Fateful Numbers.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 12 June 1914, Page 2

Fateful Numbers.

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema has recent!;- confessed that many of his

happiest memories have been associated with the number seventeen, and it is a reminder that Captain Oates, of the ill-fated Scott Expedition, wont to his death in a blizzard on Match 17th—which was the date of his birthday. Similarly, the great Oliver Cromwell died on September 3rd,, which was the anni-

versary of h|s two great victories at Dunbar and Worcester ; and Shakespeare's death-day lias been claimed by many experts to have been also his birthday.

Charles Dickons once declared that all the fortunate events of his life happened on Fridays ; and Bismarck held, with Pythagoras, that three and not thirteen is the per-

feet number. At any rate, Bismarck had three names, three oak leaves figured in his family j.rms, he was concerned in three wars and signed three treaties of peace, he had three children, he was responsible for the Triple Alliance, in the Franco-German War he had three horses shot under him, and caricaturists always represented him with but three hairs on his head !

Thirteen, however, was the fateful number of Richard Wagner, as the centenary celebrations in his honour this year (1913) remind us, for he was born on May 13th, 181.3, and he died on February 13th, 1883.