Historic%20Yorkshire

EUGENE ARAM. 155
had acquired a thorough knowledge of Latin, Greek, and
Hebrew, which he masteredwith astonishing ease. This
remarkable thirst for knowledge was greatly encouraged
by his father's employer, and he constantly made additions
to his store of acquirements,numberingamong the
sciences he studied as he travelled about the country as
an usher, botany and heraldry, besides surmounting the
difficulties of the Chaldaic and Arabic tongues. In 1731
he was actingin the capacityof schoolmaster at Gowthwaite
Hall, near Ramsgill, and in that year he married
one Ann Spence,the daughter of a farmerand blacksmith,
who lived at Lofthouse. Three years later he removed
to Knaresborough, and had at that time one child — a
daughter. While there he kept a school and continued
the prosecution of his studies, his chiefpatronbeing Mr.
WilliamNorton, who gave him much assistance. About
this time, Aram, refined and cultured as he undoubtedly
was, came to associate with three persons of tastes and
habits diametrically opposite to his own in every way.
These wereRichard Houseman, Henry Terry,andDaniel
Clarke. Much has been written upon Eugene Aram's
connection with these men. By some he was considered
as being throughout a victim and a martyr; by others he
was thought to bea more skilful villain, for his power of
producing sympathyby an appearanceof superior inclinations;but
that he should join in such schemes as they
were co-partners in, has been on all hands agreed to be
inexplicable, butit may fairly be attributed to his yielding
not infrequently to habits of intemperance. Houseman
was a flax-dresser,and Clarke a travellingdealerin plateware,
jewellery, watches, and such articles. The two,
with Eugene Aram, became confederate for the purpose
of defrauding the acquaintances of Clarke of plate. He
was commonlyreported to be in theexpectationof a large
fortune falling to his wife. He purchased goods,also, to
increase his credit, and was widely known for the punctuality
of his payments. He led people to suppose that
he made the purchases on behalf of a London merchant,