Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-25
A GROUP OF ECCENTRICITIES.
Oddities 81 Some Great rea IN Their
Work and Play.

SRVOF VI ECCENTkuCSIhESs
Oddities Of Some Great Wen In Their
Work and Play.
". b. Davenport Adams in the 0entlemans Magazine.
The shepherd said to De Lance that he was
happy as king, and that his idea OF heaven wss
70 i've In large plain with large nocks 70 watch.
Philip OF Macedon counted norse-race won 81
Olympia among his three greatest felioities; with
some men. nowadays It Is their only one. The
late Lord Derby, Il is said, would rather have wen
tine blue ribbon OF the turf than worn that OF the
garter" To Fontenelle the secret OF happiness
was summed up In keeping the heart cold and the
stomach warm. Dc 0ustibus non es dispusdndur.
Cowper. as everybody knows frightened his
OBSCURE nfe for many years by studying the habits
ana characters OF his three pet hares, Puss. Tiny
and Bess. He had quite caiholic;ty OF affection,
sock Of household pets aded (oesides the hare
nve rabbits, two guinea.pigs many pigeons q
magp,e, jay and starting, two godnsneA TWO
James had miscellaneous taste for pet AMI
mals-virgtnian squirrels q cream-colored lawn,
the splendid white gyrfalcon OF Ireland. an ele.
phant, nve canels, and OF course dogs OF every
kind. saint Evremond, the VIII and Claude de
Creoillon, the poet, were constantly surrounded
vision Of their master, lived soSetser On terms Of
unity.
Ladislas. king Of Poland, was greatly agitated at
trembled IN every hmb II watercresses were placed
before him. The astronomer, Tycho BrAhe. was
similarly anected at meeting with Q hare or fox.
The sage browed verulam Iell into fainting nc
at an eclipse OF the moon. Boyle went into con-
on issuing from a tap or valve. La Xotne lie Wager.
the French philosophical writer, preceper 70
Louis XIV, could not endure the sound OF any
who died In 1882 sickened at the s2el Of the rose.
Suetonius info. ms Us that the Roman emperor
Ohio was almost as particular "as woman
"A AZ hS lad Aonfl afr mr.
cess TO the whole OF his b0dy, and wore upon his
head, which was nearly bad, false hair, nxed and
imposition. He shaved we'd daily with the utmost s
exactness, and rubbed his face all over with
soaked bread-a habit which he had contracted
from tne age OF puberty In order to prevent the
Very little food, either animal or vegetable, DID
Spnosa allow himself, since he restricted the cost
q Scotch student would ind II difllcut to support
human nature. Yet was he surpassed by Bultner,
German naturalist OF tue eighteenth century,
WHO lived upon one meal a day, al q cost Of SOUS
The astronomer Laiande proiessed to relish spiders
and caterpillars, and always carried q supply Of
these dainues about with him In q bonoon BOX.
The amusements Of great men seem TO Indicate
the direcJlol of Their tastes. Cardinal Ricnelieu
found In Violent exercise relief from the severe
mental concentration In which most OF his lie was
passed. He was once discovered jumping with his
servant, to try who could reach a nigh marx ON
tne wall Win ingenious nattery De Srammont
some efforts which nearly reached the mark, 20
allow the cardinal TO best nim. Henry Nv amused
his leisure with the company OF Children, aud
sully describes q Charming incidenI-how he roubd
his sovereign astrlde on a suck, ana playing at
''horses" with two or three happy Juveniles The
learned Samuel Clarke sought recreation IN violent
gymnastics ieaping over tables and Chairs Once,
a pedantic precisian approaching. Now we must
desist" saiu he, "for rool Is Coming mr.
Turner was an early riser, and Tor several hours
In The morning worked assidulously, alter which
he would amuSe himself freely. Hewas greatly
partial 70 fishing. He ldom paid county Visit
" m. GA.
red into his pursuit lne tudomit able perseverance,
which ne brought 70 bear on his artistic WORE.
No inclemency OF weather daunted, no churllsii-
ness oT fortune wearied him. An eye witness
relates Low he Used TO sit on the lawn OF frenu's
house, fishing IN pond for carp. On wet days he
would sit on kitchen Chair, VIII piece oil board
under his Ieet, and large umbrella over his head.
And the wind blew aud Tue ram descended, but
silent and tuiinovabie There he SAT until the dun
ner beu ring.
Harvey, VINO discovered the twofold circulation
OF the blood, Was great reader. At the battle OF
EdgeniA in l6a2, Prince Cnaues and tue duke Of
YORK were put under bis Charge, and while the air
rung with the Clash and din " the ngnt, he
retired with the TWO young princes under q
hedge, took volume from MS pocket, and became
Ing the ground close BESIDE him convinced him Of
tue desirabiiity OF seeking safer resting place.
some eminent men nave been distinguished by
their passion and special applique for lauorivus
WORK. Boyle studied Tor fourteen hours daily un-
I'll he was forty years old. Hume wrote thirteen
hours a day while composing us "Hlstvry OF Eng.
land" Sir Matthew Haze studied Tor many years
at the rate OF sixteen hours q day. but AL great
lawyers have been hard workera As Tor The SCI
entiSts, look at Charles Darwin, at iyndali, at
Huxley at Richard owen. Marshall Hall, whose
discoveries and researches in connection with the
ne. vous system smootned the way for later phys
1olOgists devoted. in the Course OF his lie, TO Tie
Investigation OF this one subjecl, no lever Qt has
been calculated) than twenty-five thousand hours.
For forty years OF his life the great naturalist,
Button, wrote at his desk from 9 TILL O'Clock and
again In the evening from S I'LL 8 O'Clock
spending seven years upon mis- great picture OF
"Ihe Lords supper and eight upon that or "Pie-
tro Martire." Michael Angelo was an indefatiga-
bic worker. After passing the greater part VI the
day In his studio, he would often rise at night
resume his labors, liking candle al the top OF his
paSteooard Cap, like miner, to supply tue light
which guided his marvellous chlseL Haydn, Gluck,
SpOnr, Beethoven, Mendelssohn enjoyed WORK
other men enjoy play. But, In truth,
continuous energetic labor Is imperative
upon the musician who would rise TO fame
and command a comprehensive knowledge OF
the resources Of his glorious ART. Glardini
was wont 10 Say that II man would learn 10 play
the violin he must practice twelve nours q day for
twenty years. And the wonderful mastery Of
Paganint was gained and maintained only by as
MUD and body. The FIRST studies which he CON-
posed were Of such excessive difficulty that he
would repeat q single passage lor ten hours run
hing.
In short, what other habits great men have
formed whatever the tastes displayed, they have
always formed the naois OF, anu displayed astroug
TASTE for, Work; and In SO Ear they have Iallen
on from this habit far have they fallen on from
the true and full development OF their HenluA