The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1873-02-05
Gossip About Great Men.


le was killed by a soldier while tracing ,
lines on the sand.
Socrates, when filed with some idea,
you'll stand for hours fixed like stat
le. 1t is recorded OF him that he stood
,uiid the soldiers in the camp of Potidea,
in rooted abstraction, listening to his
prophetic" or "supernaturaf voice.
Dcmocratus shut himself up for days
together in little apartment in his
garden. Dante was subject to FITS OF
abstraction, in which he often quite
forgot himself. One day he found an
interesting book which he long had
sought for, i'll a druggists shop at
Sienna, and was reading there till night
came on.
Dude, whom Erasmus called the
wonder of France, was thoroughly abb
sent man. One day his domestic broke
into his study with the intelligence that
his house was on fire. Go inform my
wife," he said, you know [ do not in
terfere in household affairs"
Scaliger only slept for a few hours,
and passed whole days without thinking
Ct food. Sully, when his mind was &C.
cupied with plans of reform, displayed
extraordinary fits of forgetfulness. One
day in winter, when on his way to church,
he observed, chow cold it is to-day!"-
"Not more cold than usual," said one Of
his attendandants. "Then [ must have
the ague," said Sully. "Is it not more
probable that you are too scantily
dressed?" he was asked. On lifting his
tunic the secret was at once discovered;
he had forgotten all his under-clothes
but his breaches!
Mrs. Bray tells somewhat similar
story OF the painter Stothard. When
invited on one occasion te dine with the
poet Rogers, on reaching the house in
St. james place, he complained of cold
and CHANGING to put his hand on his
neck, he had forgotten to put on his
cravat, when he hastily returned home
to complete his attire.
Button was very fond Of dress. He
assumed the air of the grand seigneur
sported jewels and fnery, wore rich lace
and velvets, and was curled and scented
to excess-wearing his hair en- appizott
while at his studies. Pope, too, was
I little danny in big wig and sword
and his crooked figure enveloped i
q fashionable garments gave him the loo
: of an overdrsssed monkey. Noltair'
:, also, was fond of magnificent attire, an
:, usually dressed in an absurd manner.
e Diderot once travelled from St. p
e tcrsburg to Paris in his morning gov
Ic and night-cap, and in this guise pror
i enaded the streets and public places
the towns OH his rout. Hewas often ia
en- for madam. While composing h
to works he used to walk about with rap
ne strides, and sometimes throwing his W
II in the air when he had struck a hap
u; "a idea. One day friend found him
T. tears. Good hcavens?, he exclaime
re "what is the matter?,' II am weeping
he said Diderot, "at a story I have j,
or composed!
Young, the poet, composed
"Night Thoughts" with skull befe
lot him, in which he would sometimes pl;
ny a lighted candle; and he occasional
w sought his sepulchral inspiration by W;
m dering among the tombs at midnig1
we Mrs. Radcliffe courted the horr
ne with which she filled her gloomy
,er romances by supping on half-raw be
NV steaks, plentifully garnished with orio
ger Dryden used to take physic before Sc
Use ting himself to compose a new pie
YES Kant, a German philosopher, WI
60? g.; lecturing, had the habit of fixing
nod attention upon one Of his auditors v
in wore a garment without a button
all particular place. One day the stud
ace had the button sewed on. Kant,
! !ol commencing the lecture, fixed his c
len on the usual place. The button
ere not there! Fancy the CONSERVATION
cks the philosopher, whose ideas had beee
i1k associated with that buttonless garm,
a.. " His lecture that day was detestable
and was quite unhingcd by the Cir,
pie stance.
are Too many authors have been fon
,La the bottle. Rabelais said, "eating
hat drinking are my true sources of insl
,uld ton. See this bottle! 1t is my
IS Is and only Helicon, ny cabalistic Fl
- o' tain, my sole enthusiasm. Drinkin
,rm deliberate; and celebrating, I dri
DOM Ennius, Echylus and Cato all got
rem inspiration while drinking. Me-
MT always had a large bottle of wine be
, ue"' him among his books; he drank of
hem each page he wrote. lie turned
N in night into day, and never composed
tools cept by lamp light, even in the