No More Learning

"
Shakspeare.
NOWLEDGE is the most valuable of all posses-
sions, and the only one of which no outward
circumstances can deprive us: but it is not the
gift of nature: talents, even, do not always ensure it:
it is the fruit of pains: it is the reward of applica-
tion; and Childhood is the season of instruction.
Then is the memory most retentive, the mind most
inquisitive; and to Princes, who in after-life have
weightier duties, and more engrossing occupations and
cares, than those which fall to the lot of common men,
an early application to study is of great moment.
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? 180 LOVE OP KNOWLEDGE AND
An early thirst for knowledge has given a presage
of future greatness in many of our celebrated men, and
we have very wonderful accounts of the acquirements
of some illustrious children at an early age.
CHILDHOOD OF ALFRED THE GEEAT.
LFRED the Great gave very early marks of
those great virtues and shining talents, by which,
during the most difficult times, he saved his
country from utter ruin and subversion. At a very
early age, he accompanied an embassy to Rome, and a
report having been spread, during his stay there, of his
father Ethelwolf's death, Pope Leo the Third gave
him the royal unction as future king. On his return
home, he became more and more the object of his
father's affections; but so injudicious was the fond indul-
gence of this weak prince, that he suffered a youth of
so great promise to spend his whole time in amusement,
neglecting his education entirely, and, it is said, that
Alfred attained his twelfth year before he was even
able to read.
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? EAELY ACQUIREMENTS. 181
About this time, he was present during the recital
of some Saxon poems, in which the queen, his mother,
took great delight: he listened with astonishment and
admiration, and the powers of his mind at once re-
ceived the necessary stimulus: this species of erudi-
tion, which is sometimes able to make a considerable
progress even among barbarians, awakened those noble
and elevated sentiments which he had received from
nature. He longed to read these compositions, and
he felt that he too could be a poet, and a hero. En-
couraged and assisted by the queen, he soon learned
to read his own tongue, and proceeded thence to ac-
quire a knowledge of the Latin language, in which he
met with authors that better prompted his heroic spirit,
and directed his patriotic views.
EDWARD THE SIXTH.
"Thou blessed thing!
Jove knows, what man thou mightst have made, but ah!
Thou dy'dst, a most rare boy. " Shakspeare.
ID WARD the Sixth became king when still a
child, and had already the qualities of a great
king. He lived too short a time to bring them to
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? 182 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
perfection, but the blossoms of his youth were worth
the fruits of many a more advanced age. The learned
Cardan wrote the character of Edward the Sixth, in
Italy, where nothing could be got or expected by flat-
tering him. He says, "All the graces were in him: he
had many tongues when he was but a child: together
with the English, he had both Latin and French, nor
was he ignorant of the Greek, Italian, and Spanish.
The sweetness of his temper was such as became a
mortal, his gravity becoming the majesty of a king,
and his disposition suitable to his high degree. When
the authority of a king was needful, he carried him-
self like an old man, and yet he was always affable
and gentle, as became his age.
"When he ascended the throne, he relaxed not in
his studies, but so well regulated his hours, that he
gave part of the day to the Belles-Lettres, part to
exercises worthy of a prince, and the remainder of the
day to affairs of state. "
We have a Latin letter written by Edward the Sixth,
to his father, at the age of eight years, and it is not
likely that it was dictated to him by his master, as that
imperious prince would not be deceived, and if they
had presented to him as an original, what was only
copied from the work of others, he would never have
forgiven the deception.
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS. 183
LADY JANE GREY.
Extract of a Letter from Roger Ascham, Tutor to Queen
Elizabeth.
CAME to Broadgate in Leicestershire, to take
leave of that noble lady, Jane Grey. Her parents,
the duke and duchess, with all the household,
gentlemen and gentlewomen, were hunting in the park.
