FADS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE.
Some of the Follies of Which Men and Women of Genius Have Been Guilty—Queen Elizabeth Was Profane, Queen Victoria Was Superstitious, While Bacon, Dickens, and Longfellow Were Confirmed Dandies.
No man or woman is so strong as to be wholly free from weakness. If a man occupies an humble sphere in life he usually is fortunate enough to keep his fads and follies from becoming known beyond his own circle of friends. If, on the other hand, he has attained sufficient distinction in the world to be called “famous,” he must reconcile himself to seeing the public in possession of all knowledge that has to do with his personal peculiarities.
Descartes had a small garden where he spent all the hours not devoted to mental labor.
Queen Elizabeth was very profane, and when angry would kick and cuff her maids.
Matthew Arnold’s dogs, cat, and canary bird are mentioned dozens of times in his poems.
Domitian spent his leisure in catching flies and piercing them through with a needle.
William the Conqueror was immoderately devoted to dog-fighting and bear-baiting.
David, the artist, when not painting, amused himself by scraping on an old fiddle.
Mirabeau loved dogs, and had a famous pet, Chico, to which he was much attached.
Mrs. Radcliffe ate raw pork before going to work on a particularly thrilling chapter.
Pierex, after work hours, busied himself in arranging and caring for his coins and medals.
Washington was devoted to fox-hunting, and in the season usually hunted twice a week.
Socrates was fond of playing with children, and was often seen busy with them at their games.
Mme. de Staël always carried a bit of a stick in her hand and played with it as an aid to conversation.
Blackmore, the novelist, was fond of gardening, and spent in that amusement all he made by writing.
Leigh Hunt, when tired out with work, found relaxation in riding to and fro on the London omnibuses.
Dumas, père, disliked a noise in the house while he was writing, and kept a pet buzzard in his room.
Vincent, the landscape painter, disliked violets, and always avoided a field or garden where they grew.
Prince Rupert, the cavalryman, was fond of chemistry, and invented the glass drops called by his name.
Berlioz, though so famous as a composer, could play no instrument except the guitar, and that very badly.
Hazlitt was an enormous drinker of strong tea, which completely upset his nerves and made him miserable.
Tycho Brahe, “the Wizard of the Golden Nose,” always became sick at the stomach whenever he saw a fox.
Herrick, the poet, was fond of pigs as pets, and taught one to follow him about and to drink beer out of a mug.
Francis Bacon was very fond of fine clothes, and spent much of his leisure in devising new costumes for court occasions.
Edward Fitzgerald was a vegetarian, and believed that in adopting such a diet he had, to quote his own words, found “the great secret of it all.”
Charles Dickens was fond of wearing gaudy jewelry, and the clanking of his numerous gold chains announced his coming while he was yet some distance away.
Henry W. Longfellow had a weakness for flowered waistcoats, and he possessed many of gorgeous pattern and color.
Queen Victoria of England shared the common superstition about salt. She would reprimand any guest who was unfortunate enough to spill it, and throughout the remainder of the meal she would be disturbed and in ill-humor.