M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-08-25
Never TOO OIdtoLenrn-

] OOCIdlGS, at an extreme Olu age,
learned to play on musical instru,
ments. This would look ridiculous
for some Of the rich old men of our
city, especially if they should take it
into their heads to thumb a guitar un-
der a lady's window, which Socrates
did not do, but only learned to play
upon some instrument of his time
not guital-ior tine purpose OF re-
slsting the wear and tear Of old age.
Cato, at eighty years ofage, thought
fproper to learn the Greek language. -
Many Of our young men al thirty OF
forty, have forgotten even the alpha.
oct ola language, the knowledge ol
which was necessary to enter college,
and which was a daily exercise
through college. A fine comment up.
on the love Of letters, truly
Plutarch, when between seventy
and eighty, commenced the study OF
Latin. Many Of our young lawyers
not thirty years Of age, think that
ai8j prjuS, Jierj .facia8, etc, are Eng
lish expressions, and il you tell them
tEat a knowledge of Latin would
make them appear a little more res.
pectable in their profession, they
would reply that they are too old to
think OF learning Latin.
Boccacio was thirty.fve years Of
age when he commenced his studies
in polite literature, yet lie became one
ofthe three masters Of the Tuscan dia-
lect, Dante and Petrarch being the 9th,
er two. There are many among us,
ten years younger than Boccacio, who
are dying ofennwj, and regret that
they were not educated to q taste for
literature, but now they are too old.
Sir Henry Spelman neglected the
sciences in his youth, but commenced
the studies Of theln when he was be-
tween fifty and sixty years of age
After this time he became the most
learned antiquarian and lawyer
Our young men begin to think of lay.
ing their seniors on the shelf when
they reach sixty years of age. How
different the present estimate put up.
on experience from that which char
acterizod certain period of the Gre
elan repubt' t'S 20. ~ .ssslnan was not al
lowed to open his mouth, in cases OF
political meetings, who was under for
ty years!
DR.. Johnston applied himself to the
Dutch language but few years be.
fore his death. Most ofour merchants
and lawyers, of twenty, thirty and for.
ty years of age, are obliged to apply
to teacher to translate a business
letter written in the French language
which, ought to be learned in a tenth
part of the time required for the study
of the Dutch; and all because they are
too old to learn.
Ludovico Monaldesco, at the great
age OF one hundred and fifteen, wrote
the memoirs Of his own times; singu-
lar exertion, noticed by Voitaire, who
was himself one of the most remarka-
BILE instances Of the progress OF age In
new studies.
AccOrso, great lawyer being ask
ed why he began the study Of law so
late, answered, that indeed, he began
it late, bnt that he should therefore
steritthe sooner. This agrees with
our theory, that healthy old age gives
a man the power of accomplishing
difficult study in much less time than
would be necessary to one Of half his
years.
Colbert, the fAaoas French Minis
ter, at sixty years Of age returned to
his Latin ami law studies. How many
Of our college learned men have ever
looked into their classics sin CO their
graduation.
We could 60 on and cite thousands
Of examples Of men who commenced
a new study, and struck out into an
entirely new pursuit, either for a
livelihood or amusement, at All ad-
vanced age. But every one familiar
with the biography OF distinguished
men, will recollect individual cases
enough to convince him that none bu
the rich aud indolent will say, / am
too old to learn.