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Smiles, Samuel, 1812-1904

"Men of Invention and Industry"


[2] A full account is given in the Illustrated London News of the
21st of October, 1868, with illustrations, of the raising of the
Wolf; and another, more scientific, is given in the Engineer of
the 16th of October, of the same year.

CHAPTER XII.
ASTRONOMERS AND STUDENTS IN HUMBLE LIFE:
A NEW CHAPTER IN THE 'PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.'
"I first learnt to read when the masons were at work in your
house. I approached them one day, and observed that the
architect used a rule and compass, and that he made calculations.
I inquired what might be the meaning and use of these things, and
I was informed that there was a science called Arithmetic. I
purchased a book of arithmetic, and I learned it. I was told
there was another science called Geometry; I bought the necessary
books, and I learned Geometry. By reading, I found there were
good books in these two sciences in Latin; I bought a dictionary,
and I learned Latin. I understood, also, that there were good
books of the same kind in French; I bought a dictionary, and I
learned French. It seems to me that one does not need to know
anything more than the twenty-four letters to learn everything
else that one wishes."--Edmund Stone to the Duke of Argyll.
('Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties.')
"The British Census proper reckons twenty-seven and a half
million in the home countries.


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