two years later studied under Gentile Bellini. Tintoretto used as a child to draw on the walls of his father's house, and received the name by which he is most widely known at this early date. Hardly less striking in his precocity is Michael Angelo, who as a lad kept running off to the studios, and at 14 was received by Ghirlandajo as a regular pupil. movement the early course of Beethoven's | erence for art over classics, and painted genius we see a marked difference. If, at the age of 12 a Madonna and Child in says the authority just quoted, we com- the tabernacle of a house, and about two pare what this composer had done by 22 with the abundant productivity of the three others by the same age, we have to pronounce the works to be few and unimportant. He has to show against Mozart's thirty-six symphonies only one, and against the same writer's twenty-eight operas, cantatas, and masses, nothing at all. It was not till the age of 25 that Beethoven published works of high impor- Turning from Italy we meet with no tance (including the first three sonatas less interesting illustrations of artistic for the piano, and the song “Adelaide "). | precocity. Murillo displayed talent as a And he first attacked large compositions, child, covering the walls of his house with quintets for strings, symphonies, etc., in his drawings. It is said that he painted his thirtieth year. pictures as a boy and sold them at the fair. Holbein, who was taught at an early age by his father, painted finished pictures by the age of 13. Ruysdael is said to have painted notable pictures at 12. At the same age Cornelius painted original compositions in the cathedral at Neuss, which show great talent. Vernet helped when a boy to paint his father's pictures. Ary Scheffer, the son of a painter, painted from early childhood and exhibited in the Amsterdam Salon at 12. Backwardness in original musical production is exemplified by two writers of opera, Gluck and Wagner, both of whom began as imitators of others, and only struck out a new path in middle life. Another example is Sebastian Bach, who did not compose till after 40. But perhaps the most noteworthy instance of late musical development is Haydn, who, though he gained a certain limited reputation in his youth, did not divulge the secret of his great powers till towards the age of 60. Nevertheless, in spite of these inequalities, it may be safely said that, as a rule, the great musical composers have redeemed the promise of a precocious youth with a creditable alacrity. This may be seen by a glance at the following figures. Out of thirty names selected for examination, I find that eighteen unquestionably reached eminence under 25, or twenty-two in all under 30; leaving eight who attained fame after 30. Thus about three-fifths of the illustrious names in the history of music came into possession of their full intellectual heritage on, or soon after, attaining their majority. 2. Painters and Sculptors. The history of art is so rich in illustrations of precocity that it is difficult to select the best examples. Mantegna showed such marked ability as a child that he was taken up by a patron and entered by his master in the guild of painters before the completion of his eleventh year. Again, Andrea del Sarto is said to have shown fondness for drawing as a child, and at the early age of 7 to have been introduced to the world of art in the shop of a goldsmith. Raphael seems to have been a painter from the cradle. He was sent to learn of Perugino when 12 years old, and at 17 was painting on his own account. Tiziano showed as a child a decided pref Among sculptors, Canova is said to have carved a lion at 12. Thorwaldsen entered on a regular course of study at II. Coming to our own country we find instances of precocity which equal, if indeed they do not surpass, those furnished by other countries. Perhaps the most remarkable instance is George Morland. He is said to have taken to pencil and crayon almost as soon as he left the cradle. Sketches of his made at the age of 4, 5, and 6, were exhibited to the Society of Artists, and won praise for the child-artist. Sir Thomas Lawrence was another childish marvel. As a small boy he could draw portraits, and at 9 not only copied historical paintings in a masterly style, but succeeded in compositions of his own. At to his childish fame was such that he was sent by his father to Oxford to paint bishops, earls, and other notabilities - - an experiment which brought great gain to his impecunious parent. At 17 the period of his riper and more lasting fame commenced. With these instances must be reckoned Landseer, who, taught by his father, could draw well at 5, and excellently at 8. When only 13 he drew a majestic St. Bernard dog which was etched by his brother, and in the same year pictures of his appeared in the Royal Academy under the name of Master