Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-22

IN WHICH 1T Is RELATED HOW CERTAIN
GREAT WORKS WE'RE WRITTEN.

Temple Blr.l
Goodwin wrote "Caleb Williams" back
ward, beginning on principle with the
last chapter, and working up to the hrst
1t is curious to note how many poets have
clothed their thoughts first IN prose.
This, Donatus tells us, was Nlrglls Gus
tom. The original form which the
"lEneid' took was n prose narrative
This narrative was then gradually Nersi-
fed, the poet writing at first tiuently,
and then laboriously polishing his lines
till he had brought them rs near periec-
ton as he could Thus Goldsmith work
ed at The Traveller" and 1.-The Deserted
Village" Thus Johnson composed
creme" Butler "Hudibras," Boileau his
"Satires," Racine and Ben Jonson, their
dramas, and Pope the Essay on Man.
When Balzac was engaged on his no.
vels, he sent of the skeleton of the story
to the printers, with huge interstices for
the introduction of conversations, de-
scriptions. and the like, and on receiving
the printed sketch shut himself up IN his
room, drank nothing but water, ate moth
ing but fruit :and bread, till he had com
pleted the work by filling mp the blank
spaces. Southcy usually employed HIM
self in passing three or even four works
through the press at the same time, CIV
ing each its allotted space in the twenty
four hours. Richardson produced his
romances by painfully working out differ
ent portions at different times, sometimes
while engaged in his shop, sometimes
while sitting surrounded by friends IN
his snug parlor at Hampstead.
Pope always carried notebook with
him and never hesitated TO jot down any
thing which struck him i'll convers alton.
A great deal of his Homer" was execu-
ted in bed on odd scraps of paper, and
many of his beautiful couplets were
rounded off while taking the air in his
bath-chair or driving in his little chariot.
Prileaux's great work was written to
while away the time while the author was
recovering from the effects of an agonlz-
ing operation. Shelley composed the
"Reyolt of Islam while lying in a boat
on the Thames at NARROW Keats his
lode to the Nightingale" in n lane at
Hampstead Almost all Wordsworth's
poetry was meditated in the open air, and
committed to paper on his return home.
Rurns composed his magnificent lyric
'.Scots wha' ha wi Wallace bled" while
gallopng on horseback over wild moor
in Scotland. and Tam O'Shanter" in the
woods overhanging the Doom. Washing
ton Irving's favorite studio was stlle III
some pleasant meadow, where, with his
portfolio on his knees, he used to mould
his graceful periods. The greater part OF
Arnold's Roman History" was written in
Ills drawing room with his children play
ing about him. and lively conversation, In
which he frequently joined, going on
round the table on which his manuscript
rested Priestly and Beddoes were fond
of writing under similar circumstances.
What would to nine men out of ten be
an intolerable distraction was to them
gentle and welcome stimulus. Johnson's
VANITY of Human Wishes" was COM
posed as he trridg Il backward and for
ward from Hampstead, and Tom Paine
usually clothed his thoughts in express
sion while walking rapidly in the streets.
Hooker often mcditatcd the "Ecclesiasti-
cal Polity" when rocking the cradle of his
child, and Spinoza his ''Tracatus" while
grinding glasses. Robert Stephens
Thought out many Of his works on horse
back. Some of Fielding's comedies were
scrawled in taverns Descartes, Berni,
the Italian poet, and Boyse. TIE author
Of the once celebrated Deity" usually
wrote while lying i'll bed. Byron tells us
that he composed the greater part OF
Lara" at the toilet table, and the pro-
logue on the opening of Drury Lane
Theatre in stage coach. Moore's splen-
did Eastern romance, "Lalla Rookh,"
was written III II cottage blocked up by
SHOW, with nn English winter howling
round
Tasso indited some Of his loveliest SON
nets on the walls Of the cell in which he
was confined as lunatic and Christie
pher Smart his Song to the Deity one
of the best sacred lyrics We have, in
madhouse.
Burns tells us that he dreamed one OF
his poems-it NAV be found in his works
and that he wrote it down Just rs he
dreamed it. Noltaire informed his friend
Wagniere that the whole of the second
cant) Of the "Ienriade" was composed
by him in his sleep. Coleridge always
said that he dreamed "Tubla Khan, "
and Campbell that he was indebted to the
same source for the best line in "Lochiel's
Warning" One OF the most eytraordi-
nary inducements to literary activity Is
that recorded by Captain Bell, the trans
latOT OF ilulutT lAablt Iaih, 4 Wliooc
task was imposed on him by ghost, and
a very importunate ghost, too. We will
give tho story in the good captains own
words:
After alluding to the discovery Of Luth-
ers work, which had for many years been
lost, he goes on to say that Il friend had
told him he would bestow n great and
substantial service by translating it into
English. He accordingly began it but
after while, firing of his task, laid it
aside.
Then about six weeks after | had re-
ceivcd the said book, 1t fell out that be-
ing in bed with my wife one night be-
tween Il and of the clock, she being
asleep, but myself yet awake, there ap-
pearcd unto me an ancient man, standing
at my bedside, arrayed all in white, hay
ing long aud broad white beard hang
ing down TO his girdle, who, taking me by
the right ear, spake these words follow
ing unto me ''Sirrah will not you
take time to translate that book which IL
sent unto you out of Germany? l will
shortly provide for you both place and
time to do it, and then he vanished away
out ofmy sight.
"old Abe"
| Tho Wisconsin war eagle ''Oll Abe