not sold your Patronages, First Minister might have been annexed to my Divine Chair of Verity and taste". He is Alexander Gerard, D.D. (1728-93), Professor of Divinity, author of works on taste (1759) and genius (1774), see 'D.N.B.' 1786
Etching
- Production date
- 1786
- Dimensions
-
Height: 150 millimetres
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Width: 185 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
In order to increase the scanty revenue of King's College, 'superiorities and Church Patronages' had been sold for £3,000 to the Earl of Fife, who thus acquired the patronage of about fifteen parishes. The professors are here probably caricatured for their opposition to a scheme (1786) for the union of King's and Marischal Colleges (effected in 1860). Ross, who sent this sketch to Kay, was a native of Aberdeen and a former student of medicine; he lost a post as surgeon to the Navy for caricaturing the officers.
Collection, No. 72. Kay, No. XXXV.
[Supplementary information]
From a bound collection of Kay's prints: see 1852,1009.787.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1852
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1852,1009.858