Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-04-10
Your obedient servant.
ANDREW JACKSON.
.Nessrs. Ramsay g. Crawford.
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INessrs. Ramsay 8. Crawford.
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From Uheaton's Travels in England.
PROFESSOR LEE, OF CAMBRIDGE.-One OF the
most extraordinary men of the age is Professor
Lee; whose history presents singular instance
of the triumph of Native talent and perseverng
industry over obstacles, which would have re-
pressed spirit less ardent than his. He was
brought up to the trade of a carpenter; and III
that humble station by his own unaided exertions,
he not ONLY became master of the classical lam
guages of antiquity. but acquired respectable
knowledge Of the Hebrew. and other oriental
tongues The first patron he found was a vii
lage schoomaster, by whose interest he was pro-
noted to a station in the same humble employ
, more extensively known, he was sent to the
University. where his progress in the languages
! fully justified the choice, which made him an OBJ
iect Of noble patronage. Such at least was the
account given me of the first oriental scholar of
the age On finishing his collegiate course, it
was deemed an object of So much Importance to
secure the benefit of his talents to the university
that an act passed the Senate and obtained the
the royal imprimatur, appointing him professor of
Oriental literature before he of the statutable
age. He is said to be master of sixteen different
languages; and if his knowledge is less exten-
sive than that Of the late Sir William Jones, it
has the advantage Of being more accurate and
thorough. It's incredible what an amount of la
Dor he contrives to accomplish. Besides super
intending the studies of twenty pupils in the orr
entail languages, to whom he lectures every dav,
he cOrrects the press Of the Bible Society in their
editions of the Scriptures in the languages of the
East-a herculean labor, demanding an accurate
and critical knowledge of those tongues All
the tracts pamphlets, and controversial writings,
intended for the Arabs, Persians, &c. pass un-
der his revision; and his pen has just been EN-
ployed in composing reply to the Persian Doc
tors, in the controversy begun BY Henry Martyn.
This, he said, had proved to him work OF great
difficulty; for in Persian Theology there was
vast number of technical terms, not to be found
in the leXicons, whose meaning must be sought
by inspecting and comparing a great variety of
passages in which they occur.
My first introduction to Professor Lee was by
Mr.. Franks; who called with me at his rooms:
and was also provided with letters to him from
hia friends in London. My imagination had pic
tured to ME man, grave, distracted, medita-
tive, difficult perhaps of access, and impatient of
having his cogitations interrupted; but nothing
could be father from the reality. He received
me with cordality which could have expected
only from an old acquaintance; and began to
turn over the proof sheets on his table to show me
what he was about. Here lay pages of Hebrew.
Arabic, Syriac, Persian, Hindostanee, Orissee,
and l know not what, in great confusion, with
scraps of paper inscribed all over with mysteri-
Gus characters of Oriental lore. Having tum-
bled over the chaotic mass on the table. he
handed down from the shelves of his library
variety OF volumes and manuscripts; and in the
space of a minute had put into my hands Mar
tyn's New Testament in Hindostanee, the Scrip
lures IN Chinese, copies of the Bible printed in
Calcutta, In Serampore, in ST Petersburrh.
with variety of Polyglots of the scriptures and
OF the Book OF Common prayer. In short, found
myself in company with one of the most active and
enthusiastic spirits of the age. lie showed us
some proof sheets of Martyrs controversy with
the Persian Moolahs, which he has translated
INTO English, and is now publishing. The Per-
sian doctors he observed had more to say for
themselves than was generally imagined they
had MADE the most OF their cause, and only had
the misfortune to be on the wrong side. 1t is
needless to say, that in conyersing on his favor
lite subjects. he displays those rare gifts which
he is Known to possess. His mind annears tn
grasp the whole of its subject in an instant, and
to pursue ii with a rare combination of iudp-
ment and enthusiasm. 1t is the property Of
such minds to break down obstacles or lean
over them in the pursuit of their Objects
At another visit. found this walking Polyglot
playing Scotch reels on a flute. He had Just got
a book Of them and was playing It through
With all his vast biblical learning, and severe
attention to study, he is one of the most cheer.
ful men living, and has placidity and evenness
of temper which nothing can disturb