West-Jersey pioneer., 1875-06-03
NO. 1922

nation" Aristotle says that the Ethlo-
plans and Indians, in choosing their kings
and leaders, had particular regard to the
beauty and stature of their persons. Per-
haps the Greeks, with whom physical per-
lection counted for so much, followed the
philosophers great pupil, Alexander, with
the more satisfaction for the splendor of his
person. In the chapter on Magnanimity
and Little -mindedness in his "Ethics,"
Aristotle lays it down as a principle, that
beauty only exists with good stature; that
we may call little persons pretty, but may
not call them beautiful. Montague says
that if man of goodly stature marches at
the head of battalion, it creates respect in
those that follow, and is terror to the en-
emy; but it is plain from the instances al
ready cited, that the lively Perigordin was
reasoning priori. 1t appears, from the
slightly querulous bit of self-portraiture in
the essay on Presumption, in which he
makes this remark, that the essayist him
self was somewhat below the middle stat
ure, and keenly felt the insufficiency; he
says that his defective size ''carries with it
great deal of inconveniency, for that au-
thority which a graceful presence and
majestic mien beget, is wanting" 1t is not
impossible that the sense of his bodily lit
tleness was one cause of the eagerness with
which he gave himself to study and criti-
cism. Many of the greatest wits and hui
morists have been but insignificant crea-
lures in appearance; for instance, Voltaire,
Quevedo and Scarron, the last called him
self can abridgement of human miseries."
LeSage, who was singularly handsome, and
Swift, who was tall and muscular man,
are witnesses that the keenest wit is not
confined to a small bodily lodging. Both
Dryden and Pope were little men. Roch-
ester nicknamed the former ''Poet Squab,"
and Tom Brown always called him "Little
Bayes." Pope was only less deformed than
Quevedo and Scarron, and was almost
dwarf; his consciousness of his mean ap.
pearance made him the more laborious in
the cultivation of his talents, according to
Shenstone. He was more sensitive and pet
ulant than the first poet of the children, DR..
Watts, who was also afflicted like Pope,
with littleness of body, and with lifelong
sickness. 1t is related that when the hymn
writer was one day sitting in coffee-house,
he heard gentleman say in a low tone:
''That's the great DR.. Watts;' while an
other exclaimed "What little fellowp-
Turning to the two speakers, he repeated
with good natured seriousness, one of his
| own verses; it has been called by some who
have told the anecdote, an impromptu:
Were so tall to reach the pole,
Or meet the ocean with my span,
| must be measured by my soul;
The minds the stature of the man.
| All biographers who have taken little per-
sons for their subjects, agree in drawing
the same moral as DR.. Watts. When Cal
win arrived at Nerac, and was trying to find
the great-hearted Lefevre, every one of whom
he made inquiries gave him this sort of an
swer: "Lefevre is a little bit of man, but
lively as gunpowder.'' This Lefevre was
quick to perceive the destiny of the young
inquirer, and was the first to prophesy his
future Importance in the history of religion
among the French speaking people.