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Men of Invention and Industry-Part53_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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sixty-five years old. I got the little education I have, when a

boy. Owen Owen, who was a cousin of my mother's, kept a school



at a chapel in the village of Dwyrain, in Anglesey. It was said

of Owen that he never had more than a quarter of a year's



schooling, so that he could not teach me much. I went to his

school at seven, and remained with him about a year. Then he



left; and some time afterwards I went for a short period to an

old preacher's school, at Brynsieneyn chapel. There I learnt but



little, the teacher being negligent. He allowed the children to

play together too much, and he punished them for slight offences,



making them obstinate and disheartened. But I remember his once

saying to the other children, that I ran through my little lesson



'like a coach.' However, when I was about twelve years old, my

father died, and in losing him I lost almost all the little I had



learnt during the short periods I had been at school. Then I

went to work for the farmers.



"In this state of ignorance I remained for years, until the time

came when on Sunday I used to saddle the old black mare for



Cadwalladr Williams, the Calvinist Methodist preacher, at Pen

Ceint, Anglesey; and after he had ridden away, I used to hide in



his library during the sermon, and there I learnt a little that I

shall not soon forget. In that way I had many a draught of



knowledge, as it were, by stealth. Having a strong taste for

music, I was much attracted by choral singing; and on Sundays and



in the evenings I tried to copy out airs from different books,

and accustomed my hand a little to writing. This tendency was,



however, choked within me by too much work with the cattle, and

by other farm labour. In a word, I had but little fair weather



in my search for knowledge. One thing enticed me from another,

to the detriment of my plans; some fair Eve often standing with



an apple in hand, tempting me to taste of that.

"The old preacher's books at Pen Ceint were in Welsh. I had not



yet learned English, but tried to learn it by comparing one line

in the English New Testament with the same line in the Welsh.



This was the Hamiltonian method, and the way in which I learnt

most languages. I first got an idea of astronomy from reading



'The Solar System,' by Dr. Dick, translated into Welsh by Eleazar

Roberts of Liverpool. That book I found on Sundays in the



preacher's library; and many a sublime thought it gave me. It

was comparatively easy to understand.



"When I was about thirty I was taken very ill, and could no

longer work. I then went to Bangor to consult Dr. Humphrys.



After I got better I found work at the Port at 12s. a week. I

was employed in counting the slates, or loading the ships in the



harbour from the railway trucks. I lodged in Fwn Deg, near where

Hugh Williams, Gatehouse, then kept a navigation school for young



sailors. I learntnavigation, and soon made considerable

progress. I also learnt a little arithmetic. At first nearly



all the young men were more advanced than myself; but before I

left matters were different, and the Scripture words became



verified-- "the last shall be first." I remained with Hugh

Williams six months and a half. During that time I went twice



through the 'Tutor's Assistant,' and a month before I left I was

taught mensuration. That is all the education I received, and



the greater part of it was during my by-hours.

"I got to know English pretty well, though Welsh was the language



of those about me. From easy books I went to those more

difficult. I was helped in my pronunciation of English by



comparing the words with the phonetic alphabet, as published by

Thomas Gee of Denbigh, in 1853. With my spare earnings I bought



books, especially when my wages began to rise. Mr. Wyatt, the

steward, was very kind, and raised my pay from time to time at



his pleasure. I suppose I was willing, correct, and faithful. I

improved my knowledge by reading books on astronomy. I got,



amongst others, 'The Mechanism of the Heavens,' by Denison

Olmstead, an American; a very understandable book. Learning






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