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PRECOCITY OF GUIZOT.

KING EDWARD VI.

Though considerable talents and attainments have not always been associated with eminent stations, a goodly number of the great are to be found in the list of those who have been richly endowed by their Creator, and have diligently improved his gifts. The young King Edward VI. stands among the most prominent of these examples.

This amiable prince was born in 1537, at Hampton Court. His mother was Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII. At the early age of six years, he was committed to the care of Sir Anthony Cook, and other learned preceptors, who were intent on his improvement in spiritual knowledge, as well as in science and learning. The manner in which these gentlemen performed their duties, and in which the prince improved, may be ascertained from an account written by William Thomas, a learned man, who was afterwards clerk of the council. He says

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then composed. Curio, the Italian reformer, told his tutors, "that by their united prayers, counsels, and industry, they had formed a king of the highest, even divine hopes."

His ardent attachment and reverence to the Holy Scriptures are well known; and Foxe tells us that "he was not wanting in diligence to receive whatever his instructors would teach him. So that, in the midst of all his play and recreation, he would always keep the hours appointed to study, using the same with much attention, till time called him again from his book to pastime.

"In this, his study and keeping of his hours, he so profited, that Cranmer, beholding his towardness, his readiness in both tongues, in translating from Greek to Latin, from Latin to Greek again, in declaiming with his schoolfellows, without help of his teachers, and that extempore, wept for joy, declaring to Dr. Cox, his schoolmaster, that he would never have thought it to have been in the prince, except he had seen it himself."

PRECOCITY OF GUIZOT.

"If ye knew the towardness of that young prince, your hearts would melt to hear him named, and your stomach abhor the ma- He became acquainted with seven lice of them that would him ill. languages, and well understood loThe beautifulest creature that liv-gic and theology. eth under the sun, the wittiest, the most amiable, and the gentlest thing of all the world. Such a Guizot, the distinguished French capacity in learning the things statesman and historian, gave early taught him by his schoolmaster, promise of his great talents. He that it is a wonder to hearsay. is called by a French writer "a And, finally, he hath such a grace of posture, and gesture in gravity, when he comes into a presence, that it should seem he were already a father, and yet passes he not the age of ten years. A thing, undoubtedly, much rather to be seen than believed."

In his ninth year he wrote letters in Latin and French; and in the British Museum are themes and orations in Latin, which he

child who had no childhood." When only seven years of age, young Guizot was placed at the gymnasium of Geneva, and devoted his whole soul to study. His first and only playthings were books; and at the end of four years the scholar was able to read, in their respective languages, the works of Thucydides and Demosthenes, of Cicero and Tacitus, of Dante and Alfieri, of Schiller and Goethe, of Gibbon

and Shakspeare. His last two years at college were especially consecrated to historical and philosophical studies. Philosophy, in particular, had powerful attractions for the young man. His mind, endowed by nature with a remarkable degree of logical strength, was just the one to unfold and ripen in the little Genevan republic, which has presented something of the learned and inflexible physiognomy of its patron John Calvin.

ROBERT HALL.

seven folio volumes. His Essays to do Good are read with pleasure and profit even now. He lived to the age of sixty-five years.

His father, Dr. Increase Mather, was also a man of great industry and erudition for the age in which he lived, and but little behind the son in point of mental activity and usefulness. He is said to have spent sixteen hours a-day in his study; and his sermons and other publications were very numerous. In a volume entitled, Remarkables of the Life of Dr. Increase Mather, is a catalogue of no less than eightyfive of his publications, not including many learned and useful prefaces written for other books. He died in his eighty-fifth year, having been a preacher sixty-six years.

Rev. Robert Hall, when a boy about six years of age, was sent to a boarding-school, where he spent the week, coming home on Saturday and returning on Monday. When he went away on Monday morning he would take with him two or three books from his father's library, to QUEEN ELIZABETH'S MANUSCRIPTS. read at the intervals between In 1825, the son of Mr. Lemon, school-hours. The books he select-the keeper of the state-papers, dised were not those of mere amuse-covered, on examining some of the ment, but such as required deep and papers of the reign of Elizabeth, a serious thought. Before he was nine paper in the handwriting of the years old, he had read over and queen, and marked "The Third over again, with the deepest inter- Booke." Conceiving this to belong est, Edwards on the Affections Ed- to something of importance, he wards on the Will, and Butler's Ana-placed it carefully aside, and, by a logy.

