"The heavens are all his own; from the wild rule Of whirling vortices, and circling spheres, To their first great simplicity restored. The schools astonished stood; but found it vain To combat long with demonstration clear, And, unawakened, dream beneath the blaze Of truth. At once their pleasing visions fled, With the light shadows of the morning mixed, When Newton rose, our philosophic sun."--_Thomson's Elegy._ SIR ISAAC NEWTON was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1642, just one year after the death of Galileo. His father died before he was born, and he was a helpless infant, of a diminutive size, and so feeble a frame, that his attendants hardly expected his life for a single hour. The family dwelling was of humble architecture, situated in a retired but beautiful valley, and was surrounded by a small farm, which afforded but a scanty living to the widowed mother and her precious charge. The cut on page 144, Fig 30, represents the modest mansion, and the emblems of rustic life that first met the eyes of this pride of the British nation, and ornament of human nature. It will probably be found, that genius has oftener emanated from the cottage than from the palace. [Illustration Fig. 30.] The boyhood of Newton was distinguished chiefly for his ingenious mechanical contrivances. Among other pieces of mechanism, he constructed a windmill so curious and complete in its workmanship, as to excite universal admiration. After carrying it a while by the force of the wind, he resolved to substitute animal power, and for this purpose he inclosed in it a mouse, which he called the miller, and which kept the mill a-going by acting on a tread-wheel. The power of the mouse was brought into action by unavailing attempts to reach a portion of corn placed above the wheel. A water-clock, a four-wheeled carriage propelled by the rider himself, and kites of superior workmanship, were among the productions of the mechanical genius of this gifted boy. At a little later period, he began to turn his attention to the motions of the heavenly bodies, and constructed several sun-dials on the walls of the house where he lived. All this was before he had reached his fifteenth year. At this age, he was sent by his mother, in company with an old family servant, to a neighboring market-town, to dispose of products of their farm, and to buy articles of merchandise for their family use; but the young philosopher left all these negotiations to his worthy partner, occupying himself, mean-while, with a collection of old books, which he had found in a garret. At other times, he stopped on the road, and took shelter with his book under a hedge, until the servant returned. They endeavored to educate him as a farmer; but the perusal of a book, the construction of a water-mill, or some other mechanical or scientific amusement, absorbed all his thoughts, when the sheep were going astray, and the cattle were devouring or treading down the corn.