Page:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher.djvu/33

CHAPTER III.

boyhood.

Taken to an Exhibition of Mechanism—Silver Ladies—School near London—Unjustly punished—Injurious Effect—Ward's Young Mathematician's Guide—Got up in the Night to Study—Frederick Marryat interrupts—Treaty of Peace—Found out—Strange Effect of Treacle and Cognac on Boys—Taught to write Sermons under the Rev. Charles Simeon.

During my boyhood my mother took me to several exhibitions of machinery. I well remember one of them in Hanover Square, by a man who called himself Merlin. I was so greatly interested in it, that the Exhibitor remarked the circumstance, and after explaining some of the objects to which the public had access, proposed to my mother to take me up to his workshop, where I should see still more wonderful automata. We accordingly ascended to the attic. There were two uncovered female figures of silver, about twelve inches high.

One of these walked or rather glided along a space of about four feet, when she turned round and went back to her original place. She used an eye-glass occasionally, and bowed frequently, as if recognizing her acquaintances. The motions of her limbs were singularly graceful.

The other silver figure was an admirable danseuse, with a bird on the fore finger of her right hand, which wagged its tail, flapped its wings, and opened its beak. This lady attitudinized in a most fascinating manner. Her eyes were full of imagination, and irresistible.

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