The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-24
For the National Era.
F0RTUITIES OF GREATNESS.
BY L. A. HINE.

How complex and delicate is our mental organ
ization Where shall we find comparison that
will aid in conveying our meaning There is
nothing In the whole range Of art sufficiently
nice in its structure or sensitive to the touches Of
external influences to represent the nature of our
intellectual and moral mechanism. AS God is
infinitely above man, and as humanity is his mas
terpiece, 80 must the most perfect manifestations
of human genius be infinitely inferior, in sublimi
ty beauty and delicacy, othe constitution Of man.
The mind has been compared to an instrument
of many strings, susceptible to the slightest touch
or the faintest breath. But the Mozsrts, the
Haydns, and the Bethovens of music, strive in
vain to tell US of the delicacy Of that spiritual
harp of an hundred strings, which the Almighty
has strung with the fbres of the human brain
As an instrument Of music with many notes is Ca
| pable of many and most delightful harmonies,
when rightly attuned and skilfully played, SO the
multiplied notes or organs Of the mind, when
struck by proper influences from without, realize
our highest ideal of angelic music and as, on the
other hand, when q complicated instrument is dis
cordant and unskillfully played, the most fright
full chariudr is produced so an external cOmbina-
ton of evil influences produces on the mind a |
the discords of moral and intellectual madness
which are exhibited in the dark history Of human
life
! Reader, did you ever reflect on the extreme
delicacy of the thoughts feelings, emotions and
susceptibilities of human nature2 Did you ever
notice the nicely of that mental balance which is
essential to perfect existence How trihing
seems the circumstance that sometimes turns the
scale, and fills up life of misery, that should be
constantly overlooking with unbidden joy Often
we see a spirit or rather the Embodiment of the
invisible spirit, that in all respects ordan
ed for nobility and happiness, become the sourc
of keenest anguish and most startling deformity
. of moral life, by simple breathing of an unto
a ward breath. On the other hand we OCCASIONAL
see one that, apparently doomed to ruin in all it
! ruling loves, at once rise almost to an angel o
light and beauty by the influence of trifin
, circumstance.
1 Reader, If it would be interesting to you T.
study this subject glance with me into the history
Of Greatness, and note the examples | hav,
marked, of glory and immortality, completely won
I that once trembled with the weight Of breath
or was suspended with less than spiders web
, Perhaps we shall be impressed with some whole
. some philosophical truths by such review, anC
be better enabled to understand and assist in per
, fecting system of mental culture that will saw
multitudes from misery, and contribute much Il
the sum Of human goodness and happiness
L Darbana tha Efa IF ;11;apo ;a a.
BILE illustration of this point as can be found il
consequence Of its eventful character, in respec
to what is called sanity and insanity. In it W,
shall see how susceptible was his mind to cxter
nal influences. In it, too, we shall see on how
small point human greatness often hangs.
William Cowper was born in 1890 His IA
Their was John Cowper, second son Of Judge Cow
per, and Chaplain to George II. With this pa
rentage we might expect a strong and well-forti
fed mentality In the son; for his grandfathe,
must have possessed strong abilities to attain a
high position In the law, and certainly man OF
inferior power could not have obtained the office
| In the royal household which his father held
But the poet, in his youth, was constitutonally
shy and diffident. Familiarity with courtly hab
its and the manners Of high life, from the first
moment Of his existence, did not give him suff.
cient boldness to be himself and maintain his
identity among his fellows. The contention and
| hustle Of n Westminster education did not sub
due his tmidty in any degree, says his biogra-
pher; so that, though he obtained considerable
classical education, he said of himself, that he
was never able TO raise his eye above the shoe
buckles Of the elder boys, who tyrannizcd over
him. This popularity Of his character, which
finally proved 80 fatal to his happiness and men
tai equilibrium, was probably due to a similar de-
feet in the maternal mind, whose timidity un-
| doubtedly rendered his mother most unhappy In
maintaining her position in society. Doubtless
the annoyance that afflicted her through this de-
feot, Immediately previous to the birth Of the poet
stamped the same popularity on his embryonic
mind Thus we see how trivial circumstance
may produce the greatest consequences to hu.
| man being, even before his birth.
| From the Westminster seminary Cowper passed
| to the Inner Temple where he continued to the
age Of thirty-three. How he passed this most
important period of his life we are not Informed
II Is certain, however, that even with Lord Thur
| low for his preceptor, he made no proficiency In
the law very few slight pieces Of composition