Smyrna times., 1877-04-04
FavOrite Books of Famous Men.

We are told that Shakspeare's favorit,
writer's were Plutarch and Montaigne
Millions favorite books were Homer, Ovid
and Euripides. The latter book was alsC
the favorite book of Charles James Fox
who regarded the study of it as especiall,
useful to public speaker. On the othel
hand, Pitt took especial delight in Milton
whom Fox did not appreciate, taking plea
sure in reciting from Paradise Lost" the
grand speech of Belial before the assem-
bled powers of Pandemonium. Another
tavorite book of Pitts was Newton's Prin
cipia. Again, the Earl of Chatham's
tavorite book was "Barrow's Sermons .
which he read so often that he was able tc
repeat them from memory, while Burke's
companions were Demosthenes, Milton
IB6tollngbroke, and Young's Might
thoughts" Curran's favorite was Homer
which he read through once year. Virgil
was another OF his favorites-his biographer.
Phllllps, saying that he once saw him read.
ing the Aneid in the cabin of Holyhead
packet, while every one about him was
Frustrated by sea sickness.
VI the poets, Dante's favorite was Virgil
CorneIlle's, Lucan Schiler's was Sbaks.
peare; Gray's was Spence; while Coleridce
admired Collins and Bowles. Dante him.
self was favorite with most poets. from
Chaucer to Byron and Tennyson. Lord
Brougham, Macaulay, and CARLYLE. have
alike admired and eulogized the GREAT
ltallan. The former advised the students
at glasgow that, next to Demosthenes. the
study OF Dante was the best preparative for
the eloquence of the pulpit or the bar
robert Hall sought relief in Dante from
tne racklng pains of spinal disease, and
sidney Smith took to the same poet for
comfort and solace in his old age. 1t was
characteristic of Goethe, that his favorite
book should have been Spinozas "Ethics,"
IN which he said he found peace and conso-
latlon such as he had been able to find in
no other work. Barrow's iavorite was St.
Chrysostom; Bossuet's was Homer: Bun
yan's was the old legend of "Sir Beyis of
southampton" which very probably gave
him the first idea of his "Pilgrimis Pro
gress." One of the best prelates that ever
sat on the English bench, DR.. John Sharp.
SAID shakespeare and the Bible have
made me Archbishop of York" The two
books which most impressed John Wesley
wnen WI en- young man, were "The Imitation
OF Christ " and Taylor's Holy Living and
Dying" Yet Wesley was accustomed To 70
caution his young friends against oyermuch
reading. beware YOU be not swoiIowoJ
up In books" he would say to them: "an
ounce of love is worth pound of knowl.
edge" Wesley's own life has been a great
laVorlte with many thoughtful readers.
Coierldge says, in his preface to Southey's
Lie OF Wesley, "that it was more often in
his hands than any other in his ragged.back
regiment" Sonnet had only few books
IN ms Library, but they were of the best
homer, virgil, Dante, Camoens, Tasso, and
Milton. De Quincy's favorite few were
Dohne, Chllllngworth, Jeremy Taylor, Mil.
ION, South, Barrow, and Sir Thomas Browne.
he described these writers as a Pleiad. or
constellation of seven golden stars, such as.
IN their class, no literature can match, and
from these works he would undertake. to
build up an entire body of philosophy.
Frederick the Great manifested his strong
French leanings in his choice of books. his
principal tavorites being Bayle, Rousseau.
Voltaire, Rollin, Fleury, Malebranche. and
one English author-Locke. His esnecial
iavorite was Bayles Dictionary, which was
the trst book that laid hold of his mind
ana he though so highly of it, that he him.
sell made an abridgment and translation
OF 1t into German, which was published.
1t was saying of Frederick's that books
MADE up no small part of true happiness.
In his old age he said "My last passion
VIII be for literature" 1t seems odd that
Marchal Blucher's favorite book sbould
have been Klopstock's Messiah" and
a Napoleon Bonaparte's favorites "Ossian's
Poems and "Sorrows of Werter." Bnt |
Napoleon's range of reading was very ex.
tenslve. 1t included Homer, Virgil. Tasso
novels of all countries, histories of ali times
mathematics, legislation and theology. lie |
detested what he called tho bombast and |
-lnsel OF Voltaire. The praises of Homer
ana Osslan he was never wearied of sound. |
ng. Read again." he said to an officer
On board the BeLlerophon, "read again the |
poet OF Achilles; devour Ossian. Those |
are the poets who lifted up the soul and |
give to man colossal greatness" The |
Duke OF Wellington was an extensive read.
1r. His principal favorites were Clarendon.
Bishop Butler, Smiths Wealth of No. |
-lons," Hume, ArchdHke Charles, Leslie.
md the Bible He was also particularly
Interested in French and English memoirs
more especially the French memoirs. nour
lero'r OF all kinds. When at Walmer. Mr.
ilegg says, the Bible, Prayer Book, Taylor's
: Holy Living and Dying" and Casar's
. Commentaries lay within his reach. and
Judging by the marks of use on them. thew
must have been much read and often con.
suited. WI"
SwUW n