The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-10-04
LIrrLENBss OF THE GREAT.

/
tricities, faiings and foibles Of remarkable
persons.
Having gathered together number Of per-
sonal anecdotes, we propose 10 pass away a
gossiping, and not wholly an Improbable
half hour in relating them TO our readers
II is painful TO reflect upon the iuordinate
vanity which charac,erizes many illusrious
lives. When Cesar became bald, he con-
stantly wore the laurel wreath with which
we see him represented on medals, in the
hope OF concealing the defect; and Cicero's
egoism was so great, that he even compos-
ed Latin hexametsr in his own praise:
| Oh foriuna.um naiam me Consule Roman,
| (Oh fortunate Rome when was born her
Consul y line which elected the just sar-
| casms of Juvenal Queen Elizabeth left g..
900 different dresses in her wardrobe when
sh died and during many years OF the lat.
Ter part of her life, would not su fer look
| ing-glass in her presence for fear she should
perceive the ravases of time upon her coun-
ienance. Mecenas, the most egregious of
classic exquisi,es, is said TO have "wielded
the Roman empire with rings on his fingers."
Sir Waller Raleigh was perhaps the greatest
| beau ON record His shoes on court-days,
were so gorgeously adorned with precious
stones, as 10 have exceeded 5000 guneas in
value and he Lad suit OF armor OF solid
silver, with jeweled sword and belt, the
| worth of which was almost incalculabe.-
| The great Descartes was very particular
| about his wigs, and always kept four in his
dressing closet a piece OF vanity wherein
he was initiated by Sir Richard Steele, who
| never expended less than forty guineas upon
one of his peri-wigs. Mozart, whose hair
was OF fiae quality, wore il very long and
flowing down between his shoulders, with a
tie of colored ribbon, confining ii at the neck.
Poor Goldsmilh's innocent dandyisms, and
the story of his peach blossom coat, are al
most proverbial Pope's self-love was so
great, that, according to johnson, lie {" had
been flailered till he thought himself one Of
| the moving powers in the system of life. y
Allan Ramsay's egotism was excessive. On
one occa sion, he modestly took precedence
oI Peter the Graat, in estimating their COM
parative importance with the public: " But
haud (hold) proud Gar" he says, wadna
nifier (exchange) iameW Napoleon was
vain of his small hand. Salvador Rosa was
heard to compare with Raphael and Michael
Angelo, calling the former dry, and the lat
ter coarse and Rapheal, again, was jealous
Of the fame and skill of Michael Angelo
Hogarth's historical raintngs-which were
bad--equaled in his own opinion, those Of
the old masters. Sir Peter Lcly's vanity was
SO well known, that mischievous wit re-
solving 10 try what amount OF fauery he
would believe, told him one day that if the
author of mankind could have had the ben
eft Of his (Lely'sl opinions upon beauty, We
should have been materially benefited in
point ofpersonal appearance 10 which the
painter emphancally replied " Fore Goti,
sare, believe you're righlw Bojaldo, the
Italian poet, ascribed SO high an Importance
10 his poetry, that when he invented suit
able name for one OF his heroes, he set the
bells ringing in the village. Ko,zebue was
so vain and envious, that he could endure
nothing celebrated TO be neal him, though it
were but picture or statue and even Lam
arine, the lofiiest and finest of the French
poets, robs his charming pages of half their
beauty by the inordnae self-praise Of their
commentaries. Rousseau has been called
the "self-torturing egotsi p and Lord Byron's
life was one long piece Of egotism from be-
ginning TO end He was vain of his genius,
his rank, his misan,hrophy, and even Of his
vices and he was particularly proud Of his
good riding and Of his handsome hands.
Penurousness, unhappily, has been too
commonly associated with learning and
fame. Cato, the censor, on his return from
Spain, was SO parsmonious that he sold his
field d.horse, to save the expenses of convey
ing the animal 6y sea TO Italy. Attilius Reg
ulus, al the period Of his greatest glory in AZ
rca, entreated perm ission to return home 10
the management Of his estate, which con.
sisted but of seven acres, alleging that his
servants had been defrauding him of severa
agricultural implements, and that he was
anxious TO look after his affairs Lord Ba-
con is melancholy instance of the dominion
| obtalned by avarice over great mind
Swift, in his old age, was avaricious, and
had absolute terror of his visitors. "When
his friends of feilber sex came 10 him, in expec-
taion Of dinner, his custom was t, give
every one shilling, that they nigh, please
hemselveswilht lhtheir provision" 0fthe great
Duke of Marlborough, it is said by Ma
| caalay, that 'his splendid qualities were min
eIeGi with alloy Of The most sordid kind"
We will now turn 10 the errors of self in
diligence Socrates, fiss..o, Aga'hon, Ar's'a.
pbanes, and others of the most ceisora'ed
Greeks, drank wine TO a surprising extent !;
and Plato says, in his Symposium, that socra-
les kept sober longer than any. Tlberus
was SO much addicted to his vice, that he
had frequently TO be carried from the Seuate-
house, Cato was fond of the bottle Ben
Johnson delighted in copious draughts OF
[ Canary wine and even contrived 10 have q