1075

On the Neglect of Genius.

1076

worship of the Babylonians, the descendants of Ham. Thus the mo

And that this applies to the ecclesi- | division, which took place in the time astical department, or the church, as of Peleg, was a division of the kingly well as to the patriarchs, may be al- and the priestly offices, arising from a lowed, because it is said that Enoch general apostasy from the true worwalked with God three hundred years ship of God, which caused a division after the birth of Methuselah, before in the church; the greatest part, either he was translated; which is sufficient from compulsion, or from the prevato convince us that a very consider-lence of example, adopted the polite able change took place in the church in the time of righteous Enoch. Thus it is said of the first five patri-narchical form of government, which archs, beginning with Seth, by whom from the time of Noah had been joined the first visible church was manifested, to the ecclesiastical, was now divided; that they lived upwards of 800 years but the priestly patriarchal was still after the birth of their first-born son, retained in Peleg, and in his descendto the change which took place in the ants down to Serug; like that which time of Enoch: even as it is said of now exists in the patriarch of the the first five patriarchs of the second Greek church at Constantinople, who order from Noah, by whom the second is considered as a nominal head of visible church was manifested, that that church, but who has not any they lived upwards of 400 years only power as a temporal prince; or someafter the birth of their first-born son, what like the pope, who, since his to the change which took place at the dominion has been circumscribed, and time of Peleg. his authority questioned, is reducedto a similar situation.

Noah was 500 years old at the birth of Shem, Ham, and Japhet, Gen. v. 32; but as it is expressly said that he lived 350 years after the flood, ch. ix. 29, and that his three sons were married when they went into the ark, they must have been 50 years old at the time of the flood, which authorizes us to state, that after the birth of his firstborn son,

years.

400

Noah lived
Shem after the birth of Arphaxad 500
Arphaxad after the birth of Salah 403

Salah after the birth of Eber
Eber after the birth of Peleg

403

430

But that which confirms us in the opinion that the division of the earth in the time of Peleg was a division of the church, is, that from Peleg to Serug, these patriarchs are said to have lived only half the time of the first five, that is 200 years after the birth of their first-born son. Thus Peleg lived after the birth of Reu 209 years; Reu after the birth of Serug, 207 years; Serug after the birth of Nahor, 200 years.

Now, if we consider that at this period, the Chaldean empire was extending its conquests over a great part of the east, that the love of dominion when aided by power will not suffer itself to be controlled, it is no wonder that the Chaldean power put an end to this ancient patriarchal-monarchical form of government. We have scripture and history to prove, that this

ON THE NEGLECT OF GENIUS.

MR. EDITOR. SIR,-The observations in your Magazine for October, (col. 937) on this subject, have led me to throw together the few following remarks for your consideration; hoping, as well as the writer of those observations, that some abler hand will speedily take up the subject, as it is one on which a great deal may be said, it being of a peculi arly interesting nature.

Could we by any possible means take a retrospective glance at the ge nius of every man who has lived within the last century, we should find that few, very few indeed, have met with the encouragement they deserved or expected. This arises from a variety of causes; from the difficulty, and even the impossibility, of persons, who are able and willing to assist them, ever becoming acquainted with their situation, on account of the vast multitude who people this "fair world;" and when acquainted, probably from a want of sufficient judgment to distinguish the risings of that genius, which they would otherwise be willing to encourage and extend. The principal reason why so many geniuses are never brought into action, is owing to their having no opportunity to

1077

On the Neglect of Genius.

give to the world the productions of
minds, that might, with cultivation,
arrive at the pinnacle of excellence;
and they are left to die unknown and
unlamented. It was with this idea
impressed upon his mind that Gray
wrote his well-known verse:
"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

This of course occurs more frequently among the lower orders of society than others, arising from the want of means, and the employment of a great portion of their time in procuring the necessaries of life; while the other classes have more time and money at their disposal. How many Cornwalls and Wordsworths have passed their days in the "life-consuming den" of a cotton manufactory, or dragged on a miserable existence in a garret, strangers almost to every comfort of civilization and of social life?

"So it has been, and so it must!" This does not arise so much from a general want of willingness in the public to relieve, (for, upon the whole, I must think that the people of England | have not been backward in rewarding merit,) as from a want of knowledge where these individuals are to be found. But when they are discovered, how tenderly should they use them! how should they excite their ardour in the pursuit of those objects of literature or art which are open to their view, forgiving little faults and failings, though they might occur "seventy times seven."

