Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-04


ONE of the most famous worthless of the
Middle Ages was Albert, Count of Boil
stadt, or, as he is most commonly called
Albertus Magnus. He was born in Lauin-
gen, in Swabia, in 1893, and was educated
in the University of Padua. At the age of
thirty he entered the Order of Dominicans,
yet it was six years later that he began
the career of prodigious labor by which
he built up a lasting reputation. He
seems, from the accounts we have of him,
to have been one of the class gifted with
versatile talents, large capacities, great
ambition and indefatigable industry, rath-
er than one of the few who possess the
clearly original creative power called
genius. His requirements were immense,
and his activity absolutely untiring !;
hence, in whatever direction he turned
his efforts, he accomplished results so en-
inent as to earn for him without reserve
the name of "Great.'' He furnished a
signal example of what work, sustained
by resolute will, an honorable purpose
and staunch and well-tralned faculties can
effect
His talents, we have said, were versa
tile, for he won distinction as theologian,
a philosopher, an astronomer, amathema-
tician, naturalist, mechanician and archi-
tect In 1929 he became Professor of the
Natural and Sacred Sciences at Cologne
a position which he retained for several
years. He then founded schools of theol-
ogY at Hildesheim, Ratisbon and STas-
bourg, after which he again returned to
his teaching at Cologne. Thence he re-
paired to Paris, where he occupied the
Theological Chair in the University,
which the Pope had been induced to give
over to the charge of the Dom1nicans. In
1249 he was sent back to Cologne to estab-
lish the public school, which eventually
became one of the most renowned unIyer-
stiles in Europe. Five years later he was
made Provincial of his Order, and soon
after was dispatched to Poland in the ca
pacity of Papal legate, to extirpate GER
tain Pagan customs which had been intro
duced into that country by intercourse
with Mongols. Among these reprehensi-
BILE usages was that of exposing weakly
and malformed infants, and also of put
ting the aged and infrm out of the way.
On his return from this mission, Albert
received from Pope Alexander ". the
Bishopric of Ratisbon. He held this See
but two years, however, resigning it in
| order that he might again engage in pro-
| mitigating theology IN the school OF Co
| logne. He had now attained the age of
sixty-nine, and thereafter until he was
| eighty-five he persevered in the labors of
| an instructor. While still at this work,
being suddenly reminded of the decay of
his faculties, he bade adieu to his pupils
and retired to his convent The story of
his abrupt withdrawal from public duty
runs as follows: He was in the midst of
one of his lectures before large and dis
tinguished audience, and his ideas we're
| flowing with their usual lucidity and CO.
herence, when he precipitately paused.
| faithfully retentive of all he had read and
| heard, relaxed It's hold, and the thoughts
| and words he had consigned to it for i'm
mediate use were lost. He stood for a
few moments in amazed and embarrassed