725 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



til re now began to display itself in 

 the study of the Arabic, to which he 

 •was strongly incited by the example 

 and encouragement of a fellow-stu- 

 dent of great worth and abilities, 

 who had acquired some knowledge 

 in that celebrated language, and of- 

 fered him the use of the best books, 

 with which he was well proTided. 

 In acquiring the pronunciation, he 

 was assisted by a native of Aleppo, 

 who spuke and wrote the vulgar 

 Arabic fluently, but was without 

 any pretensions to the charafter of 

 a scholar. Mr. Jones accidentally 

 discovered him in London, where 

 he usually passed his vacations, and 

 prevailed upon him to accompany 

 bim to Oxford, under a promise of 

 maintaininghinvthere. This promise 

 be was obliged exclusively to fulfil for 

 sevc ral months, at an cxpence which 

 his finances could ill afford, be- 

 ing disappointed in the hopes which 

 he had entertained that some of his 

 brother collegians might be inclined 

 to avail themselves of the assistance 

 of the Syrian, and participate with 

 him in the expence of his mainte- 

 nance. 



In the course of his appliciition 

 to this ancient language, he disco- 

 vered, wjiat he never before sus- 

 pected, a near connexion between 

 the modern Persic and Arabic, and 

 he immediately determined to ac- 

 quire the former. He accordingly 

 studied it with attention in the only 

 Persian Grammar then extant; and 

 having laboured diligently in the 

 Gulistan of Sadi, assisted by the 

 accurate, but inelegant version of 

 Genfius, and at the well-ehosen 

 praxis at the clo«c of Meniuski's 

 grammar, he found his exertions re- 

 warded with rapid success. 



His vacations were passed in Lon- 



don, where he daily attended the 

 schools of Angelo, for the purpose 

 of acquiring the elegant accom- 

 plishments of riding and fencing. 

 He was always a strenuous advo- 

 cate for the practice of bodily ex- 

 ercises, as no less useful to invigo.. 

 rate his frame, than as a necessary 

 qualification for any active exertions 

 to which he might eventually be 

 called. At home his attention Mass 

 directed to the modern languages ; 

 and he read the best authors in 

 Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, 

 following in all respedts the plan of 

 education recommended by Milton, 

 which he had by heart ; and thus, 

 to transcribe an observation of his 

 own, with the fortune of a peasant, 

 giving himself the education of a 

 prince. 



If the literary acquisitions of Mr. 

 Jones at this period be compared 

 with his years, few instances will be 

 found in the annals of biography, of 

 a more successful application of time 

 and talents, than he exhibits ; and 

 it is worthy of observation, that he 

 was no less indebted to his uncom- 

 mon industry and method for his 

 attainments, than to his superior 

 capacity. 



A mind thus occupied in the pur- 

 suit of universal literature, was little 

 susceptible of the passions of ava- 

 rice or ambition ; but, as he was 

 sensible that the charges attending 

 his education, notwithstanding his 

 habitual attention to economy, 

 milst occasion a considerable deduc- 

 tion from Iho moderate income 

 which his mother possessed, he 

 anxiously wished for a fellowship, 

 that he might relieve her from a 

 burden which she could ill support. 

 If the proSj)cct of acquiring that ad- 

 \aiitagc had not been remote, no 



tempta- 



