Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-12-07
COURTSHIPS OF GREAT MEN.

slow fire of love concealed than cringe before a
fellow creature. Never hatter. That you de-
clare yourself woman's lover is proof that
you believe her to be worthy of esteem. 1t is
both useless and wrong to talk to woman of
her vrtues-l use the word in its largest ac-
eptation-because she knows them all, and if
she does not, such ignorance is bliss wrong,
because our good qualities are attended by de-
stroying devil, which if you speak of them, np.
pears and kills them and takes the place which
they occupied.
la our times, all women, when in love, are ac-
tresses; they feign coldness which they do not
feel, and often say what they do not mean. In
the days OF the patriarchs, a woman's conduct
was the child of her heart. But let us tell how
courted
WILLIAM THE CoNQUERoR.
William, surnamed the Conqueror,of England,
loved Matilda, the beautiful daughter of the Earl
of Flanders, wealthy, potent, and polite prince
AS q statesman he was desrous for league
with the father, as man, he yearned for union
with the daughter She was comely and learn
ed, Z" a mirror of prudence and perfection of vir-
tue" She was sought in marriage by the great
est sovereign in Europe. William was a hand
some man, an able legislator, and warrior of
renown. But his addresses were cooy recev-
q
glo-Saxon nobleman, who treated her as she
treated William. For seven years did he serve
an apprenticeship to Cupid at the expiration of
which, says Agnss Strickland he, in l047, way
laid Matilda in the streets of Bruges, as she was
returning from mass, seized her, rolled her in
the dirt, spoiled her rich array, and not content
with these outrages, struck her repeatedly, and
then rode off at full speed This Teutonc meth
cd of cOurtship brought the affair to crisis !;
for Matilda, convinced either of the strength Of
Williams passion by the violence Of his behav-
ior, or afraid OF venturing second beating, con-
sented to become his wife. How he ever pre-
sumed to enter her presence again, after such
series of enormties, the chroncler saith noI and
Strickland, being woman, says she is at loss
to imagine.
"The marriage between the royal cousins
took piece in 1862, at Williams own Castle of
Agpi, whittier Matilda was with great pomp con-
Quoted by her ilustrious parents and a noble
company of knights and ladies'
Lives of the Queens of England, vol. l.
This unAatterng mode of sparkling" is not
yet extinct. 1t exists among the aboriginal in
habitants Of the Australian group, which has
Justly been styled "the country of contradic-
tons" Their treatment of the female sex, says
Dr. Hugh Murray, in his Encyclopedia of Ge-
ography," is the most attrocious Their court
ship consists in the most brutal violence. The
intended husband, having contrived to find alone
the unhappy victim of his love, begins by beat
| ing her to the ground with club; then accu-
mulate the blows, till she becomes altogether
senseless, when he drags her to his hovel, re-
gardless of her striking against shrubs and
stones, till under such promising auspices she is
fixed in his domestic establishment. All of their
! IL g., = C al AZ
Several of the colonists in vain attempted to
count the scars with which the faces of these un-
| fortunate beings were varlegated.
SIR ISAAC NEWTON.
OF the courtship of this illustrious phioso-
pher have somewhere read an anecdote altho
it is not to be found in several lives of him
which have searched. 1t is well known that
he was often absent minded that, for example,
he would sometimes rise and sit for several
hours by his bedside undressed, and absorbed
in thought; that he would often forget to dine
until reminded by his domestics, that to live it
was necessary to eat. Once and once only he
! loved young woman. One evening they were
seated by the tireside together He sat silently
smoking. She was too proud of his love to be
offended by his conduct. At length he took his
pipe from his mouth, and seized her hand She
expected that he was about 10 kiss it. Instead
of doing so, however, he stirred the tobacco in
the head of his pipe with her forefnger-a rath-
er odd substitute for pin She was angry
with him, and their courtship ended.
i ELDoN.
The father of Lord Edon, the Chancellor of
England, having resolved to marry, rang his bell
A female servant answered it. He told her to
dress herself in order to repair to the altar with
him. She thought he was jesting and disobey-
ed He rang his bell again. A second servant
appeared, To her he gave the same command.
She attired herself and was made bride.
o'CoNNELI.
Daniel OConnell did not court at all. He
told his sweetheart that he loved her; asked if
his love was reciprocated or if she was engag.
ed and if she was willing to make an engage
ment with him. The young lady replied as
frankly as he questioned, and they were speedi-
ly united for better or worse.
ABERNETHY.
OF Dr. John Abernetby, one of the most emf
nent surgeons and medical writers of the last
century, several anecdotes are recorded He
; was extremely eccentric, or rather was extreme
ly manly. He acted and spoke always as ma
ture dictated and not as custom ordained. To
n rich valetudinarian gentleman he once said.
&" live on sixpence day and earn it," and to
a lady of the same species who offered him q
fee, he said : Madam, keep your money and
buy a skipping rope" When he loved he still
continued to despise the forms with which soci
ETY. ever seeks to cucumber the sayings and do.
/ ings of men. He did not waste his time in court
ing, nor did he PROSTATE himself as is usually