I found her in her chamber, reading Phsedon Platonis
in Greek, and that with as much delight as some gen-
tlemen would read a merry tale in Boccace. After
salutation, with some other talk, I asked her why she
should lose so much pastime in the park? Smiling,
she answered me; "I wis all their sport in the park is
but a shadow to that pleasure that I find in Plato:
Alas! good folk, they never felt what true pleasure
meant. "
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
HE same Mr. Ascham, in a letter to Sir John
Cheke, speaking of the Princess Elizabeth, says:
"It can scarce be credited to what degree of
skill in the Latin and Greek she might arrive, if she
shall proceed in that course of study wherein she hath
begun. " In another letter to his friend Sturmius, he
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? 184 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
tells him: "that he enjoyed at court as agreeable a
freedom for his studies, as he had ever done in the
university: and that he was then reading over with the
Princess Elizabeth the orations of iEschines and Demos-
thenes in Greek; and that she understood at first sight,
not only the force and propriety of the language, and
the meaning of the orator, but the whole scheme of
the cause, and the laws, customs, and manners of the
Athenians. "
SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.
"The spirit of a youth,
That means to be of note, begins betimes. " Shakspeare.
ULKE Greville, Lord Brook, says of Sir Philip
Sydney," Though I lived with him, and knew him
from a child, yet I never knew him other than a
man: with such staidness of mind, lovely and familiar
gravity, as carried grace and reverence above greater
years. His talk ever of knowledge, and his very play
tending to enrich his mind: so as even his teachers
found something in him to observe and learn, above
that which they had usually read or taught. "
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS. 185
THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON.
F the many examples of precocious and versatile
talent that are recorded in history, that of James
Crichton, commonly called The Admirable Crich-
ton, is the most extraordinary. His father was lord ad-
vocate of Scotland, his mother was of the royal family
of Stewart, and he is said to have received lessons from
the celebrated George Buchanan, preceptor of James
the First. By the time he reached his twentieth year,
he was master of ten languages, and had gone through
the whole circle of the sciences; nor was his fame con-
fined to mere literary accomplishments. He was dis-
tinguished by his uncommon strength, and agility in
athletic exercises: in fencing, he could spring at one
bound the length of twenty feet on his antagonist, and
could use the sword in either hand with equal skill.
He possessed also a very fine voice, and played well on
several musical instruments: to these various accom-
plishments were added the advantages of a handsome
person and elegant address.
Thus highly cultivated and accomplished, Crichton
set out upon his travels, and on his arrival at Paris,
publicly set up, as was the custom in those days, a
challenge on the college gate, in which he invited all
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? 186 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
the learned men of the university to dispute with him
on a certain day, giving his opponents the choice of
ten languages, and of all the sciences.
On the day appointed, he appeared in presence of
three thousand persons, whom curiosity had drawn to
the college to witness this singular phenomenon; and
there, after a disputation of nine hours against fifty-
four of the most learned men of the university, he
silenced his antagonists, and was presented with a
diamond and a purse of gold, amidst the loudest accla-
mations. The next day, he attended a tilting match,
where, in the presence of the court of France, he bore
away the prize on his lance fifteen times successively.
At Rome, at Venice, at Padua, at Mantua, the same
success attended him: he foiled always the most cele-
brated professors, whether in arms, or in science, or
in literature; but at length he fell a victim to the envy
which his great powers excited, being assassinated at
Mantua, in the twenty-third year of his age.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, GRANDSON OF
LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH.
HEN the Duke of Burgundy was committed to
the tuition of the celebrated Fenelon, he had
hitherto displayed all the symptoms of a per-
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS. 187
verse nature: invincible obstinacy, a revolting pride,
and the most violent passions, joined, however, with a
great capacity for acquiring all kinds of knowledge.
