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.