1078

this, he has been suffered to rise and
pass away almost without notice. The
laurel has been awarded (for the pre-
sent) to other brows: the bolder aspi-
rants have been allowed to take their
station on the slippery steps of the
temple of fame, while he has been
nearly hidden among the crowd during
his life, and has at last died, solitary
and in sorrow, in a foreign land....
His sad and beautiful wish is at last
accomplished: it was, that he might
drink "of the warm south", and
leave the world unseen,"-and-(he
is addressing the nightingale,)—
"And with thee fade away into the forest
dim:
Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget
What thon amongst the leaves hast never
known,

The weariness, the fever, and the fret

Here, where men sit and hear each other
groan;

Where palsy shakes a few, and last grey hairs,
Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and
dies;
Where but to think is to be full of sorrow,
And leaden-eyed despairs.
Where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,
Or new love pine at them beyond to-morrow."

'Tis true, he was nearly "hidden among the crowd;" but, notwithstanding his works were known to some persons, he was treated by them in a manner for which they may now be sorry, but for which they cannot atone! It was his ill fate to encounter the criticism of men now living, who, almost without any of those feelings that ought to be possessed by them, have cast a degree of ridicule and contempt upon every passage which they could discover in his writings; not In addition to the names of the un- for the purpose of warning the poet, fortunate Chatterton and Savage, nor in the true spirit of criticism, but which your correspondent has addu-to indulge their own personal hatred ced, allow me to notice one who was, of the man, because he was attached this time last year, awake to all the to a party to which they were opposed. loveliness of the scenes of nature,--It was this that damped the ardour mingling them with his lively imagi- of his poetical genius,-this that gave nation,--and blessing and delighting a shock to his delicate frame and feelthe world with his productions,-I ings,-and to this he has fallen a prey mean the poet Keats."There is but before the summer of his days had a small portion of the public acquaint- passed away. ed with the writings of this young man; yet they were full of high imagination and delicate fancy, and his images were beautiful, and more entirely his own, perhaps, than those of any living writer whatever. He had a fine ear, a tender heart; and at times, great force and originality of expression; and, notwithstanding all

It is well for the honour of England that these cases are of so rare occurrence. It is well that there are individuals who do their utmost to rescue genius from the grasp of poverty, where they find it thus oppressed; for it is well known, that for want of timely support, both poets and painters, and others of every profession,

1079

Observations on Light.

have sunk from the rank they held in society to the lowest ebb of misery; and have been compelled to neglect all their intellectual labours:

"Chill penury repress'd their noble rage, And froze the genial current of their souls."

1080

took him: upon this the gentleman asked him if he had any specimens of his ability to show, when the youth produced two or three drawings he had with him, upon which he was desired to call again and bring some more. The youth obeyed; the conse

took him without a farthing, and found him possessed of a genius truly great. But five months had not elapsed, before death claimed him for his own.

Seeing this is the case, what pow-quence was, the worthy gentleman erful claims press upon every individual to assist to the utmost of his ability, men of genius, when labouring under pecuniary difficulties!-The benefit they render to the individual is great; the benefit they render to their country is greater; and, as their own reward, what a variety of pleasing thoughts must arise in their minds, on the recollection, that probably they have been the means of saving a worthy man from an early grave, of preserving him alive for the bringing up of his children, and knowing, in short, that all his posterity will bless his name !

:

I will take the liberty of mentioning a circumstance related by a friend a few days ago, closely bearing upon the subject. I will abstain from mentioning names, but I could do it most willingly the gentleman, if he should happen to see this, must know that I refer to him, and must feel an inward pleasure in the consciousness of having done an action, more worthy to be recorded in the page of history, than those of the warrior in the field of blood; and, if death had not interposed between his good intentions and the object of them, he, no doubt, would have been the means of giving to the world the productions of a splendid genius, and of raising a worthy family from comparative indigence to affluence and ease.

Another genius, a poet, was lately rescued by the kindness of some gentleman from the poverty that surrounded him, I mean John Clare, the peasant, who has published two or three volumes of poetry, which display the powers of a mind, that, with proper culture, I have no doubt will further interest the public, and add one more poet to the number for which this country is at present so distinguished. Trusting that these gentlemen, as well as the individual referred to above, may long experience the pleasing satisfaction of being entitled to the good wishes, at least, of all who know them, I need scarcely say that they have mine most sincerely.

I remain, Your's, &c.

Acton-Place, Oct. 3.

M. M.

OBSERVATIONS ON LIGHT.

(Concluded from col. 988.)