diligent search, at length obtained the papers of four other books, THE DOCTORS MATHER, OF BOSTON. which proved to be an entire transDr. Cotton Mather, who died in lation of Boëthius de Consolatione Boston, in 1728, was a man of un- Philosophic. In Walpole's Royal equalled industry, vast learning, and Noble Authors, it is menand most disinterested benevolence. tioned that Queen Elizabeth had No person in America had at that translated this work; but no vestime so large a library, or had read tige of it was known to exist. so many books, or had retained so Nearly the whole of the work is in much of what they had read. It her majesty's own handwriting; was his custom to read fifteen chap- but there are parts evidently ters in the Bible every day. He written by her private secretary, wrote over his study-door, in capi- and by the secretary of state at the tal letters, 66 BE SHORT." In one time. All the difficult passages year he kept sixty fasts and twen- and all the poetical portions are in ty vigils, and published fourteen the queen's own hand, and it is not books. His publications amounted a little curious, that in the translain all to 382, some of them being of tion of the latter she had imitated huge dimensions. His Magnalia all the variety of metre which is was the largest; it consisted of found in the work. It is therefore

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a literal, rather than a poetical successful in embalming phrases translation. There are letters also full of meaning, in the popular discovered which identify this memory. The well-known talistranslation to have been made by manic sentiment, 'The schoolthe queen, and it is to be hoped master is abroad,' is an instance. that the public will yet be grati- In a speech on the elevation of fied with the publication of this Wellington, a mere 'military chiefliterary curiosity. From a docu- tain,' to the premiership, after the ment accompanying this transla- death of Canning, Brougham said, tion, it appears that her majesty' Field-marshal the Duke of Welcomposed the work at Windsor, lington may take the army-he during five weeks of the winter may take the navy-he may take season; and from a courtly computation made by the queen's secretary, we collect the information, that less than twenty-four hours of labour were actually bestowed upon this manuscript of many pages.

SHELLEY'S LIBRARY.

the great seal-he may take the mitre. I make him a present of them all. Let him come on with his whole force, sword in hand, against the constitution, and the English people will not only beat him back, but laugh at his assaults. In other times the country may Shelley's library was a very limi- have heard with dismay that the ted one. He used to say that a soldier was abroad.' It will not be good library consisted not of many so now. Let the soldier be abroad books, but a few chosen ones; and if he will; he can do nothing in this being asked what he considered age. There is another personage such, he said, "I'll give you my list abroad-a personage less imposing ---catalogue it can't be called: the-in the eyes of some, perhaps, inGreek Plays, Plato, Lord Bacon's significant. The schoolmaster is Works, Shakspeare, the Old Dra- abroad; and I trust to him, armed matists, Milton, Goethe, Schiller, with his primer, against the soldier Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, in full military array.' Machiavelli and Guicciardini,-not forgetting Calderon; and last, yet first, the Bible." It is not meant that this was all his collection. He had read few English works of the day; scarcely a novel except Walter Scott's, for whose genius he had sovereign respect; Anastasius, by which he thought Lord Byron profited in his Don Juan; and the Promissi Sposi. In speaking of Hope and Manzoni, he said, "that one good novel was enough for any man to write, and he thought both judicious in not risking their fame by a second attempt."

THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD.

A modern writer, in a sketch of Lord Brougham, gives the origin of this popular phrase:

"No orator of our times is more

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POSTSCRIPTS TO LADIES' LETTERS.

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George Selwyn once affirmed in company, that no woman ever wrote a letter without a postscript. My next letter shall refute you," said Lady G. Selwyn soon after received a letter from her ladyship, when, after her signature, stood "P. S. Who is right now, you or I?"

WILKINS AND THE DUCHESS'S VOYAGE

TO THE MOON.

Dr. John Wilkins, a man of uncommon parts and abilities, in the reign of Charles II., has been laughed at, together with his chimeras; but even these proclaim themselves the chimeras of a man of genius.

Such was his attempt to show the possibility of a voyage to the

OLD LONDON RECOLLECTIONS

HOGARTH'S " APPRENTICES." For the following genial and lively sketch, we are indebted to Mr. Thackeray's Lectures on the Eng

moon. In a conversation with the Duchess of Newcastle, her grace asked him, "Doctor, where am I to find a place for baiting at, in the way up to that planet?" "Madam," said he, "of all the people in the world, I never expected that ques-lish Humourists. Its relish will be tion from you, who have built so heightened to such readers as enmany castles in the air, that you joyed the privilege of hearing the might lie every night at one of author deliver the lecture of which your own." it forms a part.

LE CLERC.

Some person observed to this acute and profound scholar, "I think De mortuis nil nisi bonum' is a good saying.” “De mortuis nil nisi verum. "" said Le Clerc, "is a better." "Why so?" "Because truth can do no harm to the dead, and may do great good to the living."

BURKE AND LONSDALE'S NINEPINS.

The Earl of Lonsdale was so extensive a proprietor, and patron of boroughs, that he returned nine members every Parliament, who were facetiously called Lord Lonsdale's ninepins. One of the members thus designated, having made a very extravagant speech in the House of Commons, was answered by Mr. Burke, in a vein of the happiest sarcasm, which elicited from the house loud and continued cheers. Mr. Fox entering the house just as Mr. Burke was sitting down, inquired of Sheridan what the house was cheering. "O, nothing of consequence," replied Sheridan, "only Burke has knocked down one of Lord Lonsdale's ninepins."

