the journeys much, and had great opportunities of meeting with eminent men. His musical powers were everywhere recognized. On his return he commenced again to compose, and at twenty-five had written his "Walpurgis Night" and the great oratorio of "St. Paul." After being made capellmeister at the Prussian court, he frequently visited England, and composed his "Elijah" for the English people. He was warmly welcomed at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

He

WILLIAM RICHARD WAGNER (1813-1883) was born at Leipsic, but did not display such taste for music at an early stage as some already sketched. He attended to languages and general culture; but when he cultivated music, for which he had a fine ear, he gave evidence of unusual powers. spent four years in its study, and composed four operas before he was twenty-four. One of these was "Rienzi," which was rejected in Paris, though after five years it was successful at Dresden. He long exercised great influence on music.

There are almost always prodigies of youthful musicians performing throughout the world. HENRY HERZ (18031887), when only eight years of age, played at Coblenz some variations by Hummel. When only half a year older he wrote a pianoforte composition. It was then, as often since, a custom to bring a clever boy before the public at concerts, and to teach him afterwards; so young Herz, after playing in comparative childhood, was sent to the Conservatoire at Paris. He did not appear again for sixteen years, when he entered on his long career.

ROBERT SMITH (1878) was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne. His father was a musician of local repute, and took the boy into training before he was six, when he put the clarionet into his hands. In 1887 his talent was so developed that he

He could produce

played at London with great success. "The Last Rose of Summer," " 'Home, Sweet Home," with great effect; and even "The Carnival of Venice," into which some most difficult variations had been introduced, he played with the greatest ease. He seemed devoid of self-consciousness, which is ever a disagreeable accompaniment of precocity. When away from the music he revelled in all the romps of boyhood as if these were his only care.

JOSEF HOFMANN, while a child, delighted audiences in England and America in 1888. The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals made an appeal to the mayor of the city to restrain the performances given by the child within a humane limit, as it was thought that he was overworked. Music came quite naturally to him, and whatever he heard he could play from the ear in the same key. He was kept at practice only about an hour and a half, principally on the difficult exercises of Bach and other great composers. He never knew when he entered the concertroom which of his pieces he was to play. The manager, who knew what he could do, made the selection. It was wise to withdraw the youthful prodigy, that he might get a proper education. Performances night after night cannot be good for a child who should then be in bed; and besides, the excitement of public appearances is calculated to destroy the constitution of one so young.

M

VII.

YOUNG MILITARY COMMANDERS.

ILITARY genius has often blossomed in youth, and some of the most renowned generals the world has ever seen won their greatest fame ere they reached thirty years of age.

ALEXANDER THE Great (b.c. 356–323) exercised a mighty power over mankind by his youthful conquests. He was the son of Philip, King of Macedonia, and was educated with great care, both physically and mentally, by the best masters available. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle was for a time his teacher, and exercised great influence on his mind and character. To him he was indebted for clear and comprehensive views of politics in relation to government, and probably also for his love of discovery. At the age of sixteen Alexander was invested with the government of the kingdom during the absence of his father. He was only eighteen when he won his first battle at Cheronea, where he displayed great impetuosity and courage. At the age of twenty he succeeded to the throne on the murder of his father, and found himself surrounded by enemies on every side. His decision and energy rapidly established his position, and he was elected by the Greeks in an assembly to lead the war against Persia. The Lacedæmonians were the only dissentients.

Alexander made ample preparations for invading Asia. In B.C. 334 he crossed the Hellespont with 35,000 men, of whom 5,000 were cavalry. He steered with his own hand to the spot where the Greeks were believed to have landed for the war with Troy, and as he approached the shore, he hurled a spear as a sign that he had taken possession of Asia, and was the first to leap upon the beach. All his Homeric enthusiasm was kindled, and he sought inspiration at the tomb of Achilles, the model hero of the Trojan war.

His first conflict with the Persians was on the banks of the Granicus, where he defeated those who opposed his passage. His loss was comparatively small; but Alexander showed his sympathy with the wounded by visiting them in person, and by providing for the relatives of the slain. By this generosity he won the affection of all his troops. The moral effect of his first victory was great, and he gained an easier conquest over all the towns of Asia Minor.

When he reached Gordium, the ancient capital of the kings of Phrygia, he found a sacred relic in the citadel, with which it was believed the fortunes of Asia were associated. The founders of the Phrygian dynasty had been peasants, and they had ridden into the capital on a rude waggon, the yoke of which had been fastened to the pole by a complicated mass of cordage called "the Gordian knot." This waggon was the palladium of the city, and an oracle had declared that the empire of Asia awaited the man who could untie it. Alexander ascended the citadel amidst the excited fears and hopes of all, and deliberately cut the knot with his sword to indicate how the prophecy would be fulfilled.

The Persians were now thoroughly alarmed, and Darius gathered all the military resources of his empire to resist the conqueror. He had made his arrangements for triumph, and, as in the case of Xerxes, was accompanied by his queen, his

harem, and court, and treasure, with all paraphernalia for splendour. By an adroit effort, the Persian army got in the rear of the Greeks, and Alexander, like Napoleon at Marengo, had to turn round to meet the enemy between him and his own country. The battle of Issus was fought with great courage and skill, and resulted in a complete overthrow of the Persian host. Darius fled, and Alexander entered the royal tent of the Persian monarch in the evening as he returned from the pursuit. He found the bath steaming with odours, and the banquet spread with Oriental luxury, while the adjacent harem was wailing over the supposed death of Darius.

This battle decided the fate of Asia. Alexander received the submission of cities as he advanced till he came to Tyre, which withstood his siege for seven months. After it was taken, the army passed along the shore of Palestine. When near Jerusalem the conqueror met a deputation of the highpriest Jaddua and of priests and citizens, who implored his mercy. Contrary to the expectation of his generals, he granted the request, as he had seen in a dream the God of Jaddua the high-priest encouraging his passage into Asia.

Alexander next visited Egypt, where he was welcomed as the deliverer from Persia. He marked out the site of a new city to which his own name was to be attached, and where so much glory was afterwards to be gathered.

Meantime the Persians were collecting new forces to resist his arms. The great and final encounter took place at Arbela, B.C. 331, and the Persian army was annihilated. The empire of the East then lay at the feet of the young hero of twenty-five. He speedily reached Babylon, and subdued all the cities of the kingdom. The conqueror next penetrated into India, and marched over the Punjâb, the country of the five rivers. He returned to Babylon, where, after a