The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-02-27
SILENT FAMOUS MEN.

men have been as sparing of words
as they have been prodigal of deeds.
It is doubtful if there ever lived a
more taciturn man than Wallenstein,
the famous commander of the Aus
trian army during the 80 years war.
1t is said of Wallenstein that he ''liv-
ed in an atmosphere of silence" and
never uttered word that was not alb
solutely necessary, nor would he per-
NIT others to speak in his presence
more than was essential. One of his
chamberlains was hanged for waking
Wallenstein with needless noise.
His servants were so many mutes,
not daring to open their lips in his
presence, and he was surrounded by
patrols. and the approaches to his
house was barricaded by chains to
preserve him from the least disturb
ance. In comparison with Wallen-
stein, it has been recorded, Diogenes
would have been chatterbox and
William the Silent brawler.
But silence is a characteristic of
many of the worlds most famous
soldiers. Napoleon boasted that in
his dealings with men he never vast
ed word and made monosyllables
answer most purposes. But nothing
escaped his eyes, and he could COM
press more within a sentence than
most men could convey in a quarter
of an hour.
The great Duke of Marlborough,
when receiving reports from his gen.
erals, would produce his watch and
say, II will give you a minute
And it was likely to go hard with the
officer who did not observe the limi-
tation. To his staff the Duke of Well
ington was always more or less a
sphinx. A nod or shake of the head
was often the only response they
could get from him, and when once
he was asked what he considered the
best equipment he replied, IA long
head and silent tongue"
Won Moltke almost rivaled Wallen-
stein in taciturnity. He never open
ed his mouth if gesture would suf-
fee, and when the news was brought
to him that the French had declared
war he simply said to the aid-de-camp,
5 Second pigeonhole on the right,
first tier" and turned round to sleep
again. But he had said all that was
necessary, for in the pigeonhole indi-
Gated were complete plans for the
campaign which closed in brilliant
victory. Won Moltke used to say
that on verb in the German language
was worth all the others put togeth-
er, and that was "thun"-"to do"
The worst thing his enemies could
say of President Grant was, HE
won't talk because he has so much to
conceal" and yet it was precisely in
this silsnee that Grants real strength yIa
the briefest ever penned, and when
once charming young lady playful
ly asked him why he would not talk
to her he answered, "My dear, don't
yon know that silence is one of the
greatest arts of conversation?
But it has been the same in all
ages. Charlemange was perfect
miser of words, holding, with Confu
cius, that "silence is a friend that
will never betray." Hannibal was
"man of monosyllables," and Julius
Caesar was nicknamed by his soldiers
"The Oracle"
Even great statesmen and writers
who cannot suffer from any lack of
words have often been among the
most reserved of men. Of Addison,
Johnson says, "Of his external man
ners nothing is so often mentioned as
that timorous or sullen taciturnity
which his friends called modesty by
too mild name" According to
Chesterfield, he was ''the most timor-
Gus and awkward man ever saw"
and even Addison himself, speaking
of his own deficiency in conversation,
used to say, II can draw bills for
thousand pounds, though I haven't
guinea in my pocket
Dryden was unutterably dreary as
a companion. "My conversation is
slow" he once wrote, "my humor
saturnine and reserved, and l am none
of those who endeavor to break jests
in company and make repartees."
And Shadwell tells how he once dined
with Dryden. and from the beginning
to the end of the meal the poet "never
opened his lips except to eat"
Thomas Carlyle was ''hoarder of
the gold of silence" and would sit for
hours, putting away at his pipe, with
out uttering more than grunt or a
gruff monosyllable. Leigh Hunt, his
neighbor and intimate, once wrote to
a friend: Have just spent pleas
ant hour with Carlyle. When / went
in he growled, 'Halloa; here again 2
and at parting he snapped out,
Good dayp and that is the sum of
the conversation he honored me with.
But how eloquent his silence is I
Just sat and looked at him and came
away strengthened for fresh strug-
gle."