Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-07-02
LITTLE BIG HEROES.
THE PERSONAL APPEARANCE
SOME GREAT PERsoNAGEs.


SOME GREAT PERsoNAGEs.
BY Far the Larger Pnrt of the Men
Who Have Ruled the World, Either
Intellectually or with the Sword,
Were Small of Stature.
One of the natural instincts Of men is
that curiosity which all feel regarding
the personal appearance of those per-
sons who have stood mentally high above
their fellows. Whenever we read or hear
of great man, and especially when we
are familiar with his history, we uncon-
scously form picture of his looks and
stature to which tae contrast of the
actual man is often ver.SWsappointing.
Often We refuse TIC substitute the strange,
unsatisfying reality for our own fond Gre
alton. especially il the great man is found
TO be small one--the intellectual giant
physical dwarf. As rule we overes-
innate the height and bulk of our heroes
aud eadow them, if attractive, with SUI
perhuman beauty or. if hateful, with
ugly and repulsive looks. 1t was this
feeling which made the people at Var
mouth. England whea Nelson, delicate
in body and insignificant in appearance,
was passing over the quay to take com
mand OF his first ship. exclai1n, why
mike that little fellow captain?"
During Napoleons first campaign in
Italy. In l1a6, TIE Italians were greatly
surprised at his personal appearance.
His short stature, his pale face, the sick
ly thinness Of his fYail body, which seem
cd consumed by the fires of his genius,
but was in reality made OF muscles OF
steel. seized the imagination of the pco-
pie by the contrast they presented TO his
dazzling feats OF arms. II was a novel
and startling experience to find that d.
rec. and penetrating glance. that abrupt,
imperioIs gesture, that laconic speech and
pcremptory and absolute tone--ali which
bespoke the nun lorn u cemmand-asso-
ciated with such dwarfsh and attenu-
ated frame.
II is II singular fact that while nothing
would seem TO be easier than to ascertain
the exact size of great men yet it is real
ly difficult and often impossible to do So
How long did the grand monarch
Louis NV. pass for largo man. being
described as such by courtiers and histo-
nans. Yet the measurement of his skele-
ton some years after his death revealed
that he vas under the average size. Napo-
leon III, while on the throne, was de-
picted as majestic in figure. We now
know that he was very short, little more
than five feet high.
Indeed, far the larger part of the men
who have ruled the world either intellec-
tuaily or with the sword have been men
of small stature. Aristotle, the Greek
philosopher who for 1000 years main
tanned despotic sway over the world of
thought, was n slender man with spindle
shanks, small eyes and shrill. stamner-
ing speech. In the great council of Nice,
consisting of 1000 delegates, the most
potent spirit, who. after long and fierce
disputes carried the council with him,
was Athanasius, man of very small
stature. "a dwarf rather than a man"
says Dean Stanley, but of almost an
gelic beauty of face and expression" In
his little body dwelt a mighty soul. Com
bining subtlety of thought and power Of
eloquence with resoluteness of will, inten-
sity of conviction and intrepidity of spir-
it. he fought single handed and for half
century the great battle of orthodoxy
having mo friend but God and death
and today the creed of Atbanasius is sub
stantially the creed of Christendom.
Gregory VII, the inightiest aud haugh-
>,
throned sovereigns at his will. was a
diminutiye man, and so were Canute the
Great and the great Conde yo!tai-e. the
literary autocrat of the eighteenth cen
tury and the most brilliant wit of the
ages, was one of the thinnest and most
spectral of human beings Two OF the
most potent spirits that directed the storm
OF the French revolution. Robes pierre and
Nov. cr,, l., II. =
nre. The former. an incarnation OF will.
who by the sheer force OF his intellect
swayed the multitude and the national
assembly at his pleasure was hut i've
feet TWO or three inches high. and the lat
ter was less than five feet. Many Of the
most eminent Frenchmen of the nine.
tenth century--Ln Place, Poisson, Fou-
rier, THEIRS, Guizot-were small spare,
spiritualized beings. who could distinctly
feel their own ribs.
Montague the father Of essayists: DIR.
Waits, the hvmnist. the sickly Scarron,
who. in reference to his i'll health and in
Significant stature. called himself IAN
abridg.nent Of human miseries," Alex
andcr Pope. who Wore three pairs o.
stockings to plump out his legs to de-
cent size and niso Wore stays. Campbell,
the author Of "Hohenlindeu. "a pretty,
lille delicate. ladylike. finical gentle
man Thomas De Quincy, the .opium
eater were all dwagfish men
Suwafrow, the greatest of Russian gen
erals; Frederick the Great, David Car
rick. the wonderful actor. ano Alexander
Hamilton. whom Talleyrand pronounced
one of the three greatest men he had ever
known. We're slender and below the mid.
die height. The brave General Marion
was in stature of the smallest size, thin
as well as low" aud DR.. Kane. who sur-
passed all his arctic companions in brav-
Ing torrid heat and polar cold. was but
five feet six in height and weighed 1t his
best but 1875 pounds.
But more dwarhsh than any OF these
ehostly beings was that phenomenon of
the eighteenth century, the Able Gallant
of Naples. Personally" says Marnlon-
tel. the abbe-who was but four feet and
six inches In stature-wes the prettiesr
little harlequin that Italy ever produced.
but upon the shoulders of tina, harlequin
was the head of n Machiavelli" Refer
ring to the frequent and sudden alterna-
tons in his conversation. OF great. lofty
sublime thoughts, which. Sainte Beuve
says, were worthy of Nico. il not OF
Plato. with pleasantries. jests and buff
fooneries. the able said of himself. You
see that am two different men kpeaded
together. who, nevertheless, do not en-
tirely occupy the room Of one W iii m