Literary character of men of genius : drawn from their own feelings and confessions / by Isaac Disraeli.

  • Isaac D'Israeli
Date:
[1881?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Literary character of men of genius : drawn from their own feelings and confessions / by Isaac Disraeli. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    67/488 page 47
    Early Bias. Hunter conceived his notion of the principle of life, which to his last day formed the subject of his inquiries and expe- riments, when he was vei’y young ; for at that period of life, Mr. Ahernethy tells us, he began his observations on the incubated egg, which suggested or corroborated his opinions. A learned fiiend, and an observer of men of science, has supplied me with a remark highly deserving notice. It is an observation that will generally hold good, that the most im]iortant systems of theory, however late they may be pub- lished, have been formed at a very early period of life. This important observation may be verified by some striking facts. A most curious one will be found in Lord Bacon’s letter to Father Fulgentio, where he gives an account of his projecting his philosophy thirty years before, during his youth. Milton from early youth mused on the composition of an epic. De Thou has himself told us, that from his tender youth his mind was full of the idea of composing a history of his own times; and his whole life was passed in preparation, and in a continued accession of materials for a future period. From the age of twenty, Montesquibu was preparing the materials of L'Esprit des Loix, by extracts from the immense volumes of civil law. Txllemont’s vast labours were traced out in his mind at the early age of nine- teen, on reading Baronius; and some of the finest passages in Bacine’s tragedies were composed while a pupil, wan- dering in the woods of the Port-Royal. So true is it that the seeds of many of om- great literary and scientific works were lying, for many years antecedent to their being given to the world, in a latent state of germination.* The predisposition of genius has declared itself in painters and poets, who were such before they understood the nature * I need not to be reminded, that I am not worth mentioning among the illustrious men who have long formed the familiar subjects of my deliglitful researches. But with tho middling as well as with the great, the same habits must operate. Early in life, I was struck by the inductive philo- sophy of Bacon, and sought after a Moral Experiniental Philosophy; and I had then in my mind an observation of Lord Bolingbroke’s, for I sec I quoted it thirty years ago, that “Abstract or general propositions, though never so true, appear obscure or doubtful to us very often till they are ex.- plained by examples.” So far back as in 1793 I published “A Disserta- tion on Anecdotes,” with the simplicity of a young votary; there I deduced results, and threw out a magnificent project not very practicable. From that time to the hour I am now writing, my metal has been running in this mould, and I still keep casting philosophy into anecdotes, and anecdotes into philosophy. As I began I fear I shall end.
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