Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-08
SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 5, 1868.

hours of the night in writing those immortal
works which are the admiration of the world
Addison spent all his mornings in study. He
afterwards repaired to coffee house to dine
in the society Of his jovial friends, Steele,
Prior, and other worthless. Sheridan COM
posed at night, with a profusion of light
around him, and bottle of wine by his side.
He used TO say. ''If Il thought is slow to
come, glass of good wine encourages it:
and when it does come, glass of good wine
rewards" Ccero's chief delight was literary
composition. He declared that he would will.
ingly renounce all the wealth and glory of the
world to spend his time in contemplation and
study. His favorite amusements were read
ing and walking.
very erroneous idea prevails among
many people concerning literary men, In
their opinion, poverty and poets, genius and
garrets, are associated together, and the mis-
cradle lives of several authors are cited as
Illustrations, but these are exceptional cases,
and were the results, chiefly of the IMPROVE
dence of the authors themselves. Fielding
was a successful writer-the whole edition Of
his "Amelia' was sold in one day-but he
was very eXtravagant, and spent his own and
his wite's money. Goldsmith was prosper
Gus and well-paid author, but his fondness for
bloom -cOlored coats and expensive suppers
kept him in debt. Edgar A. Poelived in diff.
culties and died miserably, but it is doubtful
whether such a wild, maynard being could
have been happy in any condition of life.
ChattertOn killed himself in fit of despair,
when bright career was opening before
him.
AT the age of twenty eight, johnson went
to London poor and unknown, and he was in
IL al, g.,
ton which lie attained in the world. His first
literary labor yielded him twenty-five dollars,
and his last fifteen hundred, but he might have
got as many thousand if he had chosen to ask
Shakespeare's genus secured for him wealth
saved thirty thousand dollars, the fruits of
his poetry. Addison was elevated to the po-
siton of secretary Of state by means of bis lit.
erary talents. David Hume, by his writings,
raised himself to wealth and to high Offices He
lived in the enjoyment of five thousand dol
lars, and left seventy-tive thousand when he
died. In our own days we have many exam
pies of authors reaching fame and fortune by
means Of their writings. Washington Irving,
the pride and glory OF American letters,
amassed wealth by his literary labors. Bull
wer, who has been member of the British
cabinet, receives thousands of pounds for eve
ny book he writes. Dickens, besides attain
ing world wide distinction by his writings,
has enjoyed, since the commencement of his
literary career, an average income of ten
thousand pounds year. Thackeray, after be-
ing cheated out of his patrimonial estate, de
voted himself to literature and has won a dis.
tinguishtd reputation, and considerable for.
tune. Tennyson can ask and receive almost
any price for his writings, and for one poem
he was paid at the rate of ten pounds line.
These few facts will show that poverty and
garrets are not always the fate of poets and
genins. | might go on quoting instances by
the hundred to show the profitable nature Of
successful authorship, but enough is known TO
render amy remarks of mine on the subject al
most work of supererugation.