Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-12-03
SHORT ST0RIES rROi HISTORY.
THE FATE OF ACTH0Rs.

aware of the most wre.ched ex-
per;e1ce { authors in earlier DAYS.
The story of literary discourage
ments, from Homer's days down to
Hugh Mill2r's suicide, is sad one
Indeed, the poverty d authors had
grown to be such recognized in
stitution that Il hospital was fonn.l-
ed for then relief hy Pope Urban
VIII, called the Retreat Of the In
curables ;" intinatnr, st is to be
presumed, tlGt it was impossible to
reclaim the patients who sued FOR
reception from the sin of authorship,
as from that OF poverty.
Homer is at once the first poet,
and the first beggsr of note, among
the ancients he was blind, and
sung his ballads l5o It Tie streets !;
but it is observed that bis mouth
Was more frequently filed with
verse than with bread.
Plantus, the comic poet, was bet
ter off he had TWO trades he was
a poet for his diversion, and helped
10 turn u mill in order to gain a
lIv iihood.
Paul Bo-ghese, the I5alian, al
most as good poet as Tasso, knew
fourteen 4 IF rent trades, and WAS
ye. starved to death, because he
| could get employment in none of
them.
Tasso himself, the most amiable
of al poets, has often been obliged
20 borrow CT ,wa from some friend,
in order to pay f,r months sub
sisteace ; he has let u i pretty
sonnet, addressed to his eat, III
which he bess the light of her eyes
to write by, beng too poor to afford
himself q candle !
But Bentivoslio, poor Bontivo-
Clio chiefly demands our pity.
His comedies will last With the
Italian language ; he dissipatcd a
noble fortune in acts Of charity and
benevolence; oct falling into misery
in his old age, WAS re:usej TO be
admitted into an hospital, which he
had himself erected
Ia Spain, it is sad, tho great
Ceryantes died Of hunger +; and it
| is cartain that Camoenas. the pride
Of the Tagus, ended his days is al
almshouse.
II we turn to France, we shall
there ind even stronger instances
Of the hspless destiny of genius
VaUgclas, one oftic po,itest writers,
and one OF the bonestest men Of his
time, was suruamed the Owl, from
his being obliged to keep within
oil day. and venture out only by
night, thrsugh fear of his creditors.
His last viii IS very remarkable
After bequeathing I'll his weridly
substance to the discharge of his
debts, be goes on thus: But as
there still may remain some Gre
ditors unpaid, even after all that |
have shall be disposed Of, in such s
case it is my last viii that my body
sho Id be sold to the surgeons to
the best advantage, and that the
purchase shoald go to tie discharg-
ing those delts which ! owe to So
ciety d.; SO that if [ could not, while
living, 1T least when dead, | mas
be useful"
Cassander was one OF the great
est geniuses of his time, yet all his
merit could not procure him bare
subsistence. Bsing driven, by de-
erees, into haiti ed Of sll mankind,
from the little pity he found among
them, he even ventured at last Hn-
gratefully to impute his calamities
@ Providence. In his last sgOnies,
when the priest entrested him to
rely on the justice of Heaven. and
ask mercy from Him that made him:
"If God" he impiously replied,
has shown me no justice here, what
reason have l to expect any from
him hereafter?" But being an
swered that suspension Of justice
was no argument that should in
ducs us to doubt OF its reality
'Let me entreat you," continued
his confessor, "by ali that is dear,
to be reconciled to God, your father,
your maker, and friend" "No,"
wickedly replied the exasperated
man, "you know the manner in
which he left me to live ;" land
pointing to the straw on which he