Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 13 / Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23458

Title

Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 13 / Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Elbert Hubbard's Volume 13 of 'Little Journeys' explores the lives of great lovers, revealing how romantic devotion shaped the legacies of figures like Robert Louis Stevenson, Josiah Wedgwood, and Lord Nelson. Through whimsical anecdotes and historical analysis, the text argues that love is a vital force driving creativity, courage, and personal transformation, offering an uplifting look at humanity's capacity for deep affection.

Summary up to 500 words

In Volume 13 of his 'Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great' series, titled 'Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers,' Elbert Hubbard explores the transformative power of romantic love, arguing that it serves as the true engine of civilization rather than mere sentiment. The collection features intimate portraits of historical figures, illustrating how deep affection shaped their lives and legacies. The volume opens with Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife, Fanny Osbourne. Hubbard recounts Stevenson's playful, often financially precarious youth, highlighting his 'fine fooling' and rebellious spirit. He emphasizes that it was Fanny's devoted mothering care that spiritualized Stevenson's nature, giving his spirit wings and extending his life by fourteen years. Without her love, Hubbard suggests, Stevenson's name would have been written in water rather than cut deep in the granite of time. Hubbard then turns to Josiah Wedgwood, whose 'insanity' of love for Sarah drove him to elevate the status of women in the pottery trade and improve the lives of his workers. Hubbard notes that Wedgwood's love manifested in practical acts, such as planting flower gardens and ensuring his men washed and changed clothes after working with clay. This 'insanity' of love resolved into tangible benefits for society, proving that love is a form of vital energy that does good for the beloved. The narrative culminates in the epic romance of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. Hubbard details how their bond sustained Nelson through grueling campaigns against Napoleon. He recounts Nelson's final moments at the Battle of Trafalgar, where his last thoughts were of Lady Hamilton. In his codicil to his will, Nelson explicitly credited her influence with securing vital supplies for his fleet, enabling the destruction of the French fleet in Egypt. Hubbard asserts that while war can be avoided, humanity cannot survive without the capacity to love and mate. He concludes that Nelson knew how to fight, how to love, and how to die, and that Lady Hamilton saved Nelson from insanity and death, cementing the volume's celebration of emotional resilience and historical connection.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Biography