, 1874-03-13

fcuoWp, Blows that tho great majority Waro
young, and claims to havo proved his theoryi
Among the old Mon montionod hro Dryden, Dry
nut, Titian, Michel Angelo, nuskin, Dickens,
Wcndoll Phillips, Emerson, Grooley, and Agaa-
slz. Tho last SIX aro declared to havo dono their
boRs work bcforo tloy woro d.. nuskin Is now
common scold. who loves tho modlnval and
sometimes makes his roaders wish that tho mo-
dinval puniehmont for Bcolds-the duoking-
Btool-woro still In use. Dickons waB almost
used mp at 10. III this, Forstcr'a "Lifo OF Diolk-
onB" oorroboratcs DR.. Board. Aftor that ago.
tho noveliat'e Imagination grow 1adod and was
In constant neod Of tho spur. Wondell Phillips
''has now for six years been very porcoptibly on
tho declne." Right "Emorson reached his
zonith botween 10 and AZ, and since that period
oloso obaorvera have aeon positive decline Of bis
great powers, which, during tho laat flvo ycars,
las boon almost pninful." This will DO sweet
sentence for swlnburne to read. Such blow
at tho man whom ho 1RmpoonB ~ "hoaty
Bodomito will delight bis soul. Greeley died Of
brain.softontng. Agaasiz's incorporate opposi-
ton to tho Evolution theory was tho result of
tho "exhauBtod condition Of luis brain." On
tue other hand, most Of the great thoologians
woro young. 80 wero most Of tho men who
fought with powder and bullotsinstoad of prayer
and beads. Napoleon reached his primo at 90.
Nolson was Roar-Admira1 at 80. Won Moltko,
however, won hiH greatest fame botween e8 and
70. In othor pursuits, youth has riponed even
moro rapidly. schelling was famous at q,
Dihraoli at q, Turner at IL, Handel at 10.
Blchat died great at 50. Colt invented his pistol
at 81, and Whitney his ootton-gln at q. In
statesrnanship, young and middlo-agcd mon aro
tho rule. 4 statesman Of over 80 years gonor~
ally lives on his reputation. Tho men Of tho
Revolution woro mostly young. dospito tho
pioturoa Of them painted since. The powdstod
poriwiga make tho sIgnera Of tho Declaration
Of Independence seem like gray antiques Their
average age was been 10 aud 45. Many wero be-
tween rs aud 81. The list might DO longer, but
these examples viii suffice to SHOW tho drift Of
tho argument.
at first sight It is not such bad argument.
Thu reader may DO hali inclined to think that
reverence for ages save, Of oourao a sort Of
tendor pity such as one feols for tmbeoilitv, is
Vory mistaken emotion. He sympathizos With
tho Juvenile Knockers who cried, $50 up, thou
bald-head," at Elisha, and considers Tho proph-
eta handing over forty-two OF tho infants to tho
embraces Of two she-bears as q positive proof
that the venerable man had passed his prime.
Reflection would chow him, however, TINT Dr.
Beard has been rn8lt aa vontF in wnnt tn 1o Ho
has also boon blind. His whole argument is
based ON tho fallacy TINT there a1e equal num-
bers Of old and young men In the world. Ii, ut
any given instant, there are twice as many men
between 80 aud 40 as between so and GO, thero
should be twice aa many famous men In the
first claaa aa in tho second, or else the latter
havo the statistical superiority. Our New York
iconocast has failed to aeo this very plain appl-
cation Of the principle Of proportion.