Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to All:

ak>  I was born in the year 18xx to a large fortune, 
ak>  endowed besides with excellent parts, inclined 
ak>  by nature to industry, fond of the respect of 
ak>  the wise and good among my fellow men, and thus, 
ak>  as might have been supposed, with every guarantee 
ak>  of an honourouble and distinguished future. 

ak>  "endowed besides with excellent parts" -- what does 
ak>  it mean? 


          In bygone days, an adult male with numerous talents &/or abilities was often described as "a man of many parts".  The expression is no longer in common use but may still be found in some dictionaries.

          As to "endowed with"... while this individual's family could afford to pay for the best education available at the time, he feels he was born with what we might call a "gift" or a "knack" for a variety of pursuits.

          I guess if he was "inclined to industry" he did his homework too.  :-)
        
        


--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+