Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-11-28

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 ne had thus written it out, he would
exclaim, " My tragedy is done 20 considering the
dressing of the acts up in verse very small
affair. 2szsssza
Magliabecchia, 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
eght-and-forty years in their midst; only twicein
the course of his life venturing beyond the walls
of Florence; once to 60 two leagues of, and the
other time three and half leagues, by order of
the Grand Duke. He was an extremely frugal
man, living upon eggs, bread and water, in great
moderation.
Luther, when studying, always had his dog w.
ing at his feet a dog he had brought from Wat
burg, and of which he was very fond. An ivory
crusifx stood on the table before him, and the
walls of his study were stuck round with carica-
lures of the Pope. He worked at his desk for
days together without going out; but when ia
tgue, and the ideas began to stagnate in his brain,
he would take his flute or his guitar with him into
the porch, and there execute some musical fanta-
sy, for he was skillful musician, when the ideas
would flow upon him as fresh as flowers after
summers rain. Music was his invariable solace
at such times. Indeed, Luther did not hesitate to
say that, after theology, music was the first of
cts it is the only art which, like theology, can
calm the agitation of the soul, and put the Devil
to flight" Next to music, if not before it, Luther
loved children and flowers. The great gnarled
man, had heart AS tender as a woman's.
Calvin studied in his bed. Every morning, at
FIVE or six O'Clock, he had books, manuscript, and
papers carried to him there, and he worked on for
hours together. If he had occasion to 20 out, on
his return he undressed and went to bed again to
continue his studies. In his later years he die
tated his writings to secretar es. He rarely
rected any thing. The sentences fsued compiete
from his mouth. If he felt his facility Of compo-
stion leaving him, he forthwith quilted his bed,
gave up writing and composing, and went about
his outdoor duties for days, weeks and months
together. But as soon as he felt the inspiration
fall upon him again, he went back to his bed, and
his secretary set to work forthwith.
Rousseau wrote his works early in the morning;
lie Sage at midday: Byron at midnight. Har-
douin rose at four in the morning, and wrote till
late at night.
Aristotle was a tremen 1ous worker; he took
little sleep, and was constantly retrenching it. He
had continuance by which ne awoke early and
to awake was with him to commence work. De-
mOstheneS passed three months in a cavern by the
sea side, in laboring to overcome the def ects of
his voice. Th re he read, studied and acclaimed.
Rabelais composed his life of Gargantua at
Bellay, in the company of Roman Cardinals, and
un Ter the eyes of the Bishop of Paris. La Fon-
tame wrote his fables chiefly under the sh AIDE of
a tree, and sometimes by the side of Racine and
Boi.eau. Pascal wrote most Of his Thoughts on
! little scraps Of pape:, at his by-moments. Fene-
lon wrote his Telemachus in the palace Of Yer
saille, at the court of the Grand Mo. arq e.,
when di>charging the duties of tutor to tn. D.u-
pain. That book thoroughly dem crat c
Should have issued from such a source and be
written by Il priest, miy seem surprising. DE
Quincy first promuI gate his notion of univer sal
freedom of person AMI trade, and of throwing |
taxes the land, the germ, perhap' of the French
| Revolution in the bou lo.r of Madame de Pomp;-
| dOIr!
Bacon knet down before composing his great
work, and PRAYED for ght from heaven. Pope
never could co npose well without first declam-
ing for some time at the TOP OF his voice. and thus
rousng his nervous system to its fullest activity.
The life of Liebntz was one of reading, writing
and Meditation. That was the secret of his pro-
digious knowledge. After an attack of govt, he
| confined himself to diet of bread and milk
| Often he slept in chair, and rarely went to bed
till after midnight. Sonnet he was months
without quitting his seat, where he slept by night
and wrote by day. He had an ulcer in his right
leg, which prevented his walking about, even had
he wished to do so.-EliSa Cooks Journal.