Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-08-10
The Discipline of Genius,

1t is still the fashion in certain quarters
to depreciate collegiate education by cit
ing the examples of men who have risen
to eminence in various intellectual call
ings without having been trained in the
schools. We are hidden to observe that
many of the worlds greatest orators,
poets, and statesmen, as well as some
men whose names stand high on the rolls
OF art and science, were 1.-THE "untaught
children of nature" Whence is drawn
the inference, expressed or implied, that,
after all, elaborate mental training is of
doubtful value, even if it be not a positive
hindrance in the struggle for success.
This kind of talk, at all times sufficiently
common, is especially rife each year i'm
mediately after the close Of the COM
mencement season. The present, there
fore, seems to be a good opportunity for
stating a few plain facts in refutation of
a mischievous and groundless delusion.
Of course no one denies that individual
instances of splendid mental achievement
by persons not literally educated may be
easily pointed out; but to assume that, as
a rule, these men were ~''untaught' is to
commit an egregious blunder. When
ever the veil is lifted and the world gets
a glimpse of the inner life of one of these
diamonds in the rough" it is discovered
that the diamond was most ~assiduously
polished. That the polishing was not
done by professional lapidaries in insti-
buttons established for the purpose is a
fact of minor importance.
A f~avorite instance with the decriers
of culture is Patrick Henry. But the
most recent and authentic biography of
the famous revolutionary orator shows
that the popular impression about him is
all wrong in so far as it conceives Mr..
Henry to have been an unframed prodigy
of genius. In the first place his school
ing was much more and better than ira
dition has accounted it; and in the Sec
ond place, instead of leaping at a bound
into fame and fortune, he climbed by
slow, toilsome steps. Instead of neg
lecting the books and trusting to torrents
of eloquence for success at the bar, Pat
rick Henry was, through all his early
career, a patient, plodding student, both
of law and general literature.
A still more familiar instance is that
of Robert Burns. Certainly he affords
a wonderful example of genius triumph
ant over adverse conditions. His school,
ing was indeed meager. Yet it is doubt
full whether any poet was ever better
trained, eve in the ~technicalities of his
art. 1t is a thousand pities that those
who talk so glibly about Burns as a poet
of nature and nothing else, do not read
his autobiography. In hat too brief
story of himself the immortal Scottish
bard lets us see the process through
which he went in learning to do his
work. 1t was a process exactly the
same in all essentials, as that which is
repeated year after year by collegians of
the present time. In the deplored alb
sence of living teachers. Robert Burns
sought instruction from books. He
studied words. made lists of rhymes, an
alyzed sentences in prose and verse, dill
gently gave heed to all the printed di-
rections for the formation of style which
came within his reach, observed and in
vestigated, with a view to avoiding like
errors, specimens of bad poetry, and I'M
sparingly criticised his own productions
in the light of all the knowledge gained
by unwearied efforts. Boston Adver-
tiser