The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-25
Gossip About Great Men.

An interesting chapter might be writ
I ten about the weakness of great men.
The anecdotes OF Archimedes viii be
remembered he rushed through the
streets of Syracuse, al .f-csco. crying.
g Eureka = and at the taking of the
city he was killed by soldier while
tracing geometrical lines on sand.
Socrates, when filed with some idea.
would stand for hours fixed like
statue. 1t Is recorded of him that he
stood amid the soldiers in the camp of
Potidea, in rooted abstraction, listen
ing to his prophetic" or supernatur-
al" voice.
Democritus shut himself mp for days
together in a little apartment in his
garden. Dante was subject to fits of
abstraction, in which he often quite for
got himself. One day he found an IN
teresting book, which he long had sought
for, in druggists shop at Sienna, and
was reading there till night came on.
Dude, whom Erasmus called the Won
der of France, was thoroughly absent
man. One day his domestic broke into
his study with the intelligence that his
house was on fire. Go inform my
wife, " said he; you know l do not in
terfere in household affairs -
Scaliger only slept for few hours,
and passed whole days without thinking
of food. Sully, when mis- mind was oc-
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 y 9 Not more cold than usual. "
said one OF his attendants. "Then [
must have the ague. said Sully lis
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-elothes 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 Palace, 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 finery, wore rich lace
and velvets, and was curled and scented
to excess-wearing his hair en- dppilotte
while at ms studies. Pope. too. was
little dandy in bag wig and sword
and his crooked figure enveloped in
fashionable garments gave him the look
OF an overdressed monkey. Voltaire,
also, was fond of magnificent attire,
and usually dressed in an absurd
manner.
Diderot once travelled from st. Peters
burg to Paris in his morning-gown and !
and in this g1lise promenaded
the streets and public places of the
towns on his route. He was often taken
for a mailman. While composing his
works he used to walk about with rapid
strides, and sometimes throwing his
wig in the air when he had struck a
happy idea. One day a friend found
him in tears. Good heavens p he
exclaimed, . "what is the matter p az
am weeping" said Diderot, " at story
have just composed"
Young, the poet. composed his
g Night Thoughts" with skull before
him, in which he would sometimes
place lighted candle; and he occa-
sionally sought his sepulchrnl inspira-
ion by wandering among the tombs at
midnight Mrs. Radcliffe courted the
lorrors with which she filled her gloomy :
'omances by supping on half-raw beef
steaks, plentifully garnished with 1
'nions- Dryden used to take physic ]
before setting himself to compose a
aew piece. Kant. the German philoso-