Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-06

jefferson wrote the Declaration of indie
pendence at thirty-three, all Macaulay's
great essays were published before he was
forty. Raphael, perhaps the greatest of
painters, died when he was thirty-eight.
Alexander Hamilton did his marvellous con-
structive work when he was about thirty,
and organized the Treasury Department be-
fore he was forty. Byron's splendid pro-
ductivity was closed by death at thirty-six.
Madisons best work was between thirty
and forty. Van Dyck died at forty, and
painted before he was forty. Thanatopsis
was written when Bryant was nineteen
Keats died at twenty-five and Shelley at
thirty, and Shakespeare began writing plays
at twenty-seven. Mendelssohn, Mozart
Schubert and Chopin all died before forty
All these instances seem to favor Dr. Os-
ler's theory, but it must be remembered as
qualifying their force that Macaulay's His
tory was not written till he was fifty, and
Shakespeare's strongest PLAYS between
forty and fifty, and that Jefferson's prin-
cipal service to the country was in his
later life
what older men have done Milton wrote
paradise Lost between fifty and ffty-
seven. Chief Justice Marshall's most inn
portant opinions were given after fifty, and
On till he was eighty. James Martineau,s
strongest work was done between seventy
and eighty. Goethe did not finish Faust
till he was nearly eighty. Gladstone was
chancellor of the exchequer at fifty-one and
sky when he published his famous defense
of the Corernican system. Hawthorne's
Scarlet Letter" appeared when he was
forty-six. and most of his best work was
after that, for ten years. Holmes was for
ty-seven when he produced the "Autocrat,"
and held his own for thirty years. Darwin
was fifty when he announced his great dis
covery. Dante's "Divina Commeda" was
written after forty. Edwards on the Will
at fifty, Cervante's Don Quixote" at fifty
eight. Bismarck's great work began when
ne was fifty-five. "Ivanhoe" was written
when Scott was forty-eight, and most of his
stories after fifty. Washingtons nonmili-
tary service was .all after fifty. Herbert
Spencer did continuous work from twenty
five to sixty-six. Webster delivered his
Hayne speech at forty-two but was a DOW
erful influence for twenty years later. We
lasquez was bringing out his great pictures
from thirty to nifty, and Da Vinci was forty
six when he painted The Last Supper''
Michelangelo was great from thirty to
eighty, and Titan also.
Examples Refute Osler.
Luther began his career as reformer at
thirty-three and continued it in full force
till sixty-three, and Newton was forty four
when he announced his discovery of the
law of gravitation. Cromwell began his
career at forty three and was winning con-
tinued victories till that at Worcester when
he was fifty-five. and died four years later
Bacon wrote the "Novum Organum' at
sixty and most Of Wordsworths poetry
was produced between forty and eighty
Most of Abraham Lincoln's work was after
forty-flve. Beethovens great works were
written from thirty to fifty, Handel's Mes
siah' at fifty-eight and Haydns best music
between sixty and seventy. DIR. Johnson,
Theirs, Carlyle and Franklin all did notable,
If not, indeed, their best work when old
men. There are numerous other instances,
but space fails us.
Do the facts sustain DR.. Osler's theory?
We think not. We have long been of the
opinion that every man who has done his
fair share of work and acquired comfort
able hobby to occupy himself with might
well quit work at sixty. If DR.. Osler will
suggest some method enabling all such to
be sure Of the means to do so, he will have
rendered a real service.