life and action. But he more particularly excels in invention, and in the different characters of his heroes, which are so varied, that they affect us in an inexpressible manner. In a word, the more Homer is read by a person of good taste, the more he is admired. Nor are his works to be esteemed merely as entertaining poems, or as the monuments of a sublime and varied genius. He was in general so accurate with respect to costume, that he seldom mentioned persons, or things, that we may not conclude to have been known during the times of which he writes; and it was Pope's opinion, that his account of people, princes, and countries, was purely historical, founded on the real transactions of those times, and his works form by far the most valuable part of history and geography left us concerning the state of Greece in that early period. His geographical divisions of that country were thought so exact, that we are told of many controversies concerning the boundaries of Grecian cities which were decided upon the authority of his poems, and no writer of ancient or modern times has been able in conception and portraiture of character to compete with him. Diodorus. Passing by several cases of doubtful authenticity, such as that of Democritus, who is said to have put out his own eyes to enable him to study the better, the next person we come to in the order of time that may be said to belong to this part of the classification we have chosen, is Diodorus, the Roman philosopher, who flourished about one hundred years before Christ. He was the preceptor of Cicero, and that distinguished orator states that he applied with such assiduity to study after he lost his sight, and taught geometry with so much clearness, that his pupils had not the slightest difficulty in understanding the way to trace the various figures, however complicated they might be. It is somewhat singular that there was another blind philosopher of this name, who is usually mentioned as Diodorus the Stoic. It is stated that he was at once a philosopher, geometrician, and a musician, and that, although he had been blind from birth, his instructions in geometry were so complete that he left nothing unexplained to his numerous pupils. Didymus of Alexandria and Eusebius the Asiatic. Didymus, the famous academician and theologian, was born at Alexandria about A.D. 308. He became blind at the age of five years, when he had just learned to read. But notwithstanding his heavy bereavement he made great progress in learning, and became thoroughly conversant with grammar, arithmetic, music, logic, rhetoric, geometry, and astronomy, which seven sciences were in those days considered to comprehend the whole cycle of human learning. To such an extent did his proficiency advance that he eventually became the principal of the Catechetical School of Alexandria, and he had the satisfaction of numbering among his pupils such distinguished men as St. Jerome, Rufinus, Paladius, and Isidore. He delivered lectures which were much applauded by his auditors, who expressed their belief that blindness increased rather than lessened his abilities. But Didymus seems never to have been thoroughly reconciled to his state, for we find that when St. Anthony, the celebrated hermit, asked him if he grieved that he was blind, he replied that he certainly did, and, although frequently pressed on the matter, he could never be induced to make any other answer. This is much to be regretted, as the first duty of the Christian is to acquiesce cheerfully and thankfully in whatever is unmistakably the will of his heavenly Father. The sharp reply of St. Anthony was not, however, calculated to soothe the philosopher's regret. "I am astonished," said he, "that so judicious a man as you should regret a thing, which is common to the most contemptible animals as well as to man." Didymus was the author of a valuable work on the Holy Spirit, a Latin translation of which was made by his pupil, St. Jerome. This production has come down to us, as also his book against the Manicheans (Lib. adv. Manichæos,' Gr. et Lat.); his work on the Trinity (De Trinitate Lib. III.'), and his Compendious Exposition of the Canonical Epistles ('Brevis Enarratio in Epist. Canonicas). Several of his writings are known to have been lost, including a Commentary on the Bible. He died about the year A.D. 395, at the age of eightyseven; and after his death his books were condemned by the Council of Lateran on account of their leaning to the doctrines of Origen. Notwithstanding this condemnation, the learned and pious Joseph Milner says that, as far as appears, Didymus continued always sound, and humble, and holy in Christian doctrine. The subject of this article must not be confounded with another Didymus, 'of Alexandria,' who lived about two centuries earlier. He possessed the full use of his eyes, and wrote, it is said, three thousand books, of which it has been remarked "that it is well for the world they are all lost." The fourth century produced a blind Christian philosopher named Eusebius. To distinguish him from others of the same name he is always denominated 'the Asiatic.' He became blind at five years of age, acquired vast knowledge and erudition, and taught with great ability and success. It is much to be regretted that these very scanty particulars are all that is known about him, as fuller details of the life of such a man could not fail to be of the highest interest. Sir John Gower, the founder of the Sutherland family. Omitting a detailed notice of Ossian, whom we think there is sufficient evidence to class among fabulous characters, we come to our own English poet, Sir John Gower. This celebrated scholar was born about the year 1322, and we are informed by Andrews that he was a man of family and reading, that he was bred to the study of the law, and that his works exhibit more learning than genius. He wrote in Latin, French, and English, and his style was smooth and intelligible. He received great encouragement from the unfortunate Richard II., by whose request he wrote his principal book, entitled 'Confessio Amantis,' which is the only work of Gower's that has appeared in print. It is said that the king meeting the poet accidentally on the Thames, desired him "to book some new thing." Sir John was the contemporary and friend of Chaucer, but was much inferior to him in ability. On the accession of Henry IV. he extended his patronage to Gower, who in return loaded him with fulsome flattery. This is much to be regretted, as the great favours he had received from Richard should have at least kept him from fawning on his murderer. Gower lived to a great age, and became blind three years before his death, which took place in 1402,-when he had reached his eightieth year. After his blindness he republished some of his works, and among other pieces wrote some Latin verses deploring his loss of sight. He was buried at the church of St. Mary Overy, i. e. St. Saviour's, Southwark, to which edifice he had liberally contributed during his life, and which still contains his tomb, adorned with three books, as indicative of the three principal works of the tenant that sleeps below. During a thunder storm, which broke over London at an early hour on July 26th, 1870, the lightning struck the pinnacle of St. Saviour's Church, which burst open and flew into ten thousand fragments of various sizes from a ton to a few pounds' weight. One of the immense pieces fell through the elegant roof of the transept and came down with a tremendous crash at the foot of the famous monument of our blind poet, which barely escaped destruction. James I. of Scotland, in his writings, calls Gower and Chaucer the two fathers of English poetry. Some idea of Gower's style, and of the versification common at the end of the thirteenth century, may be gathered from the following specimen of his compositions :-A princess was cured of hard-heartedness to her admirers by a vision. She saw many beautiful damsels, richly dressed and superbly mounted, ride along, followed by a lovely creature all in rags, on a lean worn-out hackney, loaded with halters and most wretchedly accoutred, except as to her bridle, which was studded with gold and jewels. "What means this ?" said the princess. "Those fine ladies," said the ragged one, have listened to love, but as for me "For I* whilome no love had, And trusse thir halters forth, with mee; And I am but their horse-knave," || etc. The fine bridle had been allowed to her, because she had been one fortnight thoroughly in love. "Now have ye herde all mine answere, To Godde, Madam, I you betake, *Because I formerly. + quite. follow. § groom. |