The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-25

ease. Out Of oyery nine deaths among tho blacks,
one died on the field OF battle and eight from dis
case.
Cuffee, as belligoront, would have had good
time of 1t but for disease.
Intellect In Old Age.
I do not know how can take tho taste OF the
above out OF the mouths OF your readers better
than to give them the substance Of statement
recently put forth by the celebrated DR.. Forbes
Winsow on the above subject. 1t is given appro-
pos Of question raised in the House of Lords rs
to the competency of the Chief Justice of Ireland
'This debate" says DR.. Winslow, 'raised the
iatsfosng il. ere questions at what particular period
commencement Of intellectual decay? The ceie-
ier Dr. Gords maintains that Il is q the 0VipS Vts
not intellectual, principle that is seen to as
old ago throws it's autumnal lingo over the green
intellectual becomes weaker after tho vital force
has passed it's. eliminating point. The under
standing acquires moro strength during the first
It is therefore impossible to assign any period of
existence at which the reasoning powers suffer
deterioration" n o., .-rs ..- -. ~. . ....
will refer to few illustrations with the view
of establishing that great vigor of understanding,
brlliancy of wit, and clearness of intellect are
often seen associated with advanced age =. =.
Lord Eldon died at the age of, eighty-six. He
remained in full enjoyment OF his wonderful intel
lect until shortly before his death. Lord Kenyon
lived to the age Of seventy. His powers of mind
Lord Hardwicke died at seventy three, in the full
possession Of his great understanding. Lord
e tho se or mGyse His
advanced age of eighty ynine, in full and unclouded
yigor of intellect. few days before this illus
niece asking senemsn WSo Ws o as h.o to
the meaning OF the word "psephismata," which
occurred ia Burkes celebrated work On the French
PRINT for opRsnass "as es Eas Iord %s
Mansfield, "psephisnata' is, right" He thon,
without the. slightest difficulty, quoted from me-
mory passage from Demosthenes in illustration
DR.. Johnson died at seventy-ive His last work,
the: Lives of the. English Poets," was written
only three years before his death. Chaucer lived
to the age OF seyenty-two, with intellect in full
aad brilliant activity. Sir E. Coke died at eighty
two. Tho last few days of his life were spent In
revising his numerous works preparatory to their
publication. sir Iseae Newton published the
third edition Of his ..Principia" with new pre-
face CO. at a;o the age Of reighty:three The great
intellect. He was actively engaged in literary
H@pGSsis01 GSeIpSSie; to % Of his
the age Of eighty Goasee COMPOSED : ..Te
Deum" at sseyenty-eight: Corneille at the age of
seventy exhibited no failure Of intellect. Waller
poem, entitled ca Presage of the Ruin of the
Turkish Empire."., or =. : : --'.1'-.'.
Titan continued to exercise his marvellous ge-
suddenly he died Of the plague i'm Venice. Benia.
min West painted his celebrated death on the
Pale Horse" said to have been his best work, at
three Cumberland, the Bishop Of PeterboroasR
studied and mastered critically Dr. Wilkins Cop
pearance at the advanced age OF seyenty-fye.I Ben
Johnson died at the age OF sixty-three. On his
death-bed he he composed that exquisite pastora
fragment, ''The Sad Shepherd" 60: .
Numerous other Illustrations could be cited tc
/ establish that the mental powers do not necessa.
rily decay as cid age advances. We must, there
fore, to repeat the language of Lord Chelmsford
I "be little cautious in measuring the mental ga
their lordships' House Gord Lyndhurst) had moi
! long passed away, who had adorned every debat te
with the most profound wisdom and judicial elo-
bic lord, on the night he entered upon his nineti
eth year, addressed their lordships In speech that
riveted their attention for more than half an
hour with the most perfect clearness Iuoidity and
was setting without cloud. ~ - - -.
The Pal mall Gazette says on the above: ..
DR.. Forbes Winsow's interesting letter on the
retention Of mental vigor III old age should be
supplemented by taking note Of the undeniabIe
fact s that large number Of the noblest works Of
authors had reached the period when it is sup
posed that the faculties begin to decay. Michael
Angelo began his great picture of the "Last Judg.
" Paradise Lost" when he was fifty.seven. Among
musicians the facts are fully as remarkable Gluck
revolutonized the operato art by bringing out the
"orfee" when he. was fifty. Handel was fifty:
eight when he wrote his first oratorio, "Esther;;'
and when he wrote the !" Messiah" he S was @ siItv.
seven: Haydn wrote the Creation" when no wss
and Beethoven was when he
noted, by the way, that the three men who pos
sessed the gift OF original genius in higher
degree than any Of the Others here named-3. e..
Michael Angelo, Handel M and Beethoyen,1Mere
-. 4.