By various means happily combined, by gentleness
and unremitting attention, the preceptor succeeded in
gradually breaking the violent character of his pupil,
and in rendering him equally eminent for worth and
for learning. We are told that, at the age of ten, the
prince wrote Latin with elegance, and translated the
most difficult authors with a facility that surprised the
best judges. He was perfectly master of Virgil, Ho-
race, and the Metamorphoses of Ovid, and was sensible
of the beauty of Cicero's Orations. At eleven, he read
Livy throughout, and began a translation of Tacitus,
which he afterwards finished. The Abbe Henry, in
attesting these facts, says that his mind was of the first
order, and that he was not contented with superficial
knowledge, but sought to penetrate to the bottom of
every thing. At the age of fourteen, his mind was
stored with excellent principles in religion and morals,
with all that most enchants in mythology, and which
supplies the principal subjects for poetry and the fine
arts; and with all the leading facts of ancient and
modern history. It would not have been easy to find
in the whole kingdom a man better informed than the
prince.
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? 188 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
POPE.
UR great poet, Pope, appears to have been very
unfortunate in his early teachers, and to have
been so well aware of the little advantage he
derived from external help, that he resolved to direct
himself, and at the age of twelve formed a plan of
study, which he completed with little other incitement
than the desire of excellence.
His primary and principal purpose was to be a poet,
with which his father accidentally concurred, by pro-
posing subjects, and obliging him to correct his per-
formances by many revisals; after which the old
gentleman, when he was satisfied, would say, "These
are good rhymes. "
Pope himself tells us, that he "lisp'd in numbers,"
and he used to say, that he could not remember the
time when he began to make verses: the earliest of
his poems, however, that is come down to us, is his
Ode on Solitude, written before he was twelve.
In his perusal of the English poets, he soon distin-
guished the versification of Dryden, which he consi-
dered the model to be studied, and he was impressed
with such veneration for his instructor, that he per-
suaded some friends to take him to the coffee-house
which Dryden frequented, and pleased himself with
having seen him.
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS, 189
Dryden died May 1st, 1701, some days before Pope
was twelve, so early must he therefore have felt the
power of harmony, and the zeal of genius. Who does
not wish that Dryden could have known the value of
the homage that was paid him, and foreseen the great-
ness of his young admirer I
METASTASIO.
HE Italian poet, Metastasio, discovered an extra-
ordinary predilection for literature, and for poetry
in particular, at a very early age, and would make
verses extempore on any given subject, before he was
ten years old. This singular talent he was in the
habit of exercising after school-hours in front of his
father's shop, where great crowds used to assemble in
an evening to hear him sing all'improvviso, admiring
not only the harmony of his numbers, but the melody
of his voice.
The learned civilian Gravina, passing accidentally
that way, was struck with the sweetness of the child's
voice, and still more with his verses, and his admira-
tion was increased by the graceful compliments which
he took the opportunity of addressing to himself. When
the youthful poet had concluded, Gravina called him,
and with many encomiums and caresses, offered him a
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? 190 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
piece of money, which the boy politely refused. He
then enquired into his situation and employment; and
being struck with the intelligence of his replies, pro-
posed to his parents to educate him as his own child.
The parents consented, and under such patronage,
Metastasio's education was advanced, and his genius
expanded, so that at the age of fourteen, he produced
his tragedy of Giustino.
SIR WILLIAM JONES.
IR William Jones, while yet in infancy, was a
miracle of industry, and showed how strongly he
was inspired with the love of knowledge. When
only three or four years of age, if he applied to his
mother for information upon any subject, her constant
answer to him was, "Read, and you will know. " He
thus acquired a passion for books, which grew with his
increasing years. At the close of his seventh year he
was placed at Harrow, and unlike the majority of
boys at pubic schools, young Jones devoted his whole
mind to his studies, his voluntary exertions always ex-
ceeding his prescribed task. Such was his activity at
school, that one of his masters said of him, "If he were
left naked and friendless on Salisbury Plain, he would,
nevertheless, find the road to fame and riches. "
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS. 191
MAD. DE STAEL. AD. De Stael, when quite a child, was the con-
stant companion of her father, M.
