The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-07
HOBBIES OF GREAT MEN.
Bome Idiosyncrasies Which History Ha
Made a Note of.

Henry Nv of France the great Hugh O.
not king, who has lately become familiar
to many Of US in the works of Stanley
Weyman, was passionately fond of chill
dren. 1t is related of him that one day
he was discovered by an ambassador
crawling on all tours with the Dauphin
on his back, and the rest of the royal
children urging him to equine feats. He
WAS not abashed. and without rising,
said to the intruder: Have you child
rem, Mr.. Am bassadora'' "Yes, sire."
"In that CASE" replied Henry, " l shall
proceed wi tn my SPORT" A fonduess for
children WAS feature In the character OF
she Duke of WELLINGTON, and also in that
of bis great adversary. Napoleon. 1t is
dificult to realize this imperious man,
this terror of nations, handling the
young King of Rome in his arms, and
laugingly daubing his face with sauce
from his breakfast plate. Yet 20 1T Is
recorded of him. Another Of his weak
nesses was for the music of bells. He
would stop in the mist of a discussion
on the gravest subjects to listen to o
village peal, and be surprised and almost
indignant II those about him failed to
evincs a corresponding interest. "They
remind me-" be SAID on one occasion,
"of the first years passed at Brienne.
] was happy them"
Music. indeed, in one form or another
has been the hobby of many great men.
Milton delighted to play upon the organ.
and composed many fine chants to
psalms. GainsboJ ough performed with
no little skill on the violin. Many of the
anxious and feverish hours of Luther
were solaced by his flute. The great re-
former, however, had another favorite
recreation in the shape of the game of
skittles or ninepins. Probably the sue
cess attending his labors never gave him
30 keen an exhilaration of pleasure as
did the knocking down Of all the pins at
his rooms constantly decked with them.
Hesaid that he drew from them his
Inspiration. In the latter years of his
life Reformed a great affection for dogs,
and generally had some of them about
him. A favorite one, on its demise re-
ceived the honor of Byronic epitaph.
Many famous men have displaye a
similar fondness for animals, and In not
, few instances the animal chosen has
been of kind not usually connected
with household pets. Cardinal RIchelieu
found amusement in a collection of cats.
The poet Cowper tanned hares and spent
much of his time feeding and fondling
them. Goethe made friends with an ami
NAL of far less inviting description. IL
Is related of him that he rarely passed
day without bringing from chimney
corner live snake, which he kept there,
and caressed it like bosom friend.
Hardly more agreeable form was taken
by Rembrant, who became devoted to an
ape. When he heard Of this animals
death he was so overcome with grief that
he introduced its figure into group he
was then engaged upon Of noble family
Needless to say, tho family In question
refused to recognize this unseemly addi
sion to their numbers, and the painter
declining to erase it, the picture was left
on his hands. 1t Is said to bs still III
existence.
More remarkable almost, than any o +
these Is the friendship which Poisson
made with spider in order to begui;e
the tedium of solitary confinement in
the Bastile. That q creature OF this kind
should show itself amsnuble to such in
huence is, perhaps more to be wondered
at than that man 30 placed should de-
sire to tame it. James was another
lover of animals. but he does not seem to
Lar variety. He kept private menag-
erie in st. JaInes's park, wherein all
manner of beasts were gathered together
and tended with scrupulous care. Stables,
white gray falcons Of Iceland and flying
squirrels wore, we are told, among the
most highly priced specimens in this
collection. About the. year 1929 the King
Of Spain obtained the good offices Of his
majesty by the diplomatic presentation
of an ELEPHANT and ave oaynels. The
former of these appears to have been
somewhat costly visitor to entertain. He
two English ones for his sole service, and
q "brefe noate what the chardaes of the
elephant and his keepers are in the
yeare'' sets the figure at 275 pounds and
10 shillings ($137s). This computation,
however, does not seem to have co vered
the entire expense, for the "breefe
noate"i is supplemented by the follow
ing, besides, his keeper afirms that
throne month of September until April
he must drink not water but wyne-
and from April unto September he must
have gallon Of wyne she daye. ;"
4 part from animals, the vagaries of
great men have taken many singular
FORMS. Beethoven was possessed with a
continual desire to change lodgings.
Hardly was he installed in one set of
apartments than he would discover some
defect In them and set about searching
for others. What a field is there here,
surely, for the enterprising touristf He
would be an unlucky man. indeed, who