The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-21
History Shops that Most
Marriages of Literary
Men Hare Been Unfor-
fnnate-LiSt a Long and
Very Pathetic One.

Low, IN the Nineteenth century, mas
given a list Of great rulers whose mar
riages and love affairs have. in the main,
been unfortunate.
cast an eye down the literary record !
Of almost any nation" he writes, and
you will find the same tale of futility. /
suffering. and failure in this particular
1t would seem that the famous author |
who attalns marital and parental content
IS the exception; the majority We're cele-
bate and chlIdless # they were not unsat-
isfed or unsatisfyng husbands"
Mr.. Low sums up that one-half OF the ]
marriages were unfortunate and several /
disastrous; that twenty-five OF the per-
sons mentioned were unmarried. and that
thus. among sixty-eight gifted writer's. 4
less than third were married and lived /
in ordinary contentmcnt and comfort with I
their wives, says a writer in the Balti- |
more Sun.
''The result" he continues would be 4
similar II we included women in our list /
we might mention the cases Of Ophra /
Behr, Maria Edgeworth Hannah More, /
Fanny Burey, the Bronte sisters. Mrs. 4
Hemgn, Jane Austen, George Eliot, and
Christina ROsseu TO indicate that the i
woman writer frequently avoids matri- /
nony or is unfortunate In her experience \
of IT."
Taking Mr.. Lows list and by II going 1
over the careers Of the bachelors he 1
names, many interesting things are found I
which he does not mention. To begin
with, the list Of the unmarried ones goes /
back 60 Thomas Hobbies, who was born |
I'm England in 1855 and lived to the age or /
ninety-two. He must have been a splen- /
did specimen OF man. over six feet tall, /
erect IN bearing, with fine brilliant eyes. /
jet black hair. and a short mustache OF /
auburn hue. Il is said that he wore the 1
mustache instead of a beard 10 avoid ap- /
pearlng too austere a philosopher He had /
dislike TO taking medicine and prefer /
red IAN experienced old woman 20 a /
learned but inexperienced physician" lie 4
IS said to have been drunk 100 times in /
the course of his life, but after sixty he /
drank no wine. He rose early and break !
tasted on bread and butter, ate FISH in
preference TO meat, and smoked a pipe. l
lie was fond Of exercise, played tennis |
at seVenty-fve, and walked a great deal I
Pleasant and kindly en- manner and gen |
erous. ne might have made an excellent |
husband. but he didn't. preferring TO re-
main nwedded, a most learned philoso- /
pher
Newton Never Married.
Then comes great SIR Isaac Newton, /
born I'm 1s42 and died in 1877. He is de-
Ecribed as having lively and piercins
eye and a cOmcly and gracious aspect"
But a wife would probably have made IL
impossible for a further description to
call him "untidy and slovenly" He was
generous modest, kindly, and a contem-
porary speaks OF him as the "whitest
soul I ever knew"
Sir IsaaC's contemporary. John Locke
was born i'm 1922 and died IN l70i With a
genius for making and keeping friends.
this philosopher found y happy domestic
life ia the home Of friends. and so did not
seek to make a home for himself else
where.
Born much later and dying only two
years after Newton, William Congreve is
another and very different literary bach
olor" William Congreve was born IN
100 and died In 172. His first play he
wrote Gin order 90 amuse mmser m a
slow recovery from a fit Of sickness, 30
and gave it the title Of The Old Bach
elor' Another play of Congreve's was
called Love for Love-" and still another
Mourning Bride Congreve was the pet
Of society and Disguised Voltaire who
visited him, by his affectaiion OF prefer
ring TO Zoe regarded as a gentleman rath-
OF imam as an dulAoI. Auefe Is p story
told Of the second Duchess Of Marlbor-
ough. with whom Congreve was a favor
ite. that after his death she had an i'm
age in the likeness Of Congreve made of
wax or ivory and placed az her table,
where Il was spoken 10 as II alive and
served with food.
Many Loves, No Wife.
Thomas Otway, writing tragedy as Con-
,Tf
died IN 1850, at tho age Of thirty-three.
Called "gentlest Otway who sung the fe-
male heart" he had many loves. but no
wife
Alexander Pope, born in 1888 and died in
17H. is a literary bachelor" whose de-
formity seems 20 have been no obstacle
70 q love affair with Martha Blount,
which might have resulted IN marriage
but for the Interference Of the lady's sis
ter.
Matthew Prior. born July 3 1864. and
dying IN 1921. a poet and dplomatlst,
seems TO have had many a Chloe and
''nut-brOwn maid" FOR his love. but 10
have found not a wife among them all
Thomas Gray Q716-171D was melancholy
by nature. proud. shy, and sensitive, with
few though faithful friends: a man OF
few words, he might have made as good
a husband as he was a poet There was
once a rumor that he was 90 marry Miss
Speed. an heiress and a great friend OF
Grays. But Miss speed married another
man, and Gray never married at all. He
did not get on with women. On one oc-
casion at a summer house party he was
much worn cut by "a pack OF women"
and is reported 10 have remained Nerfect-
~ silent. except 10 say once, Yes. my
lady, I believe So" He was n good son
and placed on his mothers tomb these
words The careful mother Of many
children, one OF whom alone has the mis-
fortune TO survive her"
James Thomson, author Of THE Sea-
sons" was born IN 1900 and lived nearly
forty-eigbt years, kindly. soclable, easy
going" spending the last days OF his life
IN pretty cottage with charming gar
den, taking long. solitary walks on his
way 10 visit friends, particularly his Mr..
Pope" whom he much admired. He is
said 10 have been so indolent n man that
no generally remained abed until noon.
and enjoyed eating the sunny side OF the
peaches or the trees In his garden while
ne held his hands in his pockets. Thorn
son was careless in his dress, but very
particular about the arrangement Of his
hair.
The Amanda" in Thomson's Lines"
20 that lady was Elizabeth Young. to
whom he was devoted for eight years
but who, perhaps from weary waiting for
her patient lover. married Admiral John
Campbell in 174A Thomson's disappoint-
nent over his love injured both his health
and spirits. and he gave no further
thought 70 marriage.
Had Virtues and FaiIinss.
David Hume was born in III and lived
TO the age of sixty-fve He was not