BOWRING, Sir John, an eminent English linguist, translator, political economist, and miscellaneous writer, was born at Exeter, October 17, 1792. He was a descendant of an old Puritan family; and he became in early life an ardent disciple in the school of utilitarianism and philosophical radicalism, whose prophet was Jeremy Bentham. He did not, however, share his master’s contempt for poetry and the belles lettres, but was a diligent student of literature and foreign languages, especially those of Eastern Europe. His attainments as a linguist were of remarkable extent. He stated that he knew two hundred languages and could speak one hundred. This, of course, does not mean more than that he had some slight acquaintance with them; but it is certain that he had a pretty good knowledge of forty, and these were languages of various classes. This gives him a place, with Mezzofanti and Von Gabelentz, among the greatest linguists of the world. The first fruits of his study of foreign literature appeared in Specimens of the Russian Poets, published in two volumes in 1821-23. These were speedily followed by Batavian Anthology (1824), Ancient Poetry and Romances of Spain (1824), Specimens of the Polish Poets, and Servian Popular Poetry, both in 1827. During this period he began to contribute to the newly-founded Westminster Review, of which he was appointed editor in 1825. By his contributions to the Review he obtained considerable reputation as political economist and parliamentary reformer. He advocated in its pages the cause of free trade long before it was popularized by the eloquence of Richard Cobden and John Bright. He pleaded earnestly in behalf of parliamentary reform, Catholic emancipation, and popular education. In 1828 he visited Holland, and during his stay there the ...