Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-09-12
HAslTs OF AUTHORS

6H0000Q -
ographfes OF Great Mem.
Among the curious facts which We
find in pursuing the biographies Of
great men. says recent writer. are
the circumstances connected with com.
position of the works which have made
them immortal.
For instance Bossuet composed his
great sermons on his knees; Bulwel
wrote his first novels in full dress;
Milton, before commencing his great
! work, invoked the influence of the
Holy Spirit. and prayed that his lips
might be touched with live coal from
off the author: Chrysostom meditated
and studied while contemplating q
painting of St Paul.
Bacon knelt down before composing
his great work and prayed for light
from Heaven. Pope never could com
pose well without declaiming for some
time at the top of his voice, and thus
rousing his nervous system to its
fullest activity.
Tasso wrote his finest pieces in the
lucid intervals of madness.
Rosseau wrote his works early in the
morning; LIE Sage at midday; Byron
at midnight. Aristotle awoke early
and worked until he slept. Demos
themes passed three months in a cavern
by the seaside in laboring to overcome
the defects of his voice. There he
read, studied and detained.
Luther, when studying, always had
his dog at his feet. An ivory crucifix
stood on the table before him. and the
walls of his study were stuck around
with caricatures of the Pope. He
worked at his desk for days togethe r
without going out; but when fatigued
he would take his flute or guitar with
him into the porch and there execute
some musical fantasy. Music was his
invariable solace at such times. In-
deed. Luther did not hesitate to say
that after theology, music was the first
of the arts; 1.-The only other art" he
said. (which, like theology, can calm
the agitation of the soul and put the
devil to flight"
Calvin studied in his bed. Every
morning at five or six o'clock he had
books, manuscripts and papers carried
to him there, and he worked Oh for
hours together. If he had occasion to
go out, on his return he undressed and
went to bed, again to continue his
studies.
Richelieu amused himself. in the in
tervals of his labor. with a squadron
Of cats, of which he was very fond.
He used to retire at eleven, and, after
sleeping three hours, rise and write or
work. His annual expenditure was
about f17O, 600 sterling.
How different the fastidious tenn
perance of Milton. He drank water
and lived on the humblest fare. Dur
ing the eight hours of sleep that he
allowed himself, the glorious visions
came to him which he embodied in his
immortal works. Milton was of the
opinion that the verses composed by
him between the autumnal and
spring equinoxes were always the
best. while Alfieri, on the contrary,
said that the equinoxial winds pro-
duced a state of almost complete stu
pidity" in him. Corneille. IN his lofty
flight, was often brought to stand still
for the want of a word, which was
commonly supplied by his brother
Thomas. In his fits of inspiration he
would bandage his eyes, snd throw
himself on the sofa, and dictate to his
wife for hours together, afterward
submitting his tragedies to his sister
Martha even as Moliere used to con-
suit his house-keeper about his newly
written comedies.
Racine composed his verses while
walking about, reciting them in loud
voice. while Magliabecchi, the learned
librarian of the Duke of Tuscany.
never stirred abroad, but lived amid
his books; only twice in eight-and-forty
years did he venture beyond the walls
of Florence.
Rosseau had the greatest difficulty
In composing his works, being ex-
tremely defective in the guilt of mem
DRY. He never could learn six verses
by heart, and often after having men
tally formulated sentences, would for
get them before they could be written
down.
Voltaire was a most impatient writ
er, and usually had the first half of his
work set up in type before the second
half was written. He always had sew
eral works in the course of compost
ton at the same time. He usually had
the sketch of a tragedy set up in type,
and then rewrote it from the proofs-a
plan which was adopted by Balzac.
OF thirty verses which Virgil wrote
in the morning. only ten were left at
night. Milton often cut down from
forty to twenty. Button would con-
dense six pages into as many para
graphs. Montague, instead of cutting
down. amplified and added to his first
sketch.
LIFE OF A TEACHER.
Not Always Pleasant and Never Too Lib