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Star (Christchurch), Issue 16906, 4 December 1922, Page 6

WORKING IN BED. It was rumoured the other day that I.ord Balfour wrote his famous Note on Reparations in bed, and since the death o*" Lord North cliff e it has been stated that the scheme of founding “ Answers ’ was evolved under similar physical conditions. Journalists, as a rule, are not much indebted to this source- of inspiration, but a lengthy list might be compiled of books which have been written in bed, in whole or in part. Thackeray’s description in ' Pendennis ” of George- Warrington “ reading half through the night his favourite poetry or mathematics ” hardly carries conviction, as one does not ordinarily associate physical comfort with mathematic research. There is, however, the historical principle of Descartes, who worked out the principle of co-ordinate geometry, and so paved the way for Newton’s discovery of the Calculus while lying in bed late in the morning. There is a story of Rossini, tho composes of William Tell, who was addicted to the habit of working in bed, that while he was engaged on L’ltaliana in Algeria part of the score dropped from his hand and fell on to the floor. Rather than give himself the trouble of picking it up he composed a new version, and had just finished it when a friend entered and restored the original manuscript. The story has been quoted as a proof of Rossini’s laziness, but it seems rather to suggest that mental and bodily activity do not always go together.