Leyden John

Leyden, John (1775-1811), a Scotch physician and poet, was born at Denholm, Roxburghshire, and distinguished himself as a scholar of Edinburgh University. He studied Oriental and modern languages, and made the acquaintance of Sydney Smith, Brougham and Jeffrey, at the University Literary Society. In 1799 he published A Historical and Philosophical Sketch of European Biscoveries in, Northern and Western Africa at the End of the 18th Century, edited for Constable the Complaynt of Scotland, and helped Scott with the earlier volumes of his Border Minstrelsy. He also edited for a time the Scots' Magazine, and wrote some lyrics of some merit. In 1803 he went out to Madras to take the appointment of assistant-surgeon and, made a report on the diseases, the crops, and the languages of Mysore. In 1805 he went to Penang for his health, and soon after his return was made Professor of Hindustani at Calcutta. In 1809 he was appointed to judicial office by Lord Minto, and in 1811 went with him to Java as Malay interpreter, but died of fever soon after his arrival.