The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-16
The Light Reading of the Middle Ages
CURIOUS TALES AND TRADITIONs-INCiDEN ENTs
AND ANECDOTES.

CURIOUS TALES AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AND ANECDOTES.
The Camden Society of Great Britain
has just published curious little volume,
which, in the manuscript form, once formed
the eight reading" of the plous Monks of
England in the days Of Ivanhoe and Wal
lace. 1t is Latin compilation from var-
Gus writers, embracing chronicles, legends,
q gazetteer, ard all kinds and samples of a
literary note book, and bears the name of
Euiogium Historiarum, singularly we'll
chosen title, whether we understand it ac-
cordng to the various translations which it
has bore of "boOk of recreation" or a
"compendium." 1t is ore 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 pauses
with cheerful song and a merry chorus, or
"other honest solace"
CURIOUS 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 omts 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 oil serpent walking erect, and
with a woman's face, after she had been
only seven hours in Eden. The loves OF
the evil angels, 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 pajamas," or a portion of
mans dress not used by male persons affect
ing to be Highanders. Pallas is said to
have been created a deity for her credit as a
spinster, and Prometheus TO have been
called the man maker when he was only an
ingenious manufacturer OF automata. Erech
thonius was the first member of the Four
in aand" Club.
The story OF the witching shirt of Her.
cules is explained away, the giant, in fact,
having been struck by epilepsy; and the
magic stones of Deucalion were his hospi
tality to his subjects. who took refuge dur
ing flood upon the peaks of Parnassus.
We meet with an old friend, King Lear
but are glad to learn that Shakespeare very
needlessly narrowed our feelings in the last
act, Cordelia having survived her father by
five years, although her ultimate fortune
was to die in prison after all. Darius, the
king, once proposed to his courters 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 argumentun,
ad hom,nem, for one of the chamber had
seen the queen box her husbands royal
cheeks indeed, we are told that Democri>
tus picked out his beautiful eyes because
the ladies stared at him, and that Leo the
Great cut off his hand, which an admirug
damsel had kissed.
Claudius, we are told, had such short
memory that Immediately after having put
his wife to death be inquired in bis 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
a kings presence with sad heart or an
empty hand; Constantine had such notion
Of the Importance of a clergyman's character
that he said if he saw one doing wrong be
would cover him with his imperial mantle.
Ratrordus, King of the Frisians, was about
to be baptized by St. Wolfram, but unhap-
PLY asked the question whether more of
his fOrefathers were in torment or In Para
disc, and being answered I" in the latter" !"
he turned back, saying that he had much
better 60 with the ma jority. The wonder
full story 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 tolerence of
the ill-humor of his wife-that it was good
training for patience and to endure annoy
ance when from home his goo l-humored
remark when man beat him over the head
in the street--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 him--"after thunder comes rain."--
Plato's gravity and the cynicism of Diog-
enes find their place, and we forget the phil
osopher in the drollery of their wit. His
simplicity is delightful, for be throws awav
his watering when be 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 81 shall contradict those who saw
you have no mouth J" Pope Anicetus like
a modern Bishop of Rochester, who would
not perhaps thank us for giving him such
precedent, forbade bis clergy to have hair
on their heads or boards on their chins -
Robert the Wise, of France, oficiated as
precentOr in minister choir.
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES.
Tho comnilor onnoo.. ~.