With full propriety that time has been spoken of as the "Age of Newton." Yet the man who was to achieve such distinction gave no early premonition of future greatness.

He was a sickly child from birth, and a boy of little seeming promise.

He was an indifferent student, yet, on the other hand, he cared little for the common amusements of boyhood.

He early exhibited, however, a taste for mechanical contrivances, and spent much time in devising windmills, water-clocks, sun-dials, and kites.
While other boys were interested only in having kites that would fly, Newton--at least so the stories of a later time would have us understand--cared more for the investigation of the seeming principles involved, or for testing the best methods of attaching the strings, or the best materials to be used in construction.
Meanwhile the future philosopher was acquiring a taste for reading and study, delving into old volumes whenever he found an opportunity.

These habits convinced his relatives that it was useless to attempt to make a farmer of the youth, as had been their intention.