The Press., 1897-11-18
GENIUS OR INSANITY
THE PADS AND PECULIARlTlES OF
 WRITERS AND COMPOSERS.


 stimulus-Trifing Manias That Lom-
 broso Incorrectly Regards as Mental Alterations.
 It is not an easy matter to try to draw the frontier line of insanity. Although certain psychologists, passing their opin- ion on the physical anomalies and ec- centricities of mind observed in men of genius, claim, with apparent reason, that genius and insanity are the same tbing, it is going to excess to consider writers and artists insane in whom queer traits and little manias appear. In this respect Lombroso and his disci- pies have gone too far, their tendency | being to make no distinction between genius and talent
 Genius is an anomaly, but an anom- ally thatfhe whole world is satisfied to admire. It is constituted by the exag gerated development of single faculty, usually at the expense of the others This is the cause of the imperfections of these brilliant meteors an,- the explana- tion of their degeneraty on other points. Essentially spontaneous and original genius is a natural phenomenon that we cannot explain, although it is unques- tionably the result of natural causes.
 Talent is different. It is the fruit of work and sustained application, and it can be acquired and developed at any time At the present day, for instance, there are few men of genius among painters, and yet they almost all have talent. The consequence is that the greater number of the paintings in our exhi bitions are pleasing to us, although no exceptional work fills us with admi- ration and reveals a painter of genius. Actions, therefore, in appearance ex- traOrdinary do not warrant us in infer ring insanity on the part of those who accomplish them, especially as these &C., tions, however abnormal they may seem at first, are often very rational and jus tifiable.
 Thus, in order to be able to meditate at their ease, many writers insist on not being disturbed by anything and seek seclusion. Montaigne, ill his moments of inspiration, used to run out of his house and go and shut himself up in an old tower, into which no one else enter ed Jean Jacques Rousseau used to mediate in the fields while gathering flowers in the sunshine. In order te SnuU out lu0 uO1S0 O1 Ou0 WOIlu uC 11hSS to bury himself ill the hay or close his ears with cotton.
 Others can only compose with success in the midst of tumults. The celebrated Italian composer Cimarosa was of this mum Der, and only found the fine motives of his operas in the midst of the joys and noise of the crowd.
 Such was also the professor of whom Felix RegnaUlt says that he coultl only lecture in tho midst of great racket. When his scholars wished to manifest against him. they kept absolute si fence, as under such conditions he was inca pablo of making an addition even.
 Just as noise stimulates the brain of some, motion quickens the circu lation of others, whence the large numbe of persons who can only compose while exercising. Ampere could not explain clearly even the things he knev; best unless the action of his brain was Helped by exercise. Victor Hugo, while com posing, walked about muttering to him. self
 In our day many writers prefer tc walk Catulle Mendes walks up and down, and then writes at his desk; Jean Lombard, the we'll known writer, who died few years ago, walked 8 great deal; Mistral, the Provencal poet, com poses while walking.
 On the other hand, certain writers avoid all motion, probably on account of their weak constitutions, and in order to stimulate the brain circulation put themselves in horizontal position. Fo1 example, Descartes, who used to lie l b0 1OY1lf f only work proftably lying on his stom !, ach on the carpet.
 A whole class of writers, Theophile Gautier, Baudelaire, Francois Coppee and Scaccini, require the presence O. cats to write. Gautier used to have al many as 19 or 15. Leon Cladal writes in wooden shoes, in the society of his z dog in garrett. At intervals he takes . his dog off for a walk.
 Intellectual stimulants are largely
 used. among which coffee is a great ia . vorite. Lortzing drank bowls Of 1t while = composing his melodies, and Balzac use( . it to great excess. De Musset, Poc Yer . laine and many others preferred alcohol . . while Schubert wrote his beautiful so . natas under the influence of large Cuan - titles of Rhine wine.
 Tobacco smoke is also much used v Flaubert could not write word unti
 he had smoked three or four large pipe
 and half a dozen very strong cigars
 Daudet smokes enormously, Catull !, Mendes smokes cigars while writin, :, and often has three or four going at tn = same time through absentmindedness . Perfumes were highly appreciated b. V Baudelaire, Theophile Gautier. Lott ant ' Maizeroy. Byron couldn't write with out having the odor of truff1es about hin
 and frequently carried his pockets ful
 of them. Cooper acted on his sense O s taste by filling his mouth with hone s tablets and small pieces of licorice = Carolus Duran and Aime Morot worke themselves up before painting by play
 ing the piano and organ. Darwin pre- a | ferred the violin
 The singularities, queer traits an even manias to which have just calle
 attention in writers and artists are, ', one reflects, generally applicable. N 't doubt some of them betray nervou s condition that is on the limits of ments
 derangement, but as a rule they are sim
 pie peculiarities whose importance
 exaggerated on account of the public pc h. sition of the writer and would not just A ss fly in any sense the term insanity, whic ,d for this reason Lombroso would like { . attribute to men of great talent, -Parj