The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-01-19


1t speaks greatly for the good disposition and .
good sense of his present Majesty, that from
tire moment he assembled the throne he acted |
in manner that endeared him to the people |
The last Revolution of France had not then |
occurred nor was it foreseen, consequently, !
Wniiam the Fourth did not adopt the manners
which Inspire the people with that enthusiastic !
devotion TO their Monarch which would make |
them the most effective guards of the Crown (
of Englnnd, from any thing but the just and
generous impulses of his own heart. Other (
K ings may find il eTpedicnt TO assume popular
ty of manners with the King OF Great Bril-
tain il is spontaneous and original virtue
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BLIND.
We read of sculptor who became blind
at 20 years of age, and yet ten years after
wards made n statue of Pope Urban VII in
clay, and another of Cosino II Of Florence,
of marble. Another blind sculptor is men,
toned by Roger de Piles, in one of his
works on painting: he executed a marble
statue of Charles | with great taste and
accuracy. Nor ought we to be surprised
at this dexterity, if we may believe what is
told US of a young French lady, who lost her
sight in the second year, and of whose mar
vellous accomplishments we have an account
in the Annual Register for 1862. This la |
dy is said, Notwithstanding her blindness, !
to have been an excellent player at cards,
a ready and elegant writer, and even to
have been able to read written characters.
On sitting down to play at cards, she first
went over the pack, marking every one of
the fifty-two cards by so slight an indention
as scarcely to be perceptble to any one else
on the closest inspection, but which, never
theless, she herself, by the delicacy of her
touch, Instantly recognized. She then pro-
eeeded without difficulty, only requiring, of
course, that every card should be named as
it was played. In writing she used a sharp
and hard pointed pencil, which marked the
paper go as to enable her 10 read what she
had written with her finger ends. All this,
it must be confessed, seems very like Gc-
ton; but it is, perhaps, scarcely so wonder
full as what is told of an English lady, WHO
was examined by several eminent physi-
cians and among others by Sir Hans Sloane.
She had been deprived, by disease, not only
of her sight but Of her powers of speech and
hearing, so that there remained only the
organs of touch, taste, and smell, by which
she could hold communion with others.
Deaf, dumb, and blind, us she was, howev-
err, she vet IN the course Of time learned to
; converse with her friends by means of an
alphabet made by their hands or fingers
pressed in different ways upon hers. She
very Soo-sneGuired the power ofwriting with
great neatness and exactness, and used TO
sit up in bed, we are told, at any hour of
the night, either to write or to work, when
, she felt herself indisposed to sleep. We
shall feel what an invaluable possession the
| knowledge of writing must have been to
., irGi nj 1Irba af
first being reduced to the state of deplora-
, BILE helplessness which she afterwards found
; admitted of 80 many alleviations, nothing
but the power she still retained of scrawl-
ing n few words, which yet she could not
discern. could have enabled her at all tc
o communicate her wishes OF feelings to those
V around her. But for this power it would
g seem that she must have been for ever shu
t out from even the most imperfect intercourse
= with her species; for it was through it alone
:. that she could intimate to them the mean
:, ing she wished to be assigned to each o
4 the different palpable signs which consti
II tuted her alphabet. With this instrumen
. of communication, the arrangement would
Il he easily effected; it would otherwise hav,
Is been impracticable. We have abundan
q reason to set high value on the ar: o
a To us it is the most useful of all the arts
Y to her it was the means of restoration t
n life from state of exclusion almost az com
he plete as that of the grave.
But perhaps the most singular instanc
d on record of blind person triumphing owe
"a those difficulties of his situation, which ar
ID apparently most insuperable, is afforded
sc John Metcalf, or as he was commonly cal
/ ..l- all har tn
ne who died only few years ago. This PEI
n, son is native Of Manchester or the neigh
ne horhood. After telling US that he BEGAN
us blind at very early age, so as to be Ell
= trely ignorant Of flight and its various e
o or fects, the narrative proceeds as follows
"This man passed the younger part of h
10 life as a wagner, and occasionally as
&c guide in intricate roads during the night,
as wken the tracks were covered with sno'
Strange as this may appear to those wi
he can see, tho employment he has since u
he dertaken is still more extraordinary it
ne one of the last to which we could suppose
X blind man would ever turn his attentC
~ His present occupation is that of project
", w. and surveyor Of highways in difficult a
ne mountainous parts. With the assstan
N. only of long staff, Ihave several times n
IN tnlS man LTdVeTSlnS Ine TOauS, uSceHul
Us, precipices, exploring valies, and investig
for ing their several extents, forms, and situ
le' tons, so as to answer his designs in t
la best manner. The plan which he desigI
gn and the estimates he makes, are done in
hne method peculiar to himself, and which
,m' cannot we'll convey the meaning to othe
no. His abilities in this respect are nevertl
i've less so great, that he finds constant emplC
at ment Most Of the roads over the Peak
lies Derbyshire have been altered by his dire
on tons, particularly those in the vicinity
ow, Buxton; and he is at this time construct
new one betwixt Winslow ard Conglet
, as with view to open communication TO
yer, great London road, without being oblig
M, M to pass over the mountains" Mr.. Dew Il,
e es in note, "Since this paper was writ
nm. and had the honor of being delivered to
loss society, have met this blind protector
ned. the roads, who was alone as usual; anon
the other conversation l made some inquil
, be concerning this new road. 1t was re;
for astonishing TO hear with what accuracy
'n'y described the course and the nature of