New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-02
"PICKED- UPD KNOWLEDGE
From The Spectator.

How, cal everybody know everything' And we
may observe, In fact, everybody does nor khO"
everything It came PTt e 9pTn sae cae|Se bad
never heard of Mr.. COrney Grain. His hveller pre-
decessOr frequently betrayed somewhat surprising
ignorance IF things that were so to speak, IN the
air Mr.. Carlyle who was very fond OF referring TO
MOrisons oils, never succeeded IN spelling the
name CORRECTLY: 1t may pc noted, when a llstln-
gushed man dies, that the funeral sermons are,
many of then 1ul of blunders,-not mere mistakes,
such as anyone might make, but downright bad
shots, which show that the preachers dld not know
how TO take aim. These prove Ignorance, but they
often prove besides that, account OF some IRE
captivity Of mind true knowledge was lmpo slble TO
the speakers; they have 'crammed all OF sud-
den, and have shown the texture Of their faculties
In doing so. The Judges are, As rule, wonderful
fellows, but, III spite OF the peculiar habit OF
"cramD which belongs TO barTlsers, they some
times iai in their estimates OF men and things for
want OF what might be roughly described as picked
up knowledge. Not long ago, Mr. GladstOne admit
ted that he did not know what spruce beer ana
mum were. Most of US knew what spruce beer was
and Journalists have perhaps more plcked-np
knowledge than any other class; but 1t Is T. 1e
suspected THAT there much searching OF heart
and turning over of cyclOp9dlas betoEe the word
was informed, IL those DuOyant short leaders ot the
next day. what mum was. spruce Is OF was ia, say,
the days of old Weller supposed 10 Dc wh0lesDDc 20
drink and good for cuts and coughs, and IL was ana
j. sold in al public-hOuses; but as to mum, would
Whewell himself have known what ii vast
1t Is easy that the gltt 81 taking IN kn0wl-
edge as you 20 along l. a very different thlng from
tnat OF examining, or OF study Ia the mgner and
with application and inquiry, though OF course, not
with stupidity 1t is different from the gift natural
or acquired which HOudn, the cOnJurOr, possessed,
conveyed To III, son by a process which he has
IN "A weli-AnOWn stock quotation described And
though II goes with incoming" 1t BY no means tOl-
low that all who take lie easily should have H.
they own III addition a certain amount OF ability.
For example Lord PalnerstOn did not possess TINS
gilt lie would certainly have known what spruce
beer was but some OF his speeches displayed just the
sore ot Inaptiude that never exists along with the
kind OF rcceptlylty we mean, and his penSlOnln9
Poet Close stamped the ultimate character OF his
mind Ii IA man has the faculty IN question: IL does
not matter how busy he Is, or whe; her lac l. great
minister or mere cleTk-whether lac dWells IN mar
bic halls OF IN small lodglngs-somehOw OF other 40
knows things and puts them together.
We constantly hear that women are more quick TO
observe than men. But more quick TO observe
Whati DscuTsive receptIylty Is not specially lac
uty Of women; they have. fortunately, less OF 1t
than Nor have they, iii general. the scientific
reccptyIty, faculty OF observing and combining,
which stands the pole opposite 10 theirs. Making
every allow for the uecuarltes of the lives led
by most o, them, lind that, WltE ali their faculty
OF observation and their seDsItIyeness OF temp IA
ment they are not remarkable for picking up uls-
ceaneOus facts. Nor scientific men, nor aAInIn-
isfratorS # you take them OFT their beat. Nay, adj
minis ratorS and hgh officials often curlously
ignorant of matters their beat and just tOr want
of tins very glIt miscellaneous receptYlty. There
is many a lively journalist with hah the BRAIN
force Of say, Colonel Henderson OF Sir William
Harcourt who could tell either of them things on
his own line which he would get on al tho De;Ief
Tor knowing,