Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

had won for himself fortune and fame, she became his wife,—is as well known as is the story of his whistle.

The first public office which he ever held was that of clerk to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. Upon the expiration of his term he was re-elected, and served with great acceptance to the people.

Franklin pays the highest tribute to the eloquence of Whitfield, the celebrated English preacher, that we remember. The church in which he labored was very poor, and very sadly in want of a better edifice in which to worship, and from the ease with which he raised the desired fund, together with the enthusiasm that was mingled with the admiration that was felt for him, Franklin, in a spirit of envy or jealousy very much at variance with his usually generous nature, conceived a strong dislike for him. On leaving Philadelphia Mr. Whitfield went to Georgia, doing missionary work for the colonies, whom he found in a dreadfully destitute and suffering condition. Returning to Philadelphia, he told, in the most eloquent and touching manner, of the sad sights he had seen, and appealed to the North for aid. Franklin declares that he did not approve of this, though he does not tell why. On one occasion he says he listened to him, and perceiving that the service would end with a collection, resolved that he would get nothing from him. With this idea he put his hand into his pockets to see what they contained, and found there a quantity of coppers, some silver dollars, and five gold pieces. As the minister proceeded, he thought he would give some of the coppers. More earnestly the man of God preached of that religion which without charity is but "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal"; and Franklin concluded to give the silver. Another clever strokeanother grand burst of his inimitable oratory-and Franklin's heart warmed and softened toward one whose eloquence was almost divine, and who spoke as man rarely spoke before; and when the contribution was asked, he gave every farthing he had with him, and regretted that he had no more to give.

When the difficulties arose between the mother country and the colonies, Franklin proved himself a most wise and judicious, as well as favorite mediator between them, and he endeavored faithfully to act as peace-maker; but when the oppression became too sore to be borne by our freeborn men, and they threw off the

yoke of British thraldom that they so hated, he was a firm and consistent friend of the feeble government.

Franklin was always remarkable for love of Natural philosophy, and to his experiments we trace back the electric current, from our own magically acting and perfect system of telegraphy.

He filled various political offices, always to the entire satisfaction of the country, and it was in a very large measure owing to his delicate skill that the French government recognized and sympathized with the struggling colonies. His long and useful life was closed on the 17th of April, 1790, and the country mourned as if it had but one heart, for every living being had in him a personal friend, and fully acknowledged the debt they owed him.

ISAAC NEWTON.

HIS celebrated philosopher was born at Woolsthrope, near Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England, December, 1612. The small estate had been in the family for more than a hundred years. His father died before the birth of his child, and his mother married again when he was two years old; his stepfather living only a few years, Isaac was recalled from school and assisted in the management of the farm, but having a deal more taste for water-wheels, models and dials, the farm went into neglect, and the boy was sent back to school in disgrace. In due time he went to Trinity College, and here he took his degree of A. B., and afterwards of A. M.

In 1665 he committed to paper his first idea on fluxions. In 1666 he discovered the unequal refrangibility of light, and the true doctrine of color, but was now driven from Cambridge by the plague, and while resting weary brain and body at Woolsthrope, lying under the shade of the spreading branches of orchard trees.

that were older than himself, he formed his first ideas of gravitation from seeing an apple fall from its stem to the ground. In 1669 Newton was appointed Professor of Mathematics in place of Dr. Barrows, at Cambridge, and from this time his most important discoveries date. In this year he gave much attention to the telescope, and in 1672 he announced to the Royal Society a discovery made in the operations of nature, one of the most important ever made. This was the discovery of the composition of light. A paper prepared by him on this subject was read before that Society, and at once attracted the attention of scholars, but unfortunately at the same time drew him into endless and bitter controversies with Hook, Hoygens and several foreign savants. With so much spirit and sharpness, not unmixed with malice, was this carried on, that Newton withdrew from it in disgust, and resolved to turn the cold shoulder to Philosophy, and steel his heart against her fascination. But the man was born to study mysteries-study was as much a part of his life as was breathing, and unconsciously he delved deeper and deeper, giving to the world treasures of truth and knowledge, and in return, such time as he was an hungered and asked for bread, she gave him a stone. He met the reward of genius, but like many another who spurned the pittance which his labor earned, whether it was gold, or the still more precious appreciation that the heart craves, the earnest "well done," which repays for every effort, he toiled on from love of his work.

