in the interim. He had only such books as his father's cottage supplied--a volume or two of Arithmetic, Greenwood's England, Jewell's Apology; an odd volume of Chambers's Cyclopædia, picked up from a wrecked coaster; and eight or ten volumes of the Universal Magazine.

The remarkable aptitude of Porson soon became noticed: at the age of eleven, Mr. Hewitt, the curate of East Ruston, took charge of his education, and continued to instruct him till the age of thirteen, when his fame as a youthful prodigy, through Mr. Hewitt, became known to Mr. Norris, the founder of the Norrisian Professorship at Cambridge, who said, however: 'Well, I see nothing particular in this heavy-looking boy, but I confide in your account of his talents." Porson was then sent to Cambridge, where the Greek Professor, and three tutors of Trinity College, having examined him, reported of him so favorably that Mr. Norris had him entered on the foundation at Eton, in 1774.

Hr. Hewitt, writing to the Cambridge Professor, speaks of having had "the orderly and good boy under his care for almost two years, chiefly on Corderius's Colloquies, Cæsar, Ovid, Horace, and Virgil, and Mathematics. In Greek he was only learning the verbs." *

Of his Eton days, Porson only recollected with pleasure the rat-hunts in the Long Chamber. His promise of excellence appears at this time to have rather diminished: his composition was weak, and his ignorance of quantity kept him behind his inferiors in other respects. He was also prone to conceit in his verses, and fond of mixing Greek with his Latin. He went too late to Eton to have any chance of succeeding to a scholarship at King's. He was popular among his school-fellows, and two dramas which he wrote for performance in the Long Chamber are still remembered. He seems, however, at first to have somewhat disappointed his friends, as Lord Nelson's brother, who was at Eton with Porson, brought back word that they thought nothing of the Norfolk boy. At the same time, his unrivaled memory was noticed at school, and exemplified in the oft-repeated story of his construing Horace from memory, when his book had been abstracted, and Övid put in its place. And his promise must have been remarkable, as when he left Eton, contributions from Etonians to aid the funds for his maintenance at the University were readily subscribed.

At Eton he remained some four years, and in October, 1778,

* These leading details of Porson's life and career of learning have been selected and condensed from a very able paper by II. R. Luard, M.A., in the Cambridge Essays, cortributed by Members of the University. 1857.

through the aid of Sir George Baker, the celebrated physician (Mr. Norris had died in the previous year), Porson became a member of Trinity College, Cambridge; was elected Scholar in 1780, and Craven University Scholar in 1781. Next year he graduated as third senior optime, and obtained soon after the first Chancellor's medal; and in the same year he was elected Fellow of Trinity, a very unusual thing at that time for a Junior Bachelor of Arts. He seems to have begun his critical career while an undergraduate, and it was, doubtless, during his residence at Cambridge that he laid up his marvelous stores of learning for future use. He now turned his thoughts to publication; and is said to have first appeared in print in a short critique on Schutz's Eschylus, in a review started by his friend Maty, a Fellow of Trinity, in 1783; and he contributed to this. journal some four years, until it was discontinued. "His review of Brunck's Aristophanes is a striking specimen of that strong nervous English for which all Porson's writings are remarkable, and nowhere else are the chief excellencies and defects of the great comic poet so well summed up." But at this period, his chief attention was devoted to Eschylus: his restoration of two passages in Plutarch and Eschylus, by each other's help, is one of the earliest as well as one of the most brilliant of all Porson's emendations. "If it be remembered that this was done by a young man at the age of twenty-three, it shows an amount of learning, mingled with the power of applying it, at that age, that it would be vain to seek elsewhere." (H. R. Luard.)

