Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1833-1844, 1839-09-07

health, and showed no fondness for learning,
unless il were in little desultory reading, un-
Eiil he took up his residence IN Switzerland.
There, without a teacher, and Without any
peculiar advantages, he commenced bis real
education. 10 form q correct and concise
style, he passed weeks Ia lFanslnting the works
Of Tacitns into English, 3 teconverting them
Latin, in the vain but useful attempt Of slris
wing 10 equal his Roman model in the ehasle-
ness Of his dicti0n and conciseness Of express
son--lo discipline his mind aud al ihe same
lime cultivate bis Imagination, he read aud
re-read the works Of Homer. No design was
too laborious 10 attempt, and scarce moment
useless enough TO be lost. What was the eff
feet Of this course7 The man who, as q boy,
was considered almost Ounce, IN about two
| years, took bis stand among the fret IN tho
host Of English literati.
We have all, probably, been surprised at the
power of Sect in describing scenery. How
did he obtain this power? Was il BY trusting
his own natural genius II is known that he
seldom attempted TO describe situations that
he had not seen, and his historian declares
that, not contented with noticing the general
outlines Of the place, he would examine il
with his notebook in his hand, and note even
the wild flowers that grew by his path. II
was by cntivating this habit Of close and mis-
mute observation, chat the "Wizzard of the
North" was able to multiply his scenes With
out sameness. We have dwelt thus long up
on this error in supposIDg genius sufficient, Of
itself, without the aid Of education, because
it is mischevous error. A belief in It not
only strikes severe blow at the cause Of ed
ucation, but Injuries many young persons Of
real talent. II is the fault OF strong imagina-
lions 10 be impatient Of delay; to be dazzled
by the brilliancy Of their own conceptions -.
they trust to their own powers, and despise
the caution which would lead them to cults
vate before they looked for a harvest; but
when disappointment has thrown her dark
pail ovel their brightest hopes, and their fair
est visions take the ashy paleness Of the
grave, then an end, like that of Chatterton,
proves the keenness Of the stings Of despair.
Sometimes their disappointment brings with
il the listlessness Of imbeciity,
"Audlke flame unfsd which runs to waste
! With its own Pickering, or a sword laid by
Which eats into itself and rusts inglorlousy,"
they are lost to the world and often too, the
wrelched garrett, the maniac's cell, or the SUI
lCIUCS RtubCs uufS OOuNIutCA AtSltbo " nlObs
properly tiimmed, would have burned lone
and brightly. Why. thl.ea3., would you cease
% cultivate soil because it was Iish? An
intellectual giant can never say that he has
reached the highest atf6inable point; and e.
ven Newton, after discoveries that none
have equalled, compared the labors of his life
by sschild gathering shells upon the shore
while the grand ocean Of truth lay undiscov.
cred before him." II is q mistake 10 suppose
that genius is q gift so seldom bestowed. Cen
Jus, in its highest Developments, belongs, il
is admitted, to few, yet, at certain times, we
see many men of genius arise, at others none
This can be accounted for in no way but by
supposing that certain stimulants 10 exertiOr
operate al one time which did not at another
so the scarcity of great names does not prove
the rareness Of the gift, but substanliates the
fact that exertion is requisite to polish the
diamond, or half its beauties will remain un'
known.
+ From wdal has been said, while speaking
Of the necessity of education, it is evident thai
+ adversely is not successful barrier against
the attempts of genius. The rude blasts o.
autumn may wither the fragile flower, but Il
the oak il is a friend, il warns it TO take still
deeper root, dislobes il of its useless leaves
and prepares il 10 put forth foliage still more
abundant and beautiful We know that .
beautiful poet of the past century has com
meneed one of his poems with the exclama
T ton,
"Ahl who can tell how hard il is to climb
The steep where Fame's proud temple shines ATARI
Ali. who cen tell how many soul sublime
Has felt the influence Of malignant star,
And waged with fortune eternal war;
Checked by the SCOT Of pride, by enyyss flown,
And poYertys unconquerable bar,
In life's low vale remote has pinned alone,
Then dropt into the grave unpitied & unknown"
Although the early graves Of Collins,
Keats. and Kirk White, viii forever stan
as monuments of the neglect Of a. misiudgin
world, yet the conserving records of the ras
proclaim that genius in lis upward flight can
not be hnmbled By scorn or stopped by oppo
sitiOn. Its greatest enemy is idleness, this
the ioalhsome worm that spos the faires
buds of promise.
In our own country, every thing is favoIa
Bile; the spirit Of our constitution insures sue
cess and il ever inspiration was drawn fror
natures then TO look at our majestic river
| that span a hemisphere; our mountain
graceful in their oGsiine; our lakes, deep 4
the unistnonlsd sea, yet clear as The noun
tain spIiEg; our cataracis, speaking in eteI
4