The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-11-04
CuriOsities Of Great Men.

! Among the curious facts which we find in pc
rusing The biographies Of srea, men, are the cir
cumsiances connected with the composition Of the
works which have made them immortal.
! For instance:-Brossuet composed his grand
sermons on his knees; Bulwer wrote his first nov
els in full dress. scented; Milton, before com
mencing his great work, invoked the influences OF
the Holy Spirit, and prayed that his lips might he
tonched with a live coal from off the altar; Chry-
sostom medtaed and studied while contemplating
a painting of st. Paul.
( Bacon knelt down before composing his great
work, and pray ed for light from heaven. Pope
never could compose well without first decianl-
ing Tor time at the top Of his voice, and thus
rousng his nervous system 10 its fulies! activity.
| Bentham composed after playing prelude on
the organ, or whist taking his ''antelentacular
and post -prandiai'' walks in his garden--,he
same by the way, that Milton occupied. Saint
Bernard composed his cancellations amidst the
woods; he delighted in nothing much the
solitude Of the dense forest finding there, he said
something more profound and suggestive than
anything he could find in books The storm
would sometimes fall upon him there, without for
a moment inierfuptng his nedilailons.
! Camoens composed his verses with the roar Of
battle in his ears, for the Portuguese poet was ii
/ soldier, and a brave one, though poet; he com
posed others of his most beautiful verses at The
tine when his Indian slave was begging sub
sistence for him in he streets. Tasso wrote his
finest pieces in the lucid intervals Of madness.
Rousseau wrote has works early in the morning
lie Sage, at midday; Byron at midnight liar-
d-un rose at four in The morning and wrote liii
late at night.
Aristotle was tremendous worker, he took lit
tie sleep, and constantly retrenchmg II; he
had IA contrlvance by which he aw olte early. and
m n In nrt
inosthcnes passed three months in Il cavern by ;he
sea side, IN iaborInS 20 overcome The defects Of
has voice. There he read, studied and declaim-
ed
Rahelais composed bis life of ''Ga,santua,' at
Belldy In the company of Roman Cardinals, aud
under the eyes ci the Bishop Of Paris. La Fon-
tame wrote his fables chiefly under the shade Of
a tree, and sometimes by the side Of Racine and
Boeau. Pascal wrote most of his ''Ihough,s" !"
! on little scraps of papers al his by-momen!s.-
Feneion wrote his s'Ieemachus in the Palace
of Versailles al the Court Of the Grand Mon
argue, when dischargins the duties of 10 the
Dauphin. That boob 80 thoroughly democratic
should have issued from such a source, and been
written BY priest, may seem surprising De
Quensay trs, promu gated his tot universal
freedom of person and trade, and of throwing all
taxes on the Iand--the germ, perhaps, of the
French Revolution, IN the boudor of Madame de
Pompadour.
! Luther, when studying, always had his dog
! lying at his feet, dog he bad brought FROM
WurtNburg, AID of which he very fond. An
ivory crucltiy stood on the table before him, and
the walls Of his study were siuck round " nh car
features Of the Pope. He worked at his desk for
days together, without going out; but when "a
ugued, aud the ideas began TO stagnate IN his
! brain, he would take flute or his guitar with
hin into the porch, and there execute some mu-
seal fantasy, Oor he was "a skilful MUSICIAN, }
when the IDEAS would flow upon Inn as fresh a,
flowers after summers rain. Music was his IN
variable solace al such times. Indeed, Luther
d,d not hesitate 10 say, that alter ihee'cgy, music
was the first Of arts. Music" " said he, rs the
ari of the proE Ehsts; is tho only other art which
like theology can calm the agitation OF the soui,
and put the devil to fight NeAi TO music, il
not before it, Luther loved children and flowers.
That great gnarcd man had a heart tender as
a vonans.
I Calvin studied in bis bed. Every morning, at
ive or six o'clock he had books, manuscripts and
p1pers carried To him there, and he worked on
lcr hours together. II he had OCCASION TO 90 cut,
on his return he addressed and went 10 bed agaln
to continue his studies. la his latter years he
dictated his writings to secretaries He rarely
corrected anything The sentences issued com =
p!eie from his mouth If he felt his fIcnity OF
composition lea wing him, be forthwith Quilted his
bed, gave up writing and composing, and went
about his outdoor business for days, weeks, and
months together. But as soon - he felt the m
spratIen fall upon hun again, he went back 10 his
! bed, and his secretary set to work forthwith.
! Cuas. another leaned man. used 10 study 10 id
his length upon the carpet, his face towards the
I floor. and there he revelied amid piles Of books
which accumulated about him. The learned
Amyot never studied without the harpscaord be-
side hD, and he only quilted the pen 10 play it.
! Bentham, also, was extreme fond of The piano.
! forte, and had ia nearly every room IN his
house.
Richeeu amused himself in the intervals ol
! labor, with a squadron Of cats, of whom he was
very fond; he used to 60 to bed at eleven at night
and, after sleeping three hours, rlse and write,
dictate, or work, tiii from six to eight o'clock Ia
the morning, when his daily ievee was held. This
worthy student displayed an eAtfavagance equal
ing tia, of W olsey. Hi. annual expenditure was
some four mliIions Of francs, or about $780, ,OO1
sterling.
How different the fasiidious temperance Of Mil
ton! lie dsaua water and lived on the hnnlhles
fare. In his youth. he studied during the great