Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-09
From The .hsx. I.o,;. Lci,u .at,strtiscr.

genius That have faiten Wltbin OUT Know
ledge, we mcoIl.ct none more extrsorciDN
~ than the following, which is tsken from
a very interesting article in the Quarterly
Review for September, 1918, on a late pub
LEGATION, entitled" Memoirs iiafranve
ofAe life exd Writing, Of John Evely1."
&c. The person whose life and character
are narrated in this work, was bern early
in the i7th century. and died in the begin.
ming Of the 18th, at the great age Of 81. Hi
was man of learning and talents, and Of
most excellent Misunderstanding exhibi:
ted through the whole extent Of long life,
and IN periods Of great political commissions
and revolutions in the government Of his
own country, almost all the virtues that a:
dorm human nature. This account of his
little sons life, talents. piety, and dealh
are from his own hand; and though some
deduction may be made on the score Of "a
rental affection, yet the facts stated in it
will show, that be must have been child
ofwonderful genius and attainments.]
~l758, 9th Jan. After six fits Of an
ague, died my son Richard, 5years and 5
days old only. but at that tender age pro.
dizzy for wit and understanding for beauty
of body very angel; for endowment Of
mind, Of incredible and rare hopes. To
give only little taste Of someof them, and
thereby glory to God, at 2 years and half
old be could perfectly read any of the Eng
lish, Latin, French or Gothic letters, pro-
houncing the three first languages exact
". He had before the 9Th year. or in that
year, not only skill to read most written
hands, but to decline all the nouns, conju-
gate the verbs regular, and most of the IT.
regular: learn'd out Pasriks, got by heart
almost the entire vocabulary of Latin and
French primiiives and words, could make
congrous syntax, turn English into Latin,
and v,ee versa, construe and prove what he
read, and aid the government and use of
relatives, verbs, substanfives, ellipses, and
many figures and tropes, and made consi-
derable progress in Cemonias's Jdnua be.
gan himself 10 write lsgibly, and had a
strong passion for Greek. The number Of
verses be could recite was prodigious, and
what be remembered Of the parts Of plays,
which he would also act and when seeing
PlaStu, in ones hand he asked VIII. book
it was, and being told it was comedy, and
too difficult Tor him, he wept for Sorrow
Strange was his apt and ingenious appIica.
cation offables and morals, for be badnad
.Esop: he hadu wonderful disposition to
mathematics, having by heart divers pro-
positions of Euclid that were read to him in
play; and he would make lines and de-
monstrate them. As to his piety, astonish-
ing were his applications Of scripture upon
occasions, and bis sense Of God he had
learned all his catechism early, and under
stood the historical part of the bible and
New Testament to a wonder, how Christ
came to redeem mankind, and how, COM
pretending these necessaries himself, Lis
god-fathers were discharged of their pro-
mise. These and the like Examinations, far
exceeding his age and experience, consi-
dering the pretliness of bis address and be.
havlor, cannot but leave impressions in me
at the memory of him. When one told him
how many days quaker had tasted, he re-
piled that was no wonder, for God had said
man should not live by bread alone, but by
the word Of God. He would ofhimself Sc
lect the most pathetic psalms, and chapters
out ofJob, TO read to bis maid during sick
ness. telling her when she pitied him, that
all Gods children must suffer affection. He
acclaimed against the vanities of the world
before he had seen any. Often he would
desire those who came to see him 10 pray
by him, and a year before he fell sick, to
kneel and pray with him alone in some cor
ner. How thankfully would be receive ad-
monition how soon be recouciled! how in
different, yet continually cheerful! He
would give grave advice to his brother John,
bear with bis impertineucies, and say be
was but a child. Ifhe heard of or saw any
new thing, be was unquiet till be was told
how il was made be brought to us all such
difficulties as he found in books to be ex-
pounded. He had learned BY heart divers
sentences in latin and greek; which on oc-
casion be would produce even to wonder.
He was all life, all prettiness, far from mo-