West-Jersey pioneer., 1877-08-09
WHO WAS CASABIANCA?

has not declaimed Mrs. Heman's poem, be-
ginning "The boy stood on the burning
deck" has certainly missed a treasure and
favorite. The history of the ''boy'' thus
immortalized is not generally known.
Owen Cassabianca was native of Corsica,
on which island, he was born in the year
1888. His father was Louis Cassabianca, a
distinguished French politician and naval
commander and the friend of Napoleon.
He was captain at this time Of the Orient,
one of the largest vessels in the French
navy, magnificent ship carrying
1870 guns and 500 seamen. Of Cassabianca's
motherwe know little save she was young
and beautiful Corsican lady, and devotedly
attached to her son. Owen was her only
child, a handsome manly little fellow, with
her beauty in his flashing eyes and dusky
hair. She died while he was quite young,
and when the green sod was placed above
her grave the boy left the pleasant valley
under the smiling hills of Corsica to 90 with
his father and tread the hard deck of war
vessel. ......... . .-
Mere child as he was, Cassabianca soon
grew to love his fathers dangerous calling,
and became favorite with all on board +.
He was made midshipman, and at the early
age of ten years participated with his father
in the battle of the Nile. The ship caught
fire during the action. Soon after, Captain
Cassabianca, the father was wounded by a
musket ball. Not yet disabled, he was
struck in the head some minutes later by a
splinter, which laid him upon the deck in
sensible. His gallant son, unconscious of
the chieftain's doom, still held his post at
the battery, where he worked like the hero
he was. He saw the flames raging round
him; he saw the ships crew deserting him
one by one, and the boy was urged to fee.
With courage and GOODNESS beyond his years,
he refused to desert his post. Worthy son
ofLouis Cassabianca, he fought on and never
abandoned the Orient till the whole of the
immense vessel was in flames. Then seek
ing refuge on floating mast, he left the
burning ship behind him. But he was too
late. The final catastrophe came like the
judgment doom. With an explosion so
tremendous that every ship felt it to the
bottom, the Orient blew up, and from
among the wreck the next morning was
picked up the dead, mangled body of the
young hero whose story romance and poe
try cannot make more heroic than it was.
Too OLD TO STUDY.-Cato, at eighty
years of age, commenced to study the Greek
language. Socrates at an extreme old age,
learned to play on musical instruments.
Plutarch, when between seventy and eighty.
commenced the study of Latin. DR.. John
son applied himself to the Dutch language
but few years before his death. Ludovico
Monaldesco, at the greatage of one hundred
| and fifteen, wrote the memoirs of his own
time. Ogilby, the translator of Homer and
Virgil was unacquainted with Latin and
Greek till he was past fifty. Franklin did
not fully commence his philosophical pur-
suits till he had reached his fiftieth year.
Dryden, in his sixty eighth year, COM
menced the translation of the Iliad, his
most pleasing production. Boccacio was
thirty-five years of age when he commced
his studies in polite literature; yet he be.
came one of the greastest masters Of the
Tuscan dialects, Dante and Petrarch being
the other two. Sir Henry Spelman neg.
lected the sciences in his youth, but com
menced the study of them when he was be.
tween fifty and sixty years Of age. After
this time he became most learned anti
quarian and lawyer.