The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-04-05
MiSceIlany
Industrious Ounces.

An interesting chapter might be writ
ten on the subject of illustrlous ounces
dull BOYS, but brilliant men. We have
room, however, for only few instances.
Pietro de Cortono, the painter, was tho,t
so stupid that he was nicknamed "Ass,s
Head" When boy; and Tomaso Guidi
was generally known as ''heavy Tom,'
(Massaccio TomassaccioD though by dill
gence he afterwards raised himself to the
highest eminence. Newton when at school,
stood at the bottom of the lowermost form
but one The boy above Newton having
kicked him, the Ounce showed his pluck
bv challenging him to fight, and beating
him. Then he set to work with Will,
and determined also to vanqulsh his an
tagonist as a scholar, which he did, rising
to the top of his class. Many Of the great
est divines have been anything but preco-
cious. Isaac Barrow, when boy at the
Cbarterhouse school, was notorious chiefly
for his strong temper, pugnaclous habits,
AMI proverbial idleness as scholar; ana
he caused such grief to his parents that
his father used to say, that If l. pleased
God to take from him any of his children,
he hoped it might be Isaac, the least prom
isino of them all. Adam Clarke, when a
boy. was proclaimed by his father to be
ga rrievous Ounce - though he could roll
larCre stones about Dean Swift, one OF
the greatest writers of pure English, was
| "pIucked" at Dublin University, and only
obtained his recommendation to Oxford
.speciali gratia." The well known Dr.
| Chalmers and Dr. Cook were boys togeth-
| er at the parish school of st. Andrews
and they we're found so stupid and mis-
! chieyous, that the master, irritated beyond
| measure. dismissed them both as lncorrI-
| gible Ounces. ,.,
The brilliant Sheridan showed so little
capacity as a boy, that he was presented
to a tutor by his mother with the compii
| mentary accompaniment that he was
homeless Ounce. Walter Scott was all bu
a Ounce when a boy, and always much
readier for s'bicker," than apt with his
lessons. At the Edinburgh University
Prof Dalzell pronounced upon hum thu
sentence. that "Dunce he was, and Dunc'
he would remain" -Chatterten was re
turned on his mothers hands as .1ooi
of whom nothing could be made. Burn
was dull boy, good only at athletic ex
ercises. Goldsmith spoke of himself as
plaut that fowcred late. Aiterl lett col
Iaoe no wiser than he entered it, and dl'
not beoin the studies by which he dlstln
ouished himself until he had run owe
half Europe. Robert Give was a Ounce
if not reprobate, when youth; but a!
wavs full of energy, even in badness Hi
family, glad to get rid of him, shlppe
him off to Madras; and he lived to la
the foundations of the British power
India Napoleon and Wellington wer
both dull boys, not distinguishing then
selves in any way at school. Vi the To-
mer. the Duchess d'Abrantes says she NJ; ma
GOOD health, but was in other respects iik
otbcr bows John Howard, the phllaI
tbropist. was another illustrious dune
learning next to nothing during the seVe
wears he was at school Stephenson, as
youth. was distinguished chiefly for h
Skill at pulling and wrestling, and attel
tion to his work. The brilliant Sir Hun
phrev Davy was no cleverer than 9th
q bows; his teacher, Mr.. Davis Gilbert, sa
of him. "while he was with me, L cou
/. not distinguish the faculties by which
was so much distinguished. Indeed,
himself in after-life considered 1t fort
nate that he had been left to "enJoy
much idleness" at school. Watt was