oblivion that falls over the memory of men, even when their works have been wonderful for their station; yet, in the ranks of Labour never emerging from the dull round of toil, how many have lived and have cultivated seraphic tastes, and have heard the heavens and earth all around them, vocal with the songs of angels and spirits? But they died and made no sign; their names, too, with the names of their prouder brethren, have passed away; yet many such persons as truly, (perhaps far more truly,) realised the purpose of life as those whose labours shone more distinctly in the eye of the world. A great mistake is that which estimates the worth of mental work by what is seen; perhaps, what is seen to be well done, is the worst thing that has been done; the deepest work is out of sight. We do not see the roots strike out; we do not see how the flowers grow, or how the leaves and grapes shoot out into verdure and fullness. The great work of the world is Mind-work, and if it is going on it is not necessary, in order to give dignity to it, that all the neighbours should kindle a bon-fire, and that rockets should shoot up to heaven by way of celebration, and the most interesting Mind-life will be unaccompanied by any such rude and boisterous manifestations as these. A real man will be content to live without running through the streets and fields shouting to his neighbours, "See, see, I am alive!"

But we have lying before us some notices of a Scottish farmer's son, who combined, in a very eminent degree, genius and industry; crowding into a period of thirty years more learning than even active minds attain in a hundred. Dr. John Leyden had not the difficulties to combat which presented themselves to so many we have noticed; yet he was born in 1775-a time when only strong natural genius could overcome the barriers which fenced round the student

of lowly life from the attainment of his desired knowledge. Like many others who have passed in review before us, he was the descendant of a line of farmers. He was born at Denholm, in Cavers, Roxburgshire. His parents were lowly people-not so well to do as the parents of Robert Burns, perhaps. He was bred up so closely to country labour, that he was ten years old before he even attended the village school, to receive the first elements of learning; but very early he received visits from his peculiar genius; he felt the promptings of the desire to know strong within him; he desired, too, to excel in all manly exercises, and thus, bodily as well as intellectually, to become strong. He appears to have been very accessible to the superstitions that floated round his home; and indeed, during his whole life, he retained some considerable attachment to the wierd tales of the Night Side of Nature. His poem called, "The Scenes of Infancy," brings some of these early feelings vividly before the mind of the reader.

"The woodland's sombre shade that peasants fear,

The haunted mountain streams that murmur near,
The antique tomb-stone, and the church-yard green,
Seemed to unite me with the world unseen :

Oft when the eastern moon rose darkly red,

I heard the viewless paces of the dead;

Heard in the breeze the wandering spirits sigh,

Or airy skirts unseen that rustled by."

There are several anecdotes of the earnestness with which he pursued knowledge, when once he was fairly upon the track.

"The obscure shepherd boy never heard of any source of information within his reach without strain

ing every nerve to obtain access to it. A companion, for example, had met with an odd volume of the "Arabian Nights' Entertainments," and gave an account of its contents, which excited the curiosity of young Leyden. This precious book was in the possession of a blacksmith's apprentice, who lived at several miles distance from Denholm, and the season was winter. Leyden, however, waded through the snow, to present himself by daybreak at the smithy door, and request a perusal of this interesting book in presence of the owner, for an unlimited loan was scarcely to be hoped for. He was disappointed, was obliged to follow the blacksmith to a still greater distance, where he was employed on some temporary job; and when he found him the son of Vulcan, with caprice, worthy of a modern collector, was not disposed to impart his treasure, and put him off with some apology. Leyden remained stationary beside him the whole day, till the lad, softened, or wearied out by his pertinacity, actually made him a present of the volume, and he returned home by sunset, exhausted by hunger and fatigue, but in triumphant possession of a treasure for which he would have subjected himself to yet greater privations. This childish history took place when he was about eleven years old; nor is there any great violence in conjecturing that these fascinating tales, obtained with so much difficulty, may have given his youthful mind that decided turn towards oriental learning which was displayed through life."

So predominant and unconquerable was his desire for knowledge, that his parents determined he should be brought to the service of the Church of Scotland. His attainments very soon were considerable: he received some knowledge from a Cameronian minister at Denham; and by the time he had presented himself at Edinburgh University, he had made some advances

in Greek and Latin, in the former of which he had no instructor. The late worthy and learned Professor Dallzele used to describe with some humour the astonishment and amusement excited in his class when John Leyden first stood up to recite his Greek exercise. The rustic, yet undaunted manner, the humble dress, the high harsh tone of his voice, joined to the broad provincial accent of Teviotdale, discomposed on this first occasion the gravity of the professor, and totally routed that of the students. But it was soon perceived that these uncouth attributes were joined to qualities which commanded respect and admiration.— The rapid progress of the young rustic attracted the approbation and countenance of the professor, who was ever prompt to distinguish and encourage merit; and to those among the students who did not admit literary proficiency as a shelter for the ridicule due since the days of Juvenal to the scholar's worn coat and unfashionable demeanour, Leyden was in no respect averse from shewing strong reasons adapted to their comprehension, and affecting their personal safety, for restraining their mirth within decent bounds.

The Greek language was long his favourite study, and, considering his opportunities, he became much more intimately acquainted with its best authors than is usual in Scotland, even among those who make some pretensions to literature. The Latin he understood thoroughly; and it is perhaps the best proof of his classical attainments, that at a later period, to use his own expression, "he passed muster pretty well when introduced to Doctor Parr."

Leyden was now at the fountain-head of knowledge, and availed himself of former privations by quaffing it in large draughts. He not only attended all the lectures usually associated with the study of

theology, but several others, particularly some of the medical classes,—a circumstance which afterwards proved important to his outset in life, although at the time it could only be ascribed to his restless and impatient pursuit after science of every description.Admission to these lectures was easy from the liberality of the professors, who throw their classes gratuitously open to young men educated for the church, a privilege of which Leyden availed himself to the utmost extent. There were, indeed, few branches of study in which he did not make some progress. Besides the learned languages, he acquired French, Spanish, Italian, and German, was familiar with the ancient Islandic, and studied Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian.

But though he soon became particularly distinguished by his talents as a linguist, few departments of science altogether escaped his notice. He investigated moral philosophy with the ardour common to all youths of talent who studied ethics, under the auspices of Professor Dugald Stuart, with whose personal notice he was honoured. He became a respectable mathematician, and was at least superficially acquainted with natural philosophy, natural history, chemistry, botany, and mineralogy. These various sciences he acquired in different degrees, and at different times, during his residence at college. They were the fruit of no very regular plan of study: whatever subject interested his mind at the time, attracted his principal attention till time and industry had overcome the difficulties which it presented, and was then exchanged for another pursuit. It seemed frequently to be Leyden's object to learn just so much of a particular science as should enable him to resume it at any future period; and to those who objected the miscellaneous, or occasionally the superficial nature of his studies, be