Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-20
Macaulay's PrecocIty.

Master Macaulay was the most pre-
COcious little boy of whom we have any
account in English literature. There is
eXtant a letter from his mother dated in
his eighth year, and narrating his litera-
~ doings. He had written a cOmpendi-
um of universal history from the creation
down; he had written three cantos of
''The Battle of CheviOt," " a metrical rO-
nance; and two cantOs of heriOc poem,
entitled ''Olaus the Great; or, The Con-
quest of Mona;" and he had composed
she knew not how many hyms- Good Mrs.
Hannah More, who was judge of that sta
pie, pronounced these hymns To be ssquite
extraordinary for such baby" He was
constant at visitor Barley Wood, where
he was encouraged, and not spoiled. All
the Misses More made q companion of
him and relished his conversation Mrs.
Hannah, who was in her sixties, super
intended his studies, his pleasures, and
his health. She kept him with her for
weeks, listening 10 him as he read prose
by the ell and declaimed poetry by the
yard. She discussed and compared with
him his faYorite heroes, ancient, modern
and fictitious; coaxed him into the garden
walks under the pretense of n lecture on
botany; aud sent him from his books 70
run about the grounds, or into the kitch-
en- to play. cooking. she gave him Bible
lessons, which always ended with theO-
logical arguments. When the eonversa-
ton turned on her more dramatic DAYS,
she could tell him of the great English
ROscius, who was her dear fried; of that
singular coXcomh, James Boswell, who
died about twevle years before; of the
great Dr. johnson (HwhO bullied your
grandfather so, Tom, at Inverary, as you
read last week in Boswell-the doctor was
good Christian, but lie was rather rough
at times, nOre's the pity ; of Sir Joshua,
Miss Burney, Mrs Thrale, now Mrs.
PiOzzi, who is seventy, if she is a day,
Miss Patty declares. She could tell him
of old Lord Bathurst, who had known
Pope and Swift and the wits of Queen
Anne's time. When he was six, she wrote
him Though you are little boy now,
you viii one day, if it please God, be a
man; but long before ysu are man,
hope you Will be a scholar. / therefore
wish you TO purchase such books as will
be useful TO YOU then, and that you en-
plOy this very small sum in laying little
tiny cornerstone for your future library"
PRAED AND MACAULAY.-The name of
Praed is an Interesting one TO Us, in that
his mothers family was a branch of the
stout trunk that came over 10 Massachu-
setts in the person of John Winthrop;
and il is pleasant to remember that he
was famous here as n poet thirty years
before his poems were collected in Eng
land. His father, who was sergeant-at-
law, was 4 man of cultivation and re-
inement, and he detected the brilliant
promise of his little son. He criticised I
his bOyish writings, especially his verses, [
with an unsparing hand, greatly to the I
of the Juvenile poet, who, in I
acquiring accuracy, acquired at the same I
time distinctneSs of thought and felicity I
of expression. After the loss of his 1
mother his education was attended 10 by ]
an elder sister, until his eighth year,
when he was sent to Langley Broom 4
School, where he remained four years. /
\ delicate lad, his vacations were spent |
at home IN rest and recreation and men-
tai culture. He preferred in-dOCr amuse- I
ments and emplOyments to vigorous 4
sports, and, like Macauley, delighted in 1
reading to his sisters. Plutarch aud I
were his favOrite authors. I
He WAS a good chess player, and he I
wrote little dramas, which were potioea- 4
bic for their drollery. Before he was /
twelve he was sent to EtOn, Whsue his /
father had been, pale, slight scholar, of I
a studiOus and retiring disposition. His /
progress was so rapid that in little more 4
than year he MAS ''sent up for gOOd,' I
rs the saying IS, for copy of Latin 4
verses. He had ready pen, and wrote !
with equal ease in prose and verse. =
The room in which Macaulay lived in the 1
Old Court of Trinity is still shown, and I
the tagged pathway along which, as a /
Bachelor of Arts, he walked, morning af- .
ter morning, through the long vacation,
book in hand, reading as eagerly aud /
rapidly rs ever. Here is his portrait by
his friend Moultrie: