The Fourth Part of this well-arranged publication, is "_The Pursuit of
Knowledge under difficulties illustrated by Anecdotes_." The matter
is judiciously divided into chapters, as "Strength of the Passion for
Knowledge--Humble Station no Obstacle--Obscure Origin--Artists rising
from the lower to the higher classes--Late Learners--Early Age
of Great Men--Self-educated Men--Literary Pursuits of
Soldiers--Merchants, Booksellers, and Printers." All these heads are
illustrated by anecdotes--some of them well known, others drawn
from uncommon sources--and all replete with useful information, and
furnishing an exhaustless store of entertainment. Such a volume is,
indeed, _a book for the people_, and will do more towards the spread
of knowledge, and the excitement of those engaged in its pursuit, than
scores of fine-spun theories cramped up with technicalities. For young
people we consider this book a real treasure; since the examples
selected are not those of men who became intoxicated with their
success, or gave up useful occupation for mere elegant literature or
experimental knowledge; but the instances are chiefly of such as have
turned their genius to good account, or for the benefit of themselves
and their fellow men. We call such men the _honourables of the land_,
whose examples should be written in letters of gold, and on monuments
of marble, as helps to social duties and for the imitation of after
times.
We have marked for our next number a few extracts which will be
interesting to our readers to explain the mode by which the heads of a
chapter are illustrated. The biographettes of John Hunter, Simpson, J.
Stone, and Fergusson, and the introductory illustrations of Newton,
are the most striking portions of the volume; and they maybe read and
re-read with increasing advantage. Of Hunter and Fergusson there are
good portraits.
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