Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

ALEXANDER the Great, being recovered of a wound he had received, made a great feast for his friends; amongst whom was Coragus, a Macedonian, a man of great strength, and renowned for his valour; who, being heated with wine, challenged Dioxippus the Athenian, a wrestler, and who had been crowned for many victories. It was accepted, and the king himself ap pointed the day. Many thousands were met; and the two champions came to the place; Alexander himself, and the Macedonians, with their countryman; and the Grecians, with their Dioxippus, naked, and armed only with a club. Coragus, armed at all points, being at some distance from his enemy, threw a javelin at him; which the other nimbly declined: then he sought to wound him with a long spear; which the other broke in pieces with his club: hereupon he drew his sword; but his nimble and strong adversary leaped upon him, threw him to the ground, set his foot upon his neck, advanced his club, and looked on the spectators as inquiring if he should strike; when Alexander commanded to spare him so the day ended with great glory to Dioxippus. But the king departed, and from that day forward his mind was alienated from the victor: he fell also into the envy of the court, and all the Macedonians; who at a feast privily put a gold cup under his seat, made a feigned and public inquiry after it, and then pretended to find it with him; a concourse was about him, and the man, afflicted with shame, departed. When he came to his inn, he sent a letter to Alexander by his friends; wherein he related his innocence, and showed the envious villany that had been used to him and that done, he slew himself. Alexander, upon notice of it, lamented him dead, whom he himself, as well as others, had envied while alive.

:

WHEN Richard the First and Philip of France, were fellow-soldiers together in the siege of Acon in the Holy land, and Richard had approved himself to be the more valiant man, insomuch that all men's eyes were fixed upon him, it so galled the heart of King Philip, that he was scarcely able to bear the glory of Richard, but cavilled at all his proceedings, and fell at

length to open defiance; nor could he contain any longer; but out of very envy, hasting home, he invaded his territories, and proclaimed open war.

WHEN Aristides, so remarkable for his inviolable attachment to justice, was tried by the people at Athens, and condemned to banishment, a peasant, who was unacquainted with the person of Aristides, applied to him to vote against Aristides. "Has he done you any wrong," said Aristides, "that you are for punishing him in this manner?" "No," replied the countryman: I don't even know him; but I am tired and angry with hearing every one call him the Just.”

LIVES OF CELREBATED CHILDREN.NO III. PORTER BRINSMADE.

THE following interesting sketch was prepared by Mrs. Sigourney, for the March number of the Juvenile Miscellany. It is not often that the character and habits of an infant whose existence is comprised in a circle of less than two and a half years, furnish materials for the biographer. Yet we are persuaded that our readers will be interested in the statement here presented to them, 66 on the truth of which," says Mrs. Sigourney," they may implicitly rely."

Porter Brinsmade was born at Hartford, Conn. Feb. 28, 1827. His mother was impressed with the belief that the mind is susceptible of culture at an earlier period than is generally imagined. Thus at an age when infants are generally considered but little more than pleasing objects to the eye, or toys for a leisure hour, he was the subject of instruction and discipline. From the age of four months, his attention was directed at fitting intervals to surrounding objects, until the names of the articles of furniture, of his own dress, and parts of his body had become familiar. At ten months he commenced learning the alphabet, by the aid of small blocks of wood on which each letter was separately marked. This task was soon completed. Not that he was able at this infantine period to utter the correspondent sound; but when a letter was inquired for, he would produce it without mistake; and

if one was placed in an inverted position by any other hand, would immediately restore it to its proper attitude. By the assistance of prints, pasted on cards, he was next taught the names of animals and birds, and a comprehensive system of natural history was judiciously unfolded to his view. He was encouraged to make himself completely master of one print, ere he was permitted to take another. Thus a basis was laid for habits of application, and the idle curiosity restrained, with which children are wont to wander from picture to picture. His parents, in showing him a landscape, of historical painting, enabled him to regard every object, however minute, with an accurate eye; and so retentive was his memory that what had been thoroughly impressed, he seldom forgot. There were few toys from which he derived satisfaction, but seemed to find pictures and books with the explanations with which they elicited, his principal delight. His careful treatment of the books was remarkable, and a little circumstance which occurred when he was quite young, undoubtedly contributed to produce it. He had torn the paper cover of a small volume. His mother remarked upon it with a serious countenance, and the members of the family, as they entered, mentioned what had been done in a tone of sadness.-Presently his lip quivered, and the tear glistened in his eye. The lesson had been sufficiently strong, and it was necessary to comfort him. Afterwards expensive volumes were fearlessly submitted to him, and the most splendid English annuals sustained no injury from his repeated examinations.

