Through the Year With Famous Authors Part 4

"Mariage de Figaro."--_Beaumarchais_.

PIERRE AUGUSTIN CARON DE BEAUMARCHAIS, a renowned French dramatist, was born in Paris, January 24, 1732, and died there, May 18, 1799. His greatest plays are: "The Barber of Seville," and "The Marriage of Figaro."

But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or, like the snow-fall in the river, A moment white, then melts forever.

"Tam O'Shanter,"--_Robert Burns_.

ROBERT BURNS, a Scotch poet of world-wide fame, was born in Alloway, January 25, 1759, and died in Dumfries, July 21,1796. His most famous poems are: "Hallowe'en," "The Cotter's Sat.u.r.day Night," "To a Mountain Daisy," "Twa Dogs," "Tam O'Shanter," and "Highland Mary."

'Tis a little thing To give a cup of water; yet its draught Of cool refreshment, drained by fevered lips, May give a shock of pleasure to the frame More exquisite than when nectarean juice Renews the life of joy in happiest hours.

"Ion," Act. i, Sc. 2,--_Thomas Noon Talfourd_.

SIR THOMAS NOON TALFOURD, an eminent English author and statesman, was born at Doxey, near Stafford, January 26, 1795, and died at Stafford, March 13, 1854. His works include: "An Attempt to Estimate the Poetical Talent of the Present Age," "Poems on Various Subjects," "History of the Roman Republic," "History of Greece," "Final Memorials of Charles Lamb,"

"Critical and Miscellaneous Essays," etc.

"Whatever is, is not," is the maxim of the anarchist, as often as anything comes across him in the shape of a law which he happens not to like.

"Declaration of Rights,"--_Richard Bentley_.

RICHARD BENTLEY, a celebrated English critic and essayist, was born in Oulton, Yorkshire, January 27, 1662, and died July, 1742. His important works are: "Dissertation on the Epistles of Phalaris," and "Latin Epistle to John Mill, Containing Critical Observations on the Chronicle of Joannes Malala."

There is in every man a certain feeling that he has been what he is from all eternity, and by no means become such in time.

--_Sch.e.l.ling_.

FRIEDRICH WILHELM JOSEPH VON SCh.e.l.lING, an eminent German thinker and philosopher, was born at Leonberg, Wurtemberg, January 27, 1775, and died at the Ragaz baths, Switzerland, August 28, 1854. Among his many works are: "On the Possibility of a Form of philosophy," "Ideas for a Philosophy of Nature," "On the Soul of the World," "Philosophy and Religion," etc. Four posthumous volumes are: "Introduction to the Philosophy of Mythology," "Philosophy of Mythology," and "Philosophy of Revelation," in two separate volumes.

Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves.

"Alice in Wonderland," Chap. ix.--_Lewis Carroll_.

LEWIS CARROLL, nom de plume of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a distinguished English clergyman and writer on mathematical subjects was born January 27, 1832, and died in January, 1898. His princ.i.p.al works are: "A Syllabus of Plane Algebraical Geometry," "Guide to the Mathematical Student," etc. Also: "The Hunting of the Snark," "Rhyme and Reason,"

"Euclid and His Modern Rivals," "Game of Logic," "Mathematica Curiosa,"

and his two popular tales for children, ent.i.tled "Alice in Wonderland,"

and "Through the Looking-Gla.s.s."

Morgen, Morgen, nur nicht heute; Sprechen immer trage Leute.[7]

"Der Aufschub,"--_Weisse_.

CHRISTIAN FELIX WEISSE, a noted German poet and writer, was born at Annaberg, January 28, 1726, and died at Leipsic, December 16, 1804. He wrote: "Sportive Lays," "Lays of the Amazons," "Songs for Children,"

etc.

Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before!

Christ the royal Master Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See, His banners go.

Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, Going on before!

"Onward, Christian Soldiers."--_S. Baring-Gould_.

SABINE BARING-GOULD, a renowned English antiquary and novelist, was born in Exeter, January 28, 1834; died January, 1924. Among his numerous works may be mentioned: "Lives of the Saints," "Yorkshire Oddities," "In the Roar of the Sea," "The Deserts of Southern France," "A Garland of Country Song," "Old Fairy Tales Retold," "Napoleon Bonaparte," "A Study of St. Paul," "A Book of the Riviera," "A Book of the Rhine," "A Book of the Pyrenees," "Devonshire Characters," "Cornish Characters," "The Land of Teck," "Cliff Castles and Cave Dwellings," "The Church Revival," and his most famous work, "Curious Myths of the Middle Ages."

A man after death is not a natural but a spiritual man; nevertheless he still appears in all respects like himself.

"Conjugal Love," Par. 31,--_Swedenborg_.

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG, the famous Swedish mystic philosopher and author, was born in Stockholm, January 29, 1688, and died there March 29, 1772.

His notable works include: "Principles of Chemistry," "Conjugal Love and its Chaste Delights," "Opera Philosophica et Mineralia," "Domini Jesu Christi Servus," etc.

The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to cla.s.s them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.

"Age of Reason," Part ii, note,--_Thomas Paine_.

THOMAS PAINE, an eminent American publicist, was born at Thetford in Norfolkshire, England, January 29, 1737, and died at New Roch.e.l.le, New York, June 8, 1809. The most important of his Works are: "Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance," "Common-Sense," "The Age of Reason," "The Rights of Man."

A delicate thought is a flower of the mind.

--_Charles Rollin_.

CHARLES ROLLIN, a noted French historian and professor of _belles-lettres_, was born at Paris, January 30, 1661, and died September 14, 1741. His chief works are: "On the Study of Belles-Lettres," "Ancient History" (12 vols. 1730-1738), and "History of Rome."

Shakespeare is not our poet, but the world's-- Therefore on him no speech! And brief for thee, Browning! Since Chaucer was alive and hale, No man hath walk'd along our roads with steps So active, so inquiring eye, or tongue So varied in discourse.

"To Robert Browning,"--_Walter S. Landor_.

WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR, the celebrated English poet and prose writer, was born at Ipsley Court, Warwickshire, January 30, 1775, and died at Florence, September 17, 1864. His best known works are: "The Pentameron," "The h.e.l.lenics," "Popery, British and Foreign," "Poems,"

"Antony and Octavius: Scenes for the Study," "Heroic Idylls, with Additional Poems," and his most famous work, "Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen."

Nur eine Mutter weiss allein, was lieben heisst und glucklich sein.[8]

"Frauen Liebe und Leben," 7.--_A. von Chamisso_.

ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO, a famous German lyrist, was born at the castle of Boncourt Champagne, January 30, 1781, and died at Berlin, August 21, 1838. His most celebrated work is "Peter Schlemihl," which has been translated into all the princ.i.p.al languages of Europe.

When thou a fast would'st keep, Make not thy homage cheap, By publishing its signs to every eye; But let it be between Thyself and the Unseen, So shall it gain acceptance from on high.