|
DONALDSON, WALTER,
a learned professor of the seventeenth century, was a native of Aberdeen.
He was in the retinue of Bishop Cunningham of Aberdeen, and Peter Junius,
grand almoner of Scotland, when sent on an embassy from King James the
Sixth to the court of Denmark and the princes of Germany. Subsequently he
returned to the continent, and delivered a course of lectures on moral
philosophy at Heidelberg. One of his students having taken notes of these
lectures, published them, and several editions of the work were printed
both in Germany and Great Britain, under the title of Synopsis moralis
Philosophiae. Donaldson was afterwards professor of philosophy and the
Greek language, and principal of the university of Sedan, where he
remained for sixteen years. He was then invited to open a college at
Charenton, but the proposed establishment was objected to as illegal, and
was never commenced. [Boyle’s dict. vol. iv. p. 626.] His works
are:
Synopsis Locorum
communium, in qua sapientiae humanae imago representatur, &c. Franc. 1612.
Her he reduces into common places, and under certain general heads, all
that lies scattered in Diogenes Laertius, concerning the same thing.
Printed in Greek and Latin.
Synopsis
Economica. Paris, 1620, 8vo. Reprinted Rost. 1624, 8vo.
Synopsis
Philosophiae Moralis, lib. iii. Ex Offic. Palth. 1604, 8vo. Francf. 1622,
12mo.
DONALDSON, JOHN,
an eminent but eccentric painter, the son of a glover in Edinburgh, was
born there in 1737. He early exhibited an extraordinary talent for
drawing, and we are told that before he was twelve years of age he was
enabled to contribute to his own support by drawing miniatures in India
ink. Removing to London, while yet young, he for some time prosecuted his
profession as a miniature painter with remarkable success, both in enamel
and water colours. His celebrated historical picture, ‘The Tent of
Darius,’ which was purchased by the earl of Buchan, gained him the prize
from the society of Arts. He also received prizes from the same society
for two paintings in enamel, representing ‘The Death of Dido,’ and ‘The
Story of Hero and Leander.’ He occasionally also amused himself with the
point, and etched several plates of beggars after Rembrandt. Having,
however, become disgusted with his profession, from mistaken notions of
philanthropy, he occupied himself almost exclusively in proposing fanciful
projects for the improvement of the condition of the human race, in
consequence of which his business forsook him, and he was reduced to great
misery. He died in the utmost indigence, October 11, 1801, leaving a large
quantity of manuscripts in an unfinished state. His only acknowledged
works are, ‘An Essay on the Elements of Beauty,’ Edin. 1780, 8vo; and a
volume of poems. Mr. Edwards, in his Anecdotes of Painters, ascribes to
Donaldson a pamphlet published anonymously, under the title of ‘Critical
Observations and Remarks upon the Public Buildings of London.’
DONALDSON, JAMES,
a printer of Edinburgh, bequeathed the greater part of his estate,
exceeding £200,000, for the endowment and erection of an hospital in that
city, for the maintenance of three hundred poor boys and girls. He died in
October 1830. Donaldson’s Hospital, which occupies a commanding position
at the west end of Edinburgh, is a spacious quadrangular structure, in the
Elizabethan style, from a design by W. H. Playfair. It was completed and
opened in the end of 1850.
DONALDSON, JOSEPH,
author of the ‘Eventful Life of a Soldier,’ and ‘Scenes and Sketches of a
Soldier’s Life in Ireland,’ was born in Glasgow towards the end of the
last century, but the exact date of his birth is not stated. Having gone
over to Paris in 1830, he took an active part in the Revolution of July,
and died October 5th of that year, in consequence of disease
brought on by his exertions and fatigue on that occasion. |
