Biography of the blind, including the lives of all those, from Homer down to the present day, who have distinguished themselves as poets, philosophers, artists, &c. &c ... To which is prefixed a memoir of the author / [James Wilson].

  • Wilson, James, the blind poet, 1779-
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Biography of the blind, including the lives of all those, from Homer down to the present day, who have distinguished themselves as poets, philosophers, artists, &c. &c ... To which is prefixed a memoir of the author / [James Wilson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Doctor) and I remember the first year I went to him, his occasionally playing (for his amusement only,) at Billiards, Mississipic, Shuffle-board, and Skittles, at which games, he constantly beat his competitors. Ta avoid prolixity, I shall only mention, his shewing me the way through the private streets of Westminster, the intricate passages of the City, and the adjacent Villages, both on horseback, and on foot, places, at which, I had never been before ; his playing, very neatly and correctly all Corelli’s and Geminiani’s, 12 Solos, on the Violin. He had so correct an ear, that he never forgot the voice of any person he had once heard speak ; I myself, have divers times been a Witness of it; and in April 1779> as he and I were going to Pall Mall, to the late Dr. Boyce’s Auction, a gentleman met us who had been in Jamaica 20 years, and in a feigned voice, said, ‘how do you do Mr. Stanley ? ’—when he. pausing a little, said, ‘ God bless me Mr. Smith, how long have you been in England?’—If twenty people were seated at a table near him, he would address them all in regular order. Without their situations being previous!}' announced to him. Riding on horseback was one of his favourite exercises, and towards the conclusion of his life, when he lived on Epping Forrest, and wished to give his friends an airing, he would often take them the plea- santest road, and point out the most agreeable pros- pects. He played at Whist, with great readiness and judgement; each card was marked at he corner w ith the point of a needle ; but those marks were so deli- cately fine, as scarcely to be seen by any person, not