In 1786, Porson communicated to a new edition of Hutchinson's Anabasis of Xenophon a few annotations which give the first specimen of that neat and terse style of Latin notes in which Porson was afterward to appear without a rival. They also show already his intimate acquaintance with his two favorite authors, Plato and Athenæus, and a familiarity with Eustathius's Commentary on Homer. Next year were written his Note breves prefixed to the Oxford reprint of Toup, which first made his name known, generally, as a critic of the highest rank. In the same year appeared the most perfect specimen of Porson's wonderful power of humor-the three panegyrical letters in the Gentleman's Magazine, on Hawkins's Life of Johnson, in which wonderful compositions Porson's force of pleasantry and delicate touches of satire show his extensive acquaintance with the English dramatists, especially with Shakspeare. The whole is an admirable specimen of Porson's peculiar ironical humor.

Porson became better known by his series of Letters to Archdeacon Travis, on the contested verse, 1 John v. 7-in the words of Gibbon, "the most acute and accurate piece of criticism which

had appeared since the days of Bentley." Porson also gained great celebrity in the learned world by his discovery of the new canons respecting the Iambic metre of the Greek tragedians, which he announced in the preface to his second edition of the Hecuba of Euripides.

We have not space to glance further at Porson's masterly criticisms, or his classical contributions to periodical literature. He resigned his Fellowship through his religious opinions, and was subsequently supported by subscription. He was afterward elected to the Regius Professorship of Greek at Cambridge.

Meanwhile, he lived in Chambers in Essex-court, Temple; and occasionally visited Dr. Goodall, at Eton; and Dr. Parr. While at Hatton, he generally spent his mornings in the library, and in the evening would pour fourth from the rich stores of his memory pages of Barrow, whole letters of Richardson, whole scenes of Foote, recitations from Shakspeare, and etymologies and dissertations on the roots of the English language. His wonderful power of retaining accurately what he had read, and being able to produce it always when called for, never forsook him. Nothing came amiss to his memory: he would set a child right in his twopenny fable-book, repeat the whole of the moral tale of the Dean of Badajos, or a page of Athenæus on cups, or Eustathius on Homer. Sometimes he would recite forgotten Vauxhall songs, and spend hours in making charades or conundrums for ladies, with whom he was a great favorite.

It has been observed of Porson by one who saw much of him, that to the manners of a gentleman, and the most gigantic powers of learning and criticism, he joined the inoffensiveness of a child; and, among his many good qualities, one was, never to speak ill of the moral character of any man.

It is not difficult to trace in Porson's habits of thought the influence which the study of mathematics had upon him. He was to his dying day very fond of these studies. There are still preserved many papers of his scribbled over with mathematical calculations; and when the fit seized him in the street which caused his death, an equation was found in his pocket.

Dr. Young has said of him, that "as far as regards the possession of a combination of the faculties which Porson did cultivate, he appears to have been decidedly the most successful of any man on record in the same department."

"To him chiefly," says Mr. Luard, in his excellent paper in the Cambridge Essays, "English scholarship (especially Cambridge scholarship) owes its accuracy and its certainty: and this

as a branch of education as a substratum on which to rest other branches of knowledge often infinitely more useful in themselves—really takes as high a rank as any of those studies which can contribute to form the character of a well-educated English gentleman."

How painful is it to add, that a man of such amiable nature and surpassing intellect should have been addicted for many years of his life to the degrading habit of hard-drinking.

THE MARQUIS WELLESLEY AL ETON AND Oxford.

In the foremost rank of high scholarship at Eton is Richard Marquis Wellesley, the eldest son of the Earl of Mornington, "a person of talents and virtue, and his taste in music being cultivated in an extraordinary degree, he was the author of some beautiful compositions, which still retain their place in the favor of the musical world." Richard was born at Dangan Castle, in the county of Meath, in 1760: his mother, a daughter of Lord Dungannon, lived to an extreme old age: "she saw all the glories of Hindostan, of Spain, and of Waterloo; and left four sons sitting in the House of Lords, not by inheritance, but by merit raised to that proud eminence.” *

Richard, who, at his father's death, had nearly attained majority, was sent first to Harrow, and there took part in a great rebellion that had well nigh broken up the school. This occasioned his expulsion, and he then, in his 11th year, went to Eton, where, says his biographer, Lord Brougham, "he was distinguished above all the youths of his time."

