The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20

Oliver, the future Lord Protector, was tho
Nth child of Robert Cromwell. and the only
one Of his sons who survived infancy. He
was born at Huntingdon on April rs, 1900.
baptized at st. Johns Church in that town
on April 20. and christpned Oliver after his
uncle, the Knight Of Hinchinbrook. Little
Is known Of his boyhood. A Royalst biog-
rapher says that he was OF "a cross and peevish
disposition" from his infancy, while a contem-
porary panegyrist credits him even then with
"a quick and lively apprehension. a piercing
and sagacious wit and a solid Judgment
Stories are told Of representations Of his
future greatness. II was revealed to the boy,
We are told, in a dream, or by an apparttlon,
that he should he the greatest man in Eng
land, and should he near the King" Another
story was that he had acted the part Of a king
in his schooldays, placing the crown himself
upon his head, and adding. "majestical. mighty
words" Of his own to the poets verses. These,
Of course. are myths of the kind that ordinarily
grrminate around the early life Of great men
All that is certain is that Cromwell was educated
at the free school Of Huntingdon under DR..
Thomas Beard, a Puritan. an austere man who
believed in the rod. and is described as
correcting the manners Of young Oliver with
adilieent hand and careful eye
Al the age OF II Oliver Cromwell was sent to
Cambridge. whore. on April %, 1919. he was
admitted a fellow Of Sidney SUSSEX
College This institution. founded in 1893.
was one Of the two colleges AT Cambridge which
Taud subsequently, complained Of as nurseries
of PurItanism. Cromwell did not distinguish
himself al Cambridge. lie had no aptitude for
any language but his own Burnet saws that he
had no foreign language but the little Latin
that stuck 10 him from his education. which he
spoke very viciously and scantly. When
Cromwell was Protector. however, he remem-
bered enough Latin to carry on a converse
ton In that tongue with = Dutch ambassador
Another biographer tells us that Cromwell
"excelled chiefly in the mathematics, and his
kinsman, the poet Waller. was wont 10 say
that the Protector was very well read in the
Greek and Roman stories" Cromwell's ad-
vice 10 his son Richard bears ont this accoun,
Of his preferences. Read a little history. "
he wrote to his son, study the mathematics
and cosmoSraphy. These are good. with SUBJ
ordinGtlon To the things Of God. These NJ
for public services. for which n man is born. "
With Cromwell, as with Montrose, Sir Walter
RalelGh's History of the World" was n favor
ite book. and he urged his son to read il. IT'S
a body NJ history. and will add much more to
your understanding than fragments Of stories.
Cromwell's t.tor is said TO have observed with
great discr mination that his pupil was not SO
much addicted 10 speculation as 10 action.
aud ROYAL blographers make his early taste
for athlet:c, and sport n great reproach Ia
him. Ono NJ them says "Ilc was easily satiated
with study, taking more delight in horse and
Held exercises mother Describes him as
more famous for his exercises IN the fields
than IN tn" schools, h"lng one Of the chief match.
makers and PLAYERS Of football. crdsrls OF
any other buiNterou- sport or game" How
long Cromwell remained at the universit,
is not known. hut II i, certain that he left il
without taking a degree. Probably he auit,ec
Cambridge prematurely, on account Of tn,
death Of his father. Robert Cromwell. whl