Litchfield enquirer., 1849-12-27

EOnFf aS an' SuCOurdgemeut LO SuWuIhGe
 the utmost his already over,active brain t The pale and, expressive features anc
 manly actions of A delicate. boy like him 1 could net but awaken deep. interest ir
 his education. He was first entrusted to
 the care of worthy clergyman of the
 established church, the Rev. John Pin
 horne, master of the free grammar school
 at Southampton; of whose able atten- tion to his improvement the Doctor bears
 honorable testimony in an Latin ode in, scribed to him. It was written at the age of twenty. and published ameng his lyric poems. While he was yet lad, his sprightliness and wit and extrasrdi
 nary attainment in learning, attracted the attention of neighbouring gentlemen Dr.. Speed, physician of Southampton, proposed subscription for his educa- ton at one of the universities, but his sympathy with the suffering non: :coufor uaists would not allow him to avail him- self of the generous offer. :" I am resol- ved," said he. "to take my lot with the Dissenters."
 In the year 1890, at the age of sixteen. he was sent to London for academical education, under the Rev. Thomas Rowe, to whom also he has inscribed an ode among his Lyric Poems. His con- duct while at the academy was inoffen- sive, not only, but also such as to be con tinually presented by his tutor as mod el for others. Having spent four years at this institution, he returned home, and for two. years prosecuted that course of study which was deemed necessary for the sacred office. It was during this time that circumstance occurred which led to- the composition of his sacred Tyr ics. He attended worship in the same church with his father, Complaining one day of the untas teful character of the compositions employed in sacred praise, his father, knowing his poetical turn, suggested that he should try if he could do better. He did SO. Thus, one after another, considerable portion of his hymns were produced during these two years, though they were not published till some time after.
 From his fathers house he went tore side fir the family of Sir John Harteop, at Stoke Newington, to superintend the education of his son. Here he spent five years very agreeably aOd usefully; and by a revision of his elementary studies and extensive reading, laid the founda- ton for his subsequent eminenee. Du- ring this period he studied extensively the Scriptures in the original tongues, and on the day which completed the twenty fourth year of his age, he was chosen assistant to Dr. Isaac Chauncey, pastor of the Dissenting Chnrch in Berry Street, London: Upon Dr. Chasnoey's resignation in January, l7o2, MT. Watts was called to succeed him in the same church, of which the famous Dr. John Owen had formerly been pastor After much delay and modest difidence, he at length accepted the call on the Sth of March following.--the very day on which King William Ged,--a day regarded as very alarming to the dissenting interest.
 In l7o7 his Hymqs were first publish ed, and the copyright sold for only ten pounds. Their sale if they could have been retained. and the copy wright per petated, would probably have yielded more than twenty times that amount per annum. The copyright for Milton's " Paradise Lost" was sold for fifteen pounds. It would afford an interesting view of the benefacsiDns of genius to the world, if we could estimate the amount of what is deemed copyright compen- sation of all the copies of their works sold. A small copyright tax paid on each copy of Homer. of Virgil, of Para disc Lost, of the Pilgrims Progress, and Watts Pslams and Hymns. would exhib- it an immense accumulation. Yet these writers gave their works to the world. to be used at the bare expense of manufac. turing the books, and many of them will thus be given for thousands of years.
 In l7l2, MT. Watts was seized with a most alarming illness. This sickness so prostrated his nervous system that he never entirely recovered from it's effects. Yet it was the means of one of the most fortunate occurrences of his life. It was the means of introducing him to the ac- quaiutance of Sir Thomas Abney, Knight and Alderman, and, at that time, Lord Mayor of London. In this refined and opulent family. at Newington, he spent the remainder of his days, enjoying ey- cry comfort which the most abundant wealtb and liberal muniGcence and kind affections ocud supply. Here, for thir- ty.six years, his mature powers produ- ced and sent forth the greater portion of those works with which pr. Watts bles- sed his own and subsequent times.
 He went thither at the invitation of Sir Thomas. to make brief visit. The time of his study wus insensibly prolon-- ped, till the congeniality subsisting bsc tween the Doctor and this excellent nan bound him to the spot, and rendered hin, avor tha 0 0ariiis loci" of Ahnev