222 THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. 



Scriptures while engaged in the harassing employment of teaching 

 a village school. Wild, who became Professor of Arabic in the 

 University of Oxford, attained his accurate knowledge of that language 

 whilst follo\\-ing the sedentary and drepessing business of a tailor ; the 

 most unfavourable to the development of mental activity. William 

 Carey, at an early age, acquired a vast knowledge of European and 

 Oriental languages, although compelled to earn a scanty subsistence 

 by following the trade of a shoemaker. He disregarded the old 

 proverb — looked beyond his last, and ultimately attained one of the 

 first stations ih the literary world. The diploma of Doctor of 

 Divinity was but a small part of his honours : he was elected pro- 

 fessor of languages in Port William College; and before his death 

 he had translated the sacred Scriptures into a variety of languages 

 spoken by nearly 400 millions of people. Indeed the shoemaking 

 business has been remarkably fertile in distinguished characters, and 

 we should far exceed our limits were we to attempt the slightest 

 notice of its many contributions to the republic of letters. Mr. 

 Drew, the metaphysician and intimate friend of Dr. A. Clarke, was a 

 bright example of this class. Perhaps the employment of a butcher 

 may be thought the most degrading and repulsive to a refined intel- 

 lect, and the least likely to produce a valuable literary character, yet 

 even this occupation has furnished us with the ingenious Akenside, 

 and the classic and elegant Kirk White, whose early death has left 

 us but the buddings of his fame; and, probably, some more 

 examples from this sphere of life mij]fht be cited. Bloomfield, the 

 matchless farmer's boy, was a shoemaker, but with the disadvantage 

 of being deprived of sight. Falconer, it is well known, was a sailor 

 the greater pai't of his life ; and the still more undesirable occupation 

 of an exciseman was the sole and miserable refuge from abject 

 poverty that rewarded the genius of Burns. 



Thus, briefly, have we noticed a few of those illustrious characters 

 who, by their arduous perseverance, have become their country'js 

 honour and their country's pride; and who have lighted the torch of 

 genius at the altar of learning; that torch which the hand of death 

 has not been able to extinguish, but which continues to bimi and 

 must ever bum with increasing lustre so long as truth shall be 

 esteemed, or beauty obtain admiration. 



The illustrious characters who have paved the way for the 



