The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-12-27
Years No ABaFfibfI TO knowledge o

Years NO ONBAffiefA 10 An0Wleage OF
.iIng woN oFamesy Hoa
Socrates, at an extreme age, learned TO-
play on musical Instruments. This would
look ridiculous for some of the rich old
lin our city, especially if they should
take it into their heads to thrum guitar
under ladys window, which Socrates
did not do, but only learned to play upon
someinstrumento ofhis time-not q guitar! :!
for tbe.purposeI ofresisting the wear and
tearOfold agesm aolln ,314u aaE.t5ai 90
Cato, at eighty years of age, thought
proper ,ato learn the Greek Language.
Many Of our young men, at thirty and
and forty, have forgotten even the alpha
bet Of language, the knowledge Of which
was necessary 70 enter college, and which
was made a. daily exercise through col
lege. A fine comment upon their love Of
letters, trulyA0 asa qaAg a'u1Iua4gs
Plutarchj when between seventy and
eighty, commenced the study of Latin.
Many .ofaour young lawyers not thirty
years of age think that MIST prius, scire
acies, &c-,Sare English expressions o and
if you tell them that a knowledge of Latin
would make them appear "a ittled more
respectable in their profession, they will
reply that they. are too old to think of
learning Latin. o,,., ,o-,,. ...,....-..,,.
Boecaceio was thirty-fve years of age
when he commenced his studies in polite
literature. Yet he became one of the
three great masters Of the Tuscan dialect,
Dante and Petrarch being the other two.
There are many among US ten years
younger than Baocaccio, who are dying
Of ennui, and regret that they were not
educated to taste of literature; but now
they ore too old. -aoar 81 ~
Sir Henry spelman neglected the
sciences in his youth, but commenced the
study Of them when he was between fifty
and sixty years of age. After this time
he became a most learned antiquarian
lawyer. Our young men begin to think
of laying their seniors on the shelf whom
they have reached sixty years of age.
How different the present estimate put
upon experience from that which charac-
terized a certain period of the Grecian
Republic, when man was net allowed to
open his mouth in cauousses or political
meetings who was under forty years Of
age. ..."".r .na
Colbert, the famous French minister,
at sixty years of age returned to his
Latin and law studies How many of
our oollege-earnt men have ever looked
into their classics since their graduation?
Ludovioo, at the great age Of one
hundred and fifteen, wrote the memoirs
Of his own times. A single exertion,
noticed by Voltaire, who was himself one
of the most remarkable instances Of the
age in new studies. a.i ~.
0giiby, the translator Of Homer and
VirgiLwas unaoquainted with Latin and
Greek Till he was past fifty ,.H..
Franklin did not fully commence his
philosophical pursuits till he had reached
his iftieth year. How many among us of
thirty, forty and fifty, who read nothing
but newspapers, forthe want Of taste
for natural philosophy But they are too
old to learn. y" el. ii-.....
Accorso, great lawyer, being asked
why he began the study Of law so late,
answered that indeed he began it late,
but he should, therefore, master it the
sooner. This agrees with our theory,
that healthy old age gives man the
powerof accomplishing difficult study in
much less time than would be necessary
to one Of half his years
Dryden, in his sixty-eighth year,
commenced the translation of the 1liad;
and his most pleasing productions were
written in HE old age. .--.'
We could 60 on and cite thousand Of
examples of men who commenced new
study and struck out into an entirely new
pursuit, either for livelihood or amuse-
ment, at On advanced age, But every
one familiar with the biography Of
distinguished men will recollect individual
cases enough to convince him that none
but the sick and indolent will ever say, ]
am TN old study ---- - -..-----