"The fire in the cavern of Ætna concealed, Still mantles unseen in its secret recess; At length in a volume terrific revealed, No torrent can quench it, no bounds can repress. Oh, thus the desire in my bosom for fame Bids me live but to hope for posterity's praise: Could I soar with the Phœnix on pinions of flame, With him I could wish to expire in the blaze." How happy for the world had his genius led him to seek applause in works designed for the good of mankind--in recommending religion and virtue by the melody of his verse and the influence of his life, instead of adorning vice with the beauties of poetry! When the thirst of glory is disappointed, the aspirant is apt to become a gloomy misanthropist, who envies others the reputation which he cannot attain. Much of the sullen melancholy shown by men of genius may doubtless be ascribed to the perverted operation of this principle. The portion of fame which falls to their share is not sufficient to satisfy their wishes. But after all, the most brilliant genius will avail nothing without study. No illiterate man ever gained renown as a writer. Some have become great without the aid of foreign learning; but all have read and thought. No man is born a poet in the ordinary sense of the word. Whatever his own conceptions may be, he cannot reveal them without the use of words; and this knowledge can be acquired only by diligent study. In all time it has been true that they who have read and thought most, have made the greatest writers, whatever line of science or literature they pursued. Or perhaps there ought to be exceptions made in cases where the mind has been misdirected, as among the schoolmen, who spent their lives in perplexing themselves and others with subtle questions which it was of no use to solve. But however fruitless such labors as wasted their energies may be, this at least is certain, that without study no man will become great, whatever be his natural talents. Even such towering geniuses as Homer, Aristotle, Cicero, Virgil, Shakspeare, Bacon, Newton, and Byron were not exempt from this necessity.