The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-01-19

Other Great Mems Meshodtof Seeking
Amusement.

Other Great Msn's Methodtof Seeking
Amusement.
Study the private livesiof all truly
great men, both present and past,
says the Kansas City Star: It Is not
difficult to determine that all Of them,
to a greater or less legree, furnished
material of the odd and eccentric"
kind. Cardinal Richelieu found pleas
ure and amusement in jumping and
leaping with boys. Oliver Cromwella
sometimes cast aside his puritan grav-9
ity and played at blindman's buff with
his daughters and attendants. Henri
Quatre delighted to go about In dis
guise with the peasantry. Cowper
occupied great deal Of his time in
making bird cages and in feeding
and caring for his hnres.
Dr. johnson was so fond of his cats
that he would even go out himself to
buy oysters for them, his servants
being too proud to do SO. Goethe de-
spised dogs. but he kept tame snake.
Gray expressed the wish to be al
ways on a sofa reading new novels,
and Fenton, the eminent scholar died
from sheer inactivity. He rose late,
and when he had risen sat down to
his books and papers. A woman who
waited upon him In his lodgings said
that he would lie abed and be fed with
spoon. Contrary to this was the
example Of Sir Walter Scott, who
wrote all his nnest works before
breakfast sts sg~g
Spinoza delighted to set spiders
fighting and would laugh immoderate-
ly at beholding the insect warfare;
and Anthony Magliabecchi, the famous
librarian to the Duke Of Tuscany, took
a great interest in the spiders which
thronged his apartments, and while
sitting among his mountain Of books
would caution visitors mot to hurt
my spiders"
When he felt that he needed little
activity the great logician, Samuel
Clarke. would leap over tables and
chairs, and 1t was not infrequent that
the upholsterer had to be called in to
repair damages. The learned Petavius
would twirl his chair round for Ave
minutes at the end of every two hours,
finding recreation in this. Tycho
Brahe diverted himself with polishing
glasses for spectacles. Ex-President
Cleveland would quit talking politics
any time to go fishing, and SO II was
with Paley, the author Of Natural
Theology" who was so much given to
angling that he had portraits painted
with rod and line in hand. Louis XVI.
OF sad memory, amused himself lock-
smithing, while Salvador Rosa per-
formed in extempore comedies, taking
the character of mountebank in the
streets Of Rome.
Charles IFS most innocent amuser
ment consisted in feeding the ducks
in ST. James park, and in rearing
numbers of those beautiful spaniels
which still bear his name. 1t was diff
ficult for Beethoven to be free from
cold from the fact that he delighted in
splashing in cold water at ell times Of
the day, swamping his chamber until
the water oozed through the flooring
to the rooms beneath. He would also
walk out in the dewy fields without
stockings or shoes.
Shelley could spend an entire day
floating little paper boats on any
water he chanced to be near.
Poor Goldsmith's oddities and es-
centricities' were chiefly dandyisms,
and the story of his peach blossom
coat Is known the world over.
Montaigne had an aversion for Fri.
day, and, while he preferred odd num-
bers, he would not sit down to table
with thirteen people. Friday was al
ways black day in Byron's calendar,
but Byron believed in omens, dreams,
supernatural appearances, apparitions,
pYeseptments and all such. He sue
cHmbed before the weaker prejudices,
and Afforded preof that even the
strongest intellects have their weak
side. voltaire, whom one would sup
pose devoid of fear, mocker of relig-
ion and beliefs, was made sick when
hearing rook cawing in the country.
Hobbies did not believe in God, but
he kept light burning in his bedroom
all night, being afraid Of the dark.
Rousseau was another who was afraid
of the dark, and the approach Of night
brought only terror to him, Before
retiring at night Sir Samuel Romily
would always look under the bed to
see if any one was concealed there.
He dreaded to see night come Great
warriors have been afraid Of thunder.
Caesar was almost thrown into con-
vuisicns By It, and Sir Thomas Aquin-
as suffered greatly IN thunderstorms.
Queen Elizabeth. TaiieyFand anG
others could not bear to have the
word death" uttered in their pres
aane Marshal Sake, who overthrew
armies. aed at sight Of cat.