The native American., 1839-01-05
A LEARNED BLACKSMITH.


A LEARNED BLACKSMITH.
AT recent meeting of the friends Of Education
in Bristol county. held at Taunton among others
Mr.. Webster and Governor Everett addressed the
meeting subsequently to the able address of Mr.
Mann. Governor Everett introduced into his
speech an extract of most interesting letter from
a "Lenned Blacksmith" illustrating the truth
which he repeats, that euery man MAY find leisure
for reading and study. We think our readers will
peruse with interest the following extract from the
Governors speech:
1t is great mistake to suppose that it is ne
cessary to be professional man in order to have
leisure to indulge taste for reading Far other
wise. | believe the machanic, engineer, the hus-
bandman, the trader have quite as much leisure as
the average men in the learned profession. l
Know some men ousiiy engaged in these different
cangs of active life, whose minds are well
stored with various useful knowledge acquired
from books. There could be more such men, il
education in our common schools were, it well
might be, of higher order; and if Common
School Libraries well furnished, were introduced
into every district, as trust in due time thev will
be. 1t is surprising, sir, how much may be effect
ed even under the most unfavorable circumstan-
ceS for the improvement Of the mind by person
resolutely bent on acquisition of knowledge. A
letter has lately been put into my hands, bearing
date the 9th September, SO interesting in itself,
and SO strongly illustrative of this point that will
read portion of it; though it was written am
sure without the least view to publicity.
was the youngest (says the writer,) of many
brethren, and my parents were poor. My means
of education were limited to the advantages of
district school, and those again were crcumscribed
by my fathers death, which deprived me at the
age Of fifteen of those scanty opportunities, which
I had previously enjoyed. A few months after
his decease, Iapprenticed myself 10 blacksmith
in my native village. Thither carried an indo-
mitable taste for reading, which lad previously
acquired through the medium Of the society Ii
brary-a the historical works in which, had at
that time perused. AT the expiration of little
more than half my apprenticeship, suddenly con-
ceived the idea Of studying Latin. Through the
assistance of an elder brother, who had himself
obtained collegiate education by his own exer-
tions. | completed my Virgil during the evenings
ofone winter. After some time devoted to Cicero,
and few other Latin authors, commenced the
Greek at this time it was necessary that should
devote every hour Of daylight, and a part of the
evening, to do the duties Of my apprenticeship
Still carried my Greek grammar in my hat, often
found moment when was heating some large
iron, when could place my book open before me
with tupto tupteis, tuptei, and unperceived by my
fellow apprentices and to my confusion of face,
with the detrimental effect to the charge in my
fire. At evening sat down unassisted, to the
Iliad of Homer, twenty books of which measured
my progress in that language during the evenings
of another winter. | next turned to the modern
languages, and was much gratifed to learn that my
knowledge of Latin furnished me with a key to
the literature of most of the languages of Europe
This circumstance gave new impulse to the de-
sire of acquainting myself with the philosophy
derivation and affinity of the different European
tongues. | could not be reconciled to limit my
self IN these Investigations to foS" hour. ntor the
arduous labors of the day. therefore laid down
nv hammer and went to New Haven, where re-
cited to native teachers in French, Spanish, Ger
man, and Italian. returned at the expiration of
two years to the forge, bringing with me such
books in those languages as could procure
When had read these books through, | commenc-
ed the Hebrew, with an awakened desire OF eXa-
mining another field and by assiduous applica-
ton, was enabled in few weeks to read this Ian
guage with such facility that allotted it to my
self as task to read two chapters in the Hebrew
Bible, before breakfast each morning; this and an
hour at noon being all the time that could devote
to myself during the day. After becoming some
what familiar with this language, looked around
ne for the means Of initiating myself in the fields
of oriental literature and to my deep regret and
concern | found my progress in this direction
hedged in by the want of requisite books. be-
gan immediately to devise means of obriatng this
obstacle; and after many plans, concluded to
seek place sailor on board some ship bound
to Europe, thinking in thisway to have opportu-
mites of collecting at different ports such works
IN the modern and oriental languages as found
necessary Tor this object. left the forge at nv
native place to carry this plan into execution
travelled on foot 10 Boston, distance of more
than hundred miles, to find some vessel bound
to Europe. In this was disappointed, and while
revolving in my mind what steps next to take, |
accidentally heard of the American Antiquarian
Society IN Worcester Immediately bent my
steps towards this place visited the hall of the
A. A. s., and found there, tomy infinite gratifca-