LORD DERBY.

Lord Stanley (now Lord Derby), once alluded to Lord Brougham as "the noble lord who had just taken his seat;" but chancing to look round, and seeing the ex-chancellor jumping about like a cricket, begged pardon, and said he meant his noble friend who "never took his seat."

"Fair-haired Frank Goodchild smiles at his work, whilst naughty Tom Idle snores over his loom. Frank reads the edifying ballads of Whittington and the London 'Prentice. Whilst that reprobate Tom Idle prefers Moll Flanders, and drinks hugely of beer, Frank goes to church of a Sunday, and warbles hymns from the gallery; while Tom lies on a tomb-stone outside playing at halfpenny -underthe-hat, with street blackguards, and deservedly caned by the beadle. Frank is made overseer of the business, whilst Tom is sent to sea. Frank is taken into partnership, and marries his master's daughter, sends out broken victuals to the poor, and listens in his night-cap and gown with the lovely Mrs. Goodchild by his side, to the nuptial music of the city bands and the marrow-bones and cleavers ; whilst idle Tom, returned from sea, shudders in a garret lest the officers are coming to take him for picking pockets. The Worshipful Francis Goodchild, Esq., becomes Sheriff of London, and partakes of the most splendid dinners which money can purchase or alderman devour; whilst poor Tom is taken up in a night cellar, with that one-eyed and disreputable accomplice who first taught him to play chuck-farthing on a Sunday. What happens next? Tom is brought up before the justice of his country, in the person of Mr. Alderman Goodchild, who weeps as he recognizes his old brother 'prentice, as Tom's one-eyed friend

STERNE'S MAUDLIN SENSIBILITY.

peaches on him, as the clerk makes out the poor rogue's ticket for Newgate. Then the end comes. Tom goes to Tyburn in a cart with a coffin in it; whilst the Right Honourable Francis Goodchild, Lord Mayor of London, proceeds to his Mansion House, in his gilt coach, with four footmen and a swordbearer, whilst the companies of London march in the august procession, whilst the train-bands of the city fire their pieces and get drunk in his honour; and oh, crowning delight and glory of all, whilst his majesty the king looks out from his royal balcony, with his ribbon on his breast, and his queen and his star by his side, at the corner house of St. Paul's Church-yard, where the toy-shop is now.

"How the times have changed! The new Post-office now not disadvantageously occupies that spot where the scaffolding is on the picture, where the tipsy trainbandman is lurching against the post, with his wig over one eye, and the 'prentice-boy is trying to kiss the pretty girl in the gallery. Past away prentice-boy and pretty girl! Past away tipsy trainband-man with wig and bandolier! On the spot where Tom Idle (for whom I have an unaffected pity) made his exit from this wicked world, and where you see the hangman smoking his pipe, as he reclines on the gibbet, and views the hills of Harrow or Hampstead beyond--a splendid marble arch, a vast and modern city-clean, airy, painted drab, populous with nursery-maids and children, the abodes of wealth and comfort the elegant, the prosperous, the polite Tyburnia rises, the most respectable district in the habitable globe!

"In that last plate of the London Apprentices, in which the apotheosis of the Right Honourable Francis Goodchild is drawn, a ragged fellow is represented in the corner of the simple, kindly piece, offering

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for sale a broadside, purporting to contain an account of the appearance of the ghost of Tom Idle, executed at Tyburn. Could Tom's ghost have made its appearance in 1847, and not in 1747, what changes would have been remarked by that astonished escaped criminal! Over that road which the hangman used to travel constantly, and the Oxford stage twice a-week, go ten thousand carriages every day; over. yonder road, by which Dick Turpin fled to Windsor, and Squire Western journeyed into town, when he came to take up his quarters at the Hercules Pillars on the outskirts of London, what a rush of civilization and order flows now! What armies of gentlemen with umbrellas march to banks, and chambers, and counting-houses! What regiments of nursery-maids and pretty infantry: what peaceful processions of policemen, what light broughams and what gay carriages, what swarms of busy apprentices and artificers, riding on omnibus-roofs, pass daily and hourly! Tom Idle's times are quite changed; many of the institutions gone into disuse which were admired in his day. There's more pity and kindness, and a better chance for poor Tom's successors now than at that simpler period, when Fielding hanged him, and Hogarth drew him."

STERNE'S MAUDLIN SENSIBILITY.

"Sterne (says Mr. Thackeray) used to blubber perpetually in his study, and finding his tears infectious, and that they brought him a great popularity, he exercised the lucrative gift of weeping, he utilized it, and cried on every occasion. I own that I don't value or respect much the cheap dribble of those fountains. He fatigues me with his perpetual disquiet, and his uneasy appeals to my risible or sentimental faculties. He is always looking in my face, watching his effect,

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