TWO FORTUNES EARNED IN BED.

Shannon News, 13 February 1923, Page 2

TWO FORTUNES EARNED IN BED.

. Indolence has produced a good many j works of jjenius. James Thompson not only wrote Uis famous “Seasons’ l but also a very characteristic poem, ‘' The Castle of Indolence.' * He was himself pne of the most indolent of men. It was said that he was too lazy to stretch a hand to pick a peach from the Avail, but simply stopped and pecked at it vrhsre it hung. But whether this is a libel or the truth, it is certain that most of his poetry Avas composed in a recumbent position. He always av rote best in bed. * Jules Verne, who has Avritten some of the most exciting and adventrous, books, and anticipated both the aeroplane and the submarine in’ his romances, Avas an indolent man as far as his Avriting was concerned, for he did most of it lying down. Mark Twain boasted that he spent.

the greater part of his time in bed. He used to say that all his ideas flew .away when he was getting shaved and dressed, and so he stayed in bed to Avrite with excellent results. He earned tAvo fortunes in bed, and was always easy and slow in his movements, even when ho was. up and moving about he was never in a hurry. He was a good deal like the horses he describes. One used to lean up against a wall to think, and the other wouldn't start till you lit

/ a fire under it! ' Thfj poet Swinburne was of a fiery tempter, but of an indolent habit. He confesses somewhere that he wrote “BSaudelaire ” reclining in a Turkish bath. But few men of great literary gifts Avero more indolent than the Sage •f Fleet Street, the great Dr. Johnson, Avho seems almost reincarnated in Gilbert K. Chesterton to-day. ' Only the fear of sheer starvation drove him to his desk. He seldom rose before noon, but he talked far into the night. His diary is filled Avith remorse for his indolence and he promised to turn over a leaf. Yet "the leaf was never turned. Shelley had an indolent vein, too. He was very fond of the water, and many of his finest poems were composed as lie idled at his ease in his boat. He made the best of his short life, however, and that cannot be said of Coleridge, who seemed to be afflicted Avith the lack of will to work, which some people call laziness. He had one of the greatest minds, but he left his finest poems mere fragments.