Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-11-11
student-life 24O Years Ago.

student-life $40 Years Ago.
In this age Of light reading and superficial schol.
arship it is refreshing and also admonitory to take
glimpse Of the process by which scholars we're
made in the seventeenth century. For this purpose
present brief sketch of the studentlife Of the
celebrated author of Paradise Lost
John Milton was born in London in 1908. His
father, man Of Superior and accomplished mind"
saw the early promises Of genius in his son before
hehad reached his tenth year, and encouraged him
the first dscoverers Of the future greatness of their
sons-bot in the case of young Milton, the honor Of
this discovery is given to his father. A portrait
was taken of the juvenile poet when he was but ten
years old, which shows that he was regarded with
afectionate care by his parents, and also that he
was boy Of uncommon beauty.
Milton commenced the study. Of Latin when 4
child, and such was his devotion to books that he
was in the habit of continuing his studies till l2 or
L O'clock at night He was poet at ten years Of
age, and poetry was one of his principal studies
When but 15 years old, he produced his metrica
translations of the 114th and l36th Psalms In his
seventeenth year, he entered Cambridge University.
where he was early distinguished for the elegance
of his versification and his knowledge Of Latin. 1t
appears that during his career in the University be
was censured and rusticated for q season for bis &c.
vere structures on the prescribed course of studes
or his neglect of it, possibly for both but recon.
clliation was soon effected and Milton returned to
College where he was regarded with great favor
and with respect as the pride and honor Of the Uni
versity. On account Of his personal ssbeauty, he
was called the Lady of the College. H. subse-
9asnt reference to bis college life, be said that be
mao occasion to acknowledge publicly with all
grateful mind the mcre than ordinary favor and re-
spect extended to him "above any of his equals,
by the learned and courteous men" with whom he
there spent seven or eight years. He entered the
University in 1924 and left it after having taken
two degrees in 1882.
AS his natural genius had been highly cultivated
and enriched by indeftigable study before be enter.
ed the University he was, no doubt, unwilling to
be diverted from those branches Of knowledge con-
genial to his miad into the barren and Improbable
pursuits which the old system of collegiate educa
ton REQUIRED His youthful judgment of the old
system seems to have been confirmed by the views
he expressed in bis mature years: In his reason of
Church Government he says that ingenious youth
60 to the University to store their minds "witfS
good and solid learning" and are unfortunately
there fed with nothing else but the scragged and
thorny lectures Of monksh and miserable sophis-
try" He also speaks Of students, who ''are there
slightly trained up in kind Of hypocritc:l and
hackney course Of literature 70 get their living by
and dazzle the ignorant, else ondly overstudied
| in useless controversies, except those which they
are able, to defend their prelaticsl SPARTA
When he left the University he retired to his
fathers house in, Buckinghamshire where he spent
i've years in close application to study making &C.
caslonal visits to London to see his friends, buy
books, or to learn SOM thing new in mathematics
or music At his fathers house-retired from the
cty-he continued his habits Of close application to
books, reading over all the Greek and Latin writers
and alSa the roa1iad rreifeth hands Il ,hsx
| in which he was eminently skilled SIN Latin he
occupied the first rank as writer and critic; and
his sonnets in Italian were praised for their beauty
| by the Italians His literature was immense; his
adversaries admitted that be the most able and
acute scholar living" His round of study and read
ing was ceaseless, comprising history, poetry, the
olOgy, and every branch Of learning. The classical
authors IN whose works he most delighted were
Homer, Euripides and Ovid. Plato and Demosthe
mes were bis favorite authors in Greek prose. It is
said he decreed to Sallust the palm of superiority
among the Roman historians Of the English poets,
he preferred Spenser, Shakespeare and Cowley.
| His habits were those of severe and temperate
student He drank little wine, and ate without in.
dulging any luxurious dslicacy of choice. In his
youth he studied till midnight but warned by the
early decay Of his sight, he changed his hours,
| tired at o'clock and rose at in the summer, and
at in the winter. 1nthe morning be read chapter
in the Hebrew Bible or had one read to him, and
then studied till twelve. He'took exercise in his
garden for an hour, dined, played on the organ
eompaned by the voice Of his wife. After this re.
creation he studied ag.n till o'clock, entertained
his visitors till eight supping temperately light
food He was of cheerful and agreeable temper,
pleasing and instructive in conversation-not sour
nor morose as his enemies have represented him
occasionally satrica but as his daughter says, de.
lghtful company, and the life of conversation"
EVERY NAN TO MAKE HIS OWN IcE.-An Paris
s reio;cing in q recent discovery of q method O1
manufacturing it in speedy and simple manner,
and at small expense. The machine.is styled Lt
gl,ciers eseale. From drawing and description
now before us we gather the following:
cylinder of metal-tin will answer-with q
moveabe cover at one end to be kept tightly in its