and possessed considerable talents. Into this society I was admitted a member, at the same time that I was kindly exempted from the expense attending its regulations. One of the members was a man of the most extraordinary character I had ever known, and therefore I attached myself to him. To good nature he united an original genius, good taste, and great sensibility; and had an early education been his lot, or had his mind been sufficiently expanded by study, he would have become an ornament to society, but he was totally devoid of ambition, and never had a wish to rise above the rank of an humble mechanic. This man proposed to read to me if I could procure books: our stated time for this employment was from nine o'clock in the evening until one in the morning, in the winter season, and from seven until eleven in the summer; when I was not particularly engaged I frequently attended him at other intervals. At breakfast he had half an hour allotted to him, at dinner a whole hour, and every minute of this was filled up, for he generally read to me between every cup of tea. By this means I committed to memory a vast collection of pieces both in prose and verse, which I still retain, and which have been until the present hour a never failing source of amusement to me. The more I heard read, the more my desire for knowledge increased, while I learned at the same time, that 'the more a man knows, he finds he knows the less.' So ardent and steady was my desire for knowledge at that time, that I could never bear to be absent a single night from my friend; and often, when walking in the country, where I could have been comfortably accommodated, I have travelled three or four miles in a severe winter night to be at my post in time. Pinched with cold and drenched with rain, I have many a time sat down and listened for several hours together to the writings of Plutarch, Rollin, or Clarendon. For seven or eight years we continued this course of reading; but to give

a catalogue of the authors we perused in that time, would be foreign to my present purpose; suffice it to say, that every book in the English language which we could procure was read with avidity; ancient and Modern History, Poetry, Biography, Essays, Magazines, Voyages, Travels, etc. were among our studies. How precious these opportunities were, and how dear the recollection of them are to me even now, can only be adequately understood by the few who have realized similar enjoyments, and can indulge in similar recollections. Thus, and otherwise, I was enabled to collect a number of miscellaneous facts in sundry departments of knowledge, but without being in the possession of the links necessary to bind them together, and form them into a connected system. But even as detached facts they were valuable; and when I obtained one fact that seemed new, striking, and important, I felt a thrill to my very soul as if I had found a blessing, and so I had."

"I being poor, and having no books of my own, I was obliged to make my memory my library, and she was ever faithful to the trust committed to her keeping."

"The person to whom I had entrusted the management of my little domestic concerns did not hesitate to take advantage of my ignorance of such affairs, as well as my situation. Many of my friends felt for me and strongly advised me to marry, as I should be more comfortable and be out of the power of such unprincipled people."

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They said that could I meet with a sober, steady woman, who would be likely to make a good wife, the change would be advantageous to me in more respects than one. I objected to this proposal, on the ground

of my inability to provide for a family; the precarious manner of earning my subsistence put such a change beyond my expectation,-it was enough for me to suffer alone-I could not think of entailing misery upon others. This they could not deny, but they then reasoned in this way: no one required the kind

assistance of an affectionate wife more than a blind man; but I had not one friend, one relative to look after me. What then would become of me in my old age? I should be helpless in the extreme.

"These and many other arguments were used to induce me to assent to a measure which they thought would finally conduce to my happiness. Their anticipations have since been fully realized,-I am happy. I had the pleasure of being known, for some time, to a young woman who lived in the neighbourhood, having met her occasionally at the house of a friend whom I used to visit. Her plain sense and unassuming manners recommended her to my notice, but what most endeared her to me was her filial piety. Her aged mother and she lived together, loved and respected by all who knew them, and without any other dependence than the work of her own hands, she supported herself and parent. I thought that she, who was such an attentive and feeling daughter, must necessarily make an affectionate wife, and in this opinion I was not disappointed.

"I addressed a copy of verses to her, who had now become the object of my affection, which were printed in the first collection of my poems. They had the desired effect; they produced an impression which never has been, and I may venture to say, never will be effaced. After the expiration of two years our correspondence happily terminated, and we were married on the 27th of November, 1802. . . . . We have had eleven children, of whom four only are now alive, and, with the exception of the diseases common to children, those living are all healthy and stout."

"The first of my literary acquaintances of any respectability was John Lushington Reilly, Esq., of Scarvagh, to whose family I was warmly recommended by a lady who introduced me as a lover and composer of poetry. In this gentleman's house I was employed for some time, and during my residence

there I was not treated as a common workman, but was highly entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Reilly, who had the goodness to read to me by turns whilst I was at work; and in their absence, a person was appointed to supply their place. Here there was a fine library, where I first met with Spenser's Fairy Queen.' When I left home I did not expect to remain at Scarvagh longer than three or four weeks at furthest, but such was the partiality of that worthy family for me that I was detained there for nearly three months. On taking leave of my benefactors, Mr. Reilly observed that I ought not to be tired of them as they were not tired of me The sense of sight is not the only one of which I am deprived, for I never remember to have enjoyed that of smell. In my opinion, this sense can be more easily dispensed with than any of the other four. I was very fortunate in getting acquainted with a number of individuals whose literary acquirements and love of virtue reflected honour on their names. In the society of such persons I could not fail in acquiring much mental improvement, and their conversation, remarks, and advice were of great use to me.

"The circle of my acquaintance was at this time greatly enlarged, and I had the honour of ranking among my friends some of the most distinguished characters of this country. Among these was Dr. Percy, Bishop of Dromore. This great man was the last of that illustrious school of which Johnson, Goldsmith, and Burke were members. His fine taste and literary talents were accompanied by sweetness of temper and a benevolent disposition. From the Rev. H. Boyd (a gentleman well known in the literary world, as the translator of the Italian poet Dante, and author of some other original works of great merit), I received the most marked attention. His kindness and that of his family, indeed, I cannot easily forget; on several occasions he has rendered me very essential

services, and it yields me no small degree of pleasure to reflect, that I still enjoy the friendship of a man as eminently distinguished for his virtues as for his talents."

The foregoing extracts are well calculated to give an idea of the difficulties with which the majority of the blind have to contend, but our chief reason for inserting them in this place is the circumstance that James Wilson was the author of a work entitled 'The Biography of the Blind,' which has proved eminently useful in conveying an idea of the influence exerted on the world's affairs by persons without sight, and also in directing attention to the capabilities and requirements of the blind.

The first edition of the book was published in 1820, a second appeared in 1833, a third in 1835, and a fourth in 1838; about seven years after which, it is believed the author died at Birmingham, where he had for some time resided.

For many years prior to his death he maintained himself and a very large family, principally by the sale of his literary productions.

In the list of the eminent blind there are many illustrious and distinguished men, but few could be pointed out who have proved as useful to their suffering brethren as James Wilson.

Holman, the Traveller and Author.

He

James Holman was born at Exeter in 1786. early entered the navy, and at the age of twenty-five, being then a lieutenant, lost his sight on the west coast of Africa. For some time after this calamity, he was greatly agitated by the conflicting emotions of hope and fear, caused by the vacillating conduct of his medical advisers. At length he conjured them to be plain with him, saying that he would rather know the worst and bear it, than continue to be tortured by doubt and anxiety. Thus assailed, the ophthalmic