The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-07-05
Traits and Habits of Historic
Men

Liz Gdlheu Io4elSn languages IKE MOD
ern prince of the blood, and he wrote
like the master of every one with whom
he correspondent The meaning of the
brief and blunt confidential notes in
which he made known his wishes to an
absent minister never failed to stand
clearly out through all his Indifferent
spelling and careless grammar. Those
notes were dictated at almost every min
ute from eight in the morning to eleven
at night for as long as work remained on
hand all hours were working hours with
the King. Punctual, patient, self-willed
and self possessed; intruding into every
department; inquiring greedily into
every detail; making everybody's duty
his own, and then doing it conscientious
ly indefatigably, and-as badly as it pos
sibly could be done; he had almost all
the qualities which enable a man to use,
or misuse, an exalted station, with hardly
any of the talents by means of which such
station can be reached from below
TTe0elyam.
He never allowed himself to be COM
plimented on his abstinence. "'Tis no
virtue, he said. 1 only prefer eating
plain and little, to growing sickly and in
firm" He would ride in all weathers
from Kew or Windsor to st. James's
Palace, and dress for a levee at which
he gave every individual present some
token of his favor or displeasure. Then
he would assist at a privy council or do
business with his ministers till six in the
evening, take cup of tea and few slices
of bread and butter without sitting down
at table, and drive back into Berkshire,
by lamp-hght. In his recreations, he
was more hardy and energetic even
than in his labors On hunting days he
remained in the saddle from eight in the
morning till the approach of night sent
him home to Jug of barley water,
which he In vain endeavored to induce
his attendants to share with him. His
gentlemen in-waiting tasted nothing of
the luxury which the humble world pre-
sumes to be the reward of courtiers, and
not very much of the comfort on which
an Englishman of rank reckons as his
birthright. Doors and windows so habit
ually open, that maid of honor en-
countered FIVE distinct and thorough
draughts on the way from her own room
to the Queens boudoir; expeditions on
foot across country for ten miles on end,
without Sinking ploughed field or skirt
ing patch of turnips early prayers in
winter, with congregation dwindling
daily as the mornings grew colder and
darker until by Christmas the king and
his equerry were left to SILVER through
the responses together. Nothing would
have retained men of fortune and men of
pleasure in such Spartan service, ex-
cept the strong and disinterested affection
with which George the Third inspired
all who had to do with him in his char
acter OF master of household.-Amon.
FREDERICK THE GREAT. Plutarch and
Shakespeare have shown great men in
their nightcaps and slippers. I cannot
show you his Prussian Majesty in his
nlghtcap, for he never wears one he &C
CURED habit in youth of sleepin g bare
headed, in order to harden himself. Nor
has he any slippers, for as soon as he
leaves his bed he puts on his boots. It is
known that he rises at four, that he goes
to bed at nine, that he procrastinates moth
ing, that he is foud of testing, that he
eats great deal Of fruit, that he plays
on the flute every evening, that he passes
most OF his time at Sans-Souci in his old
boots, and that he governs Europe.
[ asked the Swiss Which was the
Kings chamber? p This" 1 expected
magnificent bed. There was a fine
alcove at the end of the room, but no
bed in it. Where is the bed?' "There."
Behind little screen in a corner was a
small bed, very narrow, with curtains of
green silk this was his. The carpet on
which he steps when he gets out Of bed
is very coarse. And there are three or
four tables covered with books and pa
pers. Frederick was told one day that
some one had spoken i'll of him. He
asked if that person had 100000 men?
He was answered, "No." Every well,
said the king, "I can do nothing; if he
had 100000 men l could declare war
against him ''-SherJockS Letters.
Two PICTURES OF NAPoLEoN.-I. Prince
Cambaceres, arch-chancellor of the en-
pire, and the friend and confidant of Ma
poleon, gives the following account of his
first meeting with him in 1894:
Some time after this, when I was
lodging in the Rue Chabannais, was
startled by knock at my Goor early one
morning. / requested my visitor to en-
ter, and / saw before me little thin.
yellow complexioned man. His liar
ranged hair was hanging down in the
curls, called orelJles de chien, which were
IN fashion at that time. He was very