The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-08-21
WHOLE NO. 253.
The Lighs Keadin: OF tho Middle Ages.
CURIOUS TALES AND TRADITIONS-lNCIDENTs
AND ANECDOTES,

The Camden Society Of Great Britain
has just published q curious little volume,
which. in the manuscript form, once formed
the 'light reading" Of the piOus Monks of
England in the days Of Ivanho, and Wal
lace. 1t is Latin compilation from vari
Gus writer's, embracing chronicles, legends,
a gazetteer, and all kinds and samples of a
literary note book, and bears the name Of
Eai,gium Hist'riarun, a singularly well
chosen title, whether we understand it &C.
cording to the various translations which it
has bore Of "book Of recreation" or a
compendium" 1t is one of that class Of
works which William Of Wykeham per.
mitted his scholars to read, seated round
the comfortable fire in the college hall on
festival days, after dinner, along with
"marvels Of the world and ballads the
reading being enlivened at certain pausrs
with cheerful song and merry chorus,
| OF "other honest solace."
crRiors TALES AND TRADITIONS.
The old author has quite store of curl.
Gus tales and traditiOns-the facts Of those
days. Thus he assures US that in Paradise
every tree bore fruit, but omits to give US
the name of ''the one man who laughed on
his birth day" He, however. mentions the
curious tradition of the prophecy OF Adam,
and that the Evil Spirit tempted Eve with
the form Of serpent walking erect, ard
only seven hours in Eden. The loves OF
the evil ang Is, and the information that
Semiramis, the Queen of Babylon, was the
inventor Of drawers, or trousers, is duly
recorded, which may possibly be the origin
Of the sarcasm that certain strong minded
ladies wear ''paja,nas," or a portion Of
man dress not used by male persons affect.
ing to be Highlandcrs. Pallas is said to
have been created deity for her credit as a
spinster, and Pro,nethcus to have been
callc'l the man maker when he was only an
ingenious manufacturer of automata. Erech
thonus was the FIRST member Of the -Four.
| in hand" Club.
| The story of the withing shirt of Her
cules is explained away, the giant, in fact,
having been struck by epilepsy; and the
magic stones Of Ducalion were bis hoSpi-
taity to his subjects, who took refuge dur
| ing food upon the peaks Of Parnass,,s.
We meet with an old friend, King Lear;
but are glad to learn that Shakespeare very
;'eedlessIy narrowed our feelings in the last
act, Cord.la having survived her father by
| five years, although her ultimate fortune
was to die in prison after all. Darius, the
king, once proposed t, his courti.ls the diff
cult question, which was the strongest
wine, king, Or woman; but it was decided
IN favor of the latter, because men would
die for woman, and by an arg fnsntuu.
ad homiasna, for one Of the chamber hid
SEEN the queen box her husbands royal
checks; indeed, we ar, told that DemOcri-
| tus picked out his beautiful eyes because
the ladies stared at him, and that Lee the
Great cut off his hand, which an admring
damsel had kissed.
| Claudlus, we are told had such a short
memory that immediately after having put
his wife to death he inquired in his dining
room the reason why the queen did not
! come to dinner; and Titus was so kindly
tempered that he said no man ought to leave
kings presence with sad heart or an
empty hand; Constantine had such a notion
of the Importance ofa clergy nah character
| that he said it he saw one doing wrong he
would cover him with his imperial mantle
Ratrodus, King of the Frisians, was about
to be baptized by ST. Wolfram, but unhap.
PLY asked the question whether more of
his ioretathcrs were in torment or in Para.
disc, and being answered ''in the latter"
he turned back, saying that he had much
better 60 with the majority. The wonder
ful history Of the Maid Of Corinth is here
related at full length, with more simplicity,
and consequently with more power, than by
| Goethe himself
| Several amusing stories are told Of Soc
rates; his explanation Of his tolerance Of
the i'll hunor of his wifc-that it was good
training for patience to endure annoy
ancc when from home; his good d-humored
remark when man beat him over the head
in the strcet-that it was difficult to know
when man ought to put on a helmet out
Of doors; and when one of his wives in a
passion, emptied pitcher Of dirty water
over hlm-"after thunder comes rain
Plato's gravity and the cynicism of Diog
| enes find their place, and we forgot the phil
osopher in the drollery of their wit. His
simplicity is delightful, for he throws away
his waterJug when he sees boy drink out
of the hollow of his hand; "Ah! forgot.
Nature understood the art Of drinking :"
and his admirable composure, while he
wiped his face when man had spit at him,
saying: IL shall contradict those who say
you nave no mouth ~ Pope Anicetus, like
not perhaps thank US for giving him such
precedent, forbade his clcr.y to have HAIR
Oh their heads or boards on their chins.-
Robert the Wise, Of France, otticiated as
precenter in minister choir.
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES.
The compiler seems to have omitted no
incident or anecdote which could interest or
inform his readers. lie writes always with
taste and feeling. He as willingly relates
the sign Of Titus for the loss OF day, as
the address, Of the agei Apostle, who, too
old to walk or to speak, at length was car
ried into the church and could just say,
Little children, love one another;' OF the
sacrelisieus Dionysius, who applied the
golden robo Of Juplt +, in temple in Sicily,
TO his own use saying it was "too not Tor
the idol in summer, and too cold in winter"
The merry monk had fine sense of humor.
Many OF his stories, though not new, retain
their racy flavor; such as tnat Of the phil
osopher, who beng repulsed in an old dress
put ON smart habit, and then beng ad-
united to colrt astonishcd Dionysius by
kissing his tine coat repeatedly, but was able
to explain his affection by saying, II honor
tnat which honor me; it did more than vir-
tue, for it gave mo the entrss."
The signs and wonders preceding the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the
appari,ion of armies in the air and the fare
weis OF the departing ang Is at Pentecost,
are told with equal simplicity; as is the
terrible story OF the furnished mother in the
sieg. feeding on the flesh Of her own child,
OF the appeal of Titus to Heaven, as he
halted before bitches filled with dead bodies,
and with tears cried aloud, ut is not my
hand that has done this, but Titus" A
very curious reason is assigned for the bon
fires formerly lighted Oh the Eve Of st.