Necker, and
was much noticed by the clever men who visited
him, particularly by the Abbe Raynal, who would con-
verse with her as if she had been five and twenty.
When her father had a party of friends, she was
always very attentive to their conversation: she ut-
tered not a word, yet she seemed as if speaking in her
turn, all her flexible features displayed so much ex-
pression. Her eyes followed the looks and motions of
those who spoke, and you would have said, she seized
their ideas before she heard them.
CHILDHOOD OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.
"Oh, 'tis a parlous boy,
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable. " Shakspeare.
Extract of a Letter from Mrs. Cockburn, giving some account
of Sir Walter Scott in his early Childhood.
LAST night supped at Mr. Walter Scott's.
He has the most extraordinary genius of a boy
I ever saw. He was reading a poem to his
mother when I went in. I made him read on; it was
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? 192 LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE AND
the description of a shipwreck. His passion rose with
the storm. He lifted his eyes and hands. 'There's the
mast gone,' says he; 'crash it goes ! --they will all
perish! ' After his agitation, he turns to me. 'That is
too melancholy,' says he; 'I had better read you some-
thing more amusing. ' I preferred a little chat, and asked
his opinion of Milton, and other books he was reading,
which he gave me wonderfully. One of his observa-
tions was, 'How strange it is that Adam, just new
come into the world, should know every thing? that
must be the poet's fancy,' says he. But when he was
told, he was created perfect by God, he instantly
yielded. When taken to bed last night, he told his
aunt he liked that lady. 'What lady? ' says she.
'Why, Mrs. Cockburn: for I think she is a virtuoso,
like myself. ' 'Dear Walter,' says aunt Jenny,
'what is a virtuoso? ' 'Don't ye know? Why, it's one
who wishes to know, and will know every thing. '--
Now, sir, you will think this is a very silly story.
Pray what age do you suppose this boy to be? Name
it now, before I tell you. Why, twelve or fourteen.
No such thing; he is not quite six years old. "
Extract from Sir Walter Scott's Auto-Biography.
"George Constable was the first person who told
me about Falstaff and Hotspur, and other characters
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? EARLY ACQUIREMENTS. 193
in Shakspeare. What idea I annexed to them I know
not, but I must have annexed some, for I remember
quite well being interested on the subject. Indeed,
I rather suspect that children derive impulses of a
powerful and important kind in hearing things which
they cannot entirely comprehend; and therefore, that
to write down to children's understanding is a mis-
take; set them on the scent, and let them puzzle it
out. To return to George Constable, I knew him
well at a much later period. He used always to dine
at my father's house of a Sunday, and was authorised
to turn the conversation out of the austere and Cal-
vinistic tone which it usually maintained on that day,
upon subjects of history or auld langsyne. He remem-
bered the rebellion of forty-five, and told many excel-
lent stories, all with a strong dash of a peculiar caustic
humour. These conversations made a strong impres-
sion upon me. "
AUGUSTUS CjESAR.
UETONIUS tells us, that Octavius, at the age of
twelve years, composed the funeral oration of
Julia, his maternal grandmother, and recited it
with great applause before the people. In his thir-
teenth year, this competitor of Demosthenes wrote a
o
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? 194
LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE.
treatise on the art of Speaking: this work, in which
he had collected the principles of the art of Eloquence,
was a summary of the lessons he had received from his
masters, and therefore not so much a proof of genius,
as of the attention he had paid to his instructors.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
LEXANDER the Great, notwithstanding his vast
military undertakings, was fond of the sciences,
and of polite learning. The Iliad he considered
a portable treasure of military knowledge, and he had
a copy corrected by Aristotle, which was called the
Casket Copy: it was so called because he kept it in a
rich casket that was found among the spoils of Darius.
