CULLEN. 209 fessorsliip until a few months before his death, which spared him to his seventy-seventh year, in 1790. To the last he was great, but that ardour and energy which had strongly characterized him at a former period, gradually declined ; his viva- city was, however, still such as might in general belong to an individual in the mid-day of exist- ence. Some have perceived traces of senility in his treatise on the Materia Medica, — but CuUen even then retained powers which many would gladly acknowledge as their own in their Ijriglitest days. His appearance was striking, and not unpleas- ing ; his countenance was expressive, his eye lively and penetrating. His person was tall and thin ; to the stranger who passed him he appeared a contemplative man. In his lectures he never attempted to read ; they were delivered almost ex- temporaneously, and the same plan seems to have been followed by Monro and Black. Of all the Edinburgh professors of that period, the lettered Blair was the only one who could not trust his eye one moment from the manuscript. A few short notes sufficed to preserve a certain order with Cullen, and an ease, a force, and a variety were thus imparted to his matter and his style, which few have rivalled, and still fewer can hope to emu- late under similar circumstances. His particular illustrations were always new, suited to the oc- casions of the moment, and were produced in an artless, bold elocution, which captivated every listener. Alibert bears testimony to the impression which he created on the foreign students, who flocked unprejudiced volunteers to his standard, VOL. I. p
