The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-17
BY FRANCES MARSHALL.

Benedict-the masculine equivalent
for the popular BeatriX, Beatrice, Trix,
Trixie, Beata. and the more unusual
Benedicta, Venctia and Bettina-ls re-
pugnant to Americans because IL was
the name of the man surnamed "The
Traitor who, over a hundred years
ago tried to deliver West Point TO the
British. Nevertheless, it is name OF
strong traditions, and was first made
famous by group Of churchmen as
wise and as good as any that ever lived,
In modern times its greatest bearers,
like the churchmen who made IL pop
ular. have been men of the professions
actor. who but for his unexpected death
would have made his fame greater in
Rostand's play of fChanticler' :;
Baruch or Benedict Spinoza, the great
philosopher, and Benvenuto Cellini,
sculptor and goldsmith.
Two men more unlike than the sculp-
tor, born IN Italy in 1900, and the phil
osophcr, born in Holland in 1852. could
not well be found. The former was n
lover, thoughtless in his intercourse
with others, interested in his work
largely because it brought him In touch
with the luxurious and merry life of
Rome The latter was delicate, sympa-
tbetic with all in distress, sensitive
recluse from the active life about him,
devoted, almost passionately, to his
work.
Cellini, a designer. iourneyed TO
Rome. where he attracted the attention
of the pope. There he devoted himself
to designing and modeling-medals,
swords. settings for gems, vases, cnam-
eled book covers, and all sorts of trim
kets for personal adornment. Some
times he attempted sculpture OF more
heroic cast, but his best work was done
| in miniature.
Cellini was always getting into 1rou-
BILE with the people about him. He
fought many duels and made many enc
mics, but for years the pope remained
his friend. The story is told that some
one once came to the pope, after Gel
lini had killed his antagonist in duel,
and demanded that the sculptor be pun
ished for murder. The pope, it is said
lini is outside the pale OF ordinary
laws
Finally even the pope turned against
his favorite. Cellini was banished from
Rome on the charge of stealing gems
from the castle of ST Angelo. He
sought refuge in France, and after more
gaiety there, retired to a monastery
In this retreat he wrote his autobi-
ography.
Spinoza. whose father, because he was
Jew, had been banished from Portu-
gal. was himself, because of his unor-
thodox philosophical views, banished by
the rabbis from Amsterdam. Through
out his life he was IN outcast from
his home, his friends and his family.
He supported himself as maker OF
lenses, and lived on few cents day
barely enough to pay for bread and
a roof-rather than take bounty from
others at the cost Of freedom Of speech
or thought.
With his beloved books, and his even
better beloved speculntions, he lived
oftentimes i'll, always lonely and for
saken. Yet through his whole life OF
suffering and poverty be never once
complained. He bore his misfortunes
and sufferings bravely and quietly, and
was always ready with cheerful and
child-like sympathy to comfort others
Three great saints were the men who
gave this name its start on the road to
popularity The first of them Benedict
sometimes called Bennett, is the father
Of monastieism in western Europe. He
was born in Italy about the year 480
and. as was usual with young men OF
wealth in his day, he went to Rome tc
seek an education,
His soiourn in the great capital city
still MT that time the center of the
western world. changed the whole sub
sequent course of Bennct's life. Sc