Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-03-22
GOSSIP d BOUT GREA T
MEN.

~Aii c'NSttF = Via S'ut oC
wrirfen,ah ahoat. the eu=woaknesses get
men. ~ The anecdotes of gArcli-
.medes will be remembered; be
rushes through the streets of Sy-
racuse, al .tresco, crying aEureka,'
and at The taking oi the city he was
killed by soldier while tracing ge,
ometrieal lines on sand. .aaa.s
Socrates, when filed with some
idea, wonld stand for hours fixed
like statue. 1t is recorded of him
that lie stood amid the soldiers i'm
the camp of Potldea, in rooted alb
straction, listening to his "pro,
phetic" or Supernatural" voice.
Denocritns 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 hook,
which he had long sought for, in ~
druggists shop at Sienna, and sat
reading there till night came on.
Bude, whom Erasmus called the
wonder of France, was thoroughly
absent man. One day his domestic
brok into his study with the intelli-
gence that his house was on fire
$50 inform my wife," said he; ''you
know l do not interfere in house
hold affairs 70
Scaliger only slept for a few
hours, and passed whole days with
ont thinking of food. Sully, when
his mind was occupied 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, >
said one of his attendants. "Then
l must have the ague," said Sully.
as it not more probable that you
are too scantiIy dressed?" he asked.
On the secret tunic the lifting was
at once discovered; he had forget
ten all his under clothes but bis
breeches
Mrs. Bray tells a somewhat IA
mi'iar story of the painter Stoth'
ard. When invited on one occa-
sion to dine with the poet Rogers
on reaching the house in St
James Palace, he complained oI
cold, and chancing to put his hand
on his neck, he had forgotten
put on his cravat. when be hast !
returned home to complete his at
the.
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- pdpilotte while
at his studies. Pope. too. was 6
little dandy in a bag wig an6
sword; and his crooked figure, en-
veloped in fashionable garments
gave him the look of an over
| dressed monkey. Vo,taire. also
was fond of magnificent attire, anc
usually dressed in an absurd man
ner.
Diderot once travelled from st
Petersburgh to Paris in his morn
ing gown and night-cap, and il
this guise promenadei the street
and public places of the towns OF
his route. He was often taken 70
a mad-man. While composing hi
works he used to walk about will
rapid strides, and sometime
, throwing his wig in the air whel
he had struck out happy idea
: One day a friend found hin il
tears. "Good heavens p he eS
f claimed, "what is the matter p
'1 am weering." said Diderot, "i,
story that have just composed
Young. the poet, composed hi
: might Thoughts" with skull befor
him, in which he would sometime
: place lighted candle and he occs
sionally sought his sepulchral inspirs
q ton by wandering among the tomb
at midnight. Mrs. Radcliffe courte
the horrors with which she filled he
gloomy romances by supping on hal
: raw beefsteaks, plentifully garnishe
with onions. Dryden used to tok
0 physic before setting himself to con
! pose new piece. Kant, the Gcrma
: philosopher, while lecturing had th
q habit of fixing bis attention upon OIL
e Of his auditors who wore a garner
$ without button in particular plac
e One day the student had the butto
l. sew ed on. Kant, on commencin
IS the lecture, fixed his eye on the US,
al place. The button was there
n Fancy the CONSERVATION of the pl
l. losopher, whose ideas had beaon
II associated with that bu.tonless ga
: ment. His lecture that day was d
testable he was quite unhinged /
ii the circumstance.
5, Too many authors have been for
d of the bottle. Rabelais said, ''Eatir
. and drinking are my true sources
inspiration. See this bottle 1t is n
d true and only Helicon, my cabalist
lie fountain. my sole enthusiasm
lie Drinking, deliberate; and 1eliber
IA ting, l drink" Ennius. Kschylu
= and Cato all got their inspiratit