Curiosities of Literature Volume I Part 20

It is probable that this custom, so universally prevalent, originated in some ancient superst.i.tion; it seems to have excited inquiry among all nations.

"Some Catholics," says Father Feyjoo, "have attributed the origin of this custom to the ordinance of a pope, Saint Gregory, who is said to have inst.i.tuted a short benediction to be used on such occasions, at a time when, during a pestilence, the crisis was attended by _sneezing_, and in most cases followed by _death_."

But the rabbins, who have a story for everything, say, that before Jacob men never sneezed but _once_, and then immediately _died_: they a.s.sure us that that patriarch was the first who died by natural disease; before him all men died by sneezing; the memory of which was ordered to be preserved in _all nations_, by a command of every prince to his subjects to employ some salutary exclamation after the act of sneezing. But these are Talmudical dreams, and only serve to prove that so familiar a custom has always excited inquiry.

Even Aristotle has delivered some considerable nonsense on this custom; he says it is an honourable acknowledgment of the seat of good sense and genius--the head--to distinguish it from two other offensive eruptions of air, which are never accompanied by any benediction from the by-standers. The custom, at all events, existed long prior to Pope Gregory. The lover in Apuleius, Gyton in Petronius, and allusions to it in Pliny, prove its antiquity; and a memoir of the French Academy notices the practice in the New World, on the first discovery of America. Everywhere man is saluted for sneezing.

An amusing account of the ceremonies which attend the _sneezing_ of a king of Monomotapa, shows what a national concern may be the sneeze of despotism.--Those who are near his person, when this happens, salute him in so loud a tone, that persons in the ante-chamber hear it, and join in the acclamation; in the adjoining apartments they do the same, till the noise reaches the street, and becomes propagated throughout the city; so that, at each sneeze of his majesty, results a most horrid cry from the salutations of many thousands of his va.s.sals.

When the king of Sennaar sneezes, his courtiers immediately turn their backs on him, and give a loud slap on their right thigh.

With the ancients sneezing was ominous;[42] from the _right_ it was considered auspicious; and Plutarch, in his Life of Themistocles, says, that before a naval battle it was a sign of conquest! Catullus, in his pleasing poem of Acme and Septimus, makes this action from the deity of Love, from the _left_, the source of his fiction. The pa.s.sage has been elegantly versified by a poetical friend, who finds authority that the G.o.ds sneezing on the _right_ in _heaven_, is supposed to come to us on _earth_ on the _left_.

Cupid _sneezing_ in his flight, Once was heard upon the _right_, Boding woe to lovers true; But now upon the _left_ he flew, And with sporting _sneeze_ divine, Gave to joy the sacred sign.

Acme bent her lovely face, Flush'd with rapture's rosy grace, And those eyes that swam in bliss, Prest with many a breathing kiss; Breathing, murmuring, soft, and low, Thus might life for ever flow!

"Love of my life, and life of love!

Cupid rules our fates above, Ever let us vow to join In homage at his happy shrine."

Cupid heard the lovers true, Again upon the _left_ he flew, And with sporting _sneeze_ divine, Renew'd of joy the _sacred sign_!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 42: Xenophon having addressed a speech to his soldiers, in which he declared he felt many reasons for a dependence on the favour of the G.o.ds, had scarcely concluded his words when one of them emitted a loud sneeze. Xenophon at once declared this a spontaneous omen sent by Jupiter as a sign that his protection was awarded them.

"O, happy Bridegroom! thee a lucky sneeze To Sparta welcom'd."--_Theocritus_, Idyll xviii.

"Prometheus was the first that wished well to the sneezer, when the man which he had made of clay fell into a fit of sternutation upon the approach of that celestial fire which he stole from the sun."--Ross's _Arcana Microcosmi_.]

BONAVENTURE DE PERIERS.

A happy art in the relation of a story is, doubtless, a very agreeable talent; it has obtained La Fontaine all the applause which his charming _navete_ deserves.

