Title: Memory.—Nothing makes this faculty
Creator: Walt Whitman
Date: Undated
Whitman Archive ID: duk.00192
Source: Trent Collection of Whitmaniana, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Transcribed from digital images of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the marginalia and annotations, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Lauren Grewe, Nicole Gray, Ty Alyea, and Matt Cohen
Memory.—Nothing makes this faculty so good, as the employment of it.—Locke.—
Many trouble themselves about conforming to laws.—A great poet is followed by laws—they conform to him.
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Plutarch—born inabout the year 50 ac probably.
died, it may be 125 ac
notes of [Times?]Life, books ^ &c. ^translations when appeared.—
[Plutarch's Lives?]Plutarch's Lives— Amiot's translation (French) 1558
in Greek text, at Paris,—1624
First English tra^nslation—during reign of Queen Elizabeth
Dryden, with many others in Co. also made a translation "a motley work,"
Plutarch—born ^in Bœotia, in Greece, about the year 50 of the Christian era
studied (like the ^general Greek youth)—acquired a great art of memory—read all the books (MSS.) of his time—leaned toward the tenets of Pythagoras.— —was of patrician family—supposed wealthy— —had two brothers, his associates in study and amusements— he always speaks of them with pleasure and affection— —Probably traveled into Egypt—Certainly into Italy —studied Latin quite late in life—never made much progress
Lectured in Rome—
Plutarch had a good reputation at Rome.— —some say he was preceptor to the Emperor Trajan
Notes, in the time of Plutarch, were unknown in literary compositions—this accounts for his digressions and tedious episodes.—
Late in Life retired to Chæronea, a philosopher, priest.—
Was married—had five children, four sons & a daughter had a good wife.—
I suppose he attained a good old age—"a long life"
Most of his writings, with many Lives, are Lost—those that remain being but a portion of what he wrote