Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1872-09-07
PREC0CITY or GENIUS.

L VI "
While the constant labors and eX-
4ens;ye researches Of eminent men
deserve our praise and esteem, the
premature development OF genius ex-
cites both our admiration and aston
;shment 10 see youth graced with
all the beauties of science and learn
ing strikes our minds as singular
phenomenon. Such phenomena have
appeared, and we have selected a few
instances for the entertainment OF our
readers. .,.,.., -
Pietro Metastasio was born at Rome
on the 9th of January, l69S. We
are informed 10y his English blogra-
nher Doctor Burney, that before he
was ten wears old he could make
verses on any subject; and 1t was no
unusual sight to see his father porch
surrounded in the evening, alter
school hours, by groups listening to
the poesv of child At the early
ace of fourteen he produced his trag-
edv "Gustino," written after the
Greek models. At eighteen, he went
to Naples, and sang with the most
eminent improvisatore of the day
His precocious genius made hlm be-
come the topic Of all conversations.
Cowley published a volume OF
poems in his thirteenth year.
Pope, also, was a poet in his IN
fancy, writing a poem when only
twelve years of age
AS vet child, and all unknown to fame'
| lisped in Numbers, for the numbers came.
Extraordinary as these productions
were, they were eclipsed by the verses
of Chatterton, written at eleven J.
This
.--marvclou hoy,
The slceplcss soul that perished in his prld''
executed limitations of the antique
when he was fifteen and sixteen,
which exhibited a vIgor of thought
and facility of versifcation-to say
nothing Of their antiquarian char.
aa,,. tlo4 ,,r..,loI tha most learned
s Sc 4lo 1,,-+Lot stamn him a
.l'u .laot af ,ha frst class
l'0TT ,rhon,as y, .n rom,heu ot sixteen wears
of age, while resident at Glasgow
University, translated the "Clonds OF
AristophaneS which was pronounced
to be the best exercise ever gwen IN
~ ~ ~ ..,n5on+ of tho oivcrsjtv,-
~ ""s ,,,,' ,'4 .,ra ,.nor,' nf ,ga he nub.
1'',.'1 ~ ~ H., npI,a,rros of Hone" a
-''' u.l;ob ,rol,,hlv created at it's
,,',,r,nr. =, ,reatur sensation than
,,nI IN otlor Of modern times; and it
1''2 1 G,"o' ,no.+ W. 1onao continued to
,, ,'at,;n ;,s nonuInrI,y The volume
.ut '.' bro,llb w. tonr additions in q
t,nlna,annt| rn,
Th''dorn Jool born in London in
7-oo ra, n.h;,o yt;l] voutb d;stin-
l,;;nhoJ d3I' T Co.. h;s (roat conversational
s"onv,' ,n's,. an1 as m h;s t3Iort .. an ;mnrovi-
po"s,' , !, "ll I'.an;hoJ 90 marvnIlons =
sa'ore s'l 40 ue@o oI l'tN ~ h",o ' haan nre.ent
'9neilO'H ',,," ,ot =, ,an,orI,h1e m avnlo;ty
~ thn J,'e .;na;na u mn , of ON aytnmnore song
'''p N.i si"o''I H.. :" .ha, I s;xt,. nnrsons of
AZ "l1+vn ,,,a NV ~" o[ta;mal = no;nt a niece
''e a., .o'Nl"m, .p ',, ,;n,a ba ,ras an exnert
y. 'ns ,ano ~, tha ii ,,;'nof,r1. and iano
1'I:', n.y. 'r.n w I1 ,.,, .,,o, f,r he
He'ls HI .l''"..I' J .ot a "lo' ~, co,nTo.nJ tho
'"' "''' "'',' ,on3 I"D'''l ,L,, ,> :, mb.n orIv
ANS i' i"''' ~ e,,'. os w.. ~ Wv vrota =
S''T''ee" st, a,,'I g., roo .Ivbo SoId;er's
very S",''SS," y ~ ''i.'' +,,'',,,,JaI w. J.,
l'e''fn' 1' "'I''I WV" "'' n.L,.b 'I hoc,,Ha
several o'Hei I''o'''' "'',
e4"a,IF, 4u,,I,. l'oNu'',. ea 1oto.o bo wo.
" ~ "iii'"n ,'eoN''L", ~ tal ottuaotoJ con
h'ne ears - ~ 'i,',l @." L;a ;nto1loo
si''ei ''o'' ''N .l W. ,;.a tl,.
'u"' p'eoo'''' ,n.'I "'',1 'nv .I r'I Maa,a;;.,
gwen tlV'e" '''oS'" ~ '.''t"' ~ .''L;L
OF EA'rao'"'l"., =. ".".e''' o, ,, a,n
was III i'c'' u 1.l oir,I, o"ti o',t;a.u and tbo
''''" '''''' ,,,u,,L;n
common S:ans oa oo't"Jln a h,,t a;ahteon
az 'n's 'ln'0 In ~, ~" .aar aftor be
] ie"as p4 a. 2t ~ 49, ool,hratad ,l'I Arab;an
DTOuSut oub we tti'"l "'o.t ~