E. Landseer. Gainsborough was a confirmed painter at 12. Turner, though | been made to the early age at which Ary hampered by poverty, made such progress Scheffer, Morland, Turner, and Landseer that he exhibited at 15. Wilkie says he succeeded in getting their works exhib. could draw before he could read, and heited. exhibited at 14. Flaxman amused himself when a sickly child by drawing in crayons, and exhibited busts at 15. Reference has already been made to the early age at which artists have seri. ously taken up art as the work of their life. In many cases this date alone suffi ciently attests the presence of childish gifts. Two great Italian painters, Perugino and Tiziano, are said to have studied painting at 9. Correggio is known to have begun his studies before 13. Van Dyck was taken in hand by his father at 11. Rubens, to the distress of his mother, who was ambitious for what she deemed a higher career for her son, was sent to learn painting at 13. In many instances we know that the artist made his mark in youth, or very early manhood. Mantegna painted pictures of exceptional excellence at 17. Fra Angelico was a skilled artist at 20. Another early Italian artist, Orcagna, had fully established his reputation about the age of 22. Ghiberti attained notoriety by his successful design for the bronze doors at about 21 or 22. Coming to later work. ers, we find it recorded that Leonardo painted finished pictures at 20. Michael Angelo produced great works by 19. Raphael painted fine pictures at 21. Titian became a distinguished painter at about 20. Correggio struck out his original manner about 18, and reached fame soon Following the same method as that pur-after 20. Holbein is known to have sued in the case of musicians, we may painted good works at the age of 15, and now seek to give numerical precision to at 19 produced fine examples of finished our investigation. I have taken fifty-eight | portraiture. Van Dyck, too, painted exartists, consisting of painters, sculptors, quisite portraits at 21. Rubens had made and architects, of whose early years I have his mark by excellent work at 23. Rembeen able to obtain any information. Of brandt was famous at 24, and about the these I find that forty-two, that is to say same age Velasquez won royal recogni about three out of every four, are cred- tion. Vernet painted considerable works ited with having shown a decided skill before the age of 15. Or, if we take the age of 20 as our limit, we have forty-seven, or about four out of five, instances of precocity. To this it must be added that in eight cases not included here, we are told that the artist showed talent, or attained distinction early in life. And we may perhaps safely include one-half of these under the head of manifestations of talent before 20. By so doing we should raise our proportion to, or about eight out of nine. at 22. In our own country Landseer is again one of the most striking examples. By the age of 18 he had won recognition as a great artist, and had more work than he could do. Lawrence was about the same age when he established his reputa tion as a finished painter. Turner painted pictures at 18 which display real power. Reynolds had won a European reputation by 23, and Romney's finer work dates from about the same age. Here again figures may be useful. Out of a list of forty-two about the date of With respect to the date of the first com- whose attainment of fame-bringing excel pleted work, I have been able to collect a lence I have been able to inform myself, fair number of facts. Thus, out of forty-twenty-eight reached this point before two cases inspected, nine produced work before 15; sixteen between 15 and 20; fifteen between 20 and 25; one between 25 and 30; and one after 30. 25; nine more before 30; and the rest soon after that date. I cannot find an instance of artistic fame having been reached after the age of 40. If now we inquire into the age at A word or two may suffice respectwhich real distinction was attained, and ing the few exceptions to the rule of the first fruits of a permanent reputation the early manifestation and rapid growth reaped, we find in general that this date of artistic genius. In one case, that of accords with the very early indication of Ghirlandajo, we are explicitly told that taste and skill. In the case of more re distinction was not reached till after 30. cent artists, we have among the data In another, that of Francia, I have gone which point to early eminence, the win- by the fact that the earliest dated work ning of academical prizes, and admissions belongs to the age of 40. Perhaps the to the walls of exhibitions. Instances of most striking example of an undoubtedly early prize-winners are Thorwaldsen, In- late bloom of artistic genius is that of Sir gres, and Wilkie. Reference has already | Christopher Wren. He first distinguished himself in the realm of science (particu- tention. When a child he was a skilled larly mathematics and medicine), and suddenly showed himself a great architect about the age of 30. 