1S4 Singular arithmetical Powers of a Child. 



difference ' t-iween the prcseni and all former instances of 

 an a()parcriiK similar kind. 



It has bteii rcct)rcli{| as an astoni?hmg eifort of memory 

 that the ce'ebratcci Eiiler (uho, in the scitncc ol analviis, 

 might vie even with NevMi.n himseU,) could renienibtr the 

 first ? X powers of every number under 100. This, |)ro- 

 babh . nmst be taken with some restrictions: but, if true 

 to ihe tullest extent, it is not more astonishing than the 

 efforts -f this child; wiih this additional lircun. stance in 

 favour of ihe latter, that he is capable of verifyinjj;, in a 

 very few seconds, every figure which he may have occasion 

 for It has been further remarked by the biographer of 

 that eminent maiheniaiician, that " he perceived, almost 

 ** at a simple glance, the factors of which his formulae 

 *' uere compostd; the particular system of factors belong- 

 ** ing to the question under consideration; the various 

 *' artifices by which that system may be simplified and 

 *' reduced ; and the relation of the several factors to the 

 *' conditions of the hypothesis. His expertness in this 

 *' particular probably resulted, in a great measure, from the 

 " ease with which he performed naihtmalical investiga- 

 *' tions ly head. He had always accustomed himself to 

 "that exercise; and, having practised it with as?iduity, 

 ** (even before the loss of sight, which afterv\ard8 rendered 

 *' it a matter of necessity,) he is an instance to what an 

 *' astonishing degree it m<n' he acquired, and how much 

 " it improves the intellectual powers. No other discipline 

 ** is so effectual in strenglheninii the faculty of attention : 

 *' it gives a facility of apprehension, an accuracy and steadi- 

 " ness to the conceptions ; and (what is a stilfmore valu- 

 ** able acquisition) it habituates the mind to arrangement 

 " in its reasonings and reflections." 



It is not intended to draw a comparison between the 

 humble, though astonishing, efforts of this infant -prodigy 

 and the gigantic powers of that illustrious character to 

 whom a referet.ce has just been made : yet we may be per- 

 mitted to hope and expect that those wonderful talents, 

 which are so conspicuous at this early age, may by a suit- 

 able education be considerably improved and extended ; and 

 that some new liglit will eventually be thrown upon those 

 subjects, for the elucidation of which his mind appears to 

 be peculiarly formed by nature, since he enters into the 

 world with all those powers and faculties which are not 

 even aitainable bv the most eminent at a more advanced 

 period (if life. Every mathematician must be auare of the 

 important advantages which have sometimes been derived 



from 



