Great men and famous women : a series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in history Volume 7 . ar presented himself to the rulers of thatsociety, they were amazed not more by his ungainly figure and eccentric mannersthan by the quantity of extensive and curious information which he had pickedup during many months of desultory, but not unprofitable study. On the firstday of his residence he surprised his teachers by quoting Macrobius ; and one ofthe most learned among them declared, that he had never known a freshman ofequal attainments. Jo
Great men and famous women : a series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in history Volume 7 . ar presented himself to the rulers of thatsociety, they were amazed not more by his ungainly figure and eccentric mannersthan by the quantity of extensive and curious information which he had pickedup during many months of desultory, but not unprofitable study. On the firstday of his residence he surprised his teachers by quoting Macrobius ; and one ofthe most learned among them declared, that he had never known a freshman ofequal attainments. Johnson himself tells a story strongly illustrative of the character both of the man and boy. He says, Once, indeed, I was disobedient; I refused to attend my father to Uttoxeter-market. Pride was the sourceof that refusal, and the remembrance of it was painful. A few years ago, I desired to atone for this fault; Iwent to Uttoxeter in very bad weather, and stood for a considerable time bareheaded in the rain, on the spotwhere my fathers stall used to stand. In contrition I stood, and I hope the penance was expiatory.—Bos-wells Life of UJ O z< zua. tozo CO zIo a: Q SAMUEL JOHNSON 101 At Oxford Johnson resided during about three years. He was poor, even toraggedness ; and his appearance excited a mirth and a pity which were equallyintolerable to his haughty spirit. He was driven from the quadrangle of ChristChurch by the sneering looks which the members of that aristocratical societycast at the holes in his shoes. Some charitable person placed a new pair at hisdoor ; but he spurned them away in a fury. Distress made him, not servile, butreckless and ungovernable. No opulent gentleman commoner panting for oneand-twenty could have treated the academical authorities with more gross disrespect. The needy scholar was generally to be seen under the gate of Pembroke,a gate now adorned with his effigy, haranguing a circle of lads, over whom, inspite of his tattered gown and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbiography, bookyear18
