shall send you a copy when it is published, as indeed I intend to do of every thing else. When these come to hand, remember I wish my friend Stuart to be partner with you, in remembrance of his former tokens of friendship, and to shew you how much I desire to see you flourish in these good inquiries. Yours, most truly, SAMUEL LEE. In connexion with the preceding letter from Prof. Lee, the Editor is induced to subjoin the following account of his early life and studies, contained in a letter from himself to Jonathan Scott, Esq. LL. D. formerly Oriental Professor of the Royal and Military East India Colleges, published by Bishop Burgess, in his little work entitled "Motives to the Study of Hebrew," Lond. 1814. It will be found to be a very interesting account of genius and industry in humble life, struggling with and surmounting all external obstacles, and at length elevating their possessor to one of the most important and conspicuous stations in the literary and Christian world. EDITOR. SIR, A Letter from Mr Samuel Lee to Jonathan Scott, Esq. In conformity to your request, I now proceed to give you a detail of my pursuits in languages, with some circumstances of my life connected therewith. The first rudiments of learning I received at a charity school, at Longnor,* in the county of Salop, where I was born, which is a village situated on the Hereford road, about eight miles from Shrewsbury. Here I remained till I attained the age of twelve years, and went through the usual gradations of such institutions, without distinguishing myself in any respect; for as punishment is the only alternative generally held out, I, like others, thought it sufficient to avoid it. At the age above mentioned, I was put out apprentice to a carpenter and joiner, by Robert Corbett, Esq. in which, I must confess, I underwent hardships seldom acquiesced in by boys of my age; but as my father died when I was very young, and I knew it was not in the power of my mother to provide better for me, as she had two more to support by her own labour, I judged it best to submit. About the age of seventeen I formed a determination to learn the Latin language; to which I was instigated by the following circumstances. I had been in the habit of reading such books as * Founded and endowed by the family of Corbett, owners of that estate. happened to be in the house where I lodged; but meeting with Latin quotations, found myself unable to comprehend them. Being employed about this time in the building of a Roman Catholic chapel, for Sir Edward Smith, of Actonburnel, where I saw many Latin books, and frequently heard that language read, my resolution was confirmed. I immediately bought Ruddiman's Latin Grammar, at a book-stall, and learnt it by heart throughout. I next purchased Corderius' Colloquies, by Loggan, which I found a very great assistance to me, and afterwards obtained Entick's Latin Dictionary; also soon after Beza's Testament, and Clarke's Exercises. There was one circumstance, however, which, as it had some effect on my progress, I shall mention in this place. I one day asked one of the priests, who came frequently to us, to give me some information of which I was then in want; who replied, that "charity began at home." This was very mortifying, but it only served as a stimulus to my endeavours; for, from this time, I resolved, if possible, to excel even him. There was one circumstance, however, more powerful in opposing me, and that was poverty. I had, at that time, but six shillings per week to subsist on, and to pay the expenses of washing and lodging; out of this, however, I spared something to gratify my desire for learning, which I did, though not without curtailing myself of proper support. My wages were, however, soon after raised one shilling a week, and the next year a shilling more; during which time I read the Latin Bible, Florus, some of Cicero's Orations, Caesar's Commentaries, Justin, Sallust, Virgil, Horace's Odes, and Ovid's Epistles. It may be asked, how I obtained these books? I never had all at once, but generally read one and sold it, the price of which, with a little added to it, enabled me to buy another, and this being read, was sold to procure the next. I was now out of my apprenticeship, and determined to learn the Greek. I bought therefore a Westminster Greek Grammar, and soon afterwards procured a Testament, which I found not very difficult with the assistance of Schrevelius' Lexicon. I bought next Huntingford's Greek Exercises, which I wrote throughout, and then, in pursuance to the advice laid down in the Exercises, read Xenophon's Cyropaedia, and soon after Plato's Dialogues, some part of the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Pythagoras's Golden Verses, with the Commentary of Hierocles, Lucian's Dialogues of the Dead, and some of the Poetae Minores, with the Antigone of Sophocles. I now thought I might attempt the Hebrew, and accordingly procured Bythner's Grammar, with his Lyra Prophetica; and soon after obtained a Psalter, which I read by the help of the Lyra. I next purchased Buxtorf's Grammar and Lexicon, with a Hebrew Bible; and now I seemed drawing fast towards the summit of my wishes, but was far from being uninterrupted in these pursuits. A frequent inflammation in my eyes, with every possible discouragement from those about me, were certainly powerful opponents; but habit, and a fixed determination to