DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0148
128
kirby’s wonderful museum.
tion if he had not perfectly understood the dialogue. But
Jedediah’s mind was employed at the play-house just as it was
in every other place. During the dance he fixed his atten-
tion upon the number of steps ; he declared after a fine piece
of music, that the innumerable sounds produced by the in-
struments had perplexed him beyond measure, and he attend-
ed to Garrick himself only to count the words that he utter-
ed, in which, as he declared, he had perfectly succeeded.
Buxton returned to the place of his birth, where, if his
enjoyments were few, they at least appeared equal to his
wishes. He again applied with cheerfulness to the labour by
which he subsisted; he regretted nothing that he left behind
him in London; and it continued to be his opinion, that a
slice of rusty bacon afforded the most delicious repast. In
this state of serenity, the offspring of content, he passed the
remainder of his days, and died in 1774, at the age of seven-
ty years, leaving several children, none of whom inherited the
rare talents of their father.
ACCOUNT OF A COUNTRY BOY, WITH A TALENT FOR
CALCULATION SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE TWO PRE-
CEDING SUBJECTS.
This account is given in a letter from a gentleman at
Bridport, June 9, 1765.
I send you an account of a parish apprentice boy I have
met with, who is now about eleven years of age, can neither
read nor write, yet has a genius greatly similar co that of the
famous Jedediah Buxton, of Derbyshire, who, although
he could neither read nor write, could solve most questions
in arithmetic, and many questions in algebra, by a method he
had adapted to himself, and wrought by his memory only. I
put to this boy the following questions, which he answered
very readily; and I make no doubt but, as he grows up, he
will come up to, if not exceed, Buxton.
kirby’s wonderful museum.
tion if he had not perfectly understood the dialogue. But
Jedediah’s mind was employed at the play-house just as it was
in every other place. During the dance he fixed his atten-
tion upon the number of steps ; he declared after a fine piece
of music, that the innumerable sounds produced by the in-
struments had perplexed him beyond measure, and he attend-
ed to Garrick himself only to count the words that he utter-
ed, in which, as he declared, he had perfectly succeeded.
Buxton returned to the place of his birth, where, if his
enjoyments were few, they at least appeared equal to his
wishes. He again applied with cheerfulness to the labour by
which he subsisted; he regretted nothing that he left behind
him in London; and it continued to be his opinion, that a
slice of rusty bacon afforded the most delicious repast. In
this state of serenity, the offspring of content, he passed the
remainder of his days, and died in 1774, at the age of seven-
ty years, leaving several children, none of whom inherited the
rare talents of their father.
ACCOUNT OF A COUNTRY BOY, WITH A TALENT FOR
CALCULATION SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE TWO PRE-
CEDING SUBJECTS.
This account is given in a letter from a gentleman at
Bridport, June 9, 1765.
I send you an account of a parish apprentice boy I have
met with, who is now about eleven years of age, can neither
read nor write, yet has a genius greatly similar co that of the
famous Jedediah Buxton, of Derbyshire, who, although
he could neither read nor write, could solve most questions
in arithmetic, and many questions in algebra, by a method he
had adapted to himself, and wrought by his memory only. I
put to this boy the following questions, which he answered
very readily; and I make no doubt but, as he grows up, he
will come up to, if not exceed, Buxton.