A Study of British Genius (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ...is in a large number of cases mentally abnormal from the first, and if we were to seek to inquire precisely wherein that mental abnormality consisted. With these preliminary remarks we may proceed to note the prevalence among British persons of genius of the undefined conditions commonly termed " precocity." It is certainly very considerable. Although we have to make allowance for ignorance in a large proportion of cases, and for neglect to mention the fact in many more cases, the national biographers note that 292 of the 1,030 eminent persons on our list may in one sense or another be termed precocious, and only 44 are mentioned as not precocious. Many of the latter belong to the second group, as defined above, --those who are already absorbed in their own lines of mental activity, --and are really just as "precocious" as the others; thus Cardinal Wiseman as a boy was "dull and stupid, always reading and thinking "; Byron showed no aptitude for school work, but was absorbed in romance, and Landor, though not regarded as precocious, was already preparing for his future literary career. In a small but interesting group of cases, which must be mentioned separately, the mental development is first retarded and then accelerated; thus Chatterton up to the age of six and a half was, said his mother, " little better than an absolute fool," then he fell in love with the illuminated capitals of an old folio, at seven was remarkable for brightness, and at ten was writing poems; Goldsmith, again, was a stupid child, but before he could write legibly he was fond of poetry and rhyming, and a little later he was regarded as a clever boy; while Fanny Burney did not know her letters at eight, but at ten was writing stories and poems. P...