Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCLXXVI | Page 3

the post of Prime Minister to Henry
VIII. The knowledge of geography and history displayed in this
performance, is declared by those who have read it, to be truly
wonderful. Shortly after he had reached his eighth year, he was sent to
a school at Isleworth, kept by a Dr. Greenlaw, and remained there four
years. I have heard him frequently describe his first arrival at the school,
and several incidents attending it, in such a manner as showed him then
to have had great shrewdness and keenness of observation. One, in
particular, struck me at the time as illustrative of his stern sense of right,
and habits of reflection, at that very early period. "I remember," said he,
"that soon after I had got to school, a big boy called me aside, and told
me very seriously that I must prepare for a terrible flogging on
Saturday morning, and that however well I behaved, it would signify
nothing, for it was an old custom at the school to flog a little boy on his
first Saturday, before the whole school, by way of example, and to
make him behave well. I was horribly frightened at this; but the first
thing that struck me, and kept me awake a good while thinking of it,
was, how very unjust a thing it was to do this; and I thought so much of
this, that I do believe I was at length far more angry than frightened. Of
course, when Saturday came, I found it had been all a joke only; but I
always thought it a very disagreeable and improper joke." I have
several times heard Mr. Smith mention this little circumstance, and I
have above given many of his own expressions. He used to proceed to
describe the reasonings which he had held in his own mind upon this
subject, all which, he said, he vividly recollected; and it was certainly
both curious and interesting to hear how he puzzled himself in trying to
find out "reasons why it might be right to flog him under these
circumstances." Dr. Greenlaw was not slow in discovering the
extraordinary abilities of the little new-comer, and used to describe
them in glowing terms to his father; but would add that, much as he
admired the child's talent and diligence, he entertained a still higher
opinion of the little fellow's perfect modesty, his seeming
unconsciousness of his mental superiority over his companions, his
honesty and simplicity of character, and, above all, his unwavering and
inflexible adherence to truth on even the most trifling occasions. Every

living friend of his will testify that he was thus distinguished
throughout life, exhibiting that
Compositum jus, fasque animi, sanctosque recessus Mentis, et
incoctum generoso pectus honesto,
which the stern moralist[4] declared to afford the noblest qualification
for approaching the presence of the gods.
[3] Lib. vi. proëm.
[4] Pers. Sat. ii. 73, 74.
Hæc cedo ut admoveam templis, et farre litabo.
During this period, namely, from his eighth to his twelfth year, he
became passionately fond of writing verses: and I have now before me,
kindly forwarded by one of his relatives in Ireland, two small quarto
MS. volumes, containing exclusively what he wrote during this period,
extending to upwards of seventy or eighty pieces, some of considerable
length, and in every kind of English verse. Their genuineness is
unquestionable; and I shall quote from them in the state in which they
were originally collected at the time, without the alteration of a single
letter. Having completely satisfied myself on this point, and I hope the
reader also, what will he think of the following evidence of the creative
perception of humour professed by a child scarce thirteen years of age?
I have transcribed it verbatim. It is prefixed to a satirical poem of some
length, entitled "Practical Morality."
Preface loquitur--
"Though it may appear to thee, courteous reader, that I have in all ages
been considered as a vehicle of fumbling apologies and trivial excuses,
a sort of go-between employed by the writer to deprecate the anger of
the peruser, in short, the literary servant of all-work, whether my duty
be to expatiate on the merits, or apologise for the defects of my master,
or (as it often is) to claim the pity and forbearance of the mobile, and
set forth in humble terms the degradations he has submitted, and is still

ready to submit to,--I say, reader, though a part so servile has been
assigned to me, yet, should my natural claims and intrinsic merits be
duly considered, different, far different would be my station. What! am
I thus exalted in situation above my [sic] situated, (as I may say,) in the
very van, exposed to the sneer of every satirical reader and sententious
critic? Am I placed