The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-30
PADS OF FAMOUS MEN
0NEAT CHARACTERS WHO HAD 4
eCNpNEsS FOR SOMETHING.


F0NpNEsS FOR SOMETHING.
WsfIingtoa and Nspoleon Liked the Pratt
- - Babes and Milton Co1rtsd Song.
Dyrens Love OF Flowers and Dogs-PsI-
Elnssa and the Spider.
Henry Nv OF France, the great Huguenot
king. who has lately become familiar to
many Of us In the works of Mr.. Stanley
Weyman. was passionately fond OF chill
dren. It is related of him that one day he
was discovered by an ambassador crawling
on all fours 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 tho intruder,
"Have you children, Mr.. Embassador?'
"Yes, sire. " "In that case. replied Henry,
81 shall proceed with my sport" A fond
ness for children was feature In the char
acter of the Duke of Wellington, and also
In that of his great adversary. Napoleon.
It's difficult TO realize this imperious man,
this terror OF nations, dandling the young
king of Rome In his arms and laughingly
daubing his face with sauce from his break
fast plate. Yet SO IL Is recorded of him.
Another Of his Weaknesses was for the
music of bells. He would stop In the midst
of a discussion on the grayest subjects to
listen to a village peal, and be surprised
and almost indignant IL those about him
failed TO eyince corresponding interest
''They remind me-" he said on one occa
sion, "of the first years passed at Brienne.
was happy then.
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.
Gainsborough performed with no little
skill on the violin. Many of the anxious
and feverish hours of Luther were solaced
by his flute The great reformer, however,
had another favorite recreation In the shape
OF the game of skittles or ninepins Prob
ably the success Attending his labors never
gave him 80 keen an exbilaration of pleas.
ure m did the knocking down of all the
pins st a stroke
Byron loved flowers and kept his rooms
constantly decked with thcm. He said
that he drew from them his inspiration.
In the later years of his life he formed a
great affection for dogs, and generally had
some OF them about him. A favorite one,
on its demise, received the honor of q
Byronic epitaph. Many famous men have
displayed similar fondness for animals,
and In not few instances the animal
chosen has been of a kind usually connect
ed with household pets. Cardinal Richie
lieu found amusement In collection OF
cats. The poet Cowper tanned hares and
spent much of his time feeding and fon.
ding them. Goetas made friends with an
animal Of far less inviting description.
It is related Of him that he rarely passed
day without bringing from q chimney cor.
ner live snake, which he kept there, and
caressed IL like bosom friend Hardly
more agreeable form was taken by Rem.
brandt, who became devoted to an ape
When he heard of this animals death, he
was so overcome with grief that he intro.
duced its figure into group he was then
engaged upon of noble family. Needless
10 say, the family In question refused to
recognize this unseemly addition to their
numbers, and, the painter declining to
erase It, the picture was left on his hands
It Ia said to be still In existence.
More remarkable almost than any of
these is the friendship which Pelisson
made with spider in order TO beguile the
tedium Of solitary confinement In the bas.
tile. That a creature Of this kind should
show itself amenable TO such influence ID
perhaps more to be wondered at than that
. man so placed should desire to tame IL
James 1 was another lover of animals, but
he does not seem to have confined his favor
to any particular variety. He kept q pri.
vate menagerie in St James park, where
In all manner Of beasts were gathered to-
gother and tended with scrupulous care.
Sables, white gyrfaloons Of Iceland and
Aying squirrels were, we are told, among
the most highly priced specimens in this
collection.
About the year 1929 the king of Spain
obtained tho good offices Of his majesty by
tho diplomatic presentation of an elephant
and ave camcls. The former Of these ap
pears to have been somewhat costly visit
or TO entertain. He required two Spanish
keepers as well as two English ones for
his sole service, and "breefe noate what
tho ohardges Of the elephant and his
Keepers arc In the yeare'' sets the figure
at a27b les. (e1,37s). This oomputa.
ton, however, does not seem to have GOV.
ssed the entire OK ,ense, for the "breefe
n0ate" ie supplemented by the following:
Besides his keepers aflrme that from the
month Of September until April he must
drink (not water) but wyne-and from
April unto September he must have gal.
Ion Of wyne the daye"
Apart from animals, the vagaries OF
great men have taken many similar forms
Beethoven was possessed with 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
held Is there here, surely, for the enter.
prising tourist! He would be an unluoky
man indeed, who should fail to unearth
q least one OF the great composers many
abodes. London Standard.
One OF the Many.
II say, old man." remarked tho other
mans friend, really, you won't take ID
amiss II give you pc,nterf'
"No, indeed What Is 1T"
Rather personal, don't you know"
"Tcli me- don't care
all l.