The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-07-25
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,s. ns:s"o@; @ ssS :fS"Ri R;. % srsss ss
s.rg invossiMhe infuence t<fthe Holy Spirit,
so5S so5 sray<. his lips might be touched with
Ire coal from the altar; Chrysostom meditatad and
..n1ied while contemplating painting Of St Paul.
Racon knclt down before composing his great
,ork, and prayed for light from heaven. Pope
.ayar' could compose we'll without first declaim-
NO some time at the top Of his voice, and thus
,,rsinc his nervous system to its fullest activity.
Bentham composed after playing prelude
m the organ, or while taking lis ''ante jentacu-
,ro aud post prandiap' walks 10 his garden
he same by way, that Milton occupied. Saint
y Rprnard composed his meditations amidst the
\ woods; he delighted in nothing so much as the
1 soituGe of the dense forest, finding there, he
al. somethn" more profound and suggestive
than ANYTHING he could fad in books. The
Ell ,,qrm would sometimes fall upon him there,
N Flhout for moment interruptirg his medita-
i f1ns. Camoens composed his verses with the
roar Of battle in his ears; fer the Portuguese
7oet was soldier and brave one, though
meet. He composed others Of his beautiful
verses, at the time when his Indian slave was
begging subsistence for him in the streets.
Tasso wrote his finest pieces in the lucid inter-
vals Of madness.
Rosseau wrote his works earl y in the morning;
LIE Sage at midday; Byron at midnight. Har-
uouin rose at four in the morning, and wrote
till late at night. Aristotle was tremendous
worker; he took little sleep, and was constantly
rctrenching it, He had contrivance by which
he woke early, and to wake was with him to
commence work. Dem0sthenese passed three
months in a cavern by the seaside, in laboring
TO overcome the defects Of his voice There he
reac,, studied and declaimed.
Luther, when studing, always had his dog ly
ne at his feet, dog which had been brought
lropl Wartburg, and Of which he was very fond
IN ivory crucltix stood on the table before him
and the walls Of his study were stuck round With
carcatures Of the Pope He worked at his desk
for DAYS together without going out; but when
Ga,pshnsl a,3 TIC i1aae keeaE9 "a esa:.1ata iF.s&
brain, he would take his flute or his guitar with
him into the porch, and their execute some
musical fantasy [for he was skilifui musician
when the ideas would flow upon him again as
fresh as flowers after summers rain. Music
vas his invariable sOlace at such times Indeed
Luther did not hesitate to say, that after theol
ogY music was tie first Of arts, "Muslc, said
he, sis the art Of prophets; it is the ony other
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 That great gnarled man had a
heart as tender a woman.
Calvin studied in his bed. Every morning at
i've or six o'clock, be had books, manuscripts
and papers carried to him there, and he worked
on for hours together. If he had occasion to 60
out, on his return he undressed and went to bed
again to continue his studies In his last years
he dictated his writings to secretaries. The
sentences issued complete from his mouth. If
he felt his faculty of composition leaving him,
he forthwith quilted his bed, giving up writing
aud composing, and went about his out door
duties for days, weeks and months together
But so soon as he felt the inspiration fall upon
him he went back to his bed, and his secretary
set to work forthwith.
Mr. McCormick, who lives about two miles of
Newberg, New York, was born August 6, l75l,
and is now in tolerably good health His voice
IS very strong, hearing good, but his eyeslght is
iis hair iS