Hugh Binning [1627?-1653] was a rare individual. The greatness of his spirit and abilities gave his parents good grounds to conceive the pleasant hope that he would be a promising child. When in grammar school, he showed such proficiency in the Latin tongue and Roman authors that he outstripped his fellow classmates, though some were years older than he. When his schoolmates went out to play, he declined their company and chose to employ himself either in secret duty with God or in conference with religious people. His favorite pasttime was to recreate himself in this manner.