The Improvement of the Mind
Book Description
Sketch of theL ife of the A uthor. Isaac Watts, D.D., anE nglish dissenting clergyman and poet, was born inS outhampton, July 17, 1674, and died in London, November 25, 1748. He was educated by his father, who kept a boarding school inS outhampton and then an academy in London. When a boy he was very studious, si)ending for books the little money received as presents, and devoting his leisure hour...
MoreSketch of theL ife of the A uthor. Isaac Watts, D.D., anE nglish dissenting clergyman and poet, was born inS outhampton, July 17, 1674, and died in London, November 25, 1748. He was educated by his father, who kept a boarding school inS outhampton and then an academy in London. When a boy he was very studious, si)ending for books the little money received as presents, and devoting his leisure hours to study and reading, instead of joining otlier boys in play. At school he allowed himself no time for exercise and i)lay, and very little for sleep. He used to mark all the books he read ;abridge some, and annotate others of them. In 1698 he was chosen assistant nunister to tlie Rev. Isaac Chauncey, of an Independent Congregation in Mark Lane, London, of which he became pastor in 1702, and remained at his post until his death. Doctor Watts wrote largely for almost all classes of readers, students of all ages, inS cience, Literature, Poetry and Divinity. His complete works have been published in various editions of from six to nine volumes. His Logic and his I mjyrovcment of theM ind are the best known of his prose writings. Of his literary merits Doctor Johnson said :H ehas provided instruction for all ages, from those who are lisping their first lessons to the enlightened readers of Locke ;he has left neither corporal nor 6i)iritual nature unexamined. He has taught the science of reasoning and the science of the stars. His character, therefore, must be judged from the multiplicity and diversity of his attainments, rather than from any single performance. Of his I lymns James Montgomery said :E very Sabbath, in every region where his native tongue is spoken, thousands and tens of thousands of voices are sending the sacrificos of prayer and praise toG od in the strains which he prepared a century ago. Probably no poetry in the language has been more widely read or
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)
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