DISTINGUISHED DUNCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 36

DISTINGUISHED DUNCES.

Henry Ward Beecher, as we learn from his biography, was a dull boy. On Sunday it was usual in his father's family for the children to learn the Catechism, but at this exercise Henry always broke down.

" The other children," says Beecher's biographer, " memorised readily and were brilliant reciters, but Henry, blushing, stammering, confused, and hoplessly miserable, stuck fast on some sandbank of what is required or forbidden by thia or that commandment, bis mouth choking up with the long words which he hopelessly miscalled, was sure to be accused of idleness or inattention, and to be solemnly talked to, which made him look more stolid and miserable than ever, but appeared to have no effect in quickening Iris dormant faculties."

Charles Darwin was another dull boy. In his autobiography he tells us that he " had much zeal for subjects which interested him," which possibly could be said for the dullest boy that ever vexed a teacher's heart. Darwin was "educated" first at Shrewsbury Grammar School, which at that time was a severely classical institution, where competent drilling was given in the classics, especial attention being paid to versemaking.

Young Darwin cared for none of these things. He was all in love with chemistry, and Professor Huxley tells that on one occasion the young scientist was publicly rebuked by the head master for wasting his time on such a contemptible subject. It was the collective opinion of Darwin's masters that a duller boy had never been within school walls.

A schoolfellow of Mr Rider Haggard's, in some recent reminiscences, shows that the distinguished author cf "She" must be claimed by the dunces. Mr Haggard was a pupil of Ipswich School, and as a boy he is •described as a tall, lank youth, with a thick crop of unkempt hair, sharp features, prominent nose, and eyes which had rather a wild look about them. In his classes he never took a high place, and both hjs schoolmates and his masters looked on him as a rather stupid boy.

Charles J. Mathews, the distinguished actor, is also among the dunces. Relating the stoiy of his life, Mathews tells of his education at Merchant Taylors' School. " I was a dunce," he says ; "itis a fact ; there is no disguising the truth." Dr Samuel Smiles, in his life of George Moore, tells us that at school the great philanthropist was considered dull. He was much fonder of bathing than of reading, and would rather go out hunting with the hounds than sit down to bib books any day. Mr Fisher, one of Moore's first employers, said he had had many a stupid blockhead from Cumberland, but George Moore was the greatest blockhead of them all. Robert Chambers, whose name will ever

be held in'esteem as a pioneer of cheap literature, was also a dull boy. In a memoir written by this brother, William Chambers, we read that for six weeks Robert filled a situation in Mitchell street, Leith. "From that place," he says, " I was discharged for no other reason that I can think of but that my employer thought me too stupid to be likely ever to do him any good." Walter Scott, while at Edinburgh University, gave little evidence of that genius which was to make him famous. " Dunce he is, and dunce he will remain," said Professor Dalzell of him who became the most distinguished of his students.

Adam Clarke, who rose to be one of the most famous Wesleyan ministers, was pronounced by his father " a grievous dunce," while Dr Chalmers was expelled from the parish school of Anstruther as a dunce for whom there was no hope.

Sir David Wilkie, when at school, was one of the idlest and most eccentric of boys. He himself declaresjthat he could draw before he could read, and paint before he could spell.

Isaac Newton gravitated in his schooldays always towards the bottom of his class.