"Darius," said Alexander, "used to keep his oint-
ments in this casket, but I, who have no time to anoint
myself, will convert it to a nobler use. " One of his
historians informs us, that while on the march, he used
to lay this casket under his pillow, with his sword.
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? INDEX.
ALCIBIADES, 41.
Alexander the Great, 14, 46, 47,
91, 104, 119, 168, 194.
Alexander the Third of Scotland, 60.
Alexander, Emperor of Russia, 162.
Alfred the Great, 180.
Amelia, Princess, 5, 100.
Augustus, Emperor, 108, 193.
Bacon, Sir Francis, 178.
Bayard, the Chevalier, 82.
Beauchateau, Francois, 177.
Beaujolais, Comte de, 157.
Boufflers, the Chevalier, 83.
Brunswick, Princes of, 123.
Calais, Citizens of, 69.
Canute the Great, 149.
Caroline, Queen, 112.
Cato the Younger, 28, 60, 89.
Charlotte, Princess, 5, 110, 124.
Charles the First, 25, 26.
Charles the Twelfth of Sweden, 44, 51,
52, 166.
Christina, Queen of Sweden, 76, 102,
103. Chartres, Duke of, 115. Clarence, Duke of, 31. Conde, the Great, 18, 19. Crichton, the Admirable, 185. Croesus, Son of, 14. Cyrus the Elder, 35, 154, 158, 169.
Daughter of Charles the First, 4.
Dauphin, Father of Louis the Six-
teenth, 32, 114.
Dauphin, the first, Son of Louis the Sixteenth, 161.
De Stael, 191.
Edward, Prince of Wales, afterwards
Edward the Third, 58.
Edward, the Black Prince, 81.
Edward the Sixth, 4, 157, 181.
Elizabeth, Queen, 183.
Evelyn, Son of, 8.
Frederick the Great, Nephew of, 55.
George the Third, 6.
George the Third, Children of, 24, 30,
125. George the Fourth, 99, 100.
Geta, Son of Severus, 132.
Grey, Lady Jane, 183.
Gustavus Vasa, 77.
Gustavus the Third, 53, 154.
Henry the Fourth of France, 33.
Henry the Fifth of England, 44.
Henry, Prince of Wales, son of James
the First, 7, 16, 17, 77, 101, 138,
152, 162, 176.
Henry, Duke of Gloucester, 56.
Hephsestion, friend of Alexander the
Great, 143.
Isabella of Castile, 58.
Isadas, 90.
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? 196
INDEX.
John, King of France, 147.
Jones, Sir William, 190.
Kang-Hi, Emperor of China, 167.
Louis the Twelfth of France, 157.
Louis, Duke of Burgundy (pupil of
Fenelon), 175, 186.
Louis, Duke of Burgundy, 107, 131,
146, 149. Louis the Seventeenth, 20, 25, 41,
112, 113, 126, 127, 136, 145, 161,
165, 172. Louis Philippe, King of the French,
24, 40, 127, 128, 174. Maine, Duke of, 176. Margaret of Anjou, Queen, 96. Maria Leczinska, Queen, 116. Maria Theresa, Empress, 67,117,131.
Marie-Antoinette, Queen, 145. Metastasio, 189. Montpensier, Duke of, 174.
Napier, George, 74.
Napoleon, King of Rome, 75,107, 123.
Orleans, Princes of, 31.
Papirius Prsetextatus, 142.
Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia,
63. Pope, Alexander, 188.
Porus, King, 105.
Fulcheria, Daughter of Mad. de Genlis,
129.
Quintus, Son of, 15.
Richard the Second, 95.
Russian Princess, 118.
Sabinus, Sons of, 48.
Sophia, Princess, 111.
Scipio Africanus, 15.
Scott, Sir Walter, 191, 192.
Sesostris, King of Egypt, 34.
Staunton, young George, 20.
Sydney, Sir Philip, 45, 184.
Thucydides, 168.
Turenne, 32.
William, Son of Henry the First, 27.
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