Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-09-25

Ire celebrated Italian writer. Cell, when hu!d
Jug the high dignity OF Consul of the Florentinc
ncaue'hy, still continued TO work at his original
| profession of a tailor
motaS'aSSIo was the son of common mechanic,
ana used when little boy, to sing his oxtempor.
"couS verses about the streets.
Inc latter OF Haydn, the great musical conpo.
Ser'Nwas wheelwrght, and filled also the humble
occupation oil sexton, while his mother was at
inc same time Il servant in the establishment of n
neIghboring nobleman
Inc iathcr of john Opie the great portrait ia int
o'' was woraing carpenter. in Cornwall. Opie
was raised from the bottom of Il pit, where he
was employed in cutting wood, to the Professor
snip OF Painting, in the Royal Academy
,r me parents OF Castalio, tho elegant Latin
, iranSiator OF the Bible, poor peasants, who
l'G yea among the mountains of Dauphiny
Dr' John Prdeaux, bishop of Worcester oh
famed ms education by walking on foot to Oxford
anu getting employment, in the first instance, as
assistant III the kitchen Of Exeter College.
The father of lingo Jones, The great architect,
was cloth-w orker; md no himself also was de-
signed originally for mechanical employ ment.
Or Edmund Saunders Grief Justice of the
hing's Bench, in the rogn of Charles H., was orr
g!raIiy an GRAND boy at the Inns of Court.
IdnnGus, the illustrous founder Of the science
OF Botany, was Tor some time, apprenticed TO
shoemaker.
The lannon's Ben Johnson worked for some time
as brick-layer mason, 'and let not them blush
says the historian Fuller that have but those that
ing OF the new structure of Lincon's inn when
having trowel Ill his hand, he had book in his
pocket
DIR. Isaac Maddox, who in the reign of GEORGE
H. became bishop, first of St. Asaph, and after
wards OF Worcester, and who wrote an able de-
fence OF the doctrine and DISCIPLINE of the Church
OF England, lost both his parents at an early age
and placed, in the FIRST instance Inv his friends
with pastry cook.
DR.. Isaac Miner, Dean of Carlisle who filed
the chair which Isaac Newton had occupied at
Cambridge, that of I.ncasIam Professor of Matte
ma,ics' was originally wcaver;-as was also his
brother Jnseph, the well known author of the
Church History.
vi The same trade, in his younger days, was DR..
Joseph White professor of Arabic at Oxford.
Thomas Simpson, very able English Mathc
matcian, professor of Mathematics at Woolwich
Academy, and fellow of the ROYAL Societv was
very Slight acquaintance with reaiing he was pa-
ced IN the shop wi..i his father Instead of giving
any encouragement to his sons fondness for read
ing, The father, after many reprimands, forbade
him even to open u book, and insisted upon his
combining himself to his loom for the whole day.
lie was finally banishcd from his fathers house
and compelled to seek his fortunes abroad. He
contrlvcd to maintain himself for a while, in a
nelghborng town, with poor widow, by working
at his trade, devoting his spare moments to his
tavorlte employment Of reading, whenever he could
borrow book. In his twenty fifth or twenty
SIKH year, lie went to London, without letter of
ms pocket except manuscript treatise Of his
on Ftur!O'is, moro valuable than any preceding
treatise on the subject in the language
The great Sir William Jones was a most aston |
ish'ng example OF application TO study, III spite
oil all difficulties. His maxim was never to ne
gIect any opportunity Of Improvement which pre-
sented itself 1t WAS fixed principle with him
never to neglect prosecuting to a successful ter
nInailon what ne hal deliberately undertaken.
William Hutton, author OF tho History OF Biz |
mnghaTn, Fellow of the Anti :uaGian Society, &c.
was Inc son at working woo!combcr at Derby. |
My poor mother says Hutton, 'more than once |
win one infant on her knee and few more |
hanging about her, have all fastcd a whole day;
ana when food arrived, she has suffered iIcm, with
a tear, to take her share From his seventh to
his fourteenth year he worked in a silk ml--and |
was then boInd as an apprentice to stocking |
weaver IN Nottingham.
James Ferguson, the celebrated writer on astron- |
only, is ore of the remarkable instances of
self education, which the literary world has seen.
His father in the humble condition 6f L day
la6orer.
At the age of seven or eight, young Ferguson
actually discovered two of tho most important clc-
nehtaTy truths i'll mcchancS-the lever, and the |
wheel and axle. He afterwards hit upon others, |
without teacher book, and with no tool but |
simple turning lathe, and little knife. While lie |
Was feeding lis flock, in the employment of a
lelghborIng farmer, nc used TO busy himself in |
making models of mills, spinning wheels &c. du
ing the day, and in Studying the stars at night.
Before his death, he was elected Fellow Of the
Royal Society; the usual fees Ecrg rcnt.cd, as
lad been done in the cases of Newton and Thorn
Is Simpson. George Ill, who, when 4 boy was
occasionally among the auditors of his public lnr
him pension of fifty pounds per unnum from the
prvy purse;
m II.H