Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chapter II. 1854-1858, Jet. 13-17. Establishment of a Life-long Friendship: G. B.?New and lofty Ambitions.?Another fortunate Change of Residence. ?Passion for Nature intensified.?Early Story-Writing. ?Poetry of Scott: Reasons of its Attractiveness.?Early Poems. ? Humourous Propensities. ? An unexpected Celebrity.?Shakespeare-Studies.?The Poetry of Coleridge.?Poetical Revels among the Mountains: Killakee, Glendhu.?Wordsworth opened.?Byron: first Perusal of The Giaour.?Tennyson: a pleasant Awakening.? Goethe: Adoration of Faust.?Attitude towards Schoolfellows.? Consequences of Miscellaneous and Irregular Reading.?Career chosen.?Another Change of School.? Tribute to the Rev. R N. ?Hard Studies commenced.?Youthful Vigour and Enthusiasm.?First Love. ?A Memorable Day. JUST about the time that his old companions were separated from one another and from him, Armstrong had been consolidating a new and particularly congenial friendship, which lasted until the close of his life. It was natural that when he found a boy of his own age, a young artist, with intellectual gifts in abundance, and a love of mountain-rambles that never flagged, and a true artist's eye for the scenes which he loved, he should draw him close to him, and make him his almost daily companion;and that, as the years advanced, pleasant recollections and associations, ever multiplying, should bind him still more firmly to that friend, and encourage him to confide to him his cares and dreams; and that, even if their paths should for a time be sundered, and their characters and ambitions should assume different forms, his steadfastness and fidelity should keep the link that bound them still firm to the end. Never was friendship reciprocated with an affection more tender or devoted than by his well-beloved G. B. Ver...