No More Learning

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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