When Dr Goodall, his cotemporary, and afterward Head-Master, was examined in 1818, before the Education Committee of the House of Commons respecting the alleged passing over of Porson in giving promotion to King's College, he at once declared that the celebrated Grecian was not by any means at the head of the Etonians of his day; and being asked by me (as chairman) to name his superior, he at once said, Lord Wellesley.— Lives of Statesmen, by Lord Brougham, who adds in a note, "Some of the Committee would have had this struck out of the evidence, as not bearing upon the subject of the inquiry, the Abuse of Charities; but the general voice was immediately pronounced in favor of retaining it, as a small tribute of our great respect for Lord Wellesley; and I know that he highly valued this tribute."

Dr. Davis was Lord Wellesley's tutor when he entered Eton School; and, in after-life, the Marquis described the Doctor to have always bestowed on his education the solicitude and affection of a kind parent. The pupil greatly excelled in classical studies: some of his verses in the Musæ Etonenses have great merit, as examples both of pure Latinity and poetical talent: the Lines on Bedlam, especially, are of distinguished excellence. Some of his Latin poems were published about this early period.

* The Marquis Wellesley, Lord Maryborough, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Cowley.

*

On leaving Eton, Lord Wellesley went to Christchurch, Oxford, and here, under Dr. W. Jackson, afterward Bishop of Oxford, he continued his classical studies. His poem on the Death of Captain Cook showed how entirely he had kept up his school reputation: it justly gained the University prize. At college he formed with Lord Grenville a friendship which continued during their lives, and led to his intimacy with Lord. Grenville's great kinsman, Mr. Pitt, upon their entering into public life.* Yet the young minister never deemed it worth while to promote Lord Wellesley, whose powers as a speaker were of a high order, and with whom Mr. Pitt lived on the most intimate footing. The trifling place of a junior Lord of the Treasury, and a member of the India Board, formed all the preferment which he received before his appointment as GovernorGeneral of India, although that important nomination sufficiently shows the high estimate which Mr. Pitt had formed of his capacity. In 1781, before taking his degree, Lord Wellesley was called away to Ireland in consequence of the death of his father: subsequently he attended to the education of his younger brothers. Lord Wellesley (says Pearce, his biographer) deeply attached throughout his long life to Eton. Some of the latest productions of his lordship's pen were dedicated to his beloved Eton; and in testimony of the strong affection which he entertained toward the place where he received his first impressions of literary taste, and in accordance with his desire expressed before his death, his body was deposited in a vault of Eton Chapel."

(C was

In his riper years, Lord Wellesley retained the same classical taste which had been cre ated at school and nurtured at college As late as a few weeks before his death, he amused himself with Latin verses, was constant in reading the Greek orators and poets, and corresponded with the Bishop of Durham upon a favorite project which he had formed of learn

*When Mr. Pitt was a youth, some law-lord (could it be Lord Mansfield?) one morning paid a visit to Lord Chatham at his country residence. Whilst they were conversing, his son William came through the library. Lord asked who is that youth? Lord Chatham said, "That is my second son-call him back and talk to him. They did so, and Lord was struck by a forwardness of knowledge, a readiness of expression, and unyieldingness of opinion, which even then was remarkable in the future minister. When he had left them, Lord Chatham said: "That is the most extraordinary youth I ever knew. All my life I have been aiming at the possession of political power, and have found the greatest difficulty in getting or keeping it. It is not on the cards of fortune to prevent that young man's gaining it, and if ever he does so, he will be the ruin of his country."Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, 1825.

Pitt was born in 1759. Lord Brougham gracefully says of Pitt: "At an age when others are but entering on the study of state affairs and the practice of debating, he came forth a mature politician, a finished orator, even, as if by inspiration, an accomplished debater. His knowledge, too, was not confined to the study of the classics, though with these he was familiarly conversant; the more severe pursuits of Cambridge had imparted to him some acquaintance with the stricter sciences which have had their home upon the banks of the Granta since Newton made then his abode; and with political philosophy he was more familiar than most Englishmen of his own age." In honor of this great Statesman there was founded, in 1813, in the University of Cambridge, a Classical "Pitt Scholarship."