CHARA 
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Biographical and Literary Anecdotes of 
Haller; from Coxe’s Travels in 
Switzerland, vol. ii. 
~ WPERNE has produced few men 
highly eminent in literature; 
but has eftablifhed her glory in be- 
ing the birth-place of the celebrated 
Haller. 
Albert Haller, the youngeft of 
five brothers, was born on the 16th 
_ of O&ober 1708. His father, Ema- 
nuel Haller, a citizen of Berne, 
. practifed the law as an advocate 
with great fuccefs; and in 1713 
removed from the capital to Baden, 
where he was appointed fecretary 
_ of that bailliage. 
Although many accounts are ufu- 
_ ally related concerning the early ge- 
_ nius of diftinguthhed perfons, which 
do not always deferve implicit cre- 
dit; yet the premature abilities and 
application of Haller are incontef- 
_ tably proved. When he had {carcely 
_ attained his fifth year, he was ac- 
_ cuftomed to write the new words, 
" which he recollected to have heard 
_ in the courfe of the day. His pro- 
_ grefs in the languages was fo rapid, 
that in his tenth year he could tranf- 
late from the Greek, and compofed 
_ for his own private ufe a Chaldaic 
emi a Greek and Hebrew 
exicon. His paffion for letters was 
alfo fo general and ardent, that, 
Vor. XXXII. 
CT ERS. 
about the fame period, he abridged 
from Bayle and Moreri an hiftorical 
dictionary, comprifing above two 
thoufand lives, and diftinguifhed 
himfelf by a fatire in Latin verfe 
againft his preceptor Abraham Bail- 
lodz, a perfon of confiderable learn- 
ing, but of a capricious and morofe 
difpofition. 
Such unwearied application, and 
fach aftonifhing progrefs, ina youth 
of his years, ought to have enfured 
the approbation and encouragement 
his family. On the contrary, 
father, who had deftined him to 
the law, reproved his growing tafte 
for polite literature, was particularly 
offended at his inclination for poe- 
try, as likely to draw him from the 
feverer occupations, and objected 
to the variety of his purfuits as too 
defultory and fuperficial, He did 
not confider, that, during childhood, 
the principal requifite of education 
is to infufe a tafte for application in 
general; and, that when the bafe of 
education is rendered as broad as 
poffible, it may always, like a pyra- 
mid, be reduced to a point. But 
neither his father’s repeated exhor- 
tations, nor his preceptor’s fevere 
admonitions, could oblige the youth 
to confine his ftudies to one objec, 
or check his infatiable thirft for ge- 
neral information, 
In this manner he was educated 
z unti 
