New-York tribune., 1872-10-16
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

ROMANS-TUE REAUTIFUI MAID -
FED ON POISON" HOW TO sLEEP I@nS. or1,
GRFRNoUGH's STORY OF "PYTHONlA -AhL
SNAKE LADY--Two GOOD REVIEWS
iyRoN A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or Inn ihC~'
posroN Oct. 14-"Old and New" Tor No
n,nor remarks in its Introduction that some few
conle have commented s recent lapse INTO pohHCs
n maintains its right 10 opinion, and hints that u
.tu knows it's own mind. What shall say OF TINS
November number but that II is in all respects most
decorousf II has no poetry-not so much as q sohne
lest It should be suspected Of frivolty or hghtmnue
ness Let who will pipe unto IT, in these peIllouS uo''
II will not danceuot until il has whether OF no d.
Grant TO have prolonged chance to convert 'e 0ou'"
90 the Christian religion
Mr. Hale goes on with the Ups and Downs OF his Sc
rol. but Mr Hale always writes with purpose ana to
the purpose He says good thing OF oscar "heh ne
t.u ns that Oscar was young and brave and thue and
knew how 70 live his utmost in to-day" This is the es-
senee of true living To-mOrrOws joys are yet unrsen
stars -to-mOrrOw's have not yet mYaied their
orcon faeeswhy pine for the one or fear too much the
pther to-day there are wood to hew ana water 10
draw pictures 20 paint and sermons 20 preach
ApropOs Of sermons, that able sermOn-Inaker'
James Martneau gives us in this number, another
,aper Of noble series, "God In Humanity or course
he does hold the orthodox idea Of the incarnation
IL n not only Jesus that he recognizes God Out as
the inner and higher life of every human sou-the Voice
when makes itself heard above The din and clamor OF
the world. warning that night is right and wrong is
wrouc-the Authority belonging TO every better impulse
saying IN reply 10 the Question why man shout" care
for ms moral sense Only because heaven and he'll lie
behind il" Against this only" Nartucau utters manly
aud passionate protest. He says;
Bring Paley face to face with coneregation OF the
Cornish miners OF his time 10 tIy his ultimate appeal;
Iet him urge, with his 'eIcsi good sense ms pea ol
ioug-ysoned pruaouce 'Nou had better take care or
you viii 90 % hell anu TINS were ms aSl wore Nnu
be coniesscs that he has no more TO say is there
Il would subduel Or would the listcss hearers stroll
into tomorrow unaered from to-day But lei We
hoy sta M
them the conviction Of SIM, dwelling not so
Eluch ON the future anguish as ON the present
ruin OF the soul interpreting shame and SELF
contempt Of its daily recScssucSs, recalling ts memory
Of better life, appealing 10 ts inward oueing for higher
thines, and ueiiaccaDc kindred with a holy God, ana
We know by experience INTO what deeIS s4ch a voice
tear how casts the strong man to the gropnd how
hear, now down; how II NAV shake aud convulse the
habiis OF ite and driving Their SNh spII o1t, ping
uetu composed and wakeul order under the heaN-
enly eye
Every noble heart Of man or woman must respond
when he aaserts there is claim upon Ms, In We
tacty-au appeal 20 MS in ghteousness-whch no ex-
tremity Of consequences cancel, but which Will
stand of nhnitude of agony taken in
place of "a forfeited utmtude of JOY. The moment
see uolleness which Is above recognize il and
its claim and fired with possibilities We never
guessed before What docs this speak-this flashing of
conscience uiud to mind. this consent Of each to
the moral LIE OF a-hut authority beyond the per
soual nature universal righteousness which reaches
through time and suffers no individual to escape
&" Tnc Gesta Romanorum is an account Of "a curious
volume title recently published by J. W. Bou-
foI. O. Nc-YorE, reproduced from Nj swans English
edition o. 1894, with editorial AID from Mr.. Thomas
Wright. Tie "Gcsia R0man0rum," or Acts of the
Romans" appears 10 have been collected, In the first
half of the fourteenth century by Pierre Bercheure
prior Of the Beucdctine convent OF ST. EOi at Paris
He not 20 have originated the tales, but to
have written down such ne found already current
During that century and tie next the collection Of BeT
eheure very popular especially IN England among
the clergy who used It's stories 10y way of illustration in
Their preaching. The FIRST English translation
was printed about 1910 or 1915. and during two
centuries more. various other editions followed IN both
the Enrlsh ana Continental languages. During the
seventeenth aud eighteenth centuries it fcl into OBJ
security. aud was known only to scholars. Warton re-
called attention 10 iti his History Of English Poetry
and Mr. swans ed ton Of 1924 well known. As for
uoug the Acts Of the Romans, it is, Of course, no
uore genuine history than Robinson Crusoe" or Gul
Hyers Travels" The makers OF the stories created
knights emperors queens. and philosophers 10 serve
their turn. and save Them whatever names they ft
But i does not hurt the quaint Old stories. of
whirh viii give you q specimen Of the lessons en-
forced by popular preachers, half millennium ago.