Of "_Bonaventure de Periers, Valet de Chambre de la Royne de Navarre_,"

there are three little volumes of tales in prose, in the quaint or the coa.r.s.e pleasantry of that day. The following is not given as the best, but as it introduces a novel etymology of a word in great use:--

"A student at law, who studied at Poitiers, had tolerably improved himself in cases of equity; not that he was over-burthened with learning; but his chief deficiency was a want of a.s.surance and confidence to display his knowledge. His father, pa.s.sing by Poitiers, recommended him to read aloud, and to render his memory more prompt by continued exercise. To obey the injunctions of his father, he determined to read at the _Ministery_. In order to obtain a certain quant.i.ty of a.s.surance, he went every day into a garden, which was a very retired spot, being at a distance from any house, and where there grew a great number of fine large cabbages. Thus for a long time he pursued his studies, and repeated his lectures to these cabbages, addressing them by the t.i.tle of _gentlemen_, and balancing his periods to them as if they had composed an audience of scholars. After a fort-night or three weeks'

preparation, he thought it was high time to take the _chair_; imagining that he should be able to lecture his scholars as well as he had before done his cabbages. He comes forward, he begins his oration--but before a dozen words his tongue freezes between his teeth! Confused, and hardly knowing where he was, all he could bring out was--_Domini, Ego bene video quod non eslis caules_; that is to say--for there are some who will have everything in plain English--_Gentlemen, I now clearly see you are not cabbages!_ In the _garden_ he could conceive the _cabbages_ to be _scholars_; but in the _chair_, he could not conceive the _scholars_ to be _cabbages_."

On this story La Monnoye has a note, which gives a new origin to a familiar term.

"The hall of the School of Equity at Poitiers, where the inst.i.tutes were read, was called _La Ministerie_. On which head Florimond de Remond (book vii. ch. 11), speaking of Albert Babinot, one of the first disciples of Calvin, after having said he was called 'The _good man_,'

adds, that because he had been a student of the inst.i.tutes at this _Ministerie_ of Poitiers, Calvin and others styled him _Mr. Minister_; from whence, afterwards _Calvin_ took occasion to give the name of MINISTERS to the pastors of his church."

GROTIUS.

The Life of Grotius shows the singular felicity of a man of letters and a statesman, and how a student can pa.s.s his hours in the closest imprisonment. The gate of the prison has sometimes been the porch of fame.

Grotius, studious from his infancy, had also received from Nature the faculty of genius, and was so fortunate as to find in his father a tutor who formed his early taste and his moral feelings. The younger Grotius, in imitation of Horace, has celebrated his grat.i.tude in verse.

One of the most interesting circ.u.mstances in the life of this great man, which strongly marks his genius and fort.i.tude, is displayed in the manner in which he employed his time during his imprisonment. Other men, condemned to exile and captivity, if they survive, despair; the man of letters may reckon those days as the sweetest of his life.

When a prisoner at the Hague, he laboured on a Latin essay on the means of terminating religious disputes, which occasion so many infelicities in the state, in the church, and in families; when he was carried to Louvenstein, he resumed his law studies, which other employments had interrupted. He gave a portion of his time to moral philosophy, which engaged him to translate the maxims of the ancient poets, collected by Stobaeus, and the fragments of Menander and Philemon.

Every Sunday was devoted to the Scriptures, and to his Commentaries on the New Testament. In the course of the work he fell ill; but as soon as he recovered his health, he composed his treatise, in Dutch verse, on the Truth of the Christian Religion. Sacred and profane authors occupied him alternately. His only mode of refres.h.i.+ng his mind was to pa.s.s from one work to another. He sent to Vossius his observations on the Tragedies of Seneca. He wrote several other works--particularly a little Catechism, in verse, for his daughter Cornelia--and collected materials to form his Apology. Although he produced thus abundantly, his confinement was not more than two years. We may well exclaim here, that the mind of Grotius had never been imprisoned.

To these various labours we may add an extensive correspondence he held with the learned; his letters were often so many treatises, and there is a printed collection amounting to two thousand. Grotius had notes ready for every cla.s.sical author of antiquity, whenever a new edition was prepared; an account of his plans and his performances might furnish a volume of themselves; yet he never published in haste, and was fond of revising them. We must recollect, notwithstanding such uninterrupted literary avocations, his hours were frequently devoted to the public functions of an amba.s.sador:--"I only reserve for my studies the time which other ministers give to their pleasures, to conversations often useless, and to visits sometimes unnecessary." Such is the language of this great man!

I have seen this great student censured for neglecting his official duties; but, to decide on this accusation, it would be necessary to know the character of his accuser.

n.o.bLEMEN TURNED CRITICS.