However unaccountable it may be, such is the fact; light is reflected. And to this reflection we are indebted for whatever enters into our view, which is not itself luminous; for the sight of whatever is sublime, or beautiful, or useful, in nature or in art. Were it not for the reflection of light, the only things visible would be the sun, stars, candles, &c. But it is evident, that the sun itself is lighted up, not so much to be looked at, as to empower us to look at other

The family I speak of had a son, who was always remarkably fond of drawing; he had attained his 16th year, and manifested an ardent desire | to be apprenticed to an artist. The parents applied to several, but none would take him without a sum of money above what they could in any manner collect together. He, how-things. What is called day light, is ever, was not to be thwarted in the pursuit of the object so near his heart. He waited upon the gentleman to whom I refer, and wished him to take him under his care; the gentleman observed, that he thought it singular he should apply in such a manner to him; when the youth said, he trusted he would have no cause to repent if he

light reflected from various terrestrial bodies; from air, clouds, earth, &c. Were it not for this reflection, if we turned our back to the sun, in the clearest day, we should see nothing; and if we turned our face to that luminary, I apprehend his unbroken, unrefractd rays, would overwhelm us with their effulgence. I see, or think

Observations on Light.

1083

Memoirs of Leonardo Aretino.

commonly received theory of light. If these objections should be removed by any gentleman present, I shall think myself in no small degree happy in having introduced them.

1. Then is not the transmission of rays, or particles of light, from the sun, for instance, contrary to the known laws of attraction and gravitation? According to those laws, should we

1084

fill up its pores, and it becomes transparent. Is not this a fact, which bears hard upon the supposition, that rays of light pass through the pores of bodies; for as the paper is the most porous before it is oiled, ought it not also to be then most transparent?

LEONARDO ARETINO.

not suppose that distinct material MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF particles, instead of proceeding with such velocity from the sun, would sink upon his surface?

2. If the sun is, from all points of his immense sphere, continually throwing off such floods of material substance, is it not clear, that in the course of time the sun must waste away; and so will be verified the poet's prediction, "The sun himself shall grow dim with age!" Dr. Priestley made some experiments, the result of which was, that the sun is in reality wasting; and that its diameter is already diminished six or seven inches. I, who am of opinion that He who made the sun, originally designed it to shine its appointed season, think there is something dark, and chilly, and freezing, in this waning, wasting, dying sun!

3. If two rays of light, proceeding in right lines from two luminous bodies, come in contact with each other, is it not plain that they must discommode and interrupt, and alter each other's course. But think what innumerable multitudes of such rays are propelled from the fixed stars; and how they must come in contact with each other at every possible angle! How is it, on this supposition, that their order is not disturbed? How is it that they reach us at all?

4. A small taper alight in open air, is visible at a distance of two miles. An eye moving round the circumference of a circle, of which the flame is the centre, meets the light at every point. It will follow that a flame, whose magnitude is not sensibly diminished, fills with positive, material substance, a hemisphere, whose longest diameter is four miles! Is not this incredible?

(Continued from col. 1053.)

The situation of John was indeed most critical. Whilst he was negociating with the King of the Romans, Ladislaus had occupied the papal territories with a numerous and well appointed army, and threatened to lay siege to Bologna, which was then the residence of the pontifical court. In these circumstances, the most steady adherents of the Pope were seized with a panic. Some fled to Ferrara, and others to Venice. John was about to follow them, when his fears were relieved by the intelligence that Ladislaus had been obliged to suspend his march in consequence of a violent access of fever. This news was soon followed by tidings of his death, which event took place in the month of August, in the year 1414.*

Being thus freed from the pressure of a formidable enemy, and no longer standing in need of the assistance of the Emperor, John was strongly inclined to evade the holding of a general council, and to repair to Rome, which city was ready to receive him with open arms. To this step he was incited by the admonitions of his relatives and friends, who warned him to take care lest, though he went to the council as Pope, he should return as a private man. But he was deterred from following their advice by the remonstrances of the Cardinals, who unanimously represented to him the scandal which he would excite throughout the whole of Christendom, should he, by a violation of his solemn engagements, defeat the measures which were in progress for putting an end to the schism, and for enforcing the reformation of the church. Yielding to their importunity, he set out from

5. Take a piece of paper, which, as every one knows, is porous to a great degree, admitting water with profusion; but it is opake, allowing but little light to pass through it. Dip this paper in oil, or in other words, p. 4-9.

L'Enfant's Council of Constance, vol. ii.