Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-09-21
uov Mr.. Berchrr's ..Thundcr' i
Stoleu.

nv" AAEs
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's preface to
his volume entitled " Royal Truths" just
issued by Ticknor s Fields, gives a pleas
ant account of the liberties which have
been taken with the name and words OF
tina. celebrated preacher. Mr.. Beecher
says:
Nv dear Mr.. Fields: l comply with
your request, and send you a copy Of
"Royal Truths" Its history is this:
When, in the Summer Of 1868, l landed
in England. my first trip was TO northern
Wales. I arrived late on Saturday al
Bedseller,, and spent Sunday there. An
esumable young Welsh clergyman called
TO request me TO preach, which, being yet
drenched with the ocean, l declined TO do.
In the course Of conversation he spoke Of
having read my works. and mentioned
Royal Truths" among the number.
Surprising him TO have mistaken the title
Of Life Thoughts" l corrected him.
"Yes, I have read Life Thoughts too;
but Royal Truths l mean." but, my
dear sir, there is no such work Of mine.
I never issued such q work, nor heard Of
il. II il exist, It must be by some other
person." No; he was firm, and declared
that l should find il az Strahan's, in Lon
don. Sure enough, on reaching the cap
i,al. I found a book by myself, Of which
I had never heard. 1t seems that some
one had taken from my sermons, pub
lished every week. such extracts as were
f,,ed for standing alone, and framed them
into a book, baptizing it Royal Truths"
of which, as you will see by the copy
which I send you.s six, editions had been
published in 1862. and I know not how
many since. The book Is, therefore, mine,
and not mine. l furnished the contents,
bu, neither selected them nor gave them a
name.
Ny surprise at this unconscious author
ship would have been greater II l had not
already had q not dissimilar experience,
which, perhaps, it may be amusing to mar.
rate.
In 1861 or 1852, a gentleman in New
York happened into a friends store, a
publisher. who handed him a little book
called aids to prayer" saying that it
was an English work, just sent over to
him, and that he liked it so much that he
Immediately determined to republish il
for American reading. The gentleman
took home the work, and the next day
returned to the store, saying. ~ like your
little book very much, and always have"
"Why, what do you mean ;" 1.-THE book
is made up wholly. except some texts and
hymns, Of Mr.. Beecher's writings, and
may be found in Views and Experien-
ces.'" T~hereupon the mortified but in
nocent publisher posted a book to me,
with apologies for violating copyrights,
etc. The work had, with a single eXcep-
ton, been taken bodily from the English
Summer Of the Soul" which was the
new name, given without my knowledge,
BY London publishers, to my book called
Views and Experiences in Religion"
Nor was there a hint of its transatlantic
origin OF authorship-for fear. said the
publisher, that others would print it
upon him." Il think that is the phrase,
Snles, they supposed it to be an original
English book!
"Roysl Truths" has been useful abroad,
and may do good at home-in part, be-
cause the selections are short, and can be
read in moments when q book demanding
hours would be rejected.
HENRY WARD BBgcHER.