I offer to the contemplation of those unfortunate mortals who are necessitated to undergo the criticisms of _lords_, this pair of anecdotes:--

Soderini, the Gonfaloniere of Florence, having had a statue made by the great _Michael Angelo_, when it was finished, came to inspect it; and having for some time sagaciously considered it, poring now on the face, then on the arms, the knees, the form of the leg, and at length on the foot itself; the statue being of such perfect beauty, he found himself at a loss to display his powers of criticism, only by lavis.h.i.+ng his praise. But only to praise might appear as if there had been an obtuseness in the keenness of his criticism. He trembled to find a fault, but a fault must be found. At length he ventured to mutter something concerning the nose--it might, he thought, be something more Grecian. _Angelo_ differed from his Grace, but he said he would attempt to gratify his taste. He took up his chisel, and concealed some marble dust in his hand; feigning to re-touch the part, he adroitly let fall some of the dust he held concealed. The Cardinal observing it as it fell, transported at the idea of his critical ac.u.men, exclaimed--"Ah, _Angelo_, you have now given an inimitable grace!"

When Pope was first introduced to read his Iliad to Lord Halifax, the n.o.ble critic did not venture to be dissatisfied with so perfect a composition; but, like the cardinal, this pa.s.sage, and that word, this turn, and that expression, formed the broken cant of his criticisms. The honest poet was stung with vexation; for, in general, the parts at which his lords.h.i.+p hesitated were those with which he was most satisfied. As he returned home with Sir Samuel Garth, he revealed to him the anxiety of his mind. "Oh," replied Garth, laughing, "you are not so well acquainted with his lords.h.i.+p as myself; he must criticize. At your next visit, read to him those very pa.s.sages as they now stand; tell him that you have recollected his criticisms; and I'll warrant you of his approbation of them. This is what I have done a hundred times myself."

_Pope_ made use of this stratagem; it took, like the marble dust of _Angelo_; and my lord, like the cardinal, exclaimed--"Dear _Pope_, they are now inimitable!"

LITERARY IMPOSTURES.

Some authors have practised singular impositions on the public.

Varillas, the French historian, enjoyed for some time a great reputation in his own country for his historical compositions; but when they became more known, the scholars of other countries destroyed the reputation which he had unjustly acquired. His continual professions of sincerity prejudiced many in his favour, and made him pa.s.s for a writer who had penetrated into the inmost recesses of the cabinet; but the public were at length undeceived, and were convinced that the historical anecdotes which Varillas put off for authentic facts had no foundation, being wholly his own inventions--though he endeavoured to make them pa.s.s for realities by affected citations of t.i.tles, instructions, letters, memoirs, and relations, all of them imaginary! He had read almost everything historical, printed and ma.n.u.script; but his fertile political imagination gave his conjectures as facts, while he quoted at random his pretended authorities. Burnet's book against Varillas is a curious little volume.[43]

Gemelli Carreri, a Neapolitan gentleman, for many years never quitted his chamber; confined by a tedious indisposition, he amused himself with writing a _Voyage round the World_; giving characters of men, and descriptions of countries, as if he had really visited them: and his volumes are still very interesting. I preserve this anecdote as it has long come down to us; but Carreri, it has been recently ascertained, met the fate of Bruce--for he had visited the places he has described; Humboldt and Clavigero have confirmed his local knowledge of Mexico and of China, and found his book useful and veracious. Du Halde, who has written so voluminous an account of China, compiled it from the Memoirs of the Missionaries, and never travelled ten leagues from Paris in his life,--though he appears, by his writings, to be familiar with Chinese scenery.

Damberger's Travels some years ago made a great sensation--and the public were duped; they proved to be the ideal voyages of a member of the German Grub-street, about his own garret. Too many of our "Travels"

have been manufactured to fill a certain size; and some which bear names of great authority were not written by the professed authors.

There is an excellent observation of an anonymous author:--"_Writers_ who never visited foreign countries, and _travellers_ who have run through immense regions with fleeting pace, have given us long accounts of various countries and people; evidently collected from the idle reports and absurd traditions of the ignorant vulgar, from whom only they could have received those relations which we see acc.u.mulated with such undiscerning credulity."

Some authors have practised the singular imposition of announcing a variety of t.i.tles of works preparing for the press, but of which nothing but the t.i.tles were ever written.