3. Poets. A goodly collection might be made of stories of famous poets who have "lisped in numbers." I mention a few of the more interesting cases. Among the great Italians Tasso is perhaps the most conspicuous example. Wonderful anecdotes are related of his childish powers. In his seventeenth or at the latest in his eighteenth year he wrote "Rinaldo," a work which instantly brought him renown. Gordoni, the comedian, showed his bent as an infant by choosing puppets for his playthings, and he astonished his friends by knocking off a sketch of a comedy at the age of 8. Metastasio as a child improvised in the streets, holding a crowd ip admiring attention, and translated the Iliad at 12. The great Spanish dramatist, Calderon, is another clear instance of precocity. His development was so rapid that at the age of 13 he went to the high school at Salamanca, and at 14 wrote his first play. Among German poets, Goethe, the greatest, is also the most precocious. He is said to have composed dialogues between 6 and 8. His first poems date from the sixteenth year, and by 22 he sounded in his "Götz von Berlichingen "the new national note in German drama. Among French poets Alfred de Musset, who had excited the envy of his comrades at school by his quickness, composed poems at 14. Perhaps, however, the most valuable example among French poets is Victor Hugo, who was called an enfant sublime, began as a schoolboy to write poems, both translations and original compositions, by 16 produced finished works of lasting value, and by 25 was the acknowledged leader of the Romantic movement. Among our own poets one can find instances of precocity which in no wise fall behind those just quoted. Beginning with the sixteenth century we have Beaumont, who was called by Wordsworth the eager child, and who seems to have composed tragedies at the age of 12. Next comes the name of Cowley. In his tenth year he wrote an epical romance which, according to an eminent living critic, though marked by faults of immaturity, is enriched by considerable merits, and is "the most astonishing feat of imaginative precocity on record." He followed up this first effort so well that he was famous before 15. Coming to the last century the name of Pope at once arrests our at satirist. At 12 he took upon him the responsibilities of self-tuition, and at the same age produced what have been described as the "beautiful and touching" stanzas on "Solitude." Of the present century poets Byron and Coleridge are the most famous examples. Byron, who was deeply in love before ten, wrote be. fore 15 poems which bear the stamp of genius, and by 21 made himself famous by his brilliant satire, " English Bards and Scotch Reviewers." Coleridge was "filled with poetry and (odd assortment) metaphysics" at 15; and at 16 he had produced poems bearing the unmistakable marks of genius. Our poetesses do not lag far behind their brothers. At least we have two names to set against the list of male precocities. One of these, indeed — Elizabeth Barrett Browning-ranks among the phenomenal instances of early intel lectual prowess. At 8 she read Homer in Greek, and at the same age began to write poetry. At 11 or 12 she wrote an epic, which her father printed. And be fore 15 she produced works which attest true genius.* Mrs. Hemans, the other poetess referred to, was a clever, selftaught child, and published a volume of poems at the age of 14. In order to ascertain what proportion of the world's singers gave early promise of their vocal powers, I have gone through fifty-two records of modern poets. Of these thirty-nine, that is to say three out of four; were distinctly precocious. Many of them began to versify in their early youth. A large proportion betrayed as children a strong bias to dreamy contemplation and solitude. In respect of methodic learning, a good number, if not the majority, appear to have been sadly want ing. Poets rank high, too, in the matter of early production. After going through a series of sixty names, I find that thirtyeight, or very nearly two-thirds, wrote before 20. Of the others, seventeen began to write before 30. Thus only five, that is to say, one out of every twelve, took to poetic composition after 30. The plant of poetic genius is not only early in disclosing its young shoot, but grows rapidly to the stature that commands admiration and renown. In some cases, as that of Tasso, Goethe, Coleridge, Campbell, and Moore, recognition follows I am indebted to Mr. Leslie Stephen for some of the facts relating to Mrs. Browning. almost instantaneously. In a much larger | Among foreign novelists we have Balzac, number, including Milton, Pope, Byron, who, when a schoolboy, excogitated a