proceed, had now made study my greatest happiness; and I every day returned to it, rather as a source of rest from manual labour; and though I felt many privations in consequence, it amply repaid me in that solitary satisfaction, which none, but a mind actuated as mine was, could feel. But to return; chance had thrown in my way the Targum of Onkelos; and I had a Chaldaic Grammar in Bythner's Lyra, with the assistance of which and of Schindler's Lexicon, I soon read it. I next proceeded to the Syriac, and read some of Gutbir's Testament, by the help of Otho's Synopsis, and Schindler's Lexicon. I had also occasionally looked over the Samaritan; but as the Samaritan Pentateuch differs little from the Hebrew, except in a change of letters, I found no difficulty in reading it, in quotations, wherever I found it; and with quotations I was obliged to content myself, as books in that language were entirely out of my reach. By this time I had attained my twenty-fifth year, and had got a good chest of tools, worth I suppose about £25. I was now sent into Worcestershire, to superintend, on the part of my master, Mr John Lee, the repairing of a large house, belonging to the Rev. Mr Cookes. I began now to think it necessary to relinquish the study of languages; as I perceived, that however excellent the acquisition may have appeared to me, it was in my situation entirely useless. I sold my books and made new resolutions. In fact, I married, considering my calling as my only support; and some promises and insinuations had been made to me, which seemed of a favourable nature in my occupation. I was awaked, however, from these views and suggestions by a circumstance, which gave a new and distressing appearance to my affairs; a fire broke out in the house we were repairing; in which my tools, and with them all my views and hopes, were consumed. I was now cast on the world without a friend, a shilling, or even the means of subsistence. This, however, would have been but slightly felt by me, as I had always been the child of misfortune, had not the partner of my life been immerged in the same afflicting circumstances. There was, however, no alternative, and I now began to think of some new course of life, in which my former studies might prove advantageous. I thought that of a country schoolmaster would be the most likely to answer my purpose. I therefore applied myself to the study of Murray's English Exercises, and improved myself in arithmetic. There was, however, one grand objection to this; I had no money to begin, and I did not know any friend who would be inclined to lend. In the mean time the Rev. Archdeacon Corbett✶ had heard of my attachment to study, and having been informed of my being in Longnor, sent for me in order to inform himself of particulars. Nephew and successor to Robert Corbett, Esq. before mentioned. To him I communicated my circumstances, and it is to his goodness that I am indebted for the situation I at present fill, and for several other valuable benefits which he thought proper generously to confer. My circumstances since that time are too well known to you to need any further elucidation. It is through your kind assistance I made myself thus far acquainted with the Arabic, Persian, and Hindoostanee Languages; of my progress in which you, Sir, are undoubtedly the best judge. I am, Sir, Blue School, Shrewsbury,} April 26, 1813. With every possible respect, NOTE by Mr. Scott. Mr Lee was introduced to me by Mr Archdeacon Corbett. The assistance he so gratefully speaks of, from myself, was chiefly in the loan of books, and directing him in pronunciation; he wanted no other. In the course of a few months he was able not only to read and translate from any Arabic or Persian manuscript, but to compose in those languages. Since my residing at Bath, he has sent me translations, into Arabic and Persian, of several of Dr Johnson's Oriental Apologues in the Rambler, and of Addison's Vision of Mirza, in the Spectator. They are wonderfully well done; and in this opinion I am not singular, as they have met also the approbation of Mr James Anderson, whose abilities as an Orientalist are sufficiently established to render his applause highly satisfactory. Mr Lee, in addition to his knowledge of the dead and Eastern languages, has made also considerable proficiency in French, German, and Italian. With his amazing facility of acquiring languages he possesses taste for elegant composition, and has no slight poetical talents, of which I have seen some specimens in English and Latin; also a Parody of Gray's Ode to Adversity, in Greek Sapphic verse, which I am informed by judges, for I am myself no Grecian, is a surprising effort of self instructed genius. His present situation is that of Master of a small Charity Foundation in Shrewsbury; but he also attends two schools as teacher of arithmetic, and at a few private houses as instructor, in Persic and Hindoostanee, to the sons of gentlemen, who expect appointments in the civil or military service of the Honourable East India Company; and the progress made by his pupils shews, that he has the talent of conveying knowledge to others, an art not always possessed by the learned. [Mr Lee was afterwards employed as Orientalist to the Church Missionary Society, where he so much distinguished himself, as to receive not long after the appointment of Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. ED.] |