THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1450, 5 January 1886, Page 2

THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH.

A. letter written by Elihu Burritt, " the learned blacksmith," contains soma interesting incidents of his career. Mr Burritt mentions that being one of a large family and bis parents poor,. he apprenticed himself, when very young, to a blacksmith, but he had alwuys such a ta6te for reading that he earned it with him to his trade. He commenced the study of Latin when his indentures were not half expired, and completed reading Virgil in the eveoingß of one winter. He next studied Greek, and carried the Greek grammar about in his hat, studying il for a few moments while heating some large iron. In the evening he sat down to Homer's u Iliad," and read twenty books during the second winter. He next turned to the modern tongues, und rscited to native teachers in French, Spanish, German and Italian, and at the end of two years he returned to the forge, taking with him such books as he could procure, lie then commenced Hebrew, and soon mastered it with ease, rending two chapters in the Bible before breakfast—this, with an hour at noon, being all the time he could spare from work. Being unable to procure such books as he desired, he determined to hire himself to some ship bound to Europe, thinking he would there meet with books at the different points he touched at. He travelled more than a hundred miles to Boston with this view, but was not able to find what he sought; and at that period he heard of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester. Thither he bent his steps, and arrived in the city in utter indignnce. Here he found a collection of ancient, modern and Oriental books, such as he never imagined to be i collected in one place. He was there , kindly allowed to lead what books he ?

liked, and reaped great benefit from the permission. Ha habitually spent three hours daily in the hall, and made mch use of these as to be able to read upwards of fifty languages with greater or leas facility.