1804.] 
“brother Robert orders to gett ftones: as 
money fhall come in: he writes to me 
that you are pleafed to give leave that they 
thould be got in your quarry, for which I 
thanke you. 
me with life, I intend to fettle fome jand 
upon the {chool, to continue for ever; but 
that land I defire to buy in fome of your 
neighbour townes, and not in others.— 
When an opportunitie happens for fuch a 
If it pleafe God to blefle | 
Memoir of Count Grigenfeld, 55ST 
purchafe, I pray let my brother know, 
that he may acquaint me both with the 
quantitie and rate. I hope you will pas 
don this trouble given you, by, Sir, 
Your moft affectionate friend, 
ja. ARMACHANUS. 
Superfcript. 
For my very loving friend, Mr. Wm. 
Brooke, att his houfe in Drichlings 
ton, in Yorkthire. 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
nL 
LIFE of COUNT GRIFFENFELD, the 
DANISH LEGISLATOR 3 franjflated from 
the DANISH Of O. MALLING. 
RIFFENFELD, one of the moft illuf 
trious ftatefinen that Denmark, nay, 
that even Europe, can boaft, was not in- 
debted for his high preferments and titles 
to blind chance. It is rare, however, 
that men of the moft fhining abilities 
rife to honours and emoluments merely 
through perfonal merit. Every man, al- 
moft, has lucky moments in his lite; and 
Griffenfeld, in this refpectt, feems to have 
made the beft ufe of thofe that fell to his 
lot. He was highly gifted by nature, and 
thole gifts were cultivated by the moft un- 
remitting induftry, and a grafp of mind 
calculated to embrace great plans, and to 
render the moit important fervices to his 
country. 
This is not the place to enumerate the 
many advantages which the ftate derived 
from the exertion of his talents; we fhall 
only mention his application to thofe tu- 
dies which formed the mind of this great 
man, 
Griffenfeld was fcarce nine years of age 
_ when he was placed in the fchool of Co- 
penhagen: he was not long in this femi- 
nary, when he gave public proofs of the 
_promptitude of his genius, which did him 
great honour. A difputation was to be 
held in the academy for the degree of doc- 
tor: it was a cultom, on thele occafions, 
that one of the ableft of the ftudents fhould 
bechofen to recite in public the fubject mat- 
ter of the thefes which were to be oppofed 
and defended. Young Schumacher (his 
family name) was named by a large majo- 
rity, and the happy manoer in which he 
difcharged this tafk, was a proof that this 
preference to the reft of his elder fellow- 
ftudents was not dictated by party, but 
that it juftified the choice. 
When he was a junior fophifter, he 
maintained three public difpurations : 
thofe who heard him on thele occafions, 
. 
and who were excellent jadges, bore ample 
teftimony to the fuperiority of his powers, 
and encouraged him to con.inue with un- 
abating ardour, in that career in which he 
had already diftinguithed himfclf, though 
he had fcarce completed the thirteenth 
year of his age. Griffenfeid did not ftand 
in need of any incitement, his mind was 
naturally devoted to the purfuit of know- 
ledge. He turned his attention to the 
ftudy of mathematics, divinity, the Eaftern 
languages, and eloquence. He never 
miffed a public lecture; he read the beft 
writers he could find, explored new paths 
in f{cience, and diftinguifhed himfelf in 
every department of knowledge. 
Learning always looks for a guide and 
protector—Griffenfeld found both. Bifhop 
Brokman, one of the moft pious and learn- 
ed men of his day, had converted bis houfe 
into a fehool, in which yc ung men of pro- 
mifing talents were trained up, in all thofe 
arts that contributed to the happinefs and 
embellifhment of that country. The fame 
of Griffenfield reached this prelate’s ear3 
he therefore adopted him asa fon; as his 
father, a wine-merchant in Copenhageny 
had juft died in very indigent circum. 
ftances. Here he was left entirely to thofe 
books and ftudies which pl afed him moft. 
The good bifhop focn found that he was 
not difappointed in the hopes which he had 
entertained of his pupil. 
Frederick II[. chanced to fup one night 
with the bifhop, who took occafion to fpeak 
of this young man: he prailed hin, and 
asa proof that he had not over-rated the 
progrefs which he had made inhis ftudies, 
he was call-d, with the king's permiffion, 
and explained feveral paflages in the He. 
brew Bible, witha facility and felicity that 
‘ pleafed the king fo highly, that he imme- 
diately ordered him an annuity of 300 dole 
lars for fix years, in order to travel into 
foreign countries. The royal bounty 
could not have been directed to a more 
worthy object, than to a perfon ye Be 
vd 
