Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/28

 4 SKETCHES OF THE

age and family of Mr. Heniy; and this, I presume, will be thought quite sufficient, in relation to a man, who owed no part of his greatness to the lustre of his pedi- gree, but was, in truth, the sole founder of his own fortunes.

Until ten years of age, Patrick Henry was sent to a school in the neighbourhood, where he learned to read and write, and made some small progress in arith- metic. He was, then, taken home, and under the direction of his father, who had opened a gi'ammar school in his own house, he acquired a superficial knowledge of the Latin language; and learned to read the character, but never to translate Greek. At the same time, he made a considerable proficiency in the mathematics, the only branch of education for which, it seems, he discovered, in his youth, the slightest pre- dilection. But he was too idle to gain any solid advan- tage from the opportunities which were thrown in his way. He was passionately addicted to the sports of the field, and could not support the confinement and toil which education required. Hence, instead of system or any semblance of regularity in his studies, his efforts were always desultoiy, and became more and more rare ; until, at length, when the hour of his school ex- ercises arrived, Patrick was scarcely ever to be found. He was in the forest with his gim, or over the brook with his angle-rod ; and, in these frivolous occupations, when not controuled by the authority of his father, (which was rarely exerted,) he would, it is said, spend whole days and weeks, with an appetite rather whetted than cloyed by enjoyment. His school fellows, having observed his growing passion for those amusements, and having remarked that its progress was not checked either by the want of companions or the want of sue-

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