The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-04-22

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English Lad Was Intellectually One
OF the Most Remarkable Youths the
World Has Ever known.
one of the most remarkable boys the
world ever saw was William Pitt. He
astonished folk with his learning at the
nge of seven. lie became prime min
lister Of England when lie was twenty
four.
lie was a sickly boy, but lie took all
the out of door exercise his delicate
frame could bear and was as eager TO
study as most boys are to play. He
would not let his weak body stop his
work, and he was reading ancient his
tory At an age when most children are
reading stories written in words or
one syllable.
His father was the great Earl or
Chatham, and the boy was brought In
to contact with all the great men OF
the time in England. When he was
thirteen years old he wrote a tragedy
which lie called "Iaurentinc, King OF
Clarinium."
At this age, too, he was able to read
Greek and Latin almost as well as he
could English. lie also was well III
formed on the politics of the day and
ON variety of subjects about which
only men Of learning are supposed to
know anything.
Al fourteen he was able to take the
works of 1hucydides, written In Greek.
and read page after page, turning 1t
into excellent English as he read, ana
this off hand translation Of his Is said
to have been almost without flaw.
Ills father spoke of him MS eager
MIR. William, the counselor, the phllos-
opher.' At the age OF fourteen he en-
tered the great University of Cam
bridge in England and ut once, in spite
of his youth, took high place among
the students Mt that celebrated place
of learning.
When he went TO Cambridge, the boy
was in such feeble health that he had
10 be accompanied by nurse, and all
through his course there lie was in so
poor condition, physically, that 1t was
douhtcd II lie ever would be able to
finish the course.
But hard study seemed TO agree with
him. and when lie was graduated, at
the age of seventeen. he was much
stronger than when he entered the uni
versity.
At an age when most boys are pre-
pairing TO enter college. or, if they are
very clever, have just become fresh
men. young Pitt won the degree of
muster of arts from one of the great
est universities in the world and began
the study of law.
At twenty he was admitted to
the har, and the same year was elected
member of parliament, TO become
prime minister three years later.
While he was yet IL law student and
only eighteen years old he attracted
the attention of prominent men by his
clear views on the questions OF govern
mcnt. which then We're perplexlng the
rulers of England. The boy was In
Nited everywhere. and men holding the
most important Offices listened to his
advice and asked his opinions.
His friends wanted him TO go into
parliament when he was twenty and
all predicted for him brilliant career.
II was cuiious to see this delicate strip
ling, boy in looks and years, meeting
the great ana wise men of the country
as an equal and conyerslng on even
terms with the most learned scholars
of the day
Young Pitt used TO Ike TO listen to
the debates in the British parliament
Al. ....
meeting him once after debate, was
nstonIshcd ut the manner In which the
boy criticised the eminent men who
had spoken and pointed out where they
could have made their argument
stronger.
one of the hardest works TO under
stand that ever were written Is book
called "tassandra," written by man
named l.ycophronis. II Is written In
Greek, learned man placed the book
IN the hands OF young Pitt when the
hoy was sixteen years old, and he read
II At first sight, translating into Eng
lish as he read mud explaining II In n
manner which made the learned man
declare that had he not seen II he
Nouh HaNe peileNcu IL W nc peyohu
The power OF human intellect"
When Pitt was sixteen. his father de
clared that he would be great states
man and was the hope of the country
other folks soon became OF his fathers
way of thinking. and that is why they
put him into parliament when he was
81 young and made him prime minister
50 Soon after
lie fulfilled all that was expected OF
him and ruled England during thirteen
of the most evcntful years Of her his
tory Detroit Free Press.