Keats, and Voltaire, fame is reached after theory of the will, and began to publish a very few years. novels soon after 20, and Hoffmann, who was a marvel of boyish cleverness, and who began to write novels soon after leaving school. After examining forty-nine cases, I find that twenty-eight, or four out of seven, won renown at the age of 25. The proportion of those who were famous by 30 is thirty-six, or more than five out of seven. Finally forty-five, or nearly thirteen out of fourteen, had attained fame before 40, leaving only four who attained this point later in life. - Turning now to our list of exceptions, it is to be observed that in some cases e.g. Chaucer, Marlowe, and Corneille the record of early life is too meagre to allow of our being sure that there were no manifestations of precocity.* One of our exceptions, indeed. - Dante appears to have shared with Byron a precocious development of the sexual emotion. But, allowing for uncertainties, there is a clear residue of cases in which the gift of poetic utterance revealed itself late. Camoens, Racine, Goldsmith, Cowper, Wordsworth, may be cited as examples. The last two poets, together with Dryden and Dante, make up the four who missed renown till after 40. Of these, Cowper appears not to have begun to write till after that age. Dante, like Milton, passed his early manhood in the service of the State. Dryden and Wordsworth began to write when young, and so are signal examples of a long, unrewarded fidelity to the muse.† 4. Novelists. Among writers of fiction we find a number who displayed imagina. tive power in early life. Scott, who was at the University of Edinburgh at 12, neglecting the regular academic studies for romances, began about this date to practice the invention of stories with a college friend. Dickens is a more impressive instance still. Forced, when a child of 9, to go out into the world and earn his live. lihood, he indulged his irresistible bent to fiction not only by a vivid realization and reproduction of the creations of others, but also by original inventions, the recital of which brought the lad a high renown among his companions, and, spite of pov. erty, he succeeded in publishing his first novel by the age of 22. Another striking instance is Lytton, who published poems at 15 and produced his first novel by 22. Much the same remark applies to Shakespeare, whose first poetic effort I have set down as dating from his twenty-eighth year. †The Greek and Latin poets supply several alleged instances of precocity. Living poets seem, as far as I can judge from the date of their first publication, to be somewhat below the average in this respect. Among lady novelists instances of precocity are Charlotte Brontë and her sister, who, as soon as they could read and write, began to invent and act little plays of their own. By the age of 14 Charlotte had put together a number of stories as well as poems and plays. But it was not till the age of 30 that she prepared her first considerable novel, "The Professor." Emily, who was two years younger than her sister, completed her "Wuthering Heights" about the same time. Another instance is Miss Burney. As a child she was remarkable; she taught herself to read and write, and became an incessant scribbler of verse and prose. She was not much more than 15 when she planned the story of "Evelina," though it was not actually written till some years later, and only published when she was 26. Taking twenty-eight novelists, I find that in twenty-one cases, that is in three cases out of four, there is evidence of imaginative power showing itself before 20. Sometimes this evidence is of a curious character, as in the case of Richardson, who at the age of 13 displayed his skill in letter-writing by acting as confidential secretary to three of his girl acquaintances, inditing or correcting their answers to the epistolary effusions of their lovers. Novelists exhibit much diversity of habit with respect to the date of their first appearance before the public. In a list of thirty-two names two published their first work before 20; seven between 20 and 25; nine between 25 and 30; seven between 30 and 40; and seven after 40. It may be observed that names of worldwide reputation appear in each group except the first. Thus Dickens and Hawthorne fall under the first of the four divisions; George Sand, Thackeray, and Victor Hugo under the second; Fielding, Goldsmith, and George Eliot under the third; and Defoe, Richardson, Sterne, Scott, and Cervantes under the last. The date at which the first notable work appears varies in very much the same way. In a series of thirty-one names, three produce a work of note before 25; nine more before 30; twelve more before 40; and seven after 40. The most remarkable examples of late development are Defoe, who after devot ing the best part of his life to political polemics suddenly struck into the path of fiction at the age of 44, and only gave his "Robinson Crusoe " to the world eleven years later; Richardson, who published his first fiction when 51; Sterne, who, after passing many contented years in the seclusion of a country rectory, tried his luck as a novelist by publishing "Tristam Shandy" at the age of 46; and Cervantes, who after years of active service followed out an early impulse to letters in his thirtysixth year, and produced his masterpiece at the mature age of 57. 