Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1919 — WERE MARVELS IN CHILDHOOD [ARTICLE]

WERE MARVELS IN CHILDHOOD

Those Whom the World Has Recognized as Men of Genius Remarkable for Precocity. One character common to genius and to Insanity, especially moral Insanity, Is precocity. Cesare Lombroso. professor of legal medicine, University of Turin, relates that Dante, when nine years of age, wrote a sonnet to Beatrice; Tasso wrote verses at ten. Pascal and Comte were greaifi thinkers at the ages of thirteen, Fornier at fifteen, Niebuhr at seven, Jonathan Edwards at twelve, Michel Angelo at nineteen, Gassendi, the Little Doctor, at four, Bossut at twelve, and Voltaire at thirteen. Pico de la Mirandola knew Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean and' Arabic, In his childhood; Goethe wrote a story in seven languages when he was scarcely ten; Wieland knew Latin at seven, meditated an epic poem at thirteen, and at sixteen published his poem, “Die Vollkommenste Welt.” Schiller was only nineteen when he wrote “Rauber.” Victor Hugo composed “Irtamene” at fifteen. Pope wrote his ode to solitude at twelve, and Byron published verses at eighteen. Moore translated “Anacreon” at thirteen. Meyerbeer at five played excellently on the piano. Claude Joseph Vernet drew very well at four, and at twenty was a celebrated painter. At thirteen Wren invented an astronomical Instrument, and offered it to his father with a Latin dedication. Raphael was famous at fourteen. Beethoven composed three sonatas at thirteen. Elchorn, Mozart and Eybler gave concerts at six. Weber was only thirteen when his first opera, “Das Waldmarchen,” was presented. Bacon conceived the “Novum Organum” at fifteen. Charles XII manifested his great designs at eighteen.