Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-17
MOTHERS OF GREAT MEN.
Instances From History Show They
Were Frequently Remarkable Wo-

Instances From History Show They
Were Frequently Remarkable Wo-
men.
The mothers of men of genius have
been frequently somewhat remarkable
women, more remarkable than the
fathers. Caesars mother was "a strict
and stately lady Of the old school, un-
infected by the cosmopolitan laxity Of
her day." Consequently, though the
Caesars were wealthy, their household
was simple and severe" Its greatest
son was always passionately devoted
to his mother, who shared his house up
to the time Of her DEATH" when he was
46 years old. Her influence upon him
was doubtless great and beneficial"
Charlemagnes mother also was "a
matron Of the old school, and made
her mark visibly upon the nature Of
her son, who grossly deteriorated"
after her death in his forty-second
year.
Cromwelrs mother was strong,
homely and keen" of face, with firm
mouth and penetrating eyes, a wo-
manly goodness and peacefulness Of
expression" Cromwell thought more
of her than Of any other woman, more
than of his WIFE" She survived her
husband thirty-seven years, remaining
throughout her life to her ninetieth
year by her sons side, was lodged by
him in Whitehall palace and royalty
inferred in the abbey"
The mother Of William the Silent,
who had seventeen children, five by
husband previous to Williams father,
was devout and affectionate, endured
long life of calamity and bereave-
ment with heroic serenity and cour-
age" and died after an honorable ca
reer, aged II.
Napoleon attributed his elevation to
his mothers training. laying down the
maxim that the future good or bad con-
duct of a child depends entirely on the
mother" The only gift which he seems
to have received from his father was
a tendency to cancer.
Mozart, Goethe, Scott, LiebnitZ, Au-
gustine, Gregory and Francis d'Assi-
81, all these had mothers of some note
and fathers of less-Augustine's father
was IAN unprincipled scamp"
It is quaint to discover that among
the ancestors of Goethe-"the most in
teresting though not the greatest man
that ever lived"-there were three tall
ors His mother was IS, his father 80,
when he was born. Mozart, who died
of tubercular nephritis-"a tubercular
or strenuous taint is in some way
favoring condition of certain types of
aesthetic and intellectual capacity
had lively but delicate mother. The
mother Of Yiebnitz was a peacemaker,
like her son.
Augustine's mother was often beat
en- by her husband and saw visions ana
had a dialectical subtlety. that is re-
fected in the immortal Confessions"
with much of the looseness of the
saints own earlier days.
Gregorys mother was veritable
saint. From his mother Francis d'As-
sisi inherited his delicate body, gra-
cious nature, courteous manners, in
tuitive reverence and dainty fastid-
iousness."
Martin Luther took after his moth
er, who, although she had reputation
for mildness whipped him till the blood
came for stealing a nut! Renan men
tally was a true son Of his Gascon
mother-a small tradesman's daughter
although tinged by his fathers ex-
cessive sensibility, and Emerson was
two thirds his mother, albeit from his
father he inherited a trace of eccen-
tricity. Guardian.