5. Scholars, Historians, Critics. In this rather miscellaneous group we have a number of first-rate instances of precocity. Grotius has been pronounced one of the greatest of prodigies in this respect. At 9 he wrote good Latin verses; at 12 he was ripe for the university; at 15 he was editing the encyclopædic treatise of Capella; and at 17 did excellent scholarly work. Our own Porson, the son of a parish clerk, at a very early date attracted notice by his exceptional powers of acquisition. At 9 he could extract the cube root of a number by a process of mental arithmetic. Before 15 he was able to repeat the whole of Horace, Virgil, and many parts of Livy, Cicero, etc. His productive work began later (24). Niebuhr resembles Porson in being the son of poor parents, and having a predilection at first for mathematics. At 7 he was regarded as a marvel of boyish erudition. Among our own historians, Macaulay and Thirlwall are distinguished by precocity. Macaulay, whose extraordinary power of retention is well known, showed a decided bent towards literature as a child. Before 8 he had given a presage of his historical work by putting together a compendium of universal history. By the same date he had written a romance, and soon after composed long poems. Thirlwall is a still more wonderful example. The son of a clergyman, he was taught Latin at 3, and by 4 could read Greek with a fluency which astonished his family. He began to write at 7, and at 12 appeared before the world in a volume entitled "Primitiæ," which contained essays, and poems on various subjects, grave and gay. Soon after 12, when at Charterhouse, he wrote elaborate letters in Latin, showing ex traordinary reading and critical judgment. If now we inquire what proportion of the class were distinguished for intellectual precocity, we reach the following results. Out of thirty-six cases, thirty, or five-sixths, are said to have been distin guished by preternatural ability, either in childhood or in early youth. So far as I can ascertain, about one-half of these betrayed at an early age the precise direction of their future mental activity. This applies, for example, to Gibbon, De Quincey, Hazlitt, and Lessing. The others either proved themselves quick all-round learners, or evinced exceptional intellectual strength in some other direction, e.g., mathematics or poetry. It becomes a very different question if we inquire into the age at which original production commenced. Out of a list of thirty-five it would seem as if only seven - that is just one-fifth- published before 20. Eighteen more commenced their lit erary career between 20 and 30; four more between 30 and 40; leaving six who began to write after 40. With respect to the age at which a posi tion of eminence is reached, our present group shows still wider variations than the previous ones. An inspection of a series of thirty-five writers gives the fol lowing results: only seven, or one-fifth, won distinction before 25, nine more be fore 30; sixteen more before 40, leaving three unrewarded till after this date. I add that wheremay as often happens in the case of scholars and historians a wide reputation is at once secured by a masterpiece, the appearance of this commonly falls in the thirties at the earliest. Niebuhr's first volume was published when he was 39; Thirlwall's when he was 38; Grote's, though conceived about 30, not till 52. On the other hand, literary critics as Addison, Diderot, Lessinghave frequently obtained recognition by some excellent piece of work before 30. 6. Men of Science. Instances of astounding precocity do not fail us when we leave the more romantic walks of art and letters for the austere region of science. Mathematical genius and original power in physical research have alike been fre quently heralded by exceptional boyish endowment. Among the greatest discoverers we have instances of juvenile distinction. Galileo showed remarkable aptitude from earliest childhood. His favorite pastime was the construction of toy machines. A passion for music did not seduce him from his supreme devotion to mathematics, and by 19 he was making important discov eries. Tycho Brahe illustrates the same early bent in a slightly different way. His devotion to astronomy had to contend, not with his own, but with other's inclinations. Sent to read law at 16, he managed after |