The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1853-05-12
VARIETY.
Habits of Great Students.


ridates, in the Tuilleries Gardens, crowd
of workmcn gathered around him, attracted
by his gestures; they took him to be mad
man about to throw himself into the BASIN
On his return home from such walks, he
would write down scene by scene, at first in
prose, and when he had thus written it out,
he would cxclaim, "My tragedy is done!"
considering the dressing of the acts up in
verse as 4 very small affair.
Magliabecchi, the learned librarian to the
Duke Of Tuscany, on the contrary, never
stirred, abroad, but lived amidst books and
upon books; They were his bed, board and
washing. He passed eight and-forty years
in their midst, only twice in the course of
his life venturing beyond the walls Of Flor
ence; once to go two leagues off, and the
other time three and alfleagucs, by order
Of the Grand Duke. lie was an extremely
frugal man, living upon eggs, bread and
water, in great moderation.
Luther, when studying, always had his
dog lying at his feet a dog he had brought
from Wartburg, and of which he was very
fond. An ivory cruciix stood on the table
before him, and the walls Of his study were
stuck round with caricaturcs of the Pope.
lie worked at his desk for Days together
without going out; but when f,tigucd, and
the ideas began to stagnate in his brain, he
would take his flute or his guitar with him
into tile porch, and there execute some mus
ical fantasy, (for he was skilful m,,scian,)
when the ideas would flow upon him as fresh
as flowers after summers rain. Music was
his invariable solacc at such times. Indeed
Luther did not hesitate to say that, after
theology, music was the first of arts. "Music,"
said he, els the art Of the prophets; it is the
only other art, which, like theology, can
calm the agitation of the soul, and put the
devil to flight" Next to music, if not be-
fore it, Luther loved children and flowers.
That great gnarled man had heart as a
tender as a woman's.
Culvin studied in his bed. Every morning
at five or six o'clock, he had books, manu-
scripts and papers carried to him there, and
he worked on for hours together. Ifhe had
occasion to go out, on his return he undress-
cd and went to bed again to continue his
studies. In his latter years, he dictated his
writings to secretaries. lie rarely corrected
any thing. The sentences issued complete
from his mouth. II he felt his facility of
composition leaving him, he forthwith quit
ted his bed, gave up writing and composing,
and went about his out door duties for days,
weeks and months together. But as soon
rs he felt the inspiration fall upon him again,
he went back to his bed, and his secretary
set to work forthwith.
Aristotle was tremendous worker; he
took little sleep, and was constantly retrench
ing it. lie had a contrivance by which he
awoke early, and to awake was with him to
commence work. Dcmosthenes passed three
months in cavern by the sea side, in labor
ing to overcome the defects of his voice.
There he read, studied, and dcclaimed.
Rousseau wrote his works early in tho
morning; LIE Sage at midday; Byron at mid
night Hardouin rose at four in the morn
ing, and wrote till late at night
Rabelais composed his life of Gargantua
at Bellay, in the company of Roman cardi-
natl, and under the eyes of the Bishop of
Paris. La Fontaine wrote his fables chiefly
under the shade of a tree, and sometimes by
the side of Racine and Boileau. Pascal wrote
most of his Thoughts on little scraps of pa
per, Mt his by moments. Fenelon wrote his
Telemachus in the palace of Versailles, at
thecourt ofgrand monarque, when discharg-
ing the duties of tutor to the Dauphin. That
book SO thoroughly democratic should
have issued from such source, and be writ
ten by priest, may seem surprising. De
Quesney first promulgated bis notion of un-
iversal freedom of person and tarde, and of
throwing all taxes on the land-the germ,
perhaps, of the French Revolution-in the
boudoir of Madame de Pompadour!
Bacon knelt down before composing his
great work, and prayed for light and inspi-
ration from heaven. Pope never could COM
pose well without first declaiming for some
time at the top Of his voice, and thus rous-
ing his nervous system to its fullest activity.
The life of Leibnitz was one Of reading,
!. writing and meditation. That was the Sc.
cret OF bis prodigious knowledge. After an
attack of gout, he confined himself 10 a diet
Of bread and milk. Often. he slept. in ins a
chair, and rarely went toSbed till after mid
night. Sometimes he was months without
quitting his scat, where he slept by night
and wrote by day. He had an ulcer in his
right leg, which prevented his walking about,
4 even had he wished 10, do so.-El;isa Cooks
journal. aA,4s ) s.-Ss S
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