The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-04-09

LONGEVITY or LITERARY MEN.-The
concluding lecture of the series of Smith
sonian lectures delivered by Dr. Wynne.
was confined to the effect ofleisure and lit.
erary employment upon the duration of
life. The lecturer drew his EXAMPLES -of. n
life of leisure chiefly from English records
which embrace Il class among the English
nobility who arc placed above the necessi.
'y for labor, and necessarily freed from rthe
ordinary stimnlan,s which in the usual
walks of life move men to exertion.- Until
the last few years tire members Of noble
families were supposed to be placed in cir.
cnmstances highly favorable to longevity,
but carefully coIlated facts, derived from
the most authentic Sources by Prof. Guy,
of Kings College, London showed that,
with II few rare exceptions. such as those of
Sir Ralph de Vernon. who is said to have
attained the age of one hundred and fiftv
years, and three Misses Lrgge, descendants
"f the Earl Of Dartmouth, two of whom
died at los and one a, III, the duration Of
life was les. among them in any other class
and lar telow those embraced in tile list of
friendly societies, male up entirely of the
working classes, OF the members of the
privileIg":l Glasses in England kings were
found to have the shortest length of life,
next peers of the realm,' tlicn cxpectants of
titles, aud highest on the list those noble
men whose grade Of title placed them near
est the mass oflhe whole population. From
This 1t would appear that labor formed an
essential rcq"isiein producing those condi
tions nec"ssaryto length Of DAYS, and
those who were pI"red above its contingent
ces were rather to be piticd and envied.
Among those were embraced ia the lit
erary class We're some who, like natural
philosophers, generally attained great length
OF days. ana Others as poets. in which the
duration Of life appeared to be short. Be-
tween these two classes were many grades
whose position in the scale was generally
defne'l by the absence or presence of the
imaginative faculties in the production Of
their works. AS a general rule the calm
and exalted studios OF that philosopher al
though 9Iten severe, were found to be long,
evity, while The Development of that i'm.
aginative by means of which the poet WAS
enabled to weave his conceptions into verse
&was found to abridge its duration.
In addition to tho effect produced by
different species Of literary labor upon their
prosecutors, there was no doubt that indi.
vidual pecnliarities had much to do with
inducing a favorable or unfavorable result.
arhis was especially the case with poets, who
we're as class men of.irregular lives. Til.
Instances of Burns, Cowprr, Beatiie and
Byron were cited as examples Of this posi-
ton, and many. Of their personal peculiari:
ties We're detailed showing them to have
lived either i'll a state of great excitemen.
or OF the deepest melancholy.
The series Of lecturesIjnst closed emb, ace
a vast fund Of valuable information upon an
important and hitherto neglected subject
and WAS listened to by the atidcnce with
great attention. They furnish substan.
tial contribution to SCIENCE. and manifest
the practical value Of the institution under
whoss auspices they have heen given to the
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