Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-08

UNIV dolu0 lhc ldSl uONel 10 take up n we'll
written life of man of letters. Boswell's life
of johnson is one of the most fascinating
books | ever read. In spite Of the absurd
vanity and the ridiculous conceits Of Boswell
he has certainly produced the fullest and best
account of the most distinguished literary
characters of the eighteenth century.
But us have been a great, have been also
an industrious, reader of biography. have
read with pencil and paper and have thus ac-
cumulated a mass of facts about authors and
books, some of which are here presented to
the reader.
One of the remarkable facts in literary his
tory is, that some of the most celebrated au-
thors were indebted to accident for their first
success. When Thompson, after much diff
Guilty, found a publisher for his "Winter,"
(the first of the ''SeaSOns" that was published
the elegant poem remained unsold until one
of the town wits-a lover and fine Judge of
poetry-met it by chance; he spread its
praises through the cotiee-houses, and thus
brought it into notice. The manuscript of
''Jane Eyre" went the rounds of all the pub
fishers OF Lnndon without meeting with pur-
chaser, until it fell into the hands OF book
sellers daughter, who was so much delighted
with the novel that she persuaded her father
to publish it, and it met with immediate and
splendid success, That gorgeous book of
eastern travels, "EoIhen," was refused by
twenty publishers, and at last MIR. Kinglake,
its author, determined to publish it at his own
expense, and his book was received with ap-
plause by the entire literary world
DIR. johnson was very rapid writer. A
modern writer says of him Tile had but to
dip his pen in ink, and there flowed out
current Of thought and language wide and vo-
luminous as the Gauges in Hood" Some of
the best papers in the Rambler were written
cu1Yehte calamo. JOhnson's 'Life of Saw
age" was dashed off at at one sitting. Sir
Joshua Reynolds was so fascinated with this
eloquent and touching narrative that he could
not lay it down until he had finished it, Byron
wrote the 'Bride of AbydOs" in a single night
and the quill pen with which he performed
this marvellous feat is still preserved in the
British Museum. Dryden wrote ''Aiexander's
Feast" in two days. "The Merry Wives of
Windsor was composed in fortnight Beck
ford finished "Vathek" in two days and
nights.
On the other hand, Gibbou was twelve
years in completing the ''Decline aud Fall of
the Roman Empire" The pleasure of Mem
ory' occupied Rogers for nine years, aud
Italy" sixteen years. Balzac often spent
week on one page. Bernardne de St. Pierre
copied his sweet and beautiful Paul and
Virginia" nine times to make it more perfect.
Lord Littlet0n was twenty years in writing the
Life of Henry H." lttook Adam Smith ten
years to write his ''Wealth Ol Nations and
Goldsmith was seven years writing the DE
serted Viage'-he was satisfied with four
lines a day Jean Paul was ten years in COM
pleting his 'ritan''-his master piece. Our
own Prescott was twelve years preparing for
his splendid career as historian. The first
two volumes of his "Phillip Second we're
produced after six years of constant labor.
Hume was very Industrious writer while
employed on his ''Histury of England" he
was in the habit Of working thirteen hours per
day. Sir Isaac Newton Transcribed his
Chronology fifteen times before he was sat
isfed with it, The late Mr.. Buckle occupied
ten hours day for ten wears in writing his
history 01 ClVlllZaIlon III England.
Some of the most brilliant productions of
the human mind have been composed at a
comparative early age. Cicero's elegant ora
ton in defence of Roscius was made at the
age of twenty-seven. The "School for Scan
dali" considered the best comedy in the Eng
fish language was written by Sheridan at the
age of twenty At twenty live Byron lad
reached the height OF his dazzling career. At
the same age Washington Irving published his
humorous "Iistory OF New York" Camp
bell wrote his beautiful poem, the pleasures
of Hope, at twenty-one. Pope, at the same
early age, wrote his Essay on Criticism"
Shelly, at eighteen, produced that wild, won
derful poem, Queen Nab Keats published
his ''EndymiOn" at twenty-five and died at
twenty four. The marvellous boy, Chatter
don, commenced to write at eleven, and be-
fore he was seventeen, he had written poetry
which astonshed DIR. johnson and other emf
nent critics. At twenty-six, Charles Dickens
began that career which has been most SPLEEN
ddly prosperous in literary annals. William
Cullen Bryant wrote his magnificent poem,
"ThanatOpsis," at eighteenn. Tom Moore,
at fourteen, wrote poetry, which was pub
lished in the dublin Magazine" Others,
however, have produced their best works late
in life. Chaucer wrote his best poetry after
sixty. Young was considerably advanced
in life when he wrote "Night Thoughts"
Cowper was past fifty before he was known as
poet. Dryden was past sixty when he pub
lished the translation of Virgil, the most la
borious of all his works. Benjamin Franklin
was fifty before he fully entered upon the
study of natural philosophy. Altieri was
f0rty-siX when he commenced the study OF
Greek Boccaccio had reached the age OF
thrty-five before he began his literary career
The celebrated composer Handel was forty
eight before he published any of his great
works. Milton verging on sixty when he
published paradise Lost" the noblest poem
that ever came from the brain of man. Rich
ardson, the novelist, was past fifty when he
wrote ''Pamela," his first work.
Sir Walter Scott was one of the most IN
dustriOus of writer's. He rose early and ac-
complished good literary days work before
half the world was out of bed. His romances
were composed with amazing rapidly; and it
is an astonishing fact that in less than two
weeks after bankruptcy Scott wrote an entire
volume of ''Woodstock." His literary labors
yielded him fifty thousand dollars per annum.
Twenty thousand copies of the LADY of the
Lake" were sold in a few months. DIR. john
son was an extremely ndolent man. After
spending the evening at the literary club in
the society of Burke, Goldsmith and other
friends, he returned home between midnight
and sunrise, went to bed, and was seldom
seen before noon. Bennett Langton was so
delighted with the CHANDLER" that he went
to London to be introduced to johnson. He
called upon him at II o'clock, but the great
doctor was not visible After waiting some
time the author Of the CHANDLER" made his
appearance. The visitor expected to see a
neatly dressed philosopher, but instead, Il
huge, uncouth figure rolled into the room i'll a
soiled morning gown, with all i'll arranged
wig, and stockings falling over his shoes.
johnson used to say that the only book which
could entice him from bed before his usual
hour was Burton's 'Anatomy of Melan-
choly."
Byron was another late riser. He often
cow tho SIM rise hafnrn he went tn he'll In