The true northerner., 1873-01-03
Gossip About Great Mem.

Gossip About Great Mem.
An interesting chapter might be writ
ten about the weakness of great men
The anecdotes of Archimedes will be-
remembered he rushed through tn,
streets of Syracuse, al fresco, crying
Eureka u and at the taking of the
city he was killed by soldier while
tracing geometrical lines on the sand.
Socrates, when flied with some idea
would stand for hours fixed like 9
statue. 1t is recorded of him that ht
stood among the soldiers in the camp
of Potidea in rooted abstraction, listen
ing to his prophetic" or supernatural
voice.
Democritus shut himself up for days
together in a little apartment in his
garden. Dante was subject to fits oi
abstraction, in which he often quite for
got himself. One day he found an in
teresting book, which he had long
sought for, in druggists shop at Sienna,
and sat reading there till night came on.
Bude, whom Erasmus called the won
der of France, was a thoroughly absent
man. One day his domestic broke into
his study with the intelligence that his
house was on fire. $50 inform my
wife," said he "you know | do not in.
terfere in household affairs"
Scaliger only slept for few hours,
and passed whole days without thinking
of food. Sully, when his mind was oo.
cupied with plans of reform, displayed
extraordinary fits of forgetfulness. One
day in winter, when on his way to
church, he observed, "How cold it is
to-day /" "Not more cold than usual, u
said one of his attendants. "Then
must have the ague, " said Sully. " Is il
not more probable that you are toe
scantily dressed ?' was asked. On lift
ing his tunic the secret was discovered
he had forgotten all his underclothes
but his breeches
Mrs. Bray tells somewhat familiar
story of the painter Stothard. When
invited on one occasion to dine with the
poet Rogers, on reaching the house IN
st. James Place he complained OF cold
and CHANGING TO put his hand on hi'
neck, he had forgotten to put on hi'
cravat, when he hastily returned home
to complete his attire.
Button was very fond of dress. He
assumed the air of grand seigneur
sported jewels and fnery, wore rich lace
and velvets, and was curled and scented
to excess-wearing his hair en- pap,LoH
while at his studies. Pope, too, was
little dandy in bag wig and sword
and his crooked figure enveloped il
fashionable garments gave him the ap
D. arance of an overdressed monkey
Voltaire also was fond Of magnificen
attire, and usually dressed in absurC
manner.
Diderot once travelled from st. Peters
burg to Paris in his morning gown and
night-cap, and in this guise promenade
the streets and public places of the town
on his route. lie was often taken for
madman. While composing his work
he used to walk about with rapid strides
and sometimes throwing his wig in tn
air when he had struck out happ,
idea. One day friend found him II
tears. "Good heavens ~ ne exclaimed
"what is the matter 2" ~ am weeping.
said Diderot, at story | have jus
composed "
Young, the poet, composed his " Nigh
Thoughts" with skull before him, i
which he would sometimes place
| lighted candle; and he OCCASIONAL
sought his sepulchral inspiration b
wandering among the tombs at mic
night Mrs. Radcliffe courted the hol
rors with which she filled her gloom
romances by supping on half.raw beei
steaks, plen tifully garnished with onion:
Dryden used to take physic before sci
tling himself TO compose new piece
Kant, the German philosopher, Will
lecturing had the habit of fixing his al
tention upon one of his auditors VIII
wore garment without button in
particular place. One day the studen
had the button sewed on. Kant, ol
commencing the lecture, fixed his ey
on the usual place. The button wa
there Fancy the CONSERVATION of tn
philosopher, whose ideas had becom
associated with that buttonless gal
ment. His lecture that day was dc
testable; he was quite unhinged by tn
circumstance.
Too many authors have been fond {
the bottle. Rabelas said, Eating an
drinking are my true sources of inspirs
ton. See this bottle 1t Is my tru
and only Helicon, my cabalistic four
tain, my sole enthusiasm. Drinking,
deliberate; celebrating, | drink.
Ennius, Eschylus and Cato all got thel
inspiration while drinking. Mezers
always had large bottle of wine besid
him among his books he drank of it q
each page he wrote. He turned tn
night into day, and never composed e.
cept by lamp light, even in the da!
time. All his windows were darkened
and it was no unusual thing for him
show a friend to the door with LAM
though outside it was broad dayligh
On the contrary, Varillas, the historian
never wrote except at full mid-da,
His ideas, he imagined, grew and d
clined with the suns light.