Life and Scientific Work of Peter Guthrie Tait - School of Mathematics ...

EDINBURGH ACADEMY 5
was a mental and moral discipline. How keenly Gloag enjoyed exposing
the superficial knowledge of a boy who thought he knew ! A very
characteristic story is told in the Chronicles of the way in which, in the
presence of the Rector, Gloag demanded a proof from one of the Rector's
classical pets. After the Rector in a foolish assumption of knowledge had
for some time encouraged the boy with such remarks as " Why, my boy,
don't you see it? Think a moment! It's quite easy, don't you know—
perfectly simple !
"
Gloag in a moment of supreme triumph exclaimed
" Naw, Mr Ractor, Sir, it's nott easy — the thing's imp5ssible, Sir— it's gross non-
"
sense, Sir !
Such was the teacher who first led Tail's mind in the paths in which
ere long he was to gain the highest distinction.
Lewis Campbell and James Clerk Maxwell were also Edinburgh
in Campbell's Life of Maxwell an interesting account
Academy boys ; and
is given of the school. They were a year
ahead of Tait and were not
therefore members of the Cumming Club. Fleeming Jenkin,
the first
Professor of Engineering in Edinburgh University, was a classmate of Tait,
as were also Sir Patrick Heron Watson the eminent surgeon. Sir Edward
Harland of Harland and Wolff, Belfast, A. D. Stewart, C.E., who selected
he plans for the Forth Bridge, Andrew Wilson, traveller and author of The
Abode of Snozv, General Cockburn, General Sherriff, Frederick Pitman, W.S.,
one of the early Secretaries of the Cumming Club, Dr Thomas Wright
Hall, a well-known physician for many years resident in Brazil, and many
others whose careers are sketched in the Roll Call of the Chronicles of the
Cumming Club.
Tait himself preserved in printed form the result of the examination held
in 1846 to determine the winner of the Edinburgh Academical Club Prize.
The competition was open to all the Rector's classes, namely, the Fifth to the
Seventh. Lewis Campbell came out first over all and gained the prize.
Tait was third, being the only Fifth Class boy who was named in the list,
and Maxwell was sixth. In the department of mathematics, however, the
order of merit was Tait, Campbell, Maxwell, the others named being far
behind. On the classical and linguistic side Tait naturally fell behind the
more widely read scholars of the higher classes.
In the competition for the Academical Club Prize in 1847, Tait was
again third, but Maxwell, now in the Seventh Class, was second on the
whole. In mathematics. Maxwell was first and Tait was second.