Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-05-12

Cortona, the painter, was thought so stupid that
he was nicknamed "Ass's Head" when boy
and Thomas Guidi, was generally known as
heavy Tom," (Massoccia Tomasaccio,) though
by diligence he afterwards raised himself to the
highest eminence. Newton, when at school,
stood at the bottom of the lower-most form but
one. A pupil having kicked him, the Ounce
showed his pluck by challenging him to fight,
and beat him. Then he set to work with will,
and determined also to vanquish his antagonist
as scholar which he did, rising to the top Of
his class. Many Of our greatest divines have
been anything but precocious. Isaac Barrow,
when boy at the Charter school house, was
notorious chiefly for his strong temper, pugna-
cious habits, and proverbal idleness as schol
ar; and he caused such grief to his parents, that
his father used to say that il it pleased God to
take from him any Of his children, he hoped it
might be Isaac the least promising of them all.
Adam Clarke, when boy, was proclaimed by
his father to be "a grievous dunce;" though he
could roll large stones shout. Dean Swift, one
of the greatest writer's of pure English, was
"plucked" at Dublin University, and only OBJ
tanned his recommendation to Oxford, "speciali
gratia." The well known Dr. Chalmers and
DIR. Cook were boys together at the parish
school of st. Andrews; and they were found
so stupid and mischievous, that the master, ir-
ritated beyond measure, dismissed them both
as ncorrgible ounces.
The brilliant Sheridan showed so little capac-
ity as boy, that he was presented to a tutor
by his mother with the complimentary accom-
paniment, that he was an incorrigible Ounce
Walter Scott was all but Ounce when a boy,
always much reader for a "bcker," than apt at
his lessons. At the Edinburg University, Pro-
fessor Dalzell pronounced upon him the SEN
tence that "Dunce he was, and Ounce he would
remain" Chatterton was returned to his moth
ers bands as "a fool, of whom nothing could be
made" Burns was dull boy, good only at
atheletic exercisee. Goldsmith spoke of him
self as plant that fowered late. Alferi left
college no wiser than he entered it, and did not
begin the studies by which he distinguished
himself until he had run over half Europe
Robert Give was Ounce, if not a re, Jrobate,
when youth but always full of energy, even
in badness. His family, glad to get rid Of him,
shipped him off to Madras and be lived to lay
the foundation of the British power in India
Napoleon and Wellington were both dull boys,
not distinguishing themselves in any way at
school, Of the former the Duchess Abrantes
says, "he had good health, but was in other re-
spects like other boys" John Howard, the
pbilanthropist, was another ilustrious Ounce,
learning next to nothing during the seven years
that he was at school, Stephenson, as youth,
was distinguished chiefly for his skill at putting
and wrestling, and attention to his work. The
brilliant Sir Humphrey Davy was no cleverer than
other boys; his teacher, Mr.. Davies Gilbert,
said of him, "whe he was with me, l could not
discern the faculties by which he was SO much
distinguished" Indeed he himself in after life
considered it fortunate that he had been left to
"enjoy so much idleness" at school. Watt was
dull scholar, Notwithstanding the pretty stories
told about his precocity; but he was, what was
better, patient and persevering, and it was by
that means, and by his carefully cultivated in
ventiveness, that he was enabled to perfect his
steam-engine. Self Help.