The semi-weekly mountain Democrat., 1860-09-19
AAussmonts Of the bsarnsd.

Many persons, are Of belief that Authors
are very grave and reserved in their man.
ners that they are constantly engaged H.
study-have no relish whatever for relax
alton, are careless Of the ordinary pleas.
urcs oC society. This is ridiculous Gal
lacy authors Just think and act like Othe,
men when not engaged in their literary
avocations; and whatever may be- III,
gravity Of their writings, they are gencr.
ally very merry fellows. and like 10 in
dulgc in frivolous anusementS As well n
their ncighbOrs. D'Israeli, who has Ia
ken the pains to enter into a minute in.
veStigatiOn Of many literary subjects, re-
cites number Of instances Of learned men
ihdGlging in different Nmnscmcnts by way
Of.relaxatiOn to their mind
"Among the JcSuits," says he, in his
Curosities Of Literature. u work we RI.
commend to the pcruSal Of our readers, "ii
was u Standing rule Of the order that after
an application IL study for two hours, thc
mind of the student should he unbcnt by
some relaxation, however triiling. When
Petavious was employed on his nog,sala
Theological, woik Of the most profound
and extensive eruditibn, the great rtcrca.
tion Of the learned father was, at the end
Of every second hour, to twirl his clpir
for five minutes.
after ProtractCd studies, SpinoSa
would mix with the family party whore
Ire lodged, and join in the most trivial con.
verSsAiOnS, or unbcnd his mind by setting
spiders to fight each other; he observed
their combatS with so much interest that
he was often seized with immodcratc fits
Of laughter. \ continuity Of lab lr dead,
ems the soul, observes Seneca, in closing
his treaties on The Tranquility Of the
Soul aud the mind must unhend itSclfhy
certain amuScmcntS. Socrates did not
blush to play with children; Cato. over
his bottle, found an allcviation from the
fatigucS Of governmental circumstance,
he says in his manner, which rather gave
honor to this defect, than this diShonor
defects Cato. Some men Of letters por
toned out their bay between rep0Sc and
labor A>iniuS Polio would not suffer any
business to occupy him beyond stated
hour; and after that time, he would not
allow any letters to be opened during his
hours Of relaxation, that they might not
be interrupted by unforeseen laborS. Ia
the Seuatc, after the tenth hour. il was
not allowed to mako any new motion.
"Tvcho Hlahr diverted himself with
polishing glasses for all kinds Of SpcctacleS
and making mathematical Instruments
an amu>r,ncnt> too closely connected with
his studies To bc dcclncl as one.
DAndlly, The translator Of JoScphuS,
after seven or eight hours of study every
day, amused himself in cultivating trees {;
Barclay, the author of ArgcnicS, in his
leisure hours, was a florist; HalXa amused
himself with crayon portraits; Peircrc
found his amusement among the medals
and antiquarian cu,ioSiticS; the Ahho dc
MarcleS with his prints; and Politian in
singing airs to his lulc. ncScartrS pas
Scd his afternoons in the conversation Of
few friends, and IN cultivatipg little
garden in the morning. Occupied by the
system OF tho world, he r, ,axed his pro.
found Sprculations by rearing dclccatc
flowers.
"Robault wandered from shop 10 shop
to observe the mechanics labor; Count
CayluS passed his mornings in the studies
uf artists, aud his evenings in writing his
numerous works on art. This was the
truc life Of an amateur.
"Granville Sharp, amidst tho severity
"f his studies, found a social relaxation
in the amusement nf barge on the
Thames. which was well known to the cir
Gle ol his friends; there was festive hoSpi,
i,,itv with musical delight II was re.
serted to by men Of the most eminent tai.
rni> and rank. Ills little voyages to Put
nrv Kew. aud TO Richmond, aud the lite.
Iary intercourse they produced. were sing
ulaily happy ones. Tho history OF his
auuScnvnt> cannot be told without adding
to the dignity Of his character, observed
Mr.. Prince lIuarc, in tho very curious
lie of this great phlanthropiSt.
"SOme have found amusement in com.
posing trcatiSeS on odd subjects, Seneca
wrote burlcSque narrative If Claudian'S :
death. PieriuS NalrrianuS has written an
culogium on boards, and We had u learned
one recently. with due gravity aud pltAS.
antry, entitled Eloge dc rcrrSQuCS-an
Eulogium on Wigs.
"EraSmus composed, to amuSc himself
when travelling in poStchaSc, his pane
gyric on Maria, or Folly; which, authorix,
cd by that pun, no dedicated TO Sir
Thomas Moore,
'"It seems, Johnson observes in his life
Of Sir l"omaS Browne, tn have been in all
ages the pride Of art to show how il could
cxa,t the low and amplify the little, To
this ambition, perhaps, we owe the frogs
Of Homer, the gnats and bees OF Virgil,
he butterfly ~ SpoHScr, tho shadow oI
WoweruS, aud the QuincunN Of Browne.
Cardinal dc Rchclieu, amongst all his
great occupation, found u rcCna,ion in vi
olcnt exercises; and he was once diScov.
cred jumping with his servant, to try whu
could reach the highest side of n wall De-
Grammont, observing tho Cardinal to hr
jealous Of powers, offered 10 jump with
him; and the true spirit ofa courtier, hav'
ing made some efforts which nearly reach,
ed, tho Cardinal surpassed him, This
was jumping like a politician and by thi,
means is said to have ingratiatcd himself
with the Minister.
"The great Samuel Clarke was fond ol
robust exercise; and this profound logi
clan has been found lcaping over tables
and chairs, Once perceiving . PedantiC
fellow, he said, Now We must dCsiSt, for
a fool is coming in.'
"An eminent French lawyer, confined
by his business to Partisan life, amused
himself with collecting from tho classics
all the passages which relate to country
life, The collection was published aitr,
his death"