Geography, as exhibited on maps, became a favorite study, and ere he had numbered his second birthday, I saw him, with surprise and admiration, point out upon an atlas, seas, rivers, lakes and countries, without hesitation or error.

A short time after, I found that he had made acquaintance with the rudiments of Geometry, and was continually increasing his knowledge of printed works, which, with their definitions and combinations, in simple words and phrases, were rapidly initiating him into his native language. It may possibly be imagined

that he was a mere book-worm, or might have been naturally deficient in animal spirits. On the contrary, nothing was taught him by compulsion, and no child could be more full of happiness. His sports, his rambles in the garden, and the demonstrations of infantile pleasure were sweet to him. His mother was his com panion, his play-mate and his instructress. Deeming her child's mind of more value than any other feminine pursuit or enjoyment, she devoted her time to its cultivation; and to her perseverance, and the entire concurrence of his father, in the intellectual system, devised for him, his uncommon attainments may be imputed, more than to any peculiar gift of nature. Still, I am not prepared to say that there was not something originally extraordinary in his capacity; at least I have never seen his docility, application and retentive power equalled in the early stages of existence. There seemed no undue prominence of one department of intellect, to the injury of another. Perception, understanding, and memory, advanced together, and seemed equally healthful.

It might possibly have been feared that the mind, by starting into such sudden expansion, would have left the heart at a distance; but the germs of gentleness and virtue kept pace with the growth of intellect. There was also preserved a fine and fortunate balance between the mind and body; for his physical education had been considered an important department of paternal care and responsibility. His erect form and expanded chest revealed the rudiments of a good constitution, while his fair brow, bright black eyes, and playful smile, bespoke the union of health, beauty, and cheerfulness, which never failed of attracting attention. There was less of light and boisterous mirth about him than is common to children of his age. His features expressed rather a mild and rational happiness, than any exuberance of joy. This might have arisen partly from the circumstance of his having no young companion to encourage wild or extravagant spirits; but principally that the pleasures of thought were so continually resorted to, as to modify and elevate the

countenance. His whole appearance was that of a healthful, happy and beautiful infant, in the possession of a degree of learning and intelligence, to which infancy has usually no pretension.

But it was forbidden us to witness the result of this interesting experiment upon mind; or to trace the full developement of a bud whose unfolding was so wonderful. An acute dysentery that prevailed in the neighbourhood, numbered him among its victims, and after a fortnight's painful languishing, he died on the 11th of August, 1829, at the age of two years and five months. I saw him after the breath had forsaken him. He was emaciated, but still lovely. Fresh roses and orange flowers were around his head, and on his bosom, and a bud clasped in his snowy hand. He seemed like one who had suffered, and fallen asleep, and there lingered a peaceful and patient spirit around his silent, wasted lip. His mother was seated by the side of her dead son, pale, but resigned. She had never been separated from him since his birth, and she wished to continue near him till the grave should claim its own. The parents were strengthened as true christians, to yield their only, their idolized one, to the will of his Father in heaven. And the anguish of their affliction was undoubtedly mitigated by the recollection that nothing in their power had been omitted to promote his improvement and heighten his felicity; and that his dwelling was now to be where knowledge is now no longer gained by slow and laborious effort; but where light is without cloud, and the pure soul freed from the fetters of clay.

This sketch, which was commenced for the entertainment of youthful readers, seems to bear a moral for parents. Did they always estimate the extent of their influence over the infants entrusted to their care, and bestow the same zealous attention on their intellectual and moral culture which they lavish on their phy. sical comfort, their importance in the scale of being would be sooner evident, and their capacity for wisdom and true happiness, earlier awakened and nourished. Especially, would mothers, to whose eye the fountains

« ПредишнаНапред »