He had long ago drawn the conclusion, partly from the writings of Kepler, partly from observation, that gravity decreases with the square of the distance, but no demonstration had been given, and no proof obtained that the power of attraction which drew the ripened apple to the earth, was the same power which held the moon and stars in their orbit. Newton worked and puzzled over this in the dark. Every test and measurement left the proof just short of certainty, which to him was worse than actual failure. In 1682 he heard of Picard's measurement of the earth, and taking this plan and using it in connection with his own, found that the force of gravity four thousand miles from the earth's center, when diminished by the square of 240,000 miles, the moon's distance, was exactly equal to that which kept the moon in her orbit. Newton has been accused of plagiarism in presenting his first ideas on

fluxion as his own. It is claimed for Leibnitz, that he had already invented them before Newton published his method. His first article on the subject was written May 20, 1665, and the subject appears never to have left his mind until he made his first small telescope, which he completed and explained to a friend in 1668. If Leibnitz had discovered all this before, neither Newton nor the world were wiser for it at that date, as he had never imparted the knowledge.

When Newton was fifty years of age, it is said that he was the pride of England, and was then appointed warden of the mint, and soon after to the mastership. The honor of knighthood was conferred on him by Queer Anne, and when George I. ascended the throne he was a great favoritc at court, where his piety and character had given him an enviable reputation, and the patronage of the Princess of Wales, and by her, unwittingly, Sir Isaac was brought into disgrace through the publication of MSS. given her by himself, and claimed by Leibnitz as embodying only discoveries made by himself prior to Newton's, but the scientific were satisfied that this was incorrect.

He died March 20, 1729, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. His most important works are his "Principia," "Arithmetic Universalis," "Geometrica Analytica," "Treatise on Optics," and "Sections Opticæ," though he published a large number of valuable works upon scientific subjects.

SOCRATES.

OCRATES was born at Athens, in the year 469 B. C. His parents were of no rank or authority in the Athenian world; Socrates was not gifted with any of those personal distinctions which then were allowed to take the place of hereditary title or position. A face the very reverse of beautiful, untidy

dress, often unsandaled feet, were the characteristics of the man from whose lips fell gems of rarest wisdom, and whose lips never spoke but in favor of virtue, truth and honor. As a son, he was dutiful and obedient to the parental law; as a citizen, he was rigidly observant of the law of his country; as a moralist, though a heathen, he was faultless in the performance of every duty; looking through the sacrifice, the fasting, the observance of ceremony which constituted the worship of the gods of his people, to the "Unknown God," whose existence, though untaught at that day, yet was felt. There was a consciousness in his life which was neither known nor understood by his countrymen. It is said of him that he was the most just, the most exalted, the completest type of humanity to which classic antiquity with its wonderful creations, ever gave birth-the nearest of all who preceded to a Being we name not here-who, without ambition, or pretence, or external advantage, but through the simple force of moral and intellectual greatness, took unrelaxing hold at once of the heart and mind of the ancient world. No tyranny of custom ever subjected Socrates; no passing years set the seal of age on his heart and mind; no richness and fullness of wisdom clogged the intellect; no experience of sorrow and adversity chilled his affections. In every passing moment of his life was a solemn meaning few ever comprehend. He could not conceal from himself, or from the world, that he had gone deeper than sense, that he looked beyond the range of ordinary vision; that the voices whose whisperings made melody in his soul came from a realm beyond our own. As a teacher of the young his constant care was to impress upon their minds that they were not to acquire knowledge for the sake of use, but possession; not for the sake of display, but enjoyment; not for the sake of the world's appreciation, but for their own gratification,-to acquire strength, and symmetry, and grace, and richness and beauty of intellect, and all the “use” would follow; to prepare to act well a part, and the “ part "would be found. Said he," Does the oak of a century's growth send out its broad branches that it may cast a shadow? On the contrary, it grows and spreads through the strength of its inner life, and the tribes and nations are sheltered beneath its grateful covert." Yet this man was condemned to die by his own countrymen-condemned by the Athenians, whom he had sought only to benefit

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »