Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-08-06

flies IN the autumn he collected the winter food for
his little tree-hog and his tame spider. How
wish he wrote once to his friend Otto, that you
could have met me IN the street in the Harmony
then you would have seen my little squirrel upon my
shoulder who bites no longer
Next to money, Rembrandt loved nothing so much
as his monkey. He was one day painting picture
of noble family, when the intelligence brought
to him of his apes DEATH He could scarcely contain
his grief and lamented his unhappy lot Sobbing
and crying he forthwith 5egan delneating the form
of the ape upon the family picture. They remon-
strated with him, and protested that ape quite
out of place in the company of such distinguished
personages. The family most indignant and
ordered him to efface the traces of the animal But
he continued to weep, and went painting his ape.
The head of the family demanded to know whether
it was has portrait that of monkey which Rem
brandt pretending to delineate? "It is the por
trait of monkey" said Rembrandt Then you
may keep the picture" 81 think so said the paint
er. And the picture still survives.
Henry III, of France foolishly fond of span
ies that he used to carry litter of them in basket
suspended round his neck when giving his audiences
His passion for these animals cost him the aver
age not less than hundred thousand crowns year.
Charles l, of England also excessively fond of
spaniels; and the breed of his dogs is still famous in
this country. Frederick the Great was also great
dog,fancier
of animals, and he filled his house with squirrels,
monkeys Angora cats dwarf asses he-goats tortois-
es and Elba ponies. Besides these he had enorm-
GUS raven who gravey strobe about among the ether
animals, if he were the exhibitor of this Noahs
ark. When any one knocked at the outer door, the
raven called "Come in!" in a loud voice.
Pelisson, confined in the Bastille made friend of
a spider which he tanned. The jailer one day, see
ing Poisson take pleasure in contemplating the in
Sect crushed under his foot and left the prisoner
distressed and melancholy at the loss of his friend.
Latude, in the same prison. made companions of some
six-and-twenty rats who inhabited his CELL He gave
each of them name; and they learnt to come to
him at his call. He fed them played with them
md hing he of
tivity.
But Latude only made friends of rats from neces-
sity. The Marquis de Montespan in perfect freedom
of choice, had the extraordinary taste to amuse him
self with mice, when occupying the gded apartment
of Versailles. True the mice were white, and had
been brought to him all the way from Siberia; but
the taste was most odd one, nevertheless.
Cardinal MaZarin, the French minister, employed
his leisure in playing with ape; and Cardinal
Richeleu amused himself with his collection of cats
The poet Alfieri proud of his horses, and took
great delight in fondling and caressing them. Cow
per at time SO happy when feeding his
tame hareS.
There other historic names associated with pet
animals among which may be named the vulture of
Semramis the butterfly of Virgil the startling of Nero,
the ape of Commodus, the sparrow of Heliogabalus,
and the dove of Mohammed.
Finally, among the other reaxations of learned
and great men may be mentioned Calvins game of
throwing dice along tabe-whereas Luther
great in nine-pins. When he knocked down all the
pins at a stroke he was much delighted as if he
had upset all the papists. Boileau was also very
fond of the same game, and when he Frustrated the
nine-pins he better pleased than if he had
pleted his best ode. Massion the preacher used to
assemble Oratorans and Jesuits in his room and set
them to play at chess together, meanwhile exhort-
ing them never to engage in any less innocent
fare Buttons great delight in cleaning the vii
lage gossip from the village barber during his morn
ing toilet. Charlemagne's chief relaxation and plea
sure consisted in swimming in BATH together with
his sons officers and others Charlcmagne beat them
all at swimming Boyle, the philosophers great de-
puppet-shows. The performance of Punchinello
invariably drew him into the street. and he did not
mind standing in the midst of shower of rain to
witness it. In like manner Tasso's liveliest amuse
versions of the populace during the public festivals
Who knows but that there may be many wise men
now "about town." who take part priviy, but sweet
ly in the annual diversions of Greenwich fair?
Harper's Magazine.