or THE POISON OF SIN.
AtNauGor prince OF great power and disciple |
Of Aristotle Who instructed him every branch of DO
learning The Queen OF the North, having heard Of
his rOhoIeucy. uUurshcd her daughter fTOu The cradle
upon certain kiui Of deadly poison; and, when she
grew u she was considered 50 beautiful that the sight
OF her alone aec ctcd many with madness.
The queen sent her 10 Alexander 10 CspOuse He had
ID
cred, and with much seIness desired Ia possess her.
bus Aristotle, observing his weakness SAID Do not
touch her; for yOu DO you Wlh certainty perish she
vii ,,r,s f vn, lrcdafeIy TIrr1 is "a naefacfor
who already condemned 10 death. lie shall be united
10 her; and yOu wil soon see the truth OF what ad
vance
Accordingly the culprt brought without delay TO
the rr scarcely mad he touched her lips before hs
whole frame imprenated with poison, and he eX
pred in the greatest agony AleNander glad OF ms |
escape tIom such imminent destruction, bestowed an
his instructor, and returned the grl TO her
mother.
APPLICATION
Ny beloved, sooi Christian strong and powerful
IN virtues communicate al hls BAPTISM may be called
Alexander lie is strong ami powerful as long as ne
preserves his purity the contamination Of thedev
the world, flesh The Queen of the North is
supeIhuy OF the things of lie, which sometimes de
rtTOys the spirit, aud generally the body. The en-
VenOmed beauty De- Luxury and GluttOuy which feed
men dehcaces that are poison TO the soul Aris-
], thy which and
opposes tile union that would undo the soul.
The maleactOr is perverse man, dsObedient TO his
f;od more his carna de-
ights divine commands lie enlOlds his sins in
a Close embrace by whose deadly he spiritually
destroyed. tne Book OF WISDOM " He who touches
pitch snail be def ed by IT,
Let us then study To live honestly and uprightly in
order that may attain to everlasting life"
Joshua Young writes entertaningly Of The Ephesus
Of Church History" Nj. Hale has second paper on
How TO Sleep" am so iIreverent to be reminded
10y IL of the Polish Count Zamba, gaveus Bosonans
some lectures Memory" two or three years ago,
exploiting d system OF MncmOnics so cumbrOus-sO
much harder remember than any ordinary factsthat
poor Memory in sheer despair, vowed that If
sbe could be excused from that she would
seyer forget anything else. MI. Hale's
edies for sleeplessness 10 to require
40 mucn systematic exertiOn that must be indus
trous 10 carry them out and the meekest being told
that Il he did Mt 90 10 sleep at he must get up
again. take walk pass sponge Of cold water freely
over the head forehead hndbcad, scalp and ALL t for
the moment II